KNOX'S EYES WERE filled with nothing but hate, disgust, and a little bit of hurt. His hands clutched to the sides of his body; his fingernails were turning white from him digging them into his skin. He must think I betrayed him. Who wouldn't?

"How could you? I thought we were friends. . ." he breathes out, "I really did."

He walks out on me, leaving me there to chase after him. Pushing a very red Juliette off of me I rush out to make amends with my friend.

"Knox, wait!" I run even faster after him when I see him opening the door to his car and getting in.

Before he could fully pull out of the parking lot, I run towards the front of the car and stand right in front of it, making him unable to move any further or else he'll hit me.

Was that a very terrible decision? Yes. But it was the only option I had left. It was either that or throwing myself on top of the hood of the car and no way in hell am I doing that.

"Move out of the fucking way!" Knox blows his horn at me, honking it loudly on repeat causing all the passersby to stop what they're doing and focus on us.

Looking around I could already see people bringing out their phones to record and hearing them whispering among themselves. 

I can't argue with Knox, not here at least not now. Or else both our family names will be slandered across the internet, and we'll be seen as mockery towards them. 

I could already see the headings of the various tabloids that were going to be published, 'Sons of soon-to-be billionaire's Damian and Delilah Hawthorne and Ryan and Teresa Graham caught fighting in the middle of movie theater parking lot. Things get ugly—fast.' or 'Heirs to multi-million-dollar nations Dean Jonathon Hawthorne and Knox Graham engage in a fist fight in the parking lot of a movie theatre.'

The list goes on, and it will continue like this—especially when our parents keep on pursuing it, and trust me, they will. 

But mostly Knox's; I know what they're like, and in short, they're not the easiest people to talk to, therefore I can't risk that. Not for me, not for Knox, not from anyone.

Knox is one of my oldest and closest friends. It's been me and him since the first day we both stepped foot on this God forsaken planet. And I want it to stay like that. Why? Because I like it this way.

Just me, Knox, and Axel. The three of us, that's the way it's supposed to be. But then when you throw girls into the mix it becomes a whole other story. 

And I know I didn't do anything wrong—I'm covered in coke for God's sake! — but Knox is still my friend . . . my best friend. And if he thinks I went behind his back to spend some time around his crush—well, I'll be damned if I don't do everything in my power to make sure he doesn't believe it anymore.

Knox's horn continuously blares at me as the crowd around us grows a lot more than before. From the corner of my eye, I could spot Axel and Juliette standing at the front of the crowd looking at me like I just murdered their firstborn child.

I look at them, both shaking their heads telling me not to do it. I wasn't going to do anything; I wasn't planning on doing anything. But before I could look back at Knox and tell him that. A huge blow found itself on my jaw making me stumble back and land on my ass.

Looking up, I stare into Knox's dark beady eyes. His hand about ready to land another swift punch on my already battered and bruise cheek. 

First, my nose then my cheek? What next, my eye? Before he could punch me again, I yell at him making him stunned, just a little bit, before he goes back to being good ol' angry Knox.

"Okay? Just stop," I start getting up and dusting my hands against one another. "Look around, Knox! Look. Around." And he does, reluctantly. Circling around, he stares at all the different people holding their phones up waiting for a fight to begin. 

His eyes are sympathetic, and his face is covered with remorse, until he spots Juliette. And when he does, he clutches his hand into a ball and then turns his attention to me. He lunges at me, and I finally cracked. Before he could hit me, I hit him first, harder. Blood spews from his mouth and lands all over the floor. The crowd gasps as the whispers grow louder. 

"I don't wanna fight with you."

"Oh, really? Doesn't seem like it," Knox spits out, pouncing on me once again but this time I dodged the attack, making it graze my abdomen but not hitting it entirely. 

Catching him off-guard, I punch him again on his face causing him to fall down and hit the gravel floor harshly. 

"Knox, you have to understand me, please. You have to start thinking with your head instead of your fucking heart. I don't want to fight you, I just want to talk," Knox eyes me up and down before slowly getting back up on his feet. 

"Well do you want to know something?" Knox askes.

"What?" I questioned.

"I don't want to fucking talk to you. I don't want to hear you out—hell, I don't even want to see your shitty face. So, just leave me alone!"

"Knox—"

"Save it," He shoves past me and enters his car, this time I step away and so does the crowd that was in his way. Soon after he left, the people around started to disperse and soon it was just me, Axel and Juliette.

Walking towards them, Axel pats my back when I get closer, and Juliette tells me that she's desperately sorry for causing all of this.

"It's not your fault," I smile softly at her.

"But I—"

"Jules, I bumped into you; I wasn't looking. It's not your fault—if anything it's mine. Okay?" I brush my hands through her hair a few times before landing it across her elbows.

"Okay," she nods.

"Still sticking with the bows, huh?" I said while playing with one of the ribbons tied on her braided pigtails.

"Oh, yeah."

"It's nice. Suits you," I said while removing my hand of her shoulders and pocketing it in my jean pocket.

Her cheeks turn a crimson red; the same way it always does anytime anyone complements her. Her sparkling green pupils become dilated, and her pink lips part from one another, leaving a gap in the middle, showcasing parts of her pearly whites. 

She's not wearing them again. Her glasses, she's not wearing her glasses. Ever since that time she came to school wearing contacts a few weeks back, she's stopped wearing them indefinitely. 

It's not my place to say what she should or should not wear on her face. But I feel, it's what contributes to making Juliette, Juliette. Her glasses are a part of her, and not wearing them makes it look like she's trying to distance herself from . . . herself.

Who is she with? Why is she here? What's the coincidence?  . . . Is she with a guy?

My last thought shocks me, 'Is she with a guy? ' It's none of my business who she's with . . .but is she? I didn't see her with anyone during the crowd, maybe the person had left, and left Juliette behind? Not possible.

You know what? Why am I even worrying about this? How is it my concern, because it isn't? It really isn't.

Pulling myself out of my thoughts, I focus my attention at the two people standing silently in front of me. Both not looking in the general direction of the other person.

It was at this moment that I knew that I was the glue that'll bring these two together.

Chuckle slightly, I tear my gaze away from a blushing Juliette to a grinning Axel.

"You know, at first I was on your side because I thought Knox was overreacting and in over his head just a little bit. But now . . . I can see a little bit of Romeo and Juliette type of shit going on, eh? What's going on here?" Axel's inquisitive mind starts to work, which at times is alarming and sometimes not. 

My smile doesn't falter, instead I start to introduce Juliette to Axel and Axel to Juliette. Making them acquainted with one another, so that we can be one step closer to leaving this awkward situation.

"I see, I see," Axel smiles after a while, "You don't want to tell me."

"Axel—," Juliette chimes in.

"Don't worry Ella baby, if it's not my business, don't make it my business," Axel winks at her before walking off in the direction of the entrance into the movie theaters, I guess he still wants to watch the movie. 

Knox's POV

DRIVING INTO MY family's estate I backed into the garage before getting out and slamming shut the door of the car. Walking up the steps to the manor I barge into the house and scream our head maid, Margaret's, name. 

"Yes, sir," she scurries to my side simultaneously removing my jacket off of my shoulders while trying to keep in walking pace with me.

"You're early, s—" she pauses when she notices my injured face, "sir, your face!" 

"Yes, my face! What about it?" I shout at her, not in the mood for talking about my facial presence.

"N-nothing. sir. Would you like some tea?"

"No."

"Should I bring you a med kit sir?"

"What do you think?"

After a moment of silence she spoke, "Your parents have gone on a business trip and won't be back for a month, sir."

"Okay," I slam the door shut in her face. Resting my back against the door, I let out a huge sigh and scream at the top of my lungs, just wanting to get the anger out of my body. 

After that, I walked into my bathroom to get a bath ready for myself and start taking off the layers of clothing on my body.

But before I could do so, a buzz came from phone. Checking it, I saw a message from an unknown member.

Unknown:

At 5PM tonight come to Alessandro's 

in Main Square. Don't be late.

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idk what to say, anyways

comment and vote we're so close to 1k. 

love y'all. 

kisses 🫶🏽