Chapter Thirty

Brielle was sick of me moping around the house so she dragged me to a party. A party I didn't want to be at. With people, I don't like. But she was right, I was in desperate need of social interaction.

Our relationship has drastically improved over the past month. I finally told her about Jace a few weeks ago and she thought I was as stupid as everybody said I was. I should've known she wouldn't be on my side, nobody was. It's because they don't know Jace and I's relationship. They don't see what I see and I can't make them.

My parents weren't going to let us go out tonight and on any regular night they wouldn't, but despite them not knowing everything about me they can see when I'm upset. For some reason they think hanging out with Brielle may bring me out of the despair I've trapped myself in. Also, it doesn't hurt that they think we're going to hang out with Ashley, who's agreed to cover for us if we become her cover when she goes on a date with Darrell next week.

"Let's go bitch! Q and Jay are waiting," Brielle snapped, trying to get me to walk faster. I ignored her and looked around at the students littering the lawn, most with a lit blunt in their hand.

"It's not like I want to be here in the first place," I grumbled. "You're going to leave me as soon as we walk in anyway."

"That's not going to happen, sis," She slung grabbed my hand and squeezed in before letting go. "I'm not leaving your side."

When inside, the strong smell of marijuana hit me like a truck. I looked to my right to see that Brielle had disappeared like I knew she would. Her words don't mean shit if Q and Jay are involved. I never liked the two boys, they were assholes and they were the worst rappers I've ever heard. The girls at school treat them like the next Jay- Z and Brielle feeds right into their bullshit.

I navigated through sweaty bodies and almost knocked into a cheerleader whose wig was about to fall off. I landed in the kitchen, passing all the alcohol to get a bottle of water. I looked around unconsciously for Destiny. It's weird being at these types of parties without her. But I know that she's here. I saw it on her Instagram story before I left, she was pre-gaming at this bitch Angel Twanyes house. Angel happens to be the same girl that not so accidentally spilled orange juice all over my shoes the morning before school started on Wednesday, no doubt an order from Destiny.

I was casually drinking my water, trying to push the thought of Destiny out of my mind when I saw Latrell. He was with a girl, probably a freshman. She was struggling to get him off of her and his hand was inching up her thigh. My stomach revolted as I watched him suck on the neck of the clearly uninterested girl.

I wasn't about to be a bystander to something that's obviously not going to end well. I walk over and snatch Latrell by his hood away from the scared girl. He gives me the stink eye and the girl runs out the door.

"What the fuck was that trick?" He spits.

"You should be thanking me. It was either going to be getting you off that little girl or the police." A smirk replaces the angry look.

"You playing hero now? Sorry to break it to you, but that girl wanted all of what I was about to give her."

"No, you were one step away from being a rapist. Now, I know your sweet mama or

darling little sister wouldn't want that." His face morphs to shock when I mention his family.

His mother Lucinda and sister Lavender go to the church. His mother makes the best macaroni and cheese on the planet and is the nicest woman I've ever met. How she made a disgusting son is beyond me.

"You a lying ass bitch!" He gets angrier and I roll my eyes at his dramatics

"No, I'm not blind. Anybody can see that freshman didn't want you anywhere near her."

We've developed sort of a crowd forming around us. I could see Destiny behind his head shooting glares at me.

"I know what happened?" Oh please, enlighten me. "You were jealous!" The crowd made suggestive noises and I stomped on his foot. He yelped, sounding like a little girl.

"I swear if you touch me one more time!" He threatened

"Or what?" I halfway scream and pluck him in the forehead. "What you going to do about it now?" He's getting riled up. "DO IT!" His face is getting redder, but there's no action. "That's what I thought."

I turned around and walked away trying to cut my way through the crowd. A commotion erupted behind me and the last thing I heard was Brielle. "SCARLET, WATCH OUT!"

I spun around to find Latrell standing in front of me holding a full two-liter bottle of Coke. Before I can run away, he empties it over my head. The crowd watching us ooooh, being the drama leeches that they are.

"What you say, bitch?" Latrell taunted, a satisfied smirk forming.

"Scarlet, come on let's go!" Brielle had to drag me out to stop me from slapping the

smirk off his face.

Brielle dragged me outside, past the hoards of people pointing their phones in my face trying to get a piece of the action. My eyes were glued to my shoes trying to remind myself to keep walking, keep it together. We reached outside and some people who weren't witnesses gaped at my appearance.

"Why you always got to start something?" Destiny stepped in front of us blocking our path to the car. She was wearing a skin-tight latex green tube dress. Angel stood a few feet behind her wearing the same outfit, but in orange. For a second I'm glad she found somebody who dressed as badly as she does.

"What did you say?"

"Are you deaf or some shit? Why you always got to ruin everything?"

"He was about to rape somebody. I-" I started before she interrupted me.

"You don't know that." She looked at me dryly. I stare at her for a second, trying to

figure out if she's serious.

"How can you say that?"

"You didn't have to insert yourself, is all I'm saying." She said like it was supposed to be my fault.

"Yes, I did," I replied. "It's not my fault that you're a self- centered bitch who doesn't give two shits about anybody but herself. But for me, if I see something I say something."

She rolled her eyes. "You always up in everybody business. Leave bitches alone, ever thought about that."

"You didn't see the look on that girl's face. She was close to tears, she didn't want it!"

"You're trying to guilt-trip me into saying, I'm sorry for saying what I did. Well, I'm not,

that girl whoever she is didn't ruin this party, you did!"

"HER LIFE WAS ALMOST RUINED! SHE PROBABLY NEVER IS GOING TO

ANOTHER PARTY AGAIN AND YOU'RE MAD AT ME!" I screamed and she didn't even flinch. Angel snickered.

"You always do this shit, Scarlet! Why can't you just leave things alone?"

"You're so fucking selfish! You and everybody at that shitty party!" I gestured to the people around me. The same crowd from the kitchen was watching Destiny and I yell at each other on Tyrone Lawson's front lawn. "I know I wasn't the only person who saw that girl!"

Angel stopped snickering.

"But I was the only one who spoke up. That says more about my character than anybody else's. I'm not like you because I don't give two shits about what they think of me. I know I'm going home with a clear conscience tonight, I wish I could say the same for the rest of y'all." The audience grew quiet, maybe adjusting their moral compass so it can point them in the right direction.

"This is exactly why nobody likes your prude ass anyway." The people laughed, reminding me once again how much I hate that stupid school.

Destiny and Latrell are similar in a lot of ways. They both use the same insults and they think they can break me down. Make me feel inferior to them because I'm not jumping from relationship to relationship. They made the mistake of thinking I care about being liked.

Newsflash: I don't.

"If watching a girl get raped makes stops me from being a prude or a bitch then I'm fine with what I am," I look at her in disgust. "I can't believe we were ever friends. You're a horrible human being. I hope you live with the guilt of doing nothing for your entire life because you deserve it."

I shoved her out the way with Brielle silently trailing me to the car. My hair stuck to my forehead and I am now aware that you can see through my white shirt into my navy blue bra.

"That was some badass shit Scar. You made me proud." Brielle voiced. We had been sitting in silence as I tried to suppress the rage that was about to burst out.

I screamed. And I push the horn, startling those walking to their car. Tears flooded down my face, making me angrier.

I was angry for that girl. The girl who Destiny was going to let be raped because she was too afraid to speak up. I was angry that I went to a school where rape culture was okay. I was angry for not knowing any of this sooner.

"Scarlett!" She grabbed my hands yanking them away from the wheel. I was breathing rapidly, eyes burning and clothes dripping Coke onto my once clean leather seats.

"Let go," She looked at me, weirdly. "Please Brielle. I need to go home." I stammered, snatching my hands out of hers and resting them slowly on the wheel.

I calmed myself down long enough to drive back to my house. We arrived and I walked right past my parents, ignoring their questions leaving Brielle to explain why I came home reeking of carbonated soda and rage.

I took an extra long shower that night, washing away the smell of Coke and cleaning the mess out of my hair. I came out refreshed, anger melting down the drain only to be replaced by a wave of sadness.

Jace would have supported me. He would've listened to me rant. He would've been proud of me.

Then I remember, there's a reason I'm in my bedroom alone at 1 am watching Family Guy reruns thinking of the boy who in a house an hour away that wants nothing to do with me.

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School on Friday was bizarre, to say the least.

I walked inside with Erika who had heard of what went down over the weekend and people actually smiled at me. Females mostly but a few males joined. I was confused until I got to my locker and the girl who has the one beside me who I've never spoken to tapped me on the shoulder.

"I just think it's really cool what you did on Thursday. We need more girls like you around here." I smiled and nodded.

"Anybody would do the same." She shut her locker and brought her long brown hair to the front.

"Not that pendejo you were beefing with," She sneered, looking at something over my shoulder. "There she is now." I glanced over my shoulder to see Destiny. Her head held high and a bright smile overtaking her face like every morning except nobody was talking to her. People who greeted her every morning with smiles now had glares. Destiny's eyes cut to me, the smile dropping quickly before being replaced by a grimace.

"What's up with her?" I asked the girl only to find her gone. Erika was still there, typing away at her phone ignoring the scene. "Erika, what happened?"

"Your speech opened some people's eyes. They hate her now." She answered, cooly not looking away from her phone.

"That's... actually pretty cool." I shut my locker, grabbing my book bag off the floor. I watched as Destiny walked further down the hall before disappearing out of sight.

"She said some seriously fucked up shit and you called her out. You're a bad bitch."

"I guess I am." I saw Dylan out of the corner of my eye. His usual jean jacket on, but he removed it and gave it to Erika who slid it on before greeting him with a kiss. My stomach churned and I forced myself to walk away.

Your great love story is coming

Your great love story is coming

Throughout the day, my name was on everybody's lips. I couldn't get through a class period without somebody asking me a question or giving their opinion about what went down at the party. I also learned that everybody had their own version of the story even though there were a million videos on our schools' finsta of the whole event. It was surreal how many people cared. I thought my school was full of self-centered obnoxious Destiny and Latrell clones. Suddenly everybody has a heart and a conscience.

It's hard to believe that one angsty teenager's speech can change the way people think. I looked for the girl who Latrell assaulted the whole day just to see how she was doing, but I couldn't find her. Come to think of it I'd never seen her before that night.

I also didn't see Latrell today though his friends gave him the stink eye every time one passed me in the halls. Kayden had been boycotting his misogynistic friends and hung out with me at lunch. I think he's finally getting over his Destiny crush after realizing she wasn't as perfect as he thought.

I was on an all-time high when I walked through the door after school. But that all came crashing down like it does every Friday when my mind betrays me by wandering to Jace.

I miss him. Everyday.

I want to see him. To run my fingers through his hair and lay my head on his chest. I want to hear his deep laughter and listen to the sound of his heart that always beats too fast.

I want something I can't have. That doesn't want me.

And it kills me every day.

Because I want him so bad.