| Mia |

I stumbled in the corridor .

Conrad's hand shot up but I held my palm up.

I didn't want to be touch or talked to. I didn't want to be even looked at . My heart was on fire and only one person had the power to put it out.

I had to reach him.

Conrad had to be lying!

Determined and not at all caring about the mascara running down-my nose was red and I had a crazy glint in my eyes.

I didn't realize that I was trying so hard not to sniffle. Not to let the tears run down.

I was clueless as to why Conrad was still following me around.

Moving out from the corridor, I looked around wildly, desperation getting the best of me. He was nowhere! Nowhere!

My heart was gnawing at me to find him!

I was turning around in a circle in the middle of the student
body. He had to be here! He had to be-

"Zack."

Conrad said softly.

And I stopped right there.

Zack. .

Yes! Indeed it was him!

A warm sensation enveloped me. As if I was a thirst crazed person who just sighted water.

He was here. . everything is going to be alright.

He was emerging out of the corridor like he had been behind us all this time but I didn't think much about it.

"Zack." I whispered seeing him walk towards us. .but. .there was something wrong with the way he looked. I just knew there was something off. .

The way his jawline was set.

His blue eyes so closed off.

His eyes not radiating that warm feeling when he looked at me. .

If it was possible, my heart dropped even further in the pit of my stomach.

He kept walking towards us in slow lesire steps and the second he got near me - my hand reached out involuntarily to touch him somehow- but all I caught was air.

He didn't stop.

He kept moving.

Passing right by me.

I whirled around at his back. .my heart ripping at the edges . A strange kind of terror running in my veins.

The tips of my fingers went ice cold.

"Zack!" I called out his name loudly. Surely.

Everyone around us stopped and stared at us.

At me.

Zack halted.

I was at that point where I didn't care about the eyes watching me. About the faces waiting for the drama to unfold.

I was at stake.

My heart was at stake.

Why was he giving me his back? He never did that. .

You were a bet for him. .

I shook the dark whisper away wishing I had never agreed to step into that classroom. It was supposed to be the best day of my life . .

"Zack. ."

I sounded like a broken record.

He sighed.

"What?"

His voice was curt. Careless.

Swallowing the ball of tears in my throat, I tried not to panic.

Why wasn't he looking at me?

Slowly, on unsteady legs I moved around . . towards his front. We were face to face now and . .it hit me. I was looking at. . .a stranger.

This wasn't my Zack.

This was someone else. An imposter.

He wouldn't look at me.

His demeanor screamed at me that Conrad was right. I fell for him. He won the bet. Now. .now he didn't want to do anything with me.

Zachary Smith wanted to discard me.

And I felt like there was no use of beating around. If my heart was going to break . .i was going to let it happen. Speed up the process. And that moment I became level headed.

Detached from whatever was happening.

It was as if I was a third person watching all this happen.

"Conrad said you used me for a bet." I said it in a steady voice, watching his face .

It was impassive.

Like a mask.

A poker face.

He breathed out through his nose-still not looking at me.

"He ratted me out huh? Sounds like him." He said it in a calm cold manner.

I did not allow him to see my world flipping upside down. I did not allow him to hear the chaos in me spreading around with his words.

A gash had opened up in me. It was bleeding. . throbbing.

I was crumbling right in front of him.

"Why. . .why. ."

This time he glanced at me.

A smirk on his lips . .the mouth that wouldn't stop talking to me. Wouldn't stop kissing me.

I fisted my hands.

"I was getting a car for free so . .why not." He shrugged carelessly.

I smiled at him. .my eyes shining with unshed tears. .his face turning blurry .I wouldn't break down here. I wouldn't give anyone that satisfaction.

I wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

"Have a nice ride then."

He kept watching me without an ounce of expression.

I turned around with my head held high and moved when-

"Have a nice ride with Conrad back home."

His voice was loud. Bitter. Harsh. Meant to break me down and it did. . .worse than that.

"What the fuck are you shitting about?!!"

I heard Conrad's angry voice.

Zack laughed bitterly.

"I'm just stating the fact, my. . .ex friend." Zack added the word like an afterthought.

Conrad swore in disbelief and I had to turn around.

Turn around and watch the horror unfold.

Watch Conrad's fist flying at Zack's face and Zack stopping him at an arm length- suddenly his poker face twisted in pure hate and he rammed his knee in Conrad's ribs.

"This," Zack said in a deadly calm-ramming his knee continuously. " ought to teach you back stabbing is a crime punishable by death!" He didn't give a chance to Conrad for defending himself against the onslaught- Zack kept going at him.

"I didn't do-"

Zack snatched him by the collar-Conrads lips busted-

Zack had a murderous glint in his eyes. As if. .he was going to kill him right here!

The thought was enough to wake me from the stupor.

Hastily, I ran towards them.

The second I got near them , my hand latched around Zack's bicep. Feeling the tightness of it.

"Let go! Zack!" I cried out, breathless.

Zack stilled .

Deathly still.

And then he said the words that made me realize. . heartbeat was inevitable.

"Get your hand of me!" He spat , the murderous glint in his eyes intensifying.

Conrad groaned in his grip.

As if I got electrocuted by his voice , I let go.

Zack let go of Conrad and he crumpled to the floor. . coughing out blood. . wheezing. .

His cold eyes flickered towards me and than at his friend.

"There was no need to go behind my back. But then. . worthless people deserve worthless people. Congratulations , Mia! You found your match!"

××××××××××××××××