The spell around the room breaks and everyone starts cheering.
Jason lets go of my wrist. Air refills my lungs. It's not till now I realized I was holding my breath the whole time.
I run past everyone and throw my arms around Ashton. He catches me quickly.
"Hey, hey," he chuckles and wraps his arms around me as I start sobbing. "Why are you crying?"
"I am not!" I pull back and glare at him. "Did you not see the knife he had? He could've stabbed you," I yell. "Don't laugh mister, it was not part of the plan."
Ashton throws back his head laughing and tightens his arm around me. "Oh my dear Snow, I thought we were past it," he says. "No more plans."
I lean against his chest. "I don't want you to die before you kiss me. I heard so much about your kisses," I tease.
Ashton chuckles. "Good things I hope."
"Mmmh? I won't know until I get a demo."
Ashton groans. "If only papa didn't interrupt us yesterday," he says.
I chuckle as the sheriff and Principal Samatha walk over to us.
"Good job kids," the sheriff says. "We'll take care of them from here, you two should enjoy your remaining days with your friends."
"This is the last warning Fellan. Look what you've done," Principal Samantha deadpans. "As we've already called the day off, someone called it for a party on the beach. Now everyone is leaving school to prepare for the party."
It doesn't take us long to find who that person was. Owen and Miles are standing on the stage, instructing everyone what to do.
Sheriff laughs. "Come on Samantha, let them enjoy the night. They earned it."
That's true. After living in fear for two months we all deserve a break.
"So what about that Ivy League scholarship?" A boy asks.
The sheriff laughs. "No Ivy League guys. It was a white lie to catch our delinquents."
Everyone around us groans. Ashton and I laugh silently.
"I'll ruin you all!" Ashley shouts as a female officer drags her to the police car. "I'll leak all the remaining secrets I have on you."
"Yeah yeah, your prison mates will love to hear them," Cora tells her as she high fives Natasha and throws her around Asher before kissing him. Turns out, Emery didn't stab him, he kicked him where the sun doesn't shine. Mostly.
I find Natasha staring at me. She nods when our eyes meet and gives me a thumbs up. I grin and return her gesture.
An officer drags Emery to the car. Derek stops them.
"Emery," he says, "Why did you do this?"
He looks around as more officers drag their friends out. "You involved all of them in this? Even the twins? Why haven't you told me about this before? I would've stopped you."
"Stop me? Why would you stop me?" Emery's face turns red. "I did this all for you! I was getting sick of that bullshit." He points at Ashton. He raises a brow. "Why was he the quarterback and the captain instead of you? Everyone in the town knew you're going to be the quarterback after Eric before this shit came to our lives."
"Because 'that shit' plays better than your friend," Owen yells.
"Better?" Emery spats. "One of his old classmates is my father's school friend's son, we met last summer," Ashton and I suck in a breath. "He told me what a freak he used to be. He wouldn't even know how to play if his daddy didn't hire those million-dollar coaches."
Beside me, Ashton trembles. I take his hand in mine and squeeze it.
I'm here, you don't have to fight people like him alone anymore, I wanted to say.
"That doesn't make a difference," I tell him. "Just because his coach was hired with a million dollars didn't make him a better player. He's good because he worked hard for this. He has earned it. He would've played the same if he was coached by your coach."
Derek keeps his eyes fixed on Emery the whole time. Finally, he looks away.
"Kiara is right," Derek turns to Ashton. "Ashton, man, I can't believe I'm saying this on American soil but I always respected the way you played," he says. "Yeah, it hurt a lot when Eric chose you over me, and I felt all the joys of the world when the coach made me the captain after you, but I would never imagine doing something this heinous just for power. That's not me."
I mentally nod. After dating him for almost two years, I can agree with that. Derek was never hungry for power.
'But when he got the power, it was all he saw,' my brain reminds me.
Emery clenches his jaw. "You don't know," he says. "That son of gays was nothing but a-"
Ashton raises his fist to hit Emery but I stop him.
"Ashton don't," I warn. "You were already in trouble for this once, I don't want you to end up in the juvie now," I add jokingly.
He doesn't return my humor but doesn't make a move either.
The officer pushes Emery to move forward.
He turns towards Derek one last time. "You aren't a great guy yourself either. Remember why you asked Kiara out in the first place?" What in the name of mammon is he talking about? I look to my side but Ashton avoids any kind of eye contact with me. "And don't say things changed. Cause if you were truly devoted towards the relationship, you wouldn't have believed my words over her and end things between you two."
The officer tugs him again. He follows his command this time, not before snarling at us for the last time.
He needs serious help here, I tell myself. Once they're gone, Derek turns to face us.
"Kiara," he walks towards me in the corner of the gym but Ashton blocks his way.
"Stay away from her," he hisses.
Derek glares at him. "You're not the boss of her."
Ashton crosses his arms. "Try me."
Derek peeks over his shoulder. "Kiara?"
Nyako, Miles, Owen, and Grace come to our side.
I roll my eyes and push Ashton aside. He wants to talk? Okay, I'll let him talk. I want to know what he has to say after calling me whore in public.
Derek looks smug as Ashton tries to protest. I take his hand in mine and squeeze before turning back to Derek. "What can you possibly have to say after ending things with me?"
Derek flinches. "I-I didn't want to do that."
I raise a brow and cross my arms. "Didn't want to do what?"
"Break up with you," he sighs. "Look, I was already stressed. There was so much work at school, and then the boys weren't doing well making the coach furious at me and then Emery-"
"Enough," I hold out a hand to stop him. Derek stops and looks at me.
"Kiara-"
"Derek, do you realize things are always going to be like this?" I ask him. "Life is always going to be hard. Even if you get into a college to pursue a degree in law or play for the varsity team, things will never be easy. And don't blame others for your actions. There's no one to blame but you."
"But Kiara, the team-"
"It will always be a pain in the ass," I cut in. "And if football is everything for you as you think you should then date it instead of another poor innocent soul."
Derek doesn't look happy hearing it. I sigh. "Look, I wanted us to work out. I honestly did, but some people aren't meant to be together." Then I peek at Ashton who's warily watching Derek's every move. "I'm sure you're going to find the perfect girl for you one of these days." Ashton turns to me. The corner of his eyes crinkles as he returns my smile.
"You can't do that to me," Derek objects. "You can't leave me after dating me for two years."
"Correction, you broke things with her after dating her for almost two years," Grace cuts in.
His jaw clenches. "I told you I made a mistake. I believed Emery's words-"
"Dicks over chicks?" Owen interjects. Derek looks frustrated from being interrupted again and again. But he keeps his cool and says, "I always respected our relationship. I really loved you."
Ashton snorts. "Loved her? Is that why you asked her out?" He asks smugly.
Derek hesitates to answer that.
"Ashton..." Nyako says gravely. But his friend ignores him.
I look between the boys. Was there something I should've been warned about?
Ashton tilts his head at Derek. "I know that you asked Snow out only to provoke me."
"I-I-how did you-"
Ashton smirks. "You thought I would never know the truth?" He lifts a brow. "You knew I was planning to ask her out but resisting myself for our rocky start. You were jealous that both the coach and Eric chose me over you and asked her out before I can even get her to know me better."
"Derek, how could you?" I whisper. He opens his mouth. But nothing comes out.
My eyes well up with tears. I've been fooled around all this time. Derek-he never liked me. He-he used me as a bait against Ashton- only to make him pay for taking his opportunities away from him.
And Ashton- he knew about it all along. Yet, he told me nothing despite the promise he made to me.
"Kiara let me explain-" Derek starts, but his voice dies when I glare at him.
"You're one hell of a pathetic boy," I spat. "Cross my path again and I'll see who can save you."
And like the scared cat he is, Derek runs away.
Everyone around us turns their gaze on me. Ashton smiles and tries to pull me close, only to get pushed away from.
"Stay away from me," I whisper. I can't believe he lied to me all along.
He frowns. "What's wrong Snow?"
I let out a loud fake chuckle. "What's wrong? You tell me what's no wrong," I don't know what hurts more. The fact that Derek never liked me or Ashton never told me even though he knew the truth. "How many more secrets are there that you're keeping away from me? I thought we agreed on no more secrets, especially if it's about my relationship with Derek." Ashton flinches. So he does remember his promise.
Only if he kept it.
"Next thing I'll know you're using me for revenge too," I whisper, loud enough for him to hear.
Ashton jerks his head towards me.
"No-" he tries to step close.
I take a step back. "I told you to stay the hell away from me!" I scream and run out of the room. Grace and Miles try to stop me but I push them away too. Only Nyako nods at me with a sad look on his face.
I shake their images off my mind and run down the hallway. Tear streams down my eyes. But that doesn't stop me from leaving school. Classes are dismissed already. And Kat can manage a ride home.
Once I get inside my car, I lock the doors and wipe my face. I don't know what came up to me. Just the idea of two boys using me to hold a grudge against each other just did it. I look in the rearview and find Ashton jogging down the stairs. His eyes meet mine in the mirror.
He pauses. For one moment, it felt like he wanted to reach for me. Not willing to take the chance, I hit the gas paddle and reverse the car out of the parking. Ashton doesn't try to stop me as I drive out past him.
He just stares and lets me go.
When I reach home, I find it empty. Grisbee runs to me when the front door opens. I pick her from the floor and walk to my room.
"You know what girl? Never ever trust a boy," I mutter. "They're all the same."
As if understanding what I just said, Grisbee looks up at me and meows in agreement.
I give her a weak smile and push the door open. I throw my bag on the floor and jump on the bed.
Just when I thought I'm fine, everything is going to be okay and I can get used to no-Ashton around me, a traitorous tear rolls down my cheek.
I roll over on my back and stare at the ceiling.
It's all white. Blank. Like my life.
Just when I thought everything was going to be rainbows and unicorns, he had to ruin it for me.
"Damn you Ashton Olive Fellan," I curse silently.
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The end is near, two more chapters before the epilogue. How're you feeling about it? I'm somewhere between excited and sad.