"He makes me feel so blue

I don't know what to do

Sometime I sit and sigh

And then begin to cry."  

Crazy blues by Mamie Smith

"Candice!" Alexa squeals the moment I enter the classroom, bolting out of her seat to engulf me in a huge hug, before she pulls back, a mirthful smile osculating her lips. I look over her shoulder at Claire, whose eyes penetrate mine with an invidious look, before she looks away.

Pulling back once more, Alexa focuses her jovial gaze on me, like I'm her Christmas​ gift. "You won't believe what happened last night! It's all thanks to you!"

I frown, smiling in spite of the ache I feel through and through. She wouldn't believe what happened to me last night, all thanks to her brother. "Has last night kicked some sense into our boy Trent?" I ask, recapturing the moment when he was about to lunge to the dance floor and hit the shit out of Ethan.

Her smile falters. "No, not Trent. He didn't even acknowledge me."

My smile turns into a lower. "What happened last night then?"

"Ethan happened!" She whispers, her smile back full tilt. "God! He was like an angel who fell from the sky just to make last night the best in my whole life!"

My heart falls.

Now my fears are slowly materializing.

"Oh really?" I ask, making my way to the two empty seats in the back, where Claire is seated.

Alexa follows me, taking the seat next to Claire, leaving me to occupy the last. "Yes! He's like no one I've ever seen before!"

"Did you, like, have sex?" I find myself asking, my fears coalescing full steam ahead.

Her face flushes, her smile widening. "No! Not yet! Uh- I mean, no, we didn't. We stayed together the whole night, chatting and dancing and laughing! It was like the best night in my life." I can almost see stars glimmering in her soft, hazel eyes like pieces of diamonds, a contrast to the crepuscular look Dylan's eyes bear.

No, Candice. Don't you dare reminisce about him again. That guy must be cast out of your life as fast as possible.

"And he asked me out!" She whispers in my ear, jolting me away from last night's nasty memories, her words taking me aback.

"He did?" I ask, my eyebrows shooting up.

She nods enthusiastically. "I know right! I was surprised too! He's just so elegant and beautiful. The way he spoke screamed class and gentlemanliness."

Is she talking about the same Ethan I know?

"That sounds.. mesmerizing." I admit, my mouth open. Is that his new way of baiting girls? Manners?

"I honestly don't know how you do it, Candice." Claire pipes up, prompting us to look at her.

I frown, awaiting a sardonic remark. "What do you mean?"

"That indifference. If someone tries to step a foot towards someone I've ever dated, I'd break their leg. No offense, Alexa babe, but don't you remember what Gretchen said? ex-boyfriends are just off limits to friends. I mean that'sjust like the rules of feminism." She shrugs, leaning back in her seat.

Alexa's face falls, and she looks at me with contrition in her eyes. "Candice, I'm really sorry. I didn't-"

"I don't care." I interrupt her, giving her a reassuring smile. "He's not my property, just because we dated for a while."

"Are you sure?" She asks, looking hopeful.

"Positive." I nod, before I shift my gaze on Claire, who has a chafed look fixed on me now. "Concerning your statement, I don't know who Gretchen is."

"You suck, then." She gives me a dirty look. "She's from Mean Girls."

"Mean Girls, huh? That explains why you cherish that movie that much." I wink at her. "When's the date?" I question, my attention back to Alexa.

"On Sunday. He wanted it to be tomorrow, but since it's Claire's birthday, we can't."

"Oh yeah?" I ask, an amused smile tugging at my lips. "I bet it's going to be a thunderous night."

"Definitely." Claire counters. "You can see for yourself, since you're invited too."

"I am?" I ask, my eyebrows close to joining my hairline.

"Unbelievable, isn't it?" She questions, tilting her head to the side. "Just wear something nice. It's not going to be a trashy party like Logan's. My parents are always present in my birthday parties." She spouts pompously.

I feel a debilitating twinge in my heart, memories of me celebrating my birthday with my family encroaching my head like a herd of worms, the nostalgia slavishly striking me.

"I'll see." Is all I manage to say as the lecturer commences, launching into the civil and political rights of every human being, a topic that may have interested me on any other day.

When the lecture ends, Claire leaves first, muttering something about a professor who's giving her a hard time for being constantly late, which makes me smirk, before we all begin to shuffle out.

"What is Dylan doing here?" Alexa queries, drawing my attention to the drag of muscles standing by the doorway, his catatonic eyes pinpointed on me.

I'm about to find out.

Stopping in front of him, I cross my arms, training my hard gaze on his ice cold ones. "What are you doing here?"

He runs his eyes idly all over me, and I can't help, but detect a condescending gleam to them. "Back to asking questions that don't concern you, eh?" He asks, giving me a cold look. "Mind your own business."

It's like a slap across the face, and I fail to hide its sequel, feeling my face as it turns red from embarrassment and anger. "Fuck you." I spit, attempting to walk past him, but then he steps in front of me, blocking my way.

"Again?" He smirks. "And here I thought last night was satisfying enough. I've definitely created a sex kitten." He proclaims, almost instigating me to smack that pertness off his face.

"Well, guess what? Last night was the last."

"Are you sure?" He inquires, arching his brow. "'Cause that's exactly what you said once, before you kissed me and practically begged me to fuck you."

"I fucking hate your guts." I rave, my voice beginning to attract attention. "Stop following me around. I don't want to see your fucking face ever again, understood?" I don't wait for a comeback, moving to walk past him.

His arm shoots out, his hand dragging me back by the elbow. "Don't fucking walk away while I'm still talking to you." He orders through gnashed teeth. "Don't act high on your horse, just because you're a rich brat who acts like a goddamn survivor." He fulminates. "You hate me, huh?" He asks, leaning down to whisper in my ear. "Well, your body seems to be in love with me, and the way your pussy fucking creams around my cock every time I fuck it, proves my words." My face becomes scalding hot, feeling my ego being crushed bit by bit. "And for your records, I didn't come for you."

He moves past me, his shoulder hitting mine, and I can't help but swerve to watch him walk away.

But he doesn't walk away far from where I'm frozen.

Instead, he stops in front of a short brunette, who's standing a few feet away, observing me with a frown on her face, but then that frown regenerates to a seductive grin upon seeing Dylan approaching her. "Sorry for making you wait." He says to her, loud enough for me to hear.

Then he leans down, and kisses her.

On the lips.

Openly.

He even sneaks his arms around her, shoving his hands into her back jean pockets, pulling​ her closer.

I can literally feel the compact part of my halfway shattered heart being pulverized, my whole body indurating like a lifeless statue. I can't move. I keep watching them, or rather him. The way he's kissing her, instead of me. The way he's touching her body, instead of mine. The way he's showing public affection to someone who's not me.

Everyone starts whispering, and I can feel eyes drilling holes into me, waiting for a reaction, waiting for more drama to transpire.

The kiss lasts for a few seconds, but to me, it felt like a profound eternity, watching him with my heart being torn limb from limb. He pulls back, indolently surveying the crowd. "What? Never seen a guy kissing his girl?" He slurs, moving his eyes around, before he settles them on mine, the challenge limpid as the sun.

I chortle, the sound coming out somewhat throttled, before I shake my head, and make my way to the stairs. I withhold my composure until I hit the stairs, where there's no one around, before I descend them so fast, that I nearly topple. The dose of adrenaline I feel doesn't stop oscillating, not during the cab ride to my apartment, and not when I enter my apartment​.

Everything feels indefinite and wrong. My feelings. My intentions. My actions.

I pace down the hallway, and then all the way back to my kitchen, trying to comprehend what happened​ not more than half an hour ago.

How dare he treat me like trash, the way he did last night, and then kiss another girl? How dare he act like a stony-hearted bastard, esteeming me to be nothing but a fucktoy?

Frantically, I wrench open the refrigerator door, pulling out Hannah's whiskey bottle, before I fill an entire glass, downing half of it in one gulp. I cough and thrash for a while, feeling the burn sizzling deep in my throat.

Still and all, I don't get to finish the glass, before a knock sounds on the front door, and just like that, the anger clusters into one ball, ready to be shot at Hannah, whose keys are deserted on the counter.

However, I don't find Hannah when I open the door, but the asshole who was able to break my heart twice in less than twenty four hours.

My heart barrels as I stare at him, my fury and hurt and humiliation constellating together into my gaze, and from the look in his eyes, I can see that he perceives them quite well. "All you need is a popsicle, and you'll turn into a fucking kid." I blat. "Now, please tell me that you're not here to see-"

I don't get to finish, before his body is propelled forward. He grabs me by the neck, before he seals his lips onto mine, silencing me mid-sentence.

I instantly shove him away, so sturdily, that he actually moves back a few inches. "Back off, you piece of shit." I snap, but he doesn't back off, grabbing me with both hands this time, attempting to kiss me again, but I push him away, my knee flying up, primed to collide with his balls, but he blocks it with his hand, pushing me up against the wall.

"Why, Candice? Aren't you the same one who begged me to kiss you last night? Aren't you the same person who looked at me with searing jealousy as I kissed that girl?" He asks through gritted teeth. "Why are you resisting now? Are you angry because your billionaire ass ego got crushed?"

"You know nothing about me, you fucking piece of shit, yet you still spout shit about me being a fake survivor. Are you a survivor, Evans? Do you think a fucking chain-smoking addict like you can judge me?" I mouth off, attempting to push him away, but he doesn't budge.

"Why are you straying from the main subject​, Candice?" He pushes forward against me, pinning me in my place with his stout body. "I came here to perform my duty as your fuck buddy and fuck you, why are you angry?" He goes on when I don't answer. "How do you want it today? Against the wall, or from behind?" He asks, rolling his hips against mine, and I can actually feel his erection growing!

The fucking pig!

"Cut that shit, Evans!" I rage, trying in vain to push him back.

"What shit, Candice?" He purrs into my ear.

"Whatever you're fucking doing to get back at me!" I can hear my voice rising.

He snickers. "You think I kissed that girl to get back at you?"

"I know you kissed her to get back at me." I grit out. "Were I a kid like you, I would've kissed any random guy and dry humped him in front of you."

"Do it, Candice, and I'll make sure my fist stays branded into his face for fucking life." He threatens, his eyes darkening, before he leans to whisper in my ear. "We both know who owns you, body and heart. Quit denying it." He places one hand against my cheek, and I don't move away, allowing him to voice his beliefs. "You don't hate me, do you?" He asks, his other hand moving to touch my chest, where my heart is located, beating so fast, that I can barely breathe. "Does that heart beat like that for someone you hate?" He asks, brushing his lips against the other cheek. "Do you get so fucking jealous whenever you see someone you hate with someone else?" He besieges me, his lips moving all the way to my lips, lingering there, less than an inch separating them from mine. "Tell me, Candice. Do you really think that casual fucking is all we have between us?"

I open my mouth, oblivious to what I'm about to say, before I'm saved by the doorbell chiming in, breaking the spell. Dylan curses under his breath, moving away, before he twists the door knob, pulling the door open for me to face the intruder, and my racing heart stops.

"Hello, Candice." An old woman smiles at me, lifting one wrinkled hand to fix her turban, before she moves her gaze to Dylan, curiosity shining in her eyes.

I sigh, already eager to make Ethan suffer for the continuous torture he keeps inflicting on me.

"Grandma." I state, inwardly wondering if my life can get more interesting.  

______________

Thank you for reading! 

I hope you guys enjoyed a dope NYE! I did :). May 2018 be less awful than 2017.

And hey! Don't forget to check out my new book on Radish Fiction: Empire of Dirt! I'll be waiting for your feedback! Username: Raghdanezzat

And just in case you're feeling impatient, Blues is completed on Radish.

Whenever you read this, you're amazing. xoxo

This is a reupload, guys. Hope Wattpad gets its problems handled soon.