Chapter 23: Achilles Heel

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What the fuck are you looking at?

That's right. Look away, you little shit.

I glared at everyone who dared meet my eye.

"What's up your ass?"

I glanced at Alfie. He had a cup of beer on one hand, while a chick on another. We were at his party after the game. You know, the usual. We were celebrating our undefeated win. Same old fucking shit.

I turned my head away, didn't even bother acknowledging him. I pointed my finger to a dude a couple of feet away from us. His clothes were two sizes too big on him, making him look like a walking stick.

I recognized him. He was a second stringer on the team. Trent whatshisface. Huh, he got no chance of playing ball with that build.

"You," I nodded to him, expressionless. "Get me a beer."

"What?" stuttered Trent, blinking at me.

I cocked my head, and ordered, "Get me a motherfucking beer."

The dude visibly gulped. Pussy. He needed to do some manning up if he wanted to stay on the team.

"You want a death sentence, man?" Alfie asked him, chuckling. "Get him his beer."

Trent finally came to his senses, and left for the kitchen. Thank fuck. I needed alcohol in my system to at least calm my nerves. I could go home and get hammered on my own, but having people around was better. This way, I had someone I could beat up if I felt like it.

I felt Alfie staring at me, waiting for an explanation. I sighed, keeping my eyes on the people around us – just in case she decided to show up. Although, that was doubtful.

"Halo didn't show up tonight," I said.

"I saw her at the game."

"Yeah, but she disappeared right after."

By the time I got outside the locker room, she was gone. I checked at the parking lot but her blue Mustang was nowhere to be found. Then, I got a text from Brooklyn saying Halo went home to watch a movie with them.

Brooklyn. I got a fucking text from Brooklyn.

Last time I checked, Halo was the name of my girlfriend.

"She's still mad, huh?" asked Alfie, smirking at me.

I pressed my lips together and flashed him a sarcastic you-think look, ignoring the girl kissing his neck as if they weren't in public.

"First fight already got you on your toes," he said, amused.

"Tell me the fuck about it," I grumbled, bringing my eyes back to the crowd.

"You're just mad 'cause you can't figure it out."

I looked at him.

"Face it, man," he smirked, shaking his head. "It drives you crazy that you can't read her as easily as everybody else."

I didn't answer him, only turning my dead eyes away from his annoying scrutiny. I've always been good at reading people. It was a Lacy trait. And the fact that I couldn't read the one person I was dying to, was frustrating as fucking hell.

"Here's your beer," said Alfie, getting the cup of beer from Trent and handing it to me. "Cool it off. You sulking wouldn't really solve anything."

I took the cup and brought it to my lips.

Fuck. That hits the spot.

"You good, Oz?" asked my best friend.

I nodded, though I still wasn't. My eyes turned to Trent.

"Bulk the hell up," I told him. "You look like fucking Mandark."

"Who the fuck is Mandark?" scoffed Alfie.

"Dexter's rival, dimwit. Google it."

He laughed, shaking his head and kissing the chick beside him. I ain't gonna keep him from scoring tonight. Without a word, I left and made my way around his house. It was just as spacious as ours. Decorated to impress, but often empty.

Sounded like heaven, right? Couple of teenagers left on their own with their huge as fuck houses by their workaholic folks. Sounded like something that only happened in movies. But hell, it happened more often that most believed.

Sad world, we lived in.

As I walked amongst the sea of people, I was reminded of the familiarity of this kinda life. The bass from the stereo, the smell of booze and sweat, the noise of mixed voices. Even if I was getting sick of this same old shit, I had to admit that this was my comfort zone.

This is all I ever knew.

When I got to the dining room, I saw Frisco on the corner talking to some of the guys from the team. I nodded to him when he caught my eye, he excused himself and walked over to me as I leaned my back on the wall.

"Oh, shit," he cursed, when he got to me. His eyes were wide in shock, while his mouth was dropped open with wonder. "Who did that to your face?"

"What the hell are your talking about?" I asked in a bored voice, not really interested.

He winced. "Why do you look like shitfaced zombie Oz again?"

I only grunted. That shitty nickname was gonna stick.

"It's Halo, isn't it?" he guessed, leaning his back on the wall beside me.

"What made you think that?" I said sarcastically, sipping from my cup.

He shrugged. "She's not talking to me either."

My head whipped to him, my eyes narrowing.

"In class," he added, with a ghost of a smile.

"You talk a lot?"

I couldn't deny that there was a warning in my tone, but he only grinned. Damn it. I hated it when my threats didn't work on my friends. Then again, that was exactly why they were my friends.

"We mostly exchange notes about you," said Frisco.

I raised a brow, sending him a no-nonsense vibe.

"Kidding," he chuckled, scratching his head. "Geez, dude. Chill out."

I turned my attention back to the center of the room. I wasn't in the mood for jokes. I watched Connie play beer pong with the guys on the dining table. She looked like she was having fun. The guys on the team respected her so I didn't have to worry about them being pricks to her. They knew well enough that she'd cut off their dicks if they tried anything.

Connie made a joke, which caused a roar of laughter in the room.

I heard silent laughter from beside me. I glanced at Frisco. He had a weird ass smile on his face, while his eyes were trained on Connie as she was about to throw the ping pong ball. She was smirking like she got it in the bag. Knowing it, she probably did.

I vaguely shook my head at the realization.

"When did it start?" I asked Frisco casually.

"When did what start?" he replied innocently, without looking at me.

I took a drink from my beer, before saying, "Your thing for Connie."

Frisco had just brought his cup to his lips when I asked, causing him to choke on his drink in surprise. I patted his back.

"W – What?" he spluttered, turning to me with an astonished expression.

"You don't have to admit shit," I said, looking back at the game. I would've laughed at Frisco's riled up reaction. Too bad I wasn't in the mood. "But don't bother denying it."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Frisco look down for a minute. When he raised his head, he kept his eyes on Connie as she laughed and snapped insults at the guy at the other side of the table.

"It just struck me like lightning," he breathed out.

I nodded slowly, letting that sink in.

Connie just made Frisco say some stupid shit. Must be true love. I wondered how she would react to that, though. Either she'd laugh in his face or she'd punch the living daylights outta him. Probably both.

"You gonna do something about it?" I asked calmly.

He took a deep breath. "Not anytime soon."

My eyes wandered to him, slightly frowning.

"Why not?"

"There's a lot going on right now," he sighed, hanging his head. "Throwing this thing into the mix is just trouble. You know that."

Damn right I do.

"Most of us see Connie as a sister," I stated. Studying Frisco, I tilted my head. "But who do you think's most protective of her in the crew?"

"You?" he guessed, his eyes meeting mine.

I shook my head.

"Alfie?" he asked incredulously.

I smirked. "Hard to believe, huh?"

He stayed silent, looking so thoughtful as if he was trying to piece puzzles together. I seriously doubted he'd come up with a solid conclusion.

"All I'm saying is," I started, after finishing off my beer, "think the shit through before you make a move."

I could practically hear Frisco's brain turning. I bet my fucking ass he was wondering if Alfie liked Connie like that. Hell, I honestly wasn't even sure myself.

Love didn't come easy with screw-ups like us. The line could sometimes be so fucking blurred that some of us couldn't tell the difference.

Plus, my best friend's one crazy motherfucker. So even if I could read his mind, he was unpredictable at most. His tight bond with Connie was undeniable. But no one could tell if it was a sisterly thing or some real shit.

I don't think even Alfie knows it himself.

I turned when I felt a pat on my shoulder. My eyes landed on Kurt.

"Your ex is here," he mentioned, with a serious face.

I stiffened. What the fuck?

"Probably came here to party," he shrugged nonchalantly. "I saw some dude making a pass at her. She looks pretty pissed."

That woke my ass up.

"You didn't stop him?" I asked, my forehead creasing a little.

"Not my problem," he said, with his hands raised up.

"Damn it, Kurt," I muttered, before taking off.

"Not your problem, either!" he yelled after me.

Fuck me if I didn't know that.

I ignored him, and kept walking.

As soon as I entered the living room, my eyes quickly scanned the area. The room was full of people making out. There was a lot of grinding, too. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Then, I saw her. It wasn't that hard. She always managed to stand out in a crowd. For a second, I stood frozen on the spot while my eyes couldn't look away from her red hair.

I remembered that time about a month ago when I saw her in the cafeteria. It was only in passing. I was too hyped from that piece of shit Lawley's stupid ass remark about Kurt that I didn't think much about seeing her again.

The lack of effect from that time had come crashing down on me now. My heart beat faster, pounding against my chest. I felt a lump in throat. And my knees didn't seem to work on command. I couldn't move.

But then I saw the dude, who looked like Johnny fucking Bravo, lean his body closer to Snow. She put a hand on his chest to keep him away. He only placed his hand above hers. Smooth, but she didn't see it that way. She snatched her hand away and glared at him.

Instead of moving on to someone else, he decided to be a fucktard and grip her waist. He trapped her against the wall and buried his face on the crook of her neck.

Gritting my teeth, I quickly walked over to them.

Snow pushed the fucker away but he would only come back, getting more aggressive. So when she saw an opening, she kneed him in the balls. I stopped on my tracks and watched the little shit fall to the ground as he clutched his crotch.

He looked up and scowled at Snow, then got to his feet. Shit. I instantly knew what was coming. I stepped closer until I was right behind him.

"Get lost," I told Johnny Bravo.

He turned around, pretty much ready to snarl at me. But his face immediately changed when he saw me. I saw a flash of fear. He took a step back and smiled sheepishly.

"I thought you guys already broke up," he reasoned defensively.

I took a step closer until I intimidatingly stood over him.

"Doesn't mean you can force your sorry fucking ass self on a girl who didn't ask for it." I cocked my head to the side, making him avoid my eyes. "Did she ask for it?" I asked softly.

He grimaced, and shook his head.

I got in his face, and spat, "Fuck off, then."

He didn't need to be told twice. The fucker almost ran away.

That's right. Use your skinny legs and run, Johnny Bravo.

Coward piece of shit.

"You didn't have to do that, you know," said Snow suddenly, with a hint of resentment in her voice. "I can take care of myself."

My eyes stayed on Johnny Bravo as he made his way through the crowd. He didn't look back as he left the room, probably off to find somewhere else he could get laid. If he knew what was best for him, he'd leave.

"Yeah," I replied skeptically. "I can see that."

I raised the cup of beer to my mouth, about to take a sip but then I remembered it was empty. Damn. I needed another drink. Just thinking about the girl beside me made me want a whole fucking keg to myself. I was all kinds of worked up.

"Thanks," I heard her mumble.

I gripped the red cup in my hand, crushing it. Not looking at her, I nodded.

"You want a drink?" I asked, because what the hell was I supposed to say?

"Sure."

Well, I didn't expect her to agree.

We headed to the keg stand in silence. I grabbed a new cup because I cleverly crushed my old one. I felt eyes on us, but I gave zero fucks. I was used to it. Pretty sure word already spread around the party that I was with Snow. People made it their duty to extend news like that. Not my fault that my life was way more interesting than theirs.

When our red plastic cups were filled of beer, we walked outside and found ourselves sitting across each other on the lounge by the pool.

Neither of us spoke. Neither of us knew what to say.

We haven't been this near to each other for a long time.

I didn't dare look at her. I haven't really looked at her face head on tonight. I was no pussy, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it yet. Yeah, I sounded like a fucking sissy.

Shit, I needed more beer.

Just as I was drinking, Snow decided to break the ice.

"This wasn't how I expected the night to turn out," she said, amusement and disbelief mixed in her voice. Her head was down, her eyes watching her hands as they held her cup.

Story of my life.

"I really could've handled the guy earlier," she told me.

I had no idea what the fuck came over me.

Just like that.

I snapped.

"What the hell are you doing here alone, Snow?" I demanded, scowling. "Where's your shithead twin brother?"

She shouldn't be on her own like this. Sure, Johnny Bravo looked harmless compared to me but one more push and he could've been attacking her. Her tongue might be as sharp as a sword, but she wasn't physically strong.

"You so kindly banned them from going to the same parties you went to, remember?" she snarked, before bringing the cup to her lips.

Oh, right. Damn, that was a good night.

"Besides, this is Alfie O'neal's party," she muttered, waving a hand toward the house. "He wouldn't have come either way."

I wanted to ask her why she was here. But I decided I wasn't going there.

Ah, fuck it.

"Why are you here?" I asked, with a frown.

She didn't answer for a moment.

I raised my head to look up the night sky while I waited for her reply. Not much stars were out tonight. I thought of Halo, and our countless nights spent on stargazing. I wondered what she was doing now, if she was still with her friends.

Our first goddamn fight, and suddenly my ex-girlfriend shows up again in my life. As if my day isn't fantastic enough.

Well played, Odin.

"I don't know," breathed out Snow, sounding frustrated with herself.

She seemed confused. About what?

"Where are your so called friends?" I sneered, staring down at my beer after drinking some. The noise from the house served as a hum in the background, I just noticed.

"I didn't tell them I'd be here."

"Yeah?" I scoffed. "Well, next time you plan on going alone to a party like this, bring your brother – or anyone of his fucking minions."

I could feel her gazing at me. My jaw clenched, and I looked up to keep my eyes on the pool. The cold breeze engulfed us. From my peripheral vision, I saw the wind blow her long red hair. The familiar flowery scent of her hair reached me.

Bam.

Memories came rushing back like a motherfucking punch in the gut.

The cafeteria.

The football game.

The diner.

The truck.

The parking lot.

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath to calm my batshit crazy nerves. Whoever said that first love never dies can go to fucking hell.

"I can't protect you forever," I told her quietly.

She must've been caught off guard by what I said because it took a second before she could reply to me.

"I didn't ask you to," she whispered.

"I know."

My blue eyes finally met her green ones. For the second time, I felt a gut-wrenching sensation within me. I wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

She didn't look the same. Sure, she still had those cute freckles on her nose and all. But the fire I admired in her eyes were gone. They were dull now. She honestly looked worn-out. Sad, even. It was as if someone peed on her parade.

The girl in front of me looked nothing like the feisty Snow I knew and fell in love with. Right now, she was openly vulnerable. Somehow, it reflected to how I was feeling.

Stifling a sigh, I shrugged a shoulder.

"I can't help it."


_____________

Do I smell trouble?


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