CHAPTER TWO

1

Graciela's POV

I walked into school with the chilly wind blowing against my cheeks, you know the feeling when you feel that something big is going to happen but you don't know what?

Yep that's exactly how I'm feeling right now

"Gracie Gracie!" I heard a voice that could only belong to one person call, it was Marilyn , my best friend in Water Bridge High, she rushed towards me in a flurry, I wonder what is up in that head of hers now

"Hey what's up" I greeted with a smile

which she returned sticking out her tongue

"Have you heard the latest?"she hushed glancing around

I smiled , this was so much like Marilyn, if there was anything happening, she was surely among the first persons in school to know about it

I wonder how she does it

"What now?" I asked rolling my eyes at the way she leaned towards me

"You won't believe it!"

Okay now I was getting impatient, what could it possibly be?

"Come on Lyn just spit it out"

"I heard he's transferring back today" she replied

"Who ?"I asked furrowing my brows in confusion

She looked at me and mentioned the one name that was able to insert fear deep inside me

HAYDEN MCANDREW

what did you say?" I asked feeling the blood rushing away from my face and my heart sped up furiously

"Yeah I heard he's back" she replied giving me a sympathetic gaze

"Didn't he transfer to another town? Why is he back now?" I asked totally fricking out

Wait!

If he was back, that means that he might be in school today

Oh no!

Ever since I could remember, Hayden has made my life a living hell, worse was that I couldn't remember how I've ever offended him

He became more harsh that it even got a little physical

He isn't like that to anybody else

I think its just me

When he'd transferred to another town two years ago due to his family's business, I had been so relieved and happy, I had even begun to enjoy my simple life

Now he's back!

This was my final year of high school,why did he return now ?

Relax , I told myself taking in

a deep breath

Its been two years, and times has changed, he might not even remember me

"It will be fine" Marilyn said placing a reassuring hand on my shoulders to which I just nodded

As we got inside, we separated to our various classes

*****

I walked inside the class slowly, the sound of chartering was the first thing I noticed a certain area of the class was filled with students laughing and discussing, I proceeded to sit down when I saw him

He sat down like a king and the rest of the students were his subject

My heart gave a loud thud and I suckled in a breath sharply

He suddenly looked up from the crowd of students surrounding him, his eyes widened a fraction in surprise, then it was gone

It was replaced with a smirk that I knew all too well

He always had that trademark smirk on his face before he does something bad

"Are you gonna sit down or what" a voice said , it was Clarissa another friend of mine who was in front of me who spoke giving me a curious stare

When did she even arrive?

I broke the contact I had with

Hayden and sat down like I was in a chair of nails

"Are you alright?"Clarissa asked looking concerned

No! I could never be alright with Hayden just a few meters away from me!

I nodded anyway giving her a reassuring smile

*****

All through out class I could feel a stare burning right into the back of my head, I didn't need to look to know who it was, I just wanted the teacher to get out of the class so I can leave,goodness knows that I'm not even understanding a thing she was talking about

Immediately the bell rung signifying the end of class, I packed my stuff and rushed out ignoring Clarissa who was calling out to me

But wait?

Why was I even scared?

What did I do wrong?

But its not the first time I was asking myself something like this, I didn't need to do anything wrong before Hayden hurts me, finally I escaped the class and him.

As I rested my head against my locker taking in deep breath, a hand suddenly slammed loudly just above my head causing me to jerk back with a yelp

It was the one person I had been trying to avoid

It was Hayden Mcandrews

"Hello bunny did you miss me?" He said with his signature smirk

Oh god!

*************

"Hello bunny did you miss me?"

I ignored him and tried to move past him but he gripped my arm almost painfully, he still had that stupid smirk on his face that I just wanted to wipe off

"What? Let go you are hurting me" I squeaked struggling to free my arm from his hold but he only tighten it even more

If he had even heard me, he didn't show any indication

"Aww little bunny finally decided that she has a voice" he said tauntingly

I gave him my harshest glare but he was totally unaffected

"Let me go now" I repeated trying my best to sound firm but failed at it woefully

"Let go of you? But I precisely came back only for you ,I've surely missed you all these time" he replied then he roamed his eyes over my body briefly before returning back to my gaze

"I must say you grew up these two years but you are still just as ugly as I remembered"

As much as I told myself not to be affected by his words it still hurt me, my eyes stung and I had to leave this instant before I disgrace myself by crying in his presence

"Let go of me this instant Hayden" I gritted out trying to push past him with all my strength but he didn't bulge, his smirk only seem to widen

"And if I don't? You know its really laughable seeing that you've grown a back bone " he said laughing, then it was gone replaced by a harsh look as he leaned down and whispered in my ears

"Because it will be fun to slowly break it off this time again and again"

I've told myself many times that I wasn't that weak girl that would allow herself to be intimidated and bullied anymore....

I had to be strong right now or I'm going to spend these last year being under his influence...

I slapped him!

We both looked taken aback for a moment

I really didn't mean to, one moment I had been trapped against him, then the next....

The shocked expansion on his face was priceless...

It seemed time stood between us and counting one... Two.. Three.....

He grasped my shoulders harshly

"You'll pay for that !" He seethed his arm raised up , I closed my eyes preparing myself for the impact, a moment passes, then another but still nothing...

I peered my eyes opened slowly to be met by his forest green ones, for a moment something flashed through his gaze but it was gone so fast before I could decipher what it was..

"Gracie?" A voice broke our trance , he released his hold on my shoulders and walked away..

"Why are you not coming to class? It's been some minutes " Lyn asked but her attention was on Hayden's retreating form

"Are you alright? Why did he stop you this time?" She asked her voice laced in concern

"I'm fine, its nothing, let's get to class" I said

She looked like she was about to argue but nodded unsurely instead....

As we walked to the next class I couldn't stop thinking about what just happened...

What did he meant by he returned just for me? I could still hear his threat in my head "I'll break it all over again and again"

Its been two years,why did he have to return just when I was beginning to get my life back together?m

And worse of all why does he still target me?

I sucked in a deep breath and exhaled loudly, this last year is not going to be an easy one, I'll do my best to stay away from him as much as I could but even as I thought I knew it wouldn't be that easy...

**************

Thankfully we didn't have any other classes together for the rest of the day , when school finally dismissed I had taken a careful scan before dashing into Lyn's car, he was talking to a group of jocks and people from the popular circle, I wondered if he had gotten sight of me, but it doesn't matter ,right now I was safe in Lyn's car..

"Bye!"I said waving to Lyn as she dropped me off In front of my house

I dropped my bag and plunged lazily on the couch

"You are back?" It was mom, she said as she descended down the stairs

"Yeah " I replied resisting the urge to roll my eyes, she was clearly seeing me but still she was asking if I was back

Dad is a journalist while mom works in a hospital as a nurse,he was always traveling, i spend majority of time with mom and of course my oh so "loving " sister Ashley

"I prepared lunch, I have a night shift tonight and I'll be leaving now, Love you" she said kissing both my cheeks

"And when your sister returns be sure to close all the windows and doors, you know tha...."

"I know yeah yeah " I said before she could get started with her long sermons on how it wasn't safe in the neighborhood blah blah...

After a quick shower I skipped downstairs to have lunch , my thoughts kept drifting back to what happened in school today as much as I tried to divert it

I still couldn't believe I slapped him though I couldn't deny that he deserved it, I just prayed that he left me alone after today.

A sigh escaped my lips as I cleared the dishes, Ashley hasn't returned, for now I'll just go and work on my assignments