didn't i- one republic

I had never been more scared for the first day of school in my entire life. I genuinely felt like I was going to vomit all over my car, although I wasn't sure that was just the nerves I was feeling.

"Hope, aren't you so excited?" Layla squealed as I got out of my car.

"Yeah, Lay." I forced a smile onto my face and wrapped her in my arms.

"Good morning, you two." Connor grinned at us and pulled two breakfast burritos out from behind his back.

"God bless." Layla stood on her tiptoes and kissed Connor's cheek, meanwhile, I just shook my head.

"Hope," Connor warned.

"If I want to make it through the morning without puking my guts out, then I can not eat that burrito C."

His deep blue eyes intensely stared at me for a moment, before he raised his hands in surrender, "Okay, okay."

Everyone was so excited to see Connor again and a crowd of people quickly gathered around Layla, Connor, and I's cars. I mean it was no surprise that he had the girls practically drooling over him. He did look like a different person compared to when he left three years ago. Not to mention all of the football players wanted to know if he would be playing with them this fall.

However, the crowd made my anxiety skyrocket through the roof. I felt as if everyone's eyes were on my stomach and the little pudge that was there. Deep down, I knew that wasn't true, and nobody would notice, but we all know anxiety is not practical.

Through a gap in the mass of people, I could make out an extremely familiar face; Jack. Fuck.

Since our conversation weeks ago, we had not spoken. I was sure that meant Jack had questions for me and what I was planning on doing with the baby. I guess he had a right to know, even if he was the last person I wanted to talk to.

As the very obnoxious first bell rang, the crowd dispersed from around me, and I finally felt like I could breathe again. It's not even lunch, and I already want to go home.

"You feeling okay?" Connor walked up to me and hooked his elbow with mine. I leaned my head against his shoulder and sighed.

"Yeah. I'm okay." I whispered. A little lie never hurt anybody.

---

I could have cried tears of joy when the lunch bell rang. Never in my life had I been more excited to go eat in the cafeteria that would be without, a doubt, stuffed to its pale blue walls full of hungry students.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't the ideal place to be (that was my bed), but neither was AP English Lit. My teacher, Mr. Cramerson, sweated like a pig, and I couldn't help but notice his growing pit stains whenever he raised his arms. Poor man.

So, as any normal person would, I practically sprinted to the cafeteria when the bell rang. I couldn't wait to sit with Layla and Connor and listen to them talk about their classes. Layla would probably be complaining about how she and Jaylin weren't in any classes, and Connor well... I don't know. Maybe all the girls fawning over him.

However, my escape to paradise was stalled by all of the freshmen trying to squeeze through the doors.

"It's really not that complicated... one a time," I mumbled.

"They look dumb, don't they." A voice spoke up next to me.

"Hey, Jack."

"Hi, Hope." He smiled. God, that smile. It was one of the first things I noticed about him when we started hanging out. "Can we... talk?"

"Um... I-I... okay?" Was he really going to ask me about the baby right now? At school? He turned to walk away from the cafeteria doors and started down the science hallway. I followed behind him with my head down. I felt like a lost dog.

"Have you decided what you're going to do?" Jack questioned. His hands were stuffed into his pocket and his shoulders were raised.

"Yeah," I brushed a fallen piece of hair behind my ear and bit my lip. "Yeah, I have."

"And?"

"I'm keeping it."

Jack broke out into a grin, "Really?"

This was not how I expected this conversation to go. I thought Jack might have been mad or upset. Hell, I was hoping he wasn't going to even ask me about it.

"Yeah."

"God, Hope, this is great news!"

"Why?" My eyebrows were furrowed together and I was hoping my expression expressed how confused I was.

"I know I messed up Hope, but let's try again. We can be a family."

"Have you lost your mind?" I laughed. "You cheated on me for six months, Jack. Six fucking months and I was walking around like everything was okay. You lied to me for a fourth of our relationship, and you expect me to take you back?"

"Hope, I love you."

"No, you don't, Jack."

"How are you going to tell me how I feel?" Jack stepped closer to me, and the vein in his forehead started to pop out. It was a key sign that he was getting mad.

"If you loved me, you would have never cheated on me. Ever." I gritted out. I brought my hand up to push his chest, but he grabbed my wrist.

"It's not even like that Hope, and you know it." His grip on my wrist tightened as I tried to pull back. "You're mine, and you always will be. You think any other guy will get with you after you have my baby and you're all fat? Huh?"

"Jack, stop. You're hurting me." I had seen Jack get upset multiple times throughout our relationship but never like this, and besides the accident at the lake, he had never hurt me.

"I'll expose you so bad, Hope. All those pictures you've sent me, hell, there's even a video."

My heart stopped, and I swear to God it dropped so far, it might as well have fallen to my ass.

"W-What pictures? What video?"

"Your nudes Hope. If you don't want to be with me then fine. But everyone will see what a fucking whore you are." Jack snarled. "I'm sure the entire town would love to see the mayor's daughter naked. Plus, it's an election year, right? What perfect timing."

If Jack hadn't been holding my wrist in a death grip, I'm sure I would have passed out and fallen to the floor. Jack was going to post my nudes and a video of us having sex. Oh my God. As I finally wrapped my head around what Jack was threatening, tears filled my eyes. This was so bad.

Jack pushed me away from him as one of the classroom doors opened, "What is going on here?" Out stepped the biology teacher, Ms. Roberts, and Connor. Boy, was I happy to see him.

"Hope?" Connor took in my emotional state and rushed over to me. I was staring at Jack, who had his jaw clenched, and his lips pressed in a thin line. It was like we were still arguing but in our heads.

"Okay, okay. Let's get to lunch kids." Ms. Roberts ushered us down the hall. She and Jack quickly disappeared around the corner, but Connor and I were still standing in the dimly lit hallway.

"Hope... what just happened?"

"Connor... I-I'm in trouble." I was clutching my hand to my chest, now fully aware of the pain that Jack had caused me.

"What are you talking about? What did he do to you Hope?" Connor's eyes were tracing over my body from head to toe, searching for the answer to his questions.

"Something bad is about to happen."

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uh oh!!!!!! what's about to go down? and what a shitty thing for jack to do, i mean honestly. i hope you guys liked this chapter! it was a bit longer than usual and i'm hoping that all of the chapters after this are around this length!

don't forget to vote & comment.

p.s. thanks so much for 500 reads! (11.05.20)