"Mari....Mari." i'm slightly pushed and I can hear a faint voice call my name, I'm force to squinch my eyes to stare at the blur face putting on a black hoodie.

"Xa- Xavier?"

"Mari....." His voice sounds broken as he holds onto my face with trembling hands. He isn't wearing what he had earlier on in the party.

"Xavier! Go home! What do you think you're doing? She's not supposed to see you remember!" A different voice yell and I turn to see some one who looks alot like Xavier wearing the exact shirt I saw earlier on at the party.

Is my eyes playing tricks on me....

"Mind your fucking business." Xavier gently picks me up to carry me in his arms his eyes never leaving mine as I stare at him, I noticed something different about him.

He was smiling... happy even.....like he didn't stop smiling.... and he had blood smothered all over on his shirt.

Is that Manuel's blood or his.

My vision becomes fogged and I allow myself to sleep against his body...

❦❦❦

A whiff of latte passes my nose and I instantly squint my eyes to see Mom sitting beside my bed.

I sit up lazily running my hands over my eyes just to be positive that I am not dreaming, i look again and she is still right beside me a cup of latte on her outstretched hand, "here Maria."

I  throw her a smile as I grab the cup, without wasting time I  instantly gulp everything in, I place the cup on the table beside my bed, before turning by gaze back to Mom,  I feel pain linger around my head but I ignore it.

"You came home drunk last night Marianna." Mom says calmly, giving me an understanding stare.

"All by my self?" I whisper lowly.

"No," she shakes her head, "a guy brought you home, your dad said something about his name being Xavier."

I try to remember what happened the previous night but nothing seems to linger, the last I remember was when I fell down.

"And your dad punched the hell out of that kid, he might have broke a nose."

"W-what? W-why would dad do that."

She stare at me in disbelief , "Urm a guy with blood all over his shirt brought his daughter home around eleven pm at night drunk and wasted."

"M-mom." My voice shatter in pieces.

"You usually don't do things like this Maria, you're smarter than that, that's why when Kenya told us you were going out with her friend I trusted that you'll be safe and you'll be able to manage yourself..... But we were wrong, your dad was so angry he couldn't even sleep last night."

"I'm sorry..... I didn't mean to make you and dad worry, I drank too much... I fell on the floor.... And that was all that happened... I promise I'll never do it again....."

She wiped the tears off smiling broadly at me, "I'm not mad at you Maria, I was once a girl, I would do anything to go to parties, hang out with older guys... Flirt around but I'm telling you through experience, it's not the best... And stop crying you're going to be late for school..." She concludes smiling at me.

"Get ready okay." She gets up from my bed and finally leaves my room.

The day hasn't even started yet I already have a weird vibe that nothing good would come out of today, I push myself out of bed and saunter into my bathroom.

The moment I reach, I grab my brush and applied the tooth paste before pressing it hard against my teeth and brushing.

I stare intently at my reflection on the mirror, the bags underneath my eyes were playing an important role, making me look like I was two minutes from dying.

After brushing, I pull my clothes off stepping into the bath and allowing the hot searing water pour down my skin.

I massage my head lightly with soap but only received a groan instead from my lips, I should have stayed at home, I should have never went out.

How Manuel even knew where I am, is still a big question that even I can't answer.

I hold my tears in, draped a towel around my body and made my way into my bedroom, I rummage through my clothes and picked up a Jean and my usual hoodie.

Satisfied with how I look, I pick my school bag and made my way to the living room... Immediately I see dad my heart starts to race.

"Dad." I call quietly moving to stand beside him close to the TV.

"Hey kiddo!" dad whisper trying to sound enthusiastic but he was failing, he couldn't even look at me...

"Good morning." I whisper trying not to break down but I couldn't help it.

"Mhmm." He hums.

"I-I'm sorry about last night.... I made a terrible mistake.. I shouldn't have gone out.. i shouldn't have, I promise you I didnt do anything. I just drank too much and i promise it will never repeat itself, ever again and Xander  didn't touch me at all, all he did was take me home, I promise."

Dad sighs turning to look at me, his eyes warm, "it's fine sweetie you don't have to cry about something so small," he moves closer to me wiping my tears off,  "I overreacted and shouldn't have punched that kid... I know he would never hurt you... He was so worried and I was too. You're old enough to go out but I just can't accept the fact that you're not two anymore."

I hug him resting my head on his chest, "So you're not mad?"

"Not even a bit." He pulls me at arms length to smile at me, "but I'm just curious to why that kid had blood stains on his shirt."

"Wine!" I quickly reply...dad smiles and nod nonetheless. "So...." I slightly push him, "take me to school?"

"Josh already insisted in taking you...that kid is more of a pain in the ass than his grandma's cat."

I raised a brow, "Josh?"

"Yeah... He's waiting outside."

"But I want yo—"

"It's fine sweetie... I trust you."

Sighing i give up, waving at dad before walking outside. I walk out of my house looking at Mrs Sarah's house which had few changes, someone definitely mowed her lawn, I  look forward only to see a frowning Josh who's already sitting on his motorbike, staring at me. "Good morning neighbour." I greet throwing a toothy grin at him.

"Yeah." Is all I get.

"You're suppose to say good morning." Milkshake?

"And you're not supposed to give your parents heart attack." I stare at him skeptically and he relaxes, "see I'm not trying to butt in your  issues but I saw a guy drop you off last night and I wouldn't lie if you were my daughter, I'll probably kill that dude and hang his head on your window just so you can remember not to try that next time."

I stare at my hand, holding back my tears, the only time I agreed on going out, it doesn't go well..... Every body thinks little of me. I move slowly to stand in front of him... All my excitement washed away.

"Hey!" he lifts my chin up, making my eyes meet his, "His face looks like the guy you said was a new student, so what you fell so quick for a new student."

"No... I didn't go with him... I drank too much and fell down, he was there so he drove me home now will you take me to school and stop making me feel bad or else I'll just take the bus!"

"Calm down! Now give me your phone."

"Why?" he ignores me and instantly pulls me closer to him, I shut my eyes tight when I feel his hand dip into the back of my Jean pocket, he pulls my phone out and taps on the phone.

"Here's my number...call me when you're in trouble."

I open my eyes to meet his, "W-why would I ever be in trouble." I grab my phone from him shoving it back to my back pocket.

"Because ever since I've known you, which is just two days ago, all you do is get into trouble milkshake, now get in."

I strap an helmet on and let out a sigh moving to seat beside him, "How's Mrs Sarah."

"She's doing well." He replies and I hold onto his shoulders resting my head on his back to relax my throbbing head.

He starts the engines but doesn't drive off, "Don't get too comfortable milkshake! My girlfriend might not be here but I can still see her warning gaze burning through my skull."

"Sorry." I blush pulling a little from him. I'm glad he has a girlfriend who he could also annoy.

"You should have seen the guy who dropped you off," Josh yells as he drives, "he couldn't even take his eyes off you, it was like he was seeing you for the first time and he let your dad punch him, he didn't even bulge, the guy was acting like hulk." He chuckles loudly shaking his head.

"That guy likes you a whole fucking lot, you should have seen him, he was all let me see Maria... I hope she's safe... please watch over her with the eyes thing, I was watching through my window, fuck I laughed so hard."

I ignore him through out the ride and the moment he gets to my school I come down pulling his helmet and placing it on the handle of his motorbike.

"Hey... remember to call me, I don't want to here that you got kidnapped." I smile nervously at him as I watch him drive off...

I face my school and without hesitation I walk my way into my first subject. Literature.

Today unlike the rest days, literature is my first subject. Memories of last night comes back to me and my head starts to throb again.

I hold onto the side of the door for support as I gain my composure, I step into the class and I see the class full with students doing one thing or the other, I look beside my seat only to see Xander, he isn't injured.

I'm happy at the same time shocked, with the way Josh kept rambling, I thought maybe the punch dad gave him would have given him a cut but I'm dead wrong, his face looks as smooth as ever.

He has his usual bored expression on as he continues to stare at his book, he finally looks up to meet my gaze and I hold my breath watching his eyes roam around my body, after inspecting me he looks away.

I finally take the seat beside him, suddenly feeling nervous as I  bring a random book out of my bag, I don't know what to say, if to thank him for helping me, or tell him sorry because my dad punched him or ask him who the girl he was kissing is.

I'm about to talk when the principal, Mrs Sophia enters into our class.

"Good day students!" She greets with her Britain accent,  "I'm sorry to inform but your literature teacher, Mr Manuel, won't be in school today, he had a minor accident and i insisted he rest, so Mrs Jane will take you literature today."

A smile covers my lips even when I  could hear the sad sigh behind me by students, I turn to look beside  me only to see Xander.... smirking.

Maybe it was Mr Manuels blood I saw on his shirt yesterday, after taking in highly needed breaths, I finally decide in thanking him,  "Xan—"

I don't finish my statement because he's already up from his seat making his way to the door. Groaning I follow behind him.

"Xander!"

He stops and turns around to glower at me, "Stop following me around!"

"I just wanted to—"

"To what? Thank me? Apologize? Where was the coward who brought you there in the first place! You're so naive, so—" he clench his hands removing his eyes away from me.

"If—if I wasn't there who knows what that idiot Manuel would have done to you?" He questions more to himself, "Just go back to class Mari and stop talking to me, incase you forgot we aren't friends! And we'll never be." With that he storms off leaving me behind to stare at his back.

I'm beyond stupefied, i don't know if to cry or just accept my faith, I knew we weren't friends, did I. Lately he has been helping me, stalking me even and just a tinge of me believed that we were friends but I was dead wrong.

He was right, I am naive, so stupid. I should have known that Manuel would have been there because somehow I have super powers to detect things as stupid as that!

I gather myself and walked into literature class, our substitute teacher Mrs Jane already in class.

I take a seat after greeting her and she replies throwing me a smile, she's a complete opposite character compared to me Manuel.

She teaches carefully and she doesn't call me out or gives me detention for being Maria.

The bell rings and I smile inwardly clutching unto my bag and walking to the girls locker room to change, because we had P.E .

After dressing into the annoyingly tight sportwear, Mr Neo leads us as we made our way to the field. 

The moment we get there, I gave the P.E teacher a flimsy excuse which he believed and gently i walk to seat elsewhere, watching as the rest students exercise.

The smell of musk hits my nose and I'm force to turn around, the rugby players in my school were jogging around the field, and I couldn't look away because I was searching, searching for something.

I stop when I finally see him, Xander.  I don't even realise it till he locks eyes with mine and I can't take my eyes off him, he faces elsewhere, before strapping his helmet on.

"Hey jerk face!?"

Not now..... not now...

I lift my eyes and Kisha is standing right in front of me, today like every other day she isn't wearing a vest for p.e class but a pink mini skirt and a white top, with something looking like fur ball hanging over the white shirt like a jacket, I move my eyes lower only to meet her pink heels, I sigh before meeting her eyes, "What do you want!?"

She smiles settling her hands on her waist, "Nothing much just wanted to say hey." 

"You've said it, now you can leave."

"Well I'm not done, I need to talk to you in private, it's about Mr Manuel and if you don't come with me, my mouth might just say something you wouldn't like people hearing." She gives me a knowing look, pressing my sweaty hands together I follow behind her.

We get to the empty part of the school and the incident with Liam cross my mind as if noticing my discomfort she laughs.

"Liam is too scared to touch you again, he's  such a bitch, so don't worry he isn't here."

"What do you want." I grit my teeth angrily, trying to lessen the intensity of my anger...

"Chill tiger or is it cat,"she taunts, "it seems hanging out with the pussy cat old witch is getting to you."

I clench my hands together containing my anger as much as I can, but I've had it with her and Manuel, she can tell I get easily infuriated by just seeing her, she shouldn't call Mrs Sarah that! "Call her that again." I threaten and she laughs shaking her head.

"You're so muscular oh I'm scared," she mocks distancing herself away from me, "see jerk face I didn't come here to mince words with you or do a cat fight, I just came to inform you that I gave Mr Manuel your house address just incase you want to fuck him after you finish fucking the cat woman."

I can feel my rib cage press against my intestines, I was starting to shake again, I could feel my clenched hands become sweaty, my legs felt crippled, I'm shaking so much, I could fall, w-why would she say that, "W-What did you just say."

"I said—" I didn't let her finish her statement, my hands clamp hard against her hair as I kneeled her on her stomach, I remove a hand from her hair and highlighted a slap on her face, she pushes me away from her and I fall to the floor,  quickly she stands firm breathing heavily through her mouth.

"I know that you're sleeping with him! all I need is an evidence and I'll ruin you Maria, I'll ruin you and your wretched family!" She yells fixing her hair.

"Y-You don't understand, I'm not doing anything with him." I can't help it, I'm pleading, "please."

She smiles, "That's what they all say jerk face, let's face it, I hate you, I've hated your guts since kindergarten, so even if you're innocent I'll make sure I get a video or even a picture of you coquetting with your literature teacher and I'll ruin you and your family."

"Why—why would you do this to me?"

"I guess we'll never know, right?"

I'm on my knees holding onto her legs as I beg, "Kisha please, my parents would loose it, you don't have to do this, I'll do whatever you want, just let this go."

"What I want ehn?"she smiles proudly,  "Fine! what I want is for you to find out more about Xander."

I give her an incredulous glare, "W-why don't you just talk to him?"

she scoffs, "So you think if I could talk to him, I would result in this, no jerk face, I would just ruin you without letting you know."

"W-what do you want to know about him...? I'll tell you what I know."

"Where he lives, if he has a girlfriend elsewhere, his siblings, the kind of girls he likes and how rich he really his and also why he's so private."

"How—how do you expect me to get all that information from someone who doesn't even talk to me."

"That's for you to handle jerk face, I'll give you a day. And if you don't get the information I need by then consider yourself ruined." She ends with a smile, just to prove her point to who has the upper hand, she flips her hair, "See you later harlot."

A day....how does she expect me to know all that in a day!

I fell on the floor completely stupefied at my current situation, and I couldn't help the way tears fall off from my eyes.

Gaining an illusion of confidence I muster all the courage I could attain to stand up, i dust the little dirt off my body and pulled my phone out of my sportwear.

After searching for the number, I called, immediately he answers and I speak first.

"H-hello."

"Who's this..... milkshake? Are you crying?"

"I need your help p-please."

•  •  •

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Thank you for reading 💜

A/N: All the chapters are unedited and poorly written 🤧... Please bare with me, when I get to a more stable chapter or when I'm through with the book, I'll edit it 😟😌..

Tanchu.