《The Last Breath》


 Chapter 1 - "Project"

    The air was thick with unmentioned discomfort as I sat at the desk typing away at the computer, one of several in the school¡¯s computer lab. The source of the tension was beside me, a girl. Her name was Madison Chandler, and whilst we had known each other since we were five, I wouldn¡¯t and she definitely would agree with me, say we were friends.


    At least, not anymore.


    Madison was an attractive girl, with a smooth and symmetrical face. Her eyes were large, soft, and were light brown. Almost like caramel. Accenting her face was her golden blond hair, accents of brown streaming in long straight locks around her head. Coupled with her, curvaceous and fit body along with her easygoing and kind personality (Though not to myself), she was an extremely popular student at Eastwell high.


    Unfortunately, we were forced to be together, partnered by a teacher to work on a project discussing the history of the aluminum can. Yep, that¡¯s right. The aluminum can. We had been given two weeks to complete the work, and the deadline was tomorrow. Yeah, you can probably already see the problem here. After several failed attempts to get her to actually work on the project, I had decided enough was enough and cornered her in the classroom before she could escape to whatever social activities she had otherwise planned. She reluctantly, very much so, agreed to come to the labs.


    I glanced at the computer¡¯s clock in the bottom right corner. 6:44 pm. The labs closed at 7 pm, and yet Madison had yet to even start her portion of the work. I sighed.


    ¡°Madison. You...uh, gonna start any time soon?¡± I asked her, still tapping away at the plastic keys.


    ¡°No, Cooper. Just like the previous time you asked. Gimme a sec.¡± She responded. Her reply was offhanded and distant, and once more a chime sound filled the space. It was her phones notification indicator, and she had received a lot since school ended.


    ¡°Come on, Maddie. Let¡¯s just get this over with so we can both go home and escape this unfortunate situation. I don¡¯t want to be here, you don¡¯t want to be here and we especially don¡¯t want to be here together. So come on, please?¡± I pleaded, using reason and the memories of our past to try and motivate her into doing some work.


    Me and ¡°Maddie¡±, that¡¯s what I used to call her when we were friends, had fallen out five years earlier in a huge way. In fact, it wasn¡¯t just her I had fallen out with. That summer I had lost all my friends, my best friends, over some stupid misunderstanding. At first, it was awkward, and there was definitely tension in the air, but as time passed we grew to generally ignore each other¡¯s existence. The difference between me and them now, in terms of social status was huge, however. My former friends had risen to be the ¡°popular kids¡± of the school, whilst I had largely kept to myself since then, having a few acquaintances and people who I was on good terms with.


    ¡°Listen¡± she responded, for the first time turning towards me and giving her full attention. Her gaze was steely and her beautiful, symmetrical face did not have a friendly expression upon it.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.¡°Your right, I don¡¯t want to be here. You''re a jerk Clay Cooper, a nasty human being. You have the audacity to call my Maddie? I don¡¯t want to even hear my name exit your mouth. Just get on with what you have to do, and I¡¯ll sort my end of the project. There¡¯s no need for us to work together any longer.¡±


    ¡°Wai..¡±


    But before I could finish my sentence, Madison stood up, grabbing her bag before stomping out of the room leaving me alone with the silence and my thoughts.


    I sighed. Did I deserve that? Probably. I never really understood what we fell out over, even now, I don¡¯t really have an idea. I had tried to speak to them, any of them, but they just served with glares and cold, icy shoulders. They no longer responded to my texts, my calls and would actively seek to avoid and demean me in public. I tried to figure it out, observing mentally my recent past interactions with any of them, but no result came of that. It was extremely sudden too. One day we were as close as family, the next they were strangers. Angry strangers. Regardless, from what I experienced after, it must have been a pretty monumental thing. I was beaten to a pulp by my former best friends Mark and James, the week after the falling out, then there was the minor trend of bullying that followed.


    I had never been the type to be so invested in people though, so as soon as I lost those connections, It became pretty easy to navigate that. It also helped that I paid back what was dealt.


    I got Mark when he walking home alone, after late night track practice. I came from behind, shoved him down the hill and into the ditch which lay next to a small stream that snaked its way through the town. While he was disoriented I slid down the heal and gave him a beatdown that rivaled my own. James got his own humbling the next day when he confronted me over the incident in school. He was a tougher target, muscled and built even back then from playing various contact sports, so I struck first. Chopping at his neck with one hand, pulling him close with other before smashing my forehead into his nose. I left him on the ground, walking away quite calmly to my next class. I passed Lisa and Madison in the hallway and gave them a small smile.


    All incidents stopped after that, and I was left to my own devices. It was a strange transition at first, but I soon grew to enjoy the peace it gave me.


    Now, I¡¯m not saying what I did was right. In fact, it was the opposite in my mind. I shouldn''t have reacted like that. It was quite erratic and extremely unusual of me to do so, but it definitely served the purpose. I often think back to those times, wondering if I had acted differently, would I have had the chance to be friends with them again. But these thoughts always came with the revelation that I would. I was not a normal person and had a hard time blending with the crowd. Quite honestly it was only a matter of time until we grew apart anyway.


    I stretched at the desk, glancing at the screen. I was no longer in any sort of mood to continue working. My temper and patience had never been great, and after Madison stormed out, it was all I could do to not punch a hole through the monitor in front of me. I breathed in and out, deeply, to calm myself. I did this for several minutes until the red tinges in my vision faded and I returned to a sense of normalcy. I stretched at the desk, glancing at the screen. I was no longer in any sort of mood to continue working. I logged off of the computer, pushing myself back on the swivel office chair and standing. I gave one last glance back to where Madison had sat before turning off the light and leaving the room.

 Chapter 2 - "Watched"

    I walked down the empty hallways to the schools'' main entrance. The distant sounds of students shouting came from the school¡¯s sports fields but otherwise, all else was still. Haven Academy was a somewhat prestigious school. All students here were expected to achieve high grades and were beholden to a strong social standard. While I couldn¡¯t fault the school, I couldn¡¯t exactly praise it either. I truly felt that school focused more on its reputation than the welfare of its students. In fact, I knew this to be the case, witnessing several situations in which others were bullied to their limits, sometimes even in the presence of teachers by those who brought ¡®value¡¯ to the school.


    I exited the school, casually walking down the steps into the school parking lot. I didn¡¯t drive so I could either get a bus or walk home. I typically walked, it helped me think and formulate things inside my head with the added bonus of giving me a token amount of exercise. It took about thirty minutes this way, but I didn¡¯t mind too much. On occasion, my Uncle would arrange a pickup for me, whenever he dropped by for dinner for example. He wasn¡¯t my real uncle, just a friend of my father¡¯s, but he had essentially raised me whilst my parents had lived on the other side of the world doing business. My parents were often away for that reason, I saw them a few times a year if I was lucky. Being an effective diplomat had it''s downsides.


    The air was crisp, the cool air of the coming winter filled the small town of my residence, Ashville. I shuddered as my body adjusted from being inside the warm environment of the school. I glanced at the large oak tree that was sat outside the school building.


    As I trundled at a steady pace along the sidewalk and into the main street, the school was accessible through this side road only, I noticed that the man in the black muscle car, I didn¡¯t know too much about cars but it was perhaps a classic Mustang, was once again present, watching me. I paid great attention to not give away I had caught on to his surveillance. I still didn¡¯t know what was up, but I wasn¡¯t that worried. If he had bad intentions, he¡¯d have most likely made that apparent by now. As it was, he was just watching.


    I turned a corner, leaving a residential road for the high road that ran through the town. The area was the commercial hub of the town. Although that was the case, at this time it was mostly empty apart from a few people getting some shopping or takeaways, and a few groups of kids from my school hanging out.


    The man in the car waited a minute or two, as he always did, before following. He thought he had my daily routine down by now so he was not worried about losing me and could afford to keep his distance. That¡¯s what he thought, but what didn¡¯t know was that I had altered my routine soon after I caught on to this surveillance. He didn¡¯t know about the Clubhouse, for example, my so-called hideout.


    The Clubhouse was my private area, a place for me to digest my thoughts and have some peace. It was a gift from my parents, who were important diplomats often away on business so I had to stay with a friend of the family. But they figured, and correctly so, that sometimes I would prefer some time alone. It was located in a small unassuming storage building which they owned. Disguised as a simple storage locker, once you entered the room it opened up into a large space in which I had spent many hours in. My friends had too before we fell out. I had craved its usage in recent months, the stresses of navigating teenage politics were often quite tiresome. But I had held back, resisting. After all, who knew what this man wanted with me? I may have to lay low for a time, and the Clubhouse was the perfect place to do so. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    These thoughts drifted within my head as my body went on autopilot, navigating the familiar route to where I currently reside: My ¡®Uncles¡¯ home. He wasn¡¯t my real uncle, rather he was a close friend of my father, but I had known him since birth and was quite comfortable with him.


    He had a daughter too, she was the same age as I, but we never really got too close or became good friends, especially at first. In recent years though, she had been kind and considerate of me. I was sure she was just taking pity on me as she knew I didn''t really have friends. I appreciated it, but honestly, I didn''t mind not having any. Her name was Amy and she ran with a different group of popular kids at school, I referred to her group as the Puppies, only in my mind of course, else I''d start getting strange looks. I called them such because they were always excited and friendly to everyone, they were popular not because people wanted to be them but more than they were actually liked.


    My group of former friends wasn''t exactly jerk''s, but they fell into the category not being popular more due to the fact that many people envied them.


    There was other groupings and factions present within the school hierarchy such as the SMARTs, your stereotypical geek unit and the then you have your leather jacket-clad, tough kids. There are of course other groups too, but these were the factions that dominated the social scene at Haven Academy.


    All the while these internal monologues flowed through my head, I turned down the street in which I resided. Large houses with perfectly manicured lawns lined the roadway, with expensive cars often parked behind fenced driveways. This was the expensive part of town. Many of those who lived here commuted by cay to nearby Eastville City. CEO¡¯s, politicians and investors populated the area here, opting to live a small town lifestyle while reaping the profits of being based near a large city.


    I paused outside one such house, tapping a code into the mechanical gate and stepping onto the property grounds. The house was designed to borrow elements of gothic architecture on the outside with plenty of colored glass panes as decorative pieces along with traditional clear windows.


    I stepped up to the large wooden door, pulling my keys from my pocket and fumbling with them briefly before unlocking the door and stepping inside my home. I was tired and still annoyed so I decided to head straight to bed. As I walked through the grand entrance hall which served as the center of the house, the walls adorned with expensive painting and other rare and costly decoration was on show in special display cabinets. I was at the foot of the stairs when Amy sprinted from one of the lounges and embraced me. I caught a glimpse of her face before she started squeezing the breath out me, there were tears flowing down her face. She shuddered in my arms slightly, as I began to return the surprise hug.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Amy.¡± I asked softly. Something was up, so I set aside the natural distance I usually set between myself and others.


    I had only seen her like this once before when her Mother had passed away several years earlier, so I was extremely concerned immediately. Whilst we got on well enough and had grown up together like siblings, she had never hugged me before, which is why the event was so shocking.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so so sorry.¡± She repeated, continuing to bury her face in my chest.


    ¡°Your parents¡­¡± She started when a sense of dread and emptiness filled my stomach.

 Chapter 3 - "Loss"

    ¡°Your parents¡­¡± Amy uttered those words, her delicate form still wrapped about my chest.


    ¡°They....¡± She shuddered again, her body shaking as she sobbed heavily.


    ¡°They...what?¡± I urged, gently pulling away slightly and tilting her head so I could look her into the eyes. One arm was still wrapped around her, to provide comfort as she was obviously upset.


    Of course, I had an idea of what she was crying about, but I didn¡¯t want to accept that reality yet.  Not until she said those words.


    ¡°There...There was an accident. A plane crash. I¡¯m sorry. So so sorry, Clay.¡± She uttered, shaking a little. The tears had stopped now. Her eyes were reddened from the sobbing, but I could still see the clear blue of her irises.


    I stepped back a bit, pulling my hand from her shoulder. I smiled, I have no idea what she saw in my face but it was enough for her to start crying again. She grabbed my hand and pulled. I allowed myself to directed up the stairs and into my room. It was dark, but it didn''t matter. She gestured for me to lay down and I did, climbing into bed fully clothed. I didn¡¯t say anything and nor did she as she slid in with me. She held me, silently. Not a word was said. I don¡¯t know how long it was before I started to cry, and still, she stayed with me, holding me tight and caressing my face and arm. Eventually, sleep came, embracing me, and I went into its arm¡¯s willingly.


    ===========================================================================================


    It was a short while later when I awoke, the sun beaming through the open window and onto my face probably aided with that. There was a weight upon my chest, and blinking away the sleep I saw Amy laying beside me still, dozing peacefully and letting out the occasional snore. Not that I would ever mention that to her. I knew about self-preservation.


    I stared at her for a bit. She was pretty good looking after all, and pleasant to look at. I didn¡¯t have romantic feelings for the girl, but after the support she lent me last night, something had changed inside. I had an entirely new outlook on her. I truly appreciated it, and the fact she had stayed with me all night further reinforced what a wonderful person she was.


    I smiled, despite myself, and pulled myself out of bed gently to avoid waking her. I needed to shower, I hadn¡¯t even got undressed yesterday. I walked into the bathroom, in a house like this, everyone had their own en-suite and started running the shower nice and hot just how I liked it. Whilst waiting for the water to heat up, I undressed and threw my creased clothes into the laundry basket. I glanced at myself in the mirror. A tired teenager, with puffy eyes and messy brown hair, stared back at me.


    It had been a couple of minutes since I had started running the shower and the steam from the hot water was starting to fog up the mirror. I turned and stepped into the shower enclosure, sighing in enjoyment as the hot water, almost scalding, poured onto my skin.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    I savored the heat, enjoying what I planned to be a long shower.


    I tried to avoid thinking about last night. Tried being the keyword.


    I wasn¡¯t really close with my parents, they spent most of my life away on business. Sometimes I only saw them a few times a year. But still, they were my family, my parents. I loved them, even if I never really showed it, and I¡¯m sure they loved me even with their slightly cold demeanor.


    Tears began to well up in my eyes, and this time it wasn¡¯t just sadness but frustration. And then anger.


    Why did they have to die? Stupid. Why did they always have to work, be away on business? Fuck. Why couldn¡¯t we just be a normal family? Failure. That¡¯s what I was, a failure. That must be it, right? Surely they had a reason for always being on the other side of the world from me.


    As I asked myself each question, I pounded my fist against the ceramic tiles after each answer. And then I continued long after those thoughts fled my mind. Ten times. Fifteen. I stopped when I noted the water had started to tinge red, and glanced at my fist. Raw and bloody from the punishment it had just dealt against the wall.


    A voice shook me from my mindless state of staring at my blood as it dripped into the war and swirled about before flowing down the drain.


    ¡°Clay, are you in there?¡± It was Amy. Guess the shower or the constant pounding had woke her up.


    ¡°Yeah, just a minute.¡± I reply.


    I can¡¯t let her see me like this. I turned the shower off and scurry out towards the handbasin. I washed my hand and thankfully the wounds weren¡¯t too deep and the flow of the crimson liquid was already slowing.


    A knock on the door made me jump.


    ¡°Clay. Clay, I¡¯m coming in.¡± Amy announced and the door swung open.


    ¡°Wait! I¡¯m naked!¡± I shouted, or screamed toward the now open door and figure standing there. My hand¡¯s instinctively went to cover my private protrusions down below.


    ¡°Relax, It¡¯s not anything I haven¡¯t seen before.¡± She said, as her eyes trailed up and down me a few times.


    I thought I caught her staring at my abdomen, but she quickly glanced at my face and then back towards my bloody hand which was providing much need protection from the eyes in front. Oh crap, I was in deep shit.


    ¡°Your hand. What happened?¡± She asked, her face was stern and serious.


    ¡°I...uh...I got...mad.¡± I said lamely. It was true. I was and still am angry at them for leaving me, alone on this earth. For dying on me, across the ocean in some stupid country.


    ¡°You got...mad?¡± She asked, quirking an eyebrow. ¡°Well whatever, get dressed, we have things to do. See you downstairs by 11, and not a second later.¡±


    ¡°11?¡± I asked. Was it really that late.


    ¡°Yup. We overslept quite a bit so no point in going to school. So instead we are gonna have some fun.¡±


    ¡°Fun?¡± I questioned and let an involuntary groan out for which she gave me a light punch in the arm.


    ¡°Live a little, Cooper. Come along for the ride if your not too chicken to skip school that is?¡± She said, knowing that I wouldn¡¯t be able to back down now.


    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯ll see you at 11.¡± I grinned despite myself as she left the bathroom to get ready herself.

 Chapter 4 - "The Lake"

    After getting changed into a fresh set of clothes and seeing to my hand: The knuckles were no longer leaking blood. I¡¯d just have to contend with tender, bruised knuckles for a little while. I grabbed my phone which was being charged, must have been Amy¡¯s doing, and headed downstairs. I went to the Kitchen to grab an apple only to see Amy diving into a bowl of Astropops, a popular cereal.


    Between mouthfuls, she scolded me:


    ¡°You''re late.¡±


    I checked my phone''s timer, it was 11:03. I was late. I could do nothing but hold my hands up in defense before walked over to the fruit basket to collect a Pink Lady. I bit into the apple as she continued demolishing her bowl of cereal, watching her in wonder as she somehow managed to make the activity look graceful and majestic.


    I shook my head.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Uncle William?¡± I asked. I hadn¡¯t seen him since I heard the news, so I guessed he had stayed over at his office again in Eastville.


    ¡°Dad? He¡¯s on a plane to¡­ you know¡­¡± She replied before trailing off, not wanting to broach that topic. She wouldn¡¯t meet my eye, I didn¡¯t blame her though. It was a difficult thing, handling someone else''s grief.


    I see. He probably has to handle the situation with his parents, as the executor of their estate or something.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan then?¡± I asked, changing the topic for her sake, and my own. Though the thoughts, regret and resentment would continue to be present in my mind for the rest of the day and perhaps even the coming weeks, I was determined to try and look on the bright side, to enjoy myself. That¡¯s always been my way, emotion is hard for me to express, but it¡¯s there. Weeping on the inside and laughing on the outside.


    Amy scooped the last spoonful cereal into her mouth before draining the bowl of the remaining milk. After wiping her mouth, she spoke.


    ¡°To the lake for a swim, and then to Pizza Palace for some pizza and so I can kick your ass on Warriors of Rovaldan.¡±


    ¡°Pfft. You¡¯ve never beat me before. I won¡¯t go easy on you, you know.¡± I replied, smirking at her challenge.


    ¡°You ready? Let¡¯s get a move on.¡± she responded.


    ======================================================================


    Sometime later we found ourselves approaching the lakeside. It was within walking distance of our house, most things were in walking distance of each in Haven. It was a small town.


    I had quickly run back upstairs to change my underwear into more suitable attire after she had told me that we were going swimming. There was nothing worse than being stuck in damp, wet pants all day.


    The lake was set just to the side of the town, wrapping slightly around the northwest edge. Eastville was in the opposite direction, so most traffic avoided this area. You could say it was a haven for the citizens of Haven.


    It was a middle of the working day, and with winter quickly approaching, we should have had the lake to ourselves. However, as we walked up the final slope to the lake, the sounds of splashing and laughter could be heard easily.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking dare, Mark!¡± a girl screeched in a high pitch tone, shortly accompanied by a wave of giggling.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be such a tightass, Lisa!¡± A voiced called in reply followed by more laughter.


    Those voices were familiar to me, extremely familiar. I slowed, hesitant. It was a few seconds before I continued following Amy, who continued to walk, not noticing my brief troubled look. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Was this a good idea? Probably not? Would it end badly? Probably.


    Usually, I tried to avoid drama, it was just troublesome and there was a little personal benefit to being involved. But today, I just didn¡¯t care. Confrontation wasn¡¯t my thing and I wouldn¡¯t encourage it, but I¡¯m not going to live my life worrying about others opinions of me. Life was too short, after all. I learned that lesson well recently.


    I took larger strides to catch up to Amy. We passed over the verge and the wide expanse of the lake, bordered by lush, green forest. It was truly a beautiful sight if you didn¡¯t consider the eyesore that was currently polluting the lakefront.


    Mark, James, Lisa, Madison and a few of their other friends were frolicking along the lakefront. Judging by their attire, trunks and swimsuits, and their noticeably wet look, they had also been swimming. I noticed a few of Amy¡¯s friends amongst the group.


    ¡°Amy!¡± called a petite brunette who ran up and hugged her, before Amy scrambled back and let out an exaggerated screech.


    ¡°You got my clothes wet!¡± Amy replied, lightheartedly giving the girl a small punch.


    A few of Amy''s other friends gathered around. Amy was arguably the most popular girl in school. I reduced it was a combination of her good looks, her bubbly and sincere personality combined with her generally positive attitude.


    I greeted some of the people I knew, exchanging some small talk and pleasantries.


    As far as I could tell, Amy¡¯s group were all nice and friendly people.


    ¡°COOPER!¡± A voice called, attracting the unwanted attention from my group of ex-friends. They sent souring glares in my direction, and I returned the favor for once. Usually, I just ignored them, but today I was in no passive mood. I would enjoy myself, whether they liked it or not.


    The person who had called me had come barreling into me as I turned towards them. They picked me up into a crushing bearhug and spun me around, whilst letting out gruff laughter. It was Ben.


    Ben was extremely happy-go-lucky, he had tried to befriend me for a while, and despite my attempts to rebuff him, he remained unperturbed and kept approaching me. I didn¡¯t bother struggling to escape his grip, even with some scattered laughter from the audience I doubt any of them would have believed that I, Clay Cooper, would allow myself to be in such a way.


    It wasn¡¯t a big deal, honestly. Ben was quite alright. If I was a social butterfly, we would probably be the best of friends.


    ¡°Haha, what a sight Cooper. I never expected to see you out and about!¡± Ben¡¯s deep voice boomed. ¡°Claire wasn¡¯t brave enough to come to speak to you, so I showed her you are harmless!¡± He let out deep, ringing laughter and gestured towards a petite brunette who had turned a deep crimson at the sudden attention.


    Claire Adam¡¯s was one of Amy¡¯s best friends. She had the brains and the looks, so I never understood what her deal was. Why she somehow was interested in me. Amy had mentioned it not so subtly several times before, asking my opinion on the girl. I always replied that I didn¡¯t know. It was true after all. We have never really talked before. A few passing pleasantries. So it came to a surprise to Amy, Ben, their friends and myself when I walked towards her.


    ¡°Hey, Claire.¡± I said in a clear and formal tone. ¡°We haven¡¯t really spoken before have we?¡± I finished my opening move with a small touch to her arm.


    I never thought the deep shade of crimson could turn any more red but it does.


    ¡°Hh...uhh..Hey, Clay¡± She manages to utter.


    After Claire glances to the side, I notice the rapid and wild gestures being exchanged by Ben, Amy and some of their friends. I sigh inwardly. I did feel bad though. I was using the girl¡¯s personal feelings for my benefit. I wanted to have a good time AND piss of Madison and the others who seethed at any sort of enjoyment that I had.


    ¡°Wanna go for a swim?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Swim? It¡¯s kinda cold though...I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself, but you''re missing out! I was looking forward to spending some time with you too¡­¡± I was too devious.


    There was less attention focusing on us now, though I could see that Ben and Amy continued shooting us sidelong glances, as I start stripping off my casual wear I notice that it quickly returns. Especially from the female sex.


    I wasn¡¯t the most muscled, but I did exercise a few times a week. My body was more lean than toned, though a faint six pack was present on my abs.


    Claire gaze swept up and down me, just as I knew it would, and as I started walking towards the lake, she started stripping off too.


    ¡°Clay, wait.¡± She called out.


    I did, and a few moments later Claire and I walked towards the water.


    We passed Madison and Mark who stood watching us and whispering. I gave them a little wave and a short greeting which I knew would piss them off.

 Chapter 5 - "The Fight"

    ¡°Hey, guys,¡± I say in an upbeat tone, or what I hoped was. ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    I grab Claire¡¯s hand and hold it tightly. I don¡¯t look at her, but I could see her in my peripheral vision. I couldn¡¯t believe one could turn more red than crimson, but I now knew it was possible.


    Honestly, I felt bad for the girl. I was using her to satisfy my current need to piss someone off, and that someone was the group in front of me.


    Actual hate oozed off the now four people in front of me, James and Lisa had come over when they saw me approach them. It was almost visible,


    ¡°What the actual fuck Cooper!¡± Mark almost screamed at me. His face was red, just like Claire¡¯s but this was pure rage. It made me wonder like I had countless times before, what had I actually done to cause this much malice. Mark¡¯s veins in his neck were visibly bulging, and I could tell he was scaring Claire a bit but I wasn¡¯t done with the poor girl yet.


    Amy and the others were watching the confrontation, and it seemed like Ben was preparing to step in if needed, and with my current mood, it was definitely needed.


    ¡°Woah, calm down,¡± I said, smiling all the while which I knew would piss him off even more. ¡°I always knew you were a bit of a girl but didn¡¯t realize you had periods too!¡±


    SMACK!


    The sound seemed to echo as Mark gave me a solid right hook to the jaw. It almost downed me, I stumbled back across the sandy beach. Claire tried to drag me away, but Mark came again, he was pure hate in human form. He tripped on a rock as he launched his blow and was instead about to punch Claire in the back of the head, on accident of course.


    A small part of me wanted it to land. This would ostracise Mark. Claire was well liked if a bit quiet. But my conscience pulled through, I had dragged the girl into this mess to annoy them and it had blown well out of proportion. I twisted around so that I could shield the oncoming impact.


    The punch slammed into the back of my head and the lights went out briefly.


    When they came back, my vision was red. I was lying face down in the sand. I could hear some shouting and the sounds of crying. I was pissed.


    I clambered to my feet, slowly. I brushed the sand from my clothing and turned.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Ben was shouting and arguing with Mark who was being restrained by James. Amy was beside me, comforting the crying Claire.


    ¡°Clay, are you good?¡± Amy asked.


    It was a stupid question. My parents were dead and I¡¯d just had the living daylights literally punched out of me.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m good. Very good.¡± I smile. It was an empty and cold smile, and something in my eyes must have indicated what I was about to do because Amy jumped to her feet and tried to stop me.


    Tried was the key word there, as I shrugged her off and charged towards Mark. Ben tried to grab me after hearing Amy¡¯s shouts but I ducked under his grasping arms and tackled Mark, bringing James down with us. I was the first to recover from the tumble, and proceeded to mount his chest and send slamming blows into the cunt¡¯s face, each punch perforated and accompanied by a word.


    ¡°DON¡¯T. FUCK. WITH. ME. TODAY.¡± I scream and just as quickly as the red vision came, it was gone. Ben had reached us by this time, but I stood up before he could restrain me. I was done. Mark was on the floor and James tried to scramble for me but was intercepted by Ben. I turned and walked away, sparing once glance at Lisa and Madison and another for Claire and Amy.


    Claire was crying whilst Amy was trying to soothe her, she gave me a look that was filled with some sort of emotion. Pity perhaps?


    I left them all there on the beach, and walked over and down the other side of the hill.


    I continued walking for a minute or so before I started to cry.


    ======================================================================


    I made my way home slowly, taking a scenic route. I had a lot to think about after all. I was a jerk, using Claire as a piece in my games that I was playing with Mark and the others. I decided I would try and make it up to her. Perhaps take her on an actual date.


    I was also still fuming about Mark. Whilst I¡¯m regretful the situation escalated so much, and even sorry about ruining Amy¡¯s plans to cheer me up, One thing I won¡¯t apologize for is smacking the shit out of that head in ass moron.


    My phone rang for what must have been the dozenth time, and just as all the times before, I let it ring out. It was shortly followed by another text notification, I had also gotten plenty of those in the two hours since. I hadn¡¯t even checked my phone since the incident.


    I was approaching an old park I used to play in when I was younger when my parents actually cared about me or at least were more attentive. My thoughts started drifting in a dangerous direction. Was I the problem? My parents kept their distance, my friends became my dedicated enemies and I had just caused a nice girl some unwarranted distress.


    I never got why my parents kept my distance. I never got why my friends started hating my very existence. I never got any of these things. I wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake twice.


    I pulled out my phone and called Amy. She was the source of most of the missed calls.


    ¡°Clay? Where are yo--¡±


    I interrupted before she could continue.


    ¡°Amy, wait a second. Where is Claire?¡±

 Chapter 5.5 - "Conflicting Thoughts"

    Madison''s POV


    A few of us had decided to skip school today and instead head to the Lake and have some fun. Lisa was friends with a few of Amy Miller¡¯s crowd. They were the other popular group at Eastwell and there was a lot of crossover in relationships and friendships between us.


    I wasn¡¯t a fan of Amy, she just seemed like a cocky bitch pretending to be nice and treated like a princess by guys who just wanted to fuck her. Besides, she lived with Clay and often tried to involve him in social activities. That bastard deserved to be alone or even die.


    Well, as Lisa and I arrive, there was no sight of Amy and even better no sight of Cooper.


    We walk over to James, Mark and some of our other friends.


    I nudge Lisa and gesture in James direction.


    ¡°James is looking good today,¡± I whisper in her ear. ¡°You better control that drool, sister.¡±


    She shoves me, turns red and starts trying to subtly ogle James. It wasn¡¯t subtle at all.


    It was true though, James had really started to fill out these last few years since he started working in the Summer with his dad. He was more lean than muscled, which is why I preferred Mark.


    Mark was a pure muscled machine. Ever since Cooper had got the jump on him, he had been hitting the gym hard. He was hot, seriously hot. His blonde hair, with dark blue eyes and dimples, made the package complete. We had been kind of dating for a few months, though we hadn¡¯t actually discussed what was exactly going on. We had both seen other people during that time, so our thing was more casual. Honestly, I didn¡¯t know how to describe it, but seeing a topless Mark jump into the lake did make my heart flutter a bit.


    Lisa and I continued walking over towards James and said our greetings. Mark came over soon after, and with a devilish grin slid his arm around my shoulders. I couldn¡¯t help but control the smile that immediately broke out onto my face.


    ¡°Hey Madd¡¯s,¡± he said. ¡°How was yesterday with the douche? You missed out some fun, we went bowling.¡±


    ¡°Ughh, don¡¯t even start with that cunt. He had the audacity to try and act normal, even friendly with me. When I submitted my part of the project, I noticed he hadn¡¯t even done his section.¡±


    ¡°What a fucking wanker. So you guys didn¡¯t finish the work either? Mr.Tanner is gonna kill us.¡± Lisa gave a toothy grin.


    ¡°Wait. What happened with you and James study sessions?¡± I asked, quirking an eyebrow at my best friend. Her and James were partnered on the same project as me and the douche Cooper and had often forgone social activities in lieu of completing their project.


    Lisa just eyed James who gave her a glance back. They both let out some nervous laughter and that¡¯s when I knew. She didn¡¯t tell me that she had hooked up with James! Ughh it was so obvious now that I thought about it. Mark just gave James a high five and a smile.


    Circumstance may have initially brought us together, but friendship kept us tight. Our bond was strong and growing stronger by the day. We had first met when we were five, our parents were associates, so we often met up whilst they had met or the such. Clay was with us, then, before he had shown his true colors and what a despicable piece of human trash he was. But that incident only made our friendship stronger.


    ¡°Annnd¡­.now that¡¯s covered I think it¡¯s about time someone else got wet,¡± Mark said, giving my body a quick up and down.


    That fucker better not tries it, the lake was freezing in the crisp cold air as winter started to fall upon Haven. I was just about to say something when he suddenly lunged at Lisa and tried to grab her. Lisa started running away, giggling like a two-year-old.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking dare, Mark!¡± She cried out, loudly.


    I¡¯d bet that the residents on the other side of the lake could hear the girl screeching as she scampered away from Mark.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be such a tightass, Lisa!¡± Mark called out in reply


    I began to engage James in some small talk, discussing the weather, some headlines, and our favorite band, The Legacy. James was the only other fan of the group that I knew of, which combined intricate choreography, powerful instrumentals, and stable and smooth vocals.


    It was then that some of the other attendees to the lake party started making a commotion. Amy had arrived, smiling as usual. She made me sick, pretending to be nice all the time. No one could see her real colors, how fake she really was. I had to hand it to the girl, she was tremendously good at acting.


    My heart sank as I saw she had a companion. Clay Cooper strolled a few steps behind Amy as they walked towards a group of their friends. I say their friends, but Clay didn¡¯t have any friends, not anymore.


    James and I both watched the commotion as Mark and Lisa both came over to join us. We watched the group, not with interest, but more with anger. Even after three years, it had not faded. I had never thought hate was possible before, nor could it burn with such intensity, but Clay had proved me wrong. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Clay had suddenly broken off from the main group after being crushed into a large hug by Ben. Ben was an okay guy in my books, the only downside to the gentle giant was the company he kept. Clay had approached a girl called Claire, I didn¡¯t know her very well but she was rather pretty.


    It was unusual to see Clay initiate interactions with a human being, so I must admit I was shocked. The others were also showing a similar expression to mine.


    ¡°That fucking moron. What¡¯s he doing here?¡± Mark spat.


    Clay Cooper was a sore spot for all of us, but it seemed to affect Mark the most.


    ¡°Following his master like the good dog he is?¡± Lisa answered with a rhetoric question.


    ¡°Well, whatever. Let¡¯s not have him ruin everything.¡± James said, trying to change the mood.


    ¡°Come, Lisa, let¡¯s go for a walk.¡±


    Lisa blushed at his grin and the wink that followed but hesitated to look back at me and Mark. I gestured for her to go and she did.


    ¡°Seriously though, who thought the cunt would skip? He¡¯s never missed a day of school in his life.¡± Mark said, his voice was still filled with disdain but he had reached to hold my hand and we instead turned to watch the two lovebirds walk off.


    ¡°Took them long enough,¡± I said, finally breaking what was growing into an awkward silence.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Mark said softly.


    I was about to say more when I heard the sounds of approaching footsteps.


    Clay and Claire were walking hand-in-hand towards the lakefront - and us - in swimsuits.


    Although the guy was a despicable piece of shit, I must admit my eyes did wander up and down a little bit, he had turned out well considering his scrawny self from a few years prior. He wasn¡¯t as well built as Mark or James but was still quite easy on the eye.


    He marched straight towards us and gave an easy smile.


    ¡°Hey, guy¡¯s¡± Clay said simply. ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    Apart from yesterday, that was the first time he had spoken with us in years, and we were both quite shocked at the audacity he had shown by approaching us, people who hated him. In the corner of my eye, I noticed Lisa and James both returning with quick strides.


    Mark suddenly shot forward, getting into Clay¡¯s face.


    ¡°WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK, COOPER!¡± Mark screamed.


    He was extremely angry, hate was exuding from his every pore, more than I thought was possible.


    ¡°Woah, calm down. I always knew you were a bit of a girl but didn¡¯t realize you had periods too.¡±


    SMACK!


    Mark had just punched Cooper!


    I didn¡¯t know what to do, I was frozen, just standing there and watching the scene unfold in front of me.


    Clair tried to drag Clay, who had stumbled a few steps back, away from Mark but he launched another attack. Mark tripped however and his blow was now aimed at Claire, I thought it was going to land for sure but Clay suddenly twisted Claire around and took the blow to the back of the head.


    He fell hard on the sandy beach and lay there unmoving for a brief moment.


    I was worried for a moment, the back of the head was a dangerous place to be hit, and I must admit I was pissed at Mark for nearly hitting Claire who was now sobbing on the floor beside Clay. He could have seriously hurt her, and he may have seriously hurt him.


    Ben was now arguing loudly with Mark, who James was now restraining but I couldn¡¯t hear a single word. I just stared at the fallen figure with concern and was about to head over to check on him before he rose to his feet.


    Don¡¯t get me wrong, I didn''t like him. I was sure I hated him. But I¡­ I was still worried for him. I don¡¯t know if it was because he was an old friend, someone who used to be family or whether I¡¯d feel this way about anyone.


    Clay turned and I shivered at the Icy smile on his face.


    ¡°Clay, you good?¡± Amy asked, still consoling Claire.


    ¡°I¡¯m good, very good.¡± Clay replied simply, still smiling.


    Something in his eyes told me what he was about to do, but I still stood frozen as it played out. Amy also must have seen, as she rose and tried to grab him but he managed to dash past. Ben also tried to head him off, but Clay swiveled past and went bowling into the still restrained Mark. The tackle knocked the three to the floor, with James being pushed back through momentum.


    I watched still frozen and unsure of how I was feeling as Clay pummeled Mark in the face.


    ¡°DON¡¯T. FUCK. WITH. ME. TODAY.¡± He shouted each word as another punch landed.


    Ben was rushing at him, but Clay simply stood up, held his hands in the air and walked away.


    I was confused and dazed. I didn¡¯t know what was going on, it had all happened so suddenly.


    Ben suddenly pulled Mark upwards from the floor and started shouting in his face.


    ¡°You shit. His parents died. THEY DIED. And yet you pick this day, of all day¡¯s to start some shit. You deserved what you got, and you¡¯ll know it everytime you look in the mirror.¡±


    Clay¡¯s parents were dead? That sucks. That suck¡¯s a lot. I always liked his Mum, who would always get us treats and was very kind to me. Sadness filled my chest, but I wasn¡¯t going to get purely upset over the death of people I hadn''t seen in years or ever knew well, right? Was it sadness on Clay¡¯s behalf?


    I looked at Mark, his battered face repulsed me for some reason, I couldn¡¯t stand to even face him. It was funny really, it was. Somehow I could bear to look at Cooper, but not Mark. The day prior the reverse was true.


    With those words said, Ben dropped Mark onto his feet and went over to speak with Amy, Claire and a few of their friends, who it seemed had decided to leave. Some of our friends decided to go with them, after witnessing Mark¡¯s action and hearing about Clay¡¯s parents but the rest began to gather around.


    Mark tried to meet my eye, but I looked away, towards where Cooper was now passing over the verge of the ridge around the lake. I don¡¯t know why, but I jogged after him. I was about to call his name as I neared when he started to sob. I remained silent and watched him walk away, my mind a mess of conflicting thoughts.

 Chapter 6 - "The Apology"

    An hour after my brief call with Amy, and now three hours since the mess at the lake, I find myself outside a typical suburban house. With a perfectly manicured lawn and a curated flower bed, it was easily the standout property on the street.


    Amy had texted over the address to Claire¡¯s after explaining she had gone home after that. She forced me to tell her what was up first though.


    ¡°I was being a jerk, Amy. I was angry, upset and wanted to take it out on someone. Mark was the perfect target. I used Claire in my little games and ended up ruining everything.¡± I paused, taking a deep breath. ¡°I need to at least try to apologize, to make it up to her.¡±


    After hearing that, she gave me her home address, told me to come home soon and wished me luck. I was relieved she didn¡¯t have a got on the phone but I knew as soon as I walked home that I would be in for it.


    I was standing at the end of the driveway, hesitant to go knock on the door. I wasn¡¯t really used to this, apologies or going to a girl¡¯s place. An effect of me being somewhat of a social outcast.


    I was surprised when the door opened and Claire stepped out. I hadn¡¯t called her, I did have her number which Amy provided with her address.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± I said lamely. I was quite caught off guard here.


    Claire was wearing cute pink and white pajamas with little blue puppies printed. She looked good, great even.


    Her face wasn¡¯t showing any expression, but through her eyes, I could see sadness. She was clearly upset with me. Her body language wasn¡¯t exactly receptive either, though I couldn¡¯t blame her for that, with her arms crossed and held tight to her chest, and I¡¯m ashamed to admit but it accentuated her top half in an attractive manner.


    ¡°Hey¡± she replied, her voice wasn¡¯t exactly hollow, but that¡¯s the closest word I can think to describe it.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    An awkward silence began to stretch between us, and as it continued I found it exceedingly hard to convey what I wanted to say.


    It was a surprise to us both when suddenly spoke at the same time. Claire still wouldn¡¯t meet my eye, I had let down her expectations about myself and used her for my own selfish purposes before ruining what was supposed to a fun day.


    ¡°You go first, I¡¯ll wait,¡± I say softly, prompting her to speak her mind. I braced myself for some serious verbal attacks. After all, I deserved it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Clay. I heard...Your parents...I¡¯m so so sorry.¡± Her voice was sincere and had emotion, and for the first time, she met my gaze. Her voice was wobbly as she spoke, but determined nonetheless. Her body language relaxed. I released then she cared.


    Once more I nearly broke into fresh waves of tears as the emotion ran through me once again. I was a softer soul than I had once thought.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I manage to choke out as I swallow back the tears. I didn¡¯t want to be pitied or sympathized with. I wanted to apologize. ¡°Look, Claire, I¡¯m not sure if Amy told you why I¡¯m here, but it¡¯s because I want to apologize to you. I was a jerk, a moron. I was using you for my own selfish reasons, I wanted to aggravate Mark and the others. Now I¡¯m not making excuses, but I was very upset and angry at the time. I know that gives me no right to mess with your feelings or use you as a tool. I¡¯m sorry, and I hope you can forgive me. But I understand if that is not possible.¡±


    I poured out all my thoughts in a rambling apology. Inwardly, I winced. I didn¡¯t really deserve to be forgiven, I knew it and she probably knew it. We both stood there in silence for an undetermined amount of time, and this time it was I who couldn¡¯t meet her eye. Although today was our first real interaction, Claire was a sweet girl and I rather liked her.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll hopefully see you around. I am really sorry Claire. You seem like a lovely person.¡± I finally utter, and turn around to leave.


    I¡¯m almost at the sidewalk when Claire suddenly speaks.


    ¡°Clay wait! Thursday, after school, you can take me to go get coffee. Sound¡¯s good?¡± She said.


    I had turned back instantly when she called and a grin brightened my face.


    ¡°Sounds great!¡± I respond, happily. ¡°I¡¯ll see you then. Have a good night Claire.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight Clay,¡± Claire replies and I thought I saw a smile tugging at her mouth ass she turned around and went back inside.

 Chapter 7 - "Before the Date"

    It was Thursday morning and I was both excited and nervous. I hadn¡¯t been on a date in quite some time, and not with a person who was arguably one of the prettiest girls in school. I was still confused with Claire¡¯s interest in me, I was what one would probably call a loser, I had no friends. Not that I wanted any mind, but that kind of fit¡¯s the definition perfectly.


    It had been two days since I went to her house to apologize for being a massive jerk earlier that day at the lake, and I¡¯m just happy that she even forgave me for that. The fact she asked me to take her out was just the frosting on the cake.


    I was still sore over the new¡¯s of the loss of my parent¡¯s, but I was no longer being reduced to an angry mess and the tears had dried up as well.


    I wasn¡¯t particularly sure if Claire had told Amy about our plan¡¯s, but Amy hadn¡¯t asked about it and she likely would if she had known. There was no reason for me to tell her either in that case, I mean she hadn¡¯t asked so I didn''t have to tell her right?


    Besides, perhaps Claire didn¡¯t want anyone to know, so I wasn¡¯t going to go against her wishes when I was the lucky one.


    Amy called out to me just as I finished checking myself in the mirror for what must have been the twentieth time.


    ¡°Clay, you wanting a lift?¡± Amy drove to school, she had saved up over the last summer and with some help from her father purchased a standard but nifty looking four-wheel drive. I wasn¡¯t too sure what brand it was, but it seemed quite expensive.


    Whilst the walk to school wasn¡¯t terribly long, now that winter was here and the frosty air was swirling in full force, that walk could extend into a chilling marathon.


    ¡°Please,¡± I call out in response. ¡°Be down in just a minute.¡±


    With one last glance at myself in the mirror, a final check, I slung my backpack on my shoulder and dashed down the stairs.


    ===========================================================================================


    Sometime later we found ourselves pulling up in the school parking lot. Just as I was about to get out of the car and say my farewell, Amy tugged my arm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fuck up today, Clay. Claire really likes you,¡± she said simply before giving a goodbye and clambering out of her side of the car and walking towards the crowd of student¡¯s shuffling about the school entrance.


    I just stood there after that. So she did know, after all, I guess Claire had told her to keep it quiet. I shrugged and headed after her towards the school entrance. As I walked through the main door and began to walk towards my locker, I was barreled into and crushed in a familiar grip.


    ¡°Cooper!¡± A loud voice boomed.


    That¡¯s right you guessed it, it was Ben.


    ¡°You good, buddy?¡± He asked he seemed to have concern written across his face.


    It was the first time I¡¯d seen him since the lake, as I decided to take off the Wednesday to try and sort stuff out in my head, to make sense of things. It helped a lot.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright. Yourself?¡± The big dude was a nice enough guy, so I gave him a courteous response.


    ¡°Yeah, great here brother. Listen, give Claire a good time, alright? She has had a rough time in the past with dating and stuff. Just..just be good to her, even if you aren¡¯t interested. Please?¡± He asked.


    He truly was a nice guy, but I must admit I did wonder why he seemed so invested in the situation. Was he just a friend, or perhaps he was also interested in the quiet and pretty girl. I couldn¡¯t really blame the dude, but still, undue jealousy filled my chest.


    ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll see you around.¡±


    I left before he could say anything else and walked through the bustling hallway. I glanced at the time on my phone as I walked, there was still a few minutes before classes started. I decided to drop off my books and bag in my locker.I also realized that I needed to start thinking of excuses for not completing the aluminum can project for Mr.Tanner. Tanner was known for his attitude of not giving a shit about why work was not completed, so I doubted that he would care, or excuse the news of the death of my parents as a valid reason. Especially as that had happened on the last day that the project was due.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I arrived at my locker and slung my thing¡¯s inside, keeping only the books required for the next few classes. I saw her then, at her locker. Claire looked fantastic today, and I don¡¯t want to be arrogant but I was sure it was my benefit. I observed as she received several appreciative glances from the passersby, both boys, and girls.


    I wondered whether I should head over and greet her. I decided I should, so I swung shut my locker and began walking over.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said, giving her a gentle tap on her shoulder.


    She jumped in surprise, which I thought was rather cute, and span around.


    ¡°Oh, Hey,¡± she replied, smiling at me.


    ¡°So, I¡¯ll see you at 3? Should I meet you here, or?¡± I asked.


    Despite arranging a date, as of yet nothing had really been planned, so I used the opportunity to get the required details.


    ¡°Yeah, sure. I¡¯ll wait by the locker, come pick me up and we¡¯ll head out. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    Not as much as I am, I thought. The feeling was strange, especially for someone who had been emotionally distant to everyone for several years.


    ¡°Me too.¡± I smile. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later. Gotta get to class before Tanner chews me out.¡±


    She laughed at that, which made me feel good, and I swiveled around heading to Tanner¡¯s class for an hour of boredom.


    ===========================================================================================


    ¡°Ah, glad you could join us Mr.Cooper. I¡¯ll see you here at 3 pm on the dot for your detention.¡±


    Ahh shit. There was no point arguing, it would just extend my detention time, so I simply sat down at my desk and zoned out as the class began.


    I was annoyed for sure. Why today of all day¡¯s? The one day I happened to have plan¡¯s, I also happened to get detention. I inwardly groaned again. I¡¯d better go see Claire at lunch and tell her. Perhaps she¡¯d even wait around for the hour, but I didn¡¯t hedge my hopes.


    I remained in a state of stale lethargy for the remainder of the class, and throughout the next as the world seemingly moved at half the normal speed. I groaned again as the class ended, and walked towards the next class where another 40 minutes of boredom awaited.


    ===========================================================================================


    As the bell signaled the start of lunch, I grabbed my belongings and hurried into the corridor. It was always a good idea to rush at the start of lunch, so as to not be affected by the terrible congestion that quickly filled the halls. I stopped briefly at my locker, once again dropping off my stuff before I started heading down the now packed corridor for the lunch hall. Seriously though, the school could really do with some investment in traffic coordination. Signal light¡¯s could go along way.


    I was still apprehensive and undecided about how I was going to broach the subject of detention with Claire. I considered just simply texting her, but that could be misconstrued as disinterest. After some thought, I had decided it was probably best to just be a man about it, tell the truth and hope she would take it well. It wasn¡¯t exactly my fault, and it was only an hour after all. I hoped she would understand, no I knew she would. But I still felt bad about the situation.


    I entered the lunch room, studying and searching for a single fae amongst many. Standing back, one could clearly see the various cliques that operated within the school premises.


    The greasers, the type with the leather jackets and the slicked hair taken straight from the ¡¯60s, sat clustered around a few tables in the far right corner. Opposite to them, occupying the far left corner, the ¡°nerds¡± sat. These kids weren¡¯t necessarily nerds or geeks, but that was the label placed upon them by the culture present within the school. The other half of the room was less segregated into groups, consisting of the stereotypical jocks and cool kids along with the normal typical student body.


    I still find it hilarious, ridiculous too, that labels such as greasers, jocks and nerds still perforated the school environment. I mean we are an evolving culture, right? Lines of segregation have evolved from racial issues to increasingly focusing on the differences between one another, what they look like, what they think and who they associated with.


    As I scanned the faces, I found my target.


    Claire was seated at a table towards the center of the lunch hall with a few of her friends. I didn¡¯t know any of those who sat with her particularly well, none had attended the lake gathering a few days prior, so I assumed they were some other grouping within the school¡¯s social system.


    I strode over to her, she was facing the opposite direction so I decided to have a little fun. I gave her two gentle pokes into her abdomen from the side, causing her to jump slightly. She turned around to see me, the smiling culprit.


    ¡°Clay! You made me jump!¡±


    I take an open seat beside her, ignoring the looks and questioning glances of her friends. I guess she hadn¡¯t told them about our little date.


    ¡°Hey. So err... About later¡­ thing is Mr.Tanner¡¯s giving me a detention for an hour. I could skip if you wanted but..¡± It was true, I could skip the detention and probably would if she wanted it, but I¡¯d rather get it over and done with.


    ¡°Detention until 4? That¡¯s fine, I¡¯ve got some books I need to pick up from the library anyway. Come pick me up there when you''re done.¡± She replied.


    ¡°Yeah, till 4. I¡¯ll see you after that then. Catch you later.¡± I responded before rising from the table and walking off to where I sat for lunch, amidst an increasing buzz of whispered questions behind me.

 Chapter 8 - "Detention and Mugging."

    I sat, restless and excited, watching the clock tick second by second. My jailer, Mr.Tanner was sat at the front of the classroom, studying some paperwork quietly. He had been doing so for the last fifty minutes.


    I was not alone, there were other inmates with me for the detention. Unfortunately, it was the worse group possible. Madison, Lisa, and James were all clustered in seat¡¯s close together whilst I was an outlier, choosing a seat with a view of the door, the clock, and Mr.Tanner. Though I could not see them, I could, however, hear them. The soft sounds of their whispers and the occasional muffled chuckle sounded out.


    I was honestly surprised Tanner didn¡¯t say anything, I mean it was definitely audible to him. I guess he wasn¡¯t so strict regarding that, which was strange as Mr.Tanner was known for being rather strict. Perhaps he was just too focused on his work to care or notice. Regardless, it wasn¡¯t exactly my problem, so I just continued watching the clock tick away whilst the snickering continued.


    I was anticipating my date...wait was it a date? Could I really describe it as such? I¡¯d say it was, but I wasn¡¯t presumptuous enough to say it meant anything¡­.yet at least. Sure I knew she liked me, I thought she was pretty enough, but I wasn¡¯t sure I was interested. It was a confusing situation, I wasn¡¯t used to being social in any sort of way. I had distanced myself for a reason, for several reasons actually. Some of those reasons were seated behind me right now n fact. It probably wasn¡¯t a good idea to start involving myself again, I tended to have troublesome situations follow me when I went down that path.


    The clock finally indicated that the time was 4 pm, and I was eager to leave. A large, exaggerated cough sounded out behind me.


    ¡°Mr.Tanner, It¡¯s 4 o¡¯clock now. Can we leave?¡± James asked.


    ¡°Hmm? Oh yes, yes you can go now. Madison...Clay wait a moment please.¡± Mr. Tanner replied, looking up from his work.


    This didn¡¯t bode well. Additional detention perhaps? I¡¯d find out soon enough, as I walked over to Mr.Tanner, Madison a few steps behind, as Lisa and James went outside and waited.


    ¡°I understand that you two have some issues with one another. Regardless of those problems, you should not allow that to affect your professionalism, especially regarding academia.¡± Mr.Tanner paused, taking a sip of water before continuing. ¡°Overcoming personal problems is very important to building character. I¡¯ve spoken to your other teachers and they are in agreement. Any classes you share where group projects or work takes place, you two shall be paired together - for the rest of the year.¡±


    Oh great. Just great. Let¡¯s just antagonize the situation shall we, what a fantastic idea Mr.Tanner!


    I could feel the unbridled indignation ebbing from my left.


    ¡°Sir! Please. We¡¯d both rather not be party to such a restriction. If anything, surely this has shown we are unreliable teammates to one another, surely this would damage our studies rather than aid them? Please reconsider.¡± Madison spoke clearly and eloquently, but under the surface of her words, there was clear derision towards the idea.


    I was in agreement with her - what a stupid idea.


    ¡°Sir, I agree. Putting us together is no way to encourage improvement. It will cause more issues than it fixes, we have a dysfunctional relationship and forcing us to be together more than necessary will just aggravate the situation more.¡± I spoke my disagreement as well.


    Mr.Tanner raised his hand. ¡°Enough, I¡¯ve heard your complaints, they are noted. But it doesn¡¯t change the strategy decided. You may leave now.¡±


    I sighed, as I left the classroom. I passed James and Lisa who was leaning against a wall. Madison followed a few steps behind, and as I walked away I could hear her telling her friends the injustice that had been dealt with her.


    ¡°----Tanner said that Clay and I will be forced to work together in any group projects for the rest of the year. He¡¯s trying to ¡®build character¡¯ he said.¡±


    I allowed myself a small smile as I heard her recite the character statement. Well, whatever. I couldn¡¯t change it now. Perhaps after a few failed or troublesome projects, Mr.Tanner would relent. That or perhaps I¡¯d be found dead - murdered in a brutal manner by Madison. I joke, of course, If she killed me, she¡¯d make sure my body wasn¡¯t found.


    I strolled towards the library, the designated place to meet Claire. It was only then that I thought about the man in the car. He had slipped my mind in the chaos of the last few days. Would it be dangerous for Caire if she was seen with me? I didn¡¯t know what the man wanted with me, he had been watching for several months now without doing anything.


    I really did need to find out what was up with that, but that a problem for later. I had a bigger, more front facing issue currently.


    I had now entered the library and was searching. I saw a brown head hunched over at a table, there were a few other students scattered about, but I could recognize that hair from a mile away. Okay that sounded a little creepy, but it was true - Claire had a lush mane of brown hair that was really excellent.


    I walked towards her, noting how she was focused on reading from some sort of book. Her brow was furrowed and I enjoyed the way she tucked some of her long, brown hair behind her ear. She was beautiful, but as I thought that, the doubts on the situation came crawling back. Was it a really a good idea?


    ¡°Hey Claire, you ready to go?¡± I asked.


    Claire jumped and slammed shut the book she had been reading from as if it was a porn mag or something.


    ¡°Uhh yeah, yes.¡± She responded, brushing the stray strands of hair that had been disturbed by her sudden jumping.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    I really needed to work on how I approached people, considering everytime I initiated conversation with Claire she jumped in surprise. It was probably due to my lack of social experience in recent years. It would get better with time, surely.


    ¡°Let me grab my things, I¡¯ll meet you out front?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll see you there.¡±


    I didn¡¯t question why she didn¡¯t seem to want me to accompany her while she did what she needed to do, I just assumed perhaps she needed to make a trip to the ladies room. Instead, I decided to just head out of the building and wait.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Winter was here now, the frosty cold air was biting. Claire and I had strolled at a brisk pace towards the high road, where the shops were located. We walked close enough that occasionally our hands touched. I wondered whether this was the time I was supposed to try and hold it, but I didn¡¯t.


    Whilst walking, I had scanned the surrounding area, searching for the man in the car. His absence was particularly noticeable due to the seeming lack of subtly he had shown in the previous months when he followed me. This was strange. Perhaps he had thought I slipped out of school already and was searching, but that didn¡¯t make much sense. Any time I stayed at school for a time longer than expected, he had waited outside for me. So I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if something was up.


    I kept these thoughts twisting and turning around in my head as we entered a popular coffee shop. The room was warm, filled with a variety of people basking in the cozy atmosphere. Many flocked here during the winter, taking shelter from the icy cold winds that terrorized town during the season.


    I liked it here, though I wasn¡¯t fond of the crowds, the scene was a comfortable space so I often overlooked it. It was one of the few spaces that I frequented in recent years, I didn¡¯t tend to head out to places much, after, you know, being made a pariah.


    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Sometime later, Claire and I were strolling casually down the high road. We had sat and talked for several hours in the coffee shop, over hot drinks in the comfortable atmosphere. I had eventually let my guard down some, allowing myself to open up a little. I enjoyed the talking, it was nice¡­ it was different.


    I liked the change in pace, I liked learning about Claire, and I enjoyed telling her about myself too. It took a little while to break through that awkwardness present from not knowing one another very well, but once it did, the conversation flow was really good.


    Overall I would say it was a success. I had a good time, and I think Claire did too.


    It was dark outside now, though it was still early enough. I had offered to walk Claire home, it felt chivalrous to do and I had seen it done in the movies, but she kindly declined.


    ¡°Oh, It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll be fine. Thank you though. Really, today was great.¡± She said as she flashed an award-winning smile.


    ¡°Well, if you''re sure. I¡¯ll drop you a text later. It was nice, perhaps we could do it again sometime.¡± I responded. It felt like a good response, I was subtly implying that another date was on my agenda, and she seemed to get the message.


    ¡°Bye. See you tomorrow.¡± She said finally, turning around and walking in the opposite direction that I would be headed.


    I watched her retreating figure for a few moments until she stole a glance backward and met my gaze. I blushed, and turned away suddenly, heading for home.


    I left the high street rapidly, the chill in the air trying to penetrate my bones. I didn¡¯t notice how cold it really was before, I mean, it seemed to suddenly be freezing. I shivered. It was actually ridiculous at how cold it had suddenly become. Sure it was winter, but it was just turning from autumn.


    I turned another corner, taking a shortcut through an alley that cut between two streets. It was a long and isolated path, the growth of trees on either side forming a tall extension to the brick and mortar walls.


    As I was halfway down the pathway, a car suddenly pulled up at the end. This was somewhat of a concern, this alley was a known hotspot for muggings, but I had hoped it was still early enough to avoid such trouble. Two men got out of the car and started walking toward me. Their appearance was formal, both men were suited and wore black shades concealing their eyes. This put me at rest a little, no common thief would walk around dressed so conspicuously.


    When the second car pulled up behind me, the tires screeching as the car came to a stop, I didn¡¯t see it but the sound was clear and apparent.


    I was really confused, now.


    I kept walking, trying to be as casual as possible, and just before we met, the two men in black suits stopped in front of me, spreading to block the path. I come to halt and glance at the new obstacle.


    Mentally, I was preparing myself, I¡¯ll give them what they wanted and come out of this encounter at least breathing and relatively unharmed. No possession was more precious than my life, after all.


    ¡°Mr. Cooper. Let¡¯s not play any games and get to the point shall we...Where is it?¡± The voice came from behind, each word drawn out longer than necessary.


    I was surprised when my name was called and I spun to see the speaker, another man dressed in similar attire to the two in front.


    ¡°What? Where is what? I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t understand.¡± I stammer. I must admit I was quite nervous at the situation. ¡°Listen, I don¡¯t want any trouble.¡± I hold my hands up in placation and to show my intention of non-violence.


    ¡°There will be no trouble if you simply give it up. The Crest. Pass it over now.¡± The man responded.


    His two companions, now to my rear, started edging closer. I could sense their slow but steady advance, glimpsing the movement in the corner of my eye. What was this crest? Why did they think I had it? Was this because of the other day, was it Mark¡¯s doing?


    Cold sweat was trickling down my back, the frozen chill in the air was no longer bombarding my skin, if it was I could no longer feel it as heat flushed across my body. My breath became shallow and hastened. How I wished now that I had pushed harder to walk Claire home, or that I had taken another route on the way back to mine.


    It was an unfortunate circumstance, a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. That was all, I was sure.


    ¡°Look, you can have my phone. I have nothing in my wallet of value to you. I don''t know what a crest is...Just take it, man, I don¡¯t want any trouble. Just take it.¡± I must admit I was shaken. I tried offering what I had of value, hoping to placate these well-dressed robbers.


    ¡°Fine, have it your way. If you don¡¯t want to hand the Crest over, we will take it.¡± The man who had spoken thus far spoke, reaching into his pocket to grab something.


    Then suddenly¡­


    CRASH!!!

 Update - Hiatus

    I have been struggling with this story, not for a lack of motivation, but because of my own skill level. As of right now, I am not able to deliver the story that I want, and have been wanting for several years to deliver. I will continue to try and write it, at a slower pace, focusing more on quality than quantity in the hopes that one day I will finish this tale and be able to deliver a final product, or at the least a more developed one, to any readers. This story is important to me, I have been wanting to write this for many years. I have spent hours working out plot points, trying to make believable and relatable characters combined with interesting arcs and scenes - thus far I have failed in translating these efforts. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    In short, the project is being halted. I plan to deliver the rest at some point, but for now, this is the end.


    Thank you to the few who have read my story and more thanks to the fewer who enjoyed it.