22. SURPRISE

Got nothing to say except I AM TERRIBLY SORRY. You guys can even call me the worst writer ever. I was having writer's block! I'm so sorry, guys. I really am.

I close the door of my room behind me and rest my forehead against it. It is twelve in the morning and I can feel the tiredness taking over.

I turn around and nearly scream in horror as I see her sitting on my bed with a wide grin on her face.

"Oh my God, Natasha!" I shout in surprise.

"Hello to you, too!" she replied and jumped off the bed to come and hug me.

I hug her back as tightly as I possibly can, "When did you come?" I ask pulling away.

"In the evening. I wanted to surprise you." She tells.

We walk to the bed and sit down facing each other, "I am so happy that you came." I say squeezing her hand.

"Now, don't get all emotional on me and tell me how's Nick?" she questions.

My face falls and she immediately notices the change and rubs my arm with a sympathetic expression on her face, "Hey, he'll be fine very soon." She tries to comfort me.

I give her a small smile, "Yeah, I hope so. His condition is stable now but he took a severe blow. His body needs rest." I sigh looking down at the sheets.

"That's a good sign, right? You'll see him awake soon!" she pauses and looks at me for a solid second before continuing to ask, "How are you though?"

"I have been better but I actually feel a lot better today thanks to mum and now you." I tell her truthfully.

"How's Aunt Anne and Uncle Adrian?" I ask.

Aunt Anne and Uncle Adrian are mom's oldest friends and they live in Moscow. Aunt Anne, Uncle Nate and mom has been childhood best friends. Natasha is their eldest child and my best friend. After dad and the police rescued me, they sent me to Moscow to spend my summer vacations there so that I could distract my mind and actually recover from the trauma. Since then, Natasha and I had gotten closer than ever before.

"They are fine and are planning to visit by the end of this year. I took a five day leave from school to come here and see you. You sounded so stressed over call the other day. I just had to see my best friend." she informs me while her wide brown eyes are filled with genuine concern.

"This means a lot, Nat." I smile at her thankfully.

"Yeah, okay now I am tired and you look like a zombie, too. Let's call it a night, we'll talk in the morning." Saying that, she hugged me one last time before falling face first in the pillow.

I chuckle at her antics and get up from the bed to change my clothes and brush my teeth.

For the first time in those awful days, I actually slept peacefully that night.

***

I slam the locker shut after placing my books inside and turn around only to bump in a rock hard chest. I rub my nose and look up to see a tall, green-eyed boy staring down at me with a smirk plastered on his mouth.

"Eliza Avenetti?" he inquires.

I frown and side step him to create some distance between us. He tilts his torso to face me and I reply, "Yes?"

"Hi, I'm Daniel Rogers. I just got transferred here today." He tells extending his hand for handshake.

My frown deepens and I take another step back hugging my notebook to my chest, "And?" I ask in confusion.

"And I thought I'd say hi to you. I've been observing you since the first period." He says cheekily.

I clear my throat and say, "Um, hi?"

His green eyes shine with joy and mischief and lips lift up in a side smirk, "Hi again, will you show me around?" he asks widening his eyes.

"Didn't you get a student guide or school map or something? And who told you my name?" I question folding my arms on my chest.

The bell for the last period rings and the students begin to rush towards the classrooms. I look around quickly to see if any of the boys or Lilly is in sight but none of them are there.

"A classmate and I did get a school map, it just doesn't guide a way to your heart." He winks down at me.

I scoff and shake my head before turning around to leave but he grabs me by my elbow and before I could say anything, a loud voice booms through the empty hallway.

"I swear to God I will break your fingers if you don't retract your hand right about now."

I look over my shoulder to see Anwyll standing nearly six feet away from us with a scowl plastered on his face. I snatch my arm from Daniel's grasp who is looking at Anwyll with a blank expression.

"You the boyfriend, buddy?" Daniel asks standing tall even though him and Anwyll were the same height.

I huff loudly and walk over to Anwyll who gently pushes me behind him. My eyes connect with Daniel's green ones and I see slight discomfort in them.

"Anwyll, don't pick a fight. He was not misbehaving." I speak quietly in his ear.

"He touched you against your will, princess. I'm supposed to look after you." He replies in an instant.

"I know, I know but I can handle him. I don't want you to get suspended, again." I frown looking at him now coming to stand beside him.

Last week, he got suspended for two days for picking a fight with a junior who was talking trash about Nick. Honestly, he knew he was poking the bear but he kept provoking only to end up a broken nose later.

Not that I stand violence, but he really said pretty bad things about Nick.

"Get out of here before I change my mind." Anwyll turns to threaten Daniel.

Daniel looks at me with a frown, the muscle in his jaw twitching. I look away and hear his footsteps retreating.

"Come on, we're getting late." Anwyll nods his head towards the classroom at the end of the hallway and we begin to walk in a quick pace.

"If you ever see him again and none of us are with you, you immediately leave from there and call any one of us." He instructs waving his finger in front of my face.

"Yes, sir!" I mock salute him.

He rolls his eyes and smile at me before we enter the class and take our designated seats.

"Hey, you'll be staying with Nick tonight?" Lilly asks me.

"Yeah." I nod my head while sulking in my chair.

"You stay away from him, Liza." Isaac speaks in a deadly tone from beside me.

I look at him and follow his gaze to the door where Daniel is standing having a staring contest with Isaac.

"Okay." I mumble and stoop my head down to doodle on my notebook.

After about forty minutes, the bell rings signaling the end of the day. I pack my things up and together we make our way towards our lockers.

"Do you guys know Daniel?" I ask observing how tense they all seemed to appear.

Finn looks at me with a frown and nods his head silently in agreement.

"Yeah, he used to be a student in junior year. Nick and he had a massive fight one day and so he got expelled.

"What was the fight about?" I ask curiously.

They all look at me with grave expressions before Isaac decides to answer, "He called Antonia a whore and asked how much does she charge for one night."