L.W.T.B.B Copyright © 2012-2015 xXMopelXx All Rights Reserved.

Rewritten version of this chapter posted - July 18th 2015

VOTE and COMMENT if you enjoyed, loves! Happy Reading! xo
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{ Chapter 6 } : Someone Who Isn't Like My Ex

Monday afternoon, Northwind's courtyard buzzed with energy during lunch hour. I sat on a picnic table underneath a big oak tree with Gabby, nursing chicken sandwiches and bottles of orange juice.

"Where's Layla?" she asked after awhile of eating in mutual silence. "I haven't seen her all day."

I shrugged and surveyed my surroundings. Avoiding me, obviously. "Beats me. I haven't spoken to her since yesterday."

Gabby continued playing with the ends of her red hair. She was obsessed with her long mane. "Weird." Her hand was already itching towards her phone. "I'll try texting her."

I was going to tell her that it was no use when my eyes cut to the source of boisterous laughter. In the middle of the open space, three picnic tables were taken over by the athletes - jocks and cheerleaders - of Northwind. Otherwise known as the people with a stick-shoved-up-their-ass-holes complex who were under the false impression that they were some kind of royalty at this institution. Amongst them rested Joshua Brown with his free arm hooked around Layla's neck.

That was not something I expected to see - Layla sprawled casually in Joshua's lap as he feathered kisses along her temple. They whispered things in each other's ears and laughed in unison. It was such a domestic picture.

Layla's laughter died short when our eyes met from across the field. Guilt pushed its way onto her face and her head hung in a sad manner before she glanced away.

"Forget texting her," I said, jutting my chin in the direction of the cramped tables. "She's right there."

Gabby followed my line of vision and her mouth dropped open with shock. The sight of our best friend with one of NH's notorious womanizer was enough to have her jaw grazing the ground, I assumed. "Layla and Joshua? You're kidding me. Now I had my suspicions, but this is too good to be true. She better give me the juicy details if they had sex."

I cringed, because hell-to-the-no did I ever want to hear about my friends' sexcapades. It was enough whenever Gabby would gross us out with an earful play-by-play of her casual hook-ups. Not Layla, too. "They didn't have sex," I stated matter-of-factly and forced down a mouthful of OJ to distract myself from Layla's table.

"You seem pretty damn sure."

I nibbled on a spicy potato wedge. "I told you I saw her yesterday."

The wheels in our middleman's head were spinning. "And does you seeing her yesterday have anything to do with why she's seated over there instead of here?"

"We might have quarrelled." I hated admitting it out loud. Two days later and I still couldn't believe we'd fought like that. Even if there was a first for everything.

It took some time for Layla's words to fully seep in. She was right about most of the things she'd spat. The only problem? I was a different girl now. This Jodanna was judgemental, reserved, guarded and protective of her friends.

Old Jodanna was carefree, reckless, rebellious and everything else in between. She withheld her own at shots of patron and bottles of JD. But look what that got her - a broken pride and a dead father.

Gabriela snorted. "You and Layla fighting? My ass. You're like peanut butter and she's your jelly?"

Her analogy had my lips twitching into a smile. For a second, I wondered if I should lie to her. But that thought was quickly dismissed because really, what was the point in that? "We kind of argued. I called her on her shit regarding Joshua, and she told me I pushed away guys because of Joey." Then I added, "Oh, and you're the bread that holds us together. "

Gabriela's eyes widened until they seemed like they'd bulge out of her sockets because I'd never so openly and blatantly spoken about Joey. She sprayed out a mouthful of OJ.

"Oh-kay," she stretched out the word, like she was threading in dangerous waters. All my friends knew my ex was like the pink elephant in the room. "I was not expecting that."

Sounds in the courtyard transformed from a low drone to a loud roar as more people filed in. The source of hollering and endless cheering came from the three notorious tables. From the doors emerged none other than Samuel Adams - a guy I was trying to desperate avoid - looking so cool and collected.

He had a friend who strode beside him. Just as tall and just as well-built but with an even rougher edge to him. He raked his fingers through his unruly onyx curls and scanned the area like he didn't give a shit, to put it mildly. They both wore matching black football jerseys.

Per usual, the cocky and overconfident mask was well balanced on Sam's face. Hands tucked in his low riding jeans pockets, he and his friend strolled effortlessly through the grass. The mass of students parted like The Red Sea for them.

The crowd was in a frenzy upon their entry. Sam carried himself like he owned the place, head held high and shoulders squared back. The jocks exploded into a cacophony of expletive curses and wild noises, and I even saw Layla give a small laugh with Joshua. Sam's friend went down to sit in a free spot beside one of his other buddies - rows of congratulatory cheers boomed from the circle, until everyone in the open space could hear it. 

"What's happening?" I asked Gabby.

She too had angled her body in a way that she could get a better look at the spectacle. "Northwind won a football game last night - Samuel was a big reason for it."

Eventually, after what seemed like much encouraging from his peers, Sam rose to stand up on the picnic table. He held up his black jersey with pride, flashing the number twenty-eight. People started chanting 'Panthers, Panthers, Panthers' while fists banged on the tables. The noise escalated to a rowdy level. Sam laughed - a bit boyishly and it transformed his face - while he jokingly roared as loud as everyone else, fueling the energy. 

As if he could hear my thoughts, Sam's head whipped my way. 

And then, like our gazes were magnets, they collided. Fast and powerful. I felt flustered, like I'd done something wrong by even staring at him in the first place. Caught red-handed in the act.

For a split moment, it was like we were the only ones there.

Then he jerked his eyes away, jaw working, and got down from his makeshift podium. His friends patted him proudly on the back even though Sam looked like - and this might have been a small hunch - that he hadn't wanted to put on a show for nearly a hundred students. 

Sometimes we put on the appearances we believe others seek to witness from us. Sometimes we paste false happiness on our demeanor, hoping that it'll stop the outside from from looking in too deep.

"Well if that isn't the highlight of my day - " I spoke sarcastically, not knowing why Sam's little display bothered me so much. "- than I don't know what is."

I glanced back towards Gabby, only to realize that she wasn't paying attention to me. Instead, she was shifting uncomfortably and passing a sidelong glance at something on the tables. Or someone, I should say.

Sam's friend was staring right back at her, a forlorn expression haunting his face. Something like pure longing flickered on his face as his mouth parted softly in recognition. He raked his fingers through his jet black curls frustratedly.

"Who's that?"

Gabby craned her head my way, but kept her gaze diverted. "Hunter Warren."

The name didn't ring a bell. I took a swig of my drink. "And I repeat - who's that?"

She still refused to look at me, shaking her head in denial. The strands of her ruby red mop floated in the breeze. "Just some guy I once hooked up with."

I gave this Hunter guy a good look and concluded that, "Damn, Gabster. He's smoking hot." Whilst studiously avoiding eye contact with a certain blond-haired-green-eyed giant who cracked jokes about backseats and getting wet. "How come I wasn't aware of him?"

Had it been so long since I spent isolating myself in my own personal bubble of self-hate and depression that I forgot to be there for those around me? Sometimes I'd feel like I didn't know Gabby and Layla as well as I used too. Especially when I learned a new detail about their lives, something that I should have known a long time ago. It was a harsh reminder that I took too long to mend my broken pieces.

"I didn't tell anyone." Her tone left no room for questioning.

Still pushing my luck, I asked ruefully, "Not even Layla?" If Layla knew and I didn't, I'd feel like utter shit.

Gabriela sighed. "Not even Layla."

I propped my chin on my fist. "So what's the story between you and this Hunter guy?"

Her cheeks heated and she waved off my questions. "Forget it. It's not important."

Except it was. If she was blushing like that, then it most definitely was. Gabriela didn't blush. She fucked guys and made out with them, but never did she ever get that look on her face - the one that was all soft and doe-eyed.

The bell rang at that moment, signalling the end of lunch hour. We grabbed our bags and headed for our next class, and I promised myself that I'd ask her later. I would set things right between all of us. When I reached my classroom, I realized I forgot my calculus homework so I went back to my locker, passing Layla and Joshua in the hallway. Doing my best to ignore their presence and feign indifference, even though there was still a small portion of rage that boiled inside of me.

Only when I was plucking out my worksheets from the top shelf of my locker did I hear the echo of snickering and conspiring whispering. My back stiffened and I told myself not to turn around when I heard my name... except that order was quickly forgotten when I heard Samuel Adams name linked with mine. I spun around, shocked.

Two short brunettes lingered in the hallway, talking to each other and trying to sneak sly glances at me. The shorter girl's face was screwed in a tough grimace and she was the one making snide comments about me.

Old Jodanna would have never let people talk shit about her. Everyone had known to never mess with me. I was always quick to put them in their places. But I liked resting in the protective shell I'd created for myself two years ago.

I forgot that while I've changed, others haven't. No matter how hard I drew away from the former Jodanna "Party Girl" Reina Sereno image, students at Northwind High - and God knows what other schools - have always seen me as that. Sure, they whispered and talked when I stopped coming to Danny's Grill, when I stopped attending weekly parties at the hottest location and when I stopped fucking around with the kind of people who were bound to attract attention - the bad kind of attraction. But rumours died, dammit. So why were these two girls glaring at me like I was still that person?

The more I stared at them, the more I realized that they wouldn't stop. This was like old times. Girls envied me because they wanted to be around the kind of crowd I hung out with. The kind of people who I hugged, kissed, dated.

And while I wasn't that girl anymore, I still had a bit of backbone left in me.

I dropped my binder and it fell to the ground with a purposefully clatter. They flinched. "What?" I spat, spreading my arms out at my sides. "Is there something wrong with your eyes?"

There was a surge or triumph running through me as the taller brunette cowered. Good. I still had it in me. The shorter one didn't flinch. Instead, she canted her head to the side and regarded me challengingly. "Do you get off on being totally rude?"

"I don't know. I could ask you the same fucking question." I couldn't remember the last time I'd intentionally cussed at someone. "If you've got some business state it now or leave me alone."

Stop talking about me. Stop staring at me like I'm a freak-show. Stop, stop, stop.

She pretended to look at her nails. "So you're back to your whorish ways, huh? Fucking Samuel Adams now -"

"Rachel." A deep voice cut through from right behind me and I wheeled around to find the boy in question standing right behind me, thundering look plastered to his face. He leaned his tall frame against the row of lockers beside me and glared pointedly at the short girl. "You heard her. Leave Anna alone."

She threw her head back and gave a maniacal laugh. "Oh, my God. You guys are on first name basis now? I'm surprised, Sam. You normally don't stick around with your girls for this long. Even your regulars. Is she extra special in her extracurricular activities?"

I stopped breathing, a knot twisting deep, deep inside my chest at what she insinuated. Her words tore at me, opening an old wound and rubbing salt in it. A bitter taste strayed in my mouth upon hearing her talk about my 'whorish' ways. I was a little wild then, but never, never was I a whore.

Beside me, Sam's face reddened and contorted in an angry fashion as he pushed off the lockers, taking a step toward her. "Rachel, I don't hit girls but you're testing my patience here. Your bitchiness is not needed. I'm going to say this one more time. Leave. Her. Alone."

"How romantic," Rachel muttered, rolling her eyes defiantly. I suddenly had the urge to knock this girl cold. Sam may not hit girls and I may not hit them either, but there was a first for everything. "You're defending one of your fuck buddies? Well, isn't this new."

That's it. I took a step toward but something on Sam's face stopped me. A dark sinister grin crossed his face and he laughed harshly. "Do I smell a little jealousy, Rach? Disappointed you couldn't be one of my girls?"

"Fuck you, Sam!" she yelled, her voice booming loudly in the quiet hallway.

"No thank you." Sam replied, unaffected.

"You disgusting piece of - "

"I don't know if you've always been so meddlesome, but for some reason you seem to be so fixated on my personal life." Sam said, but the calm tone his voice had taken on was a little scary. "You can say whatever the fuck you want about me, but don't bring Anna into this. I haven't slept with her. And unless you want me to talk to Crystal... I suggest you leave. Now."

She'd gone frozen. Completely. Rachel swallowed once, twice, before turning on her heels. She walked away angrily, but not before mumbling. "I don't know what she sees in you."

It was just Sam and I left in the hallway. I didn't turn to look at him.

My eyes squeezed closed and I exhaled softly. So far my plan of avoiding him was all going to waste. I kept seeing him everywhere. In between classes. In the hallways. In the courtyard. Everywhere.

"I tried staying away, you know." Sam's murmur caught me off guard and I gave into the urge to look at him. His adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed thickly, almost like he was nervous. I'd never seen him nervous. Only confident and cocky. "Clean slates - forgetting about the last few encounters."

I was drawn to those dark green eyes, sucked into a vortex. "Then why are you here?" I whispered back, involuntarily inching closer to him.

"Because you needed it." Was his simple answer. "She was saying false things about you and it wouldn't have happened if I hadn't spoken to you Friday night."

I didn't know what to say. So I didn't say anything. I let the odd feeling of someone looking after me settle deep in my bones - even if it was coming from him.

Sam continued like I had said something. "I'm not sorry about talking to you at that party, don't get that wrong. And neither will I regret standing up to her when she was ready to trample all over you - because that was partially my fault. I won't regret that, Anna. But if you want us to continue ignoring each other from now on because of this, I can do that."

He didn't wait for my answer. Sam walked away without so much as a backward glance my way. Leaving me cold and speechless.

Maybe half an hour passed. Maybe it was really only five minutes. But in that short amount of time, I realized that maybe - just maybe- Sam might be a little different than Joey. After all, my ex-boyfriend would have never stood up for me.

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A/N: So what are your thoughts on the story so far? The whole fiasco between Layla and Anna? Gabby and Sam's friend, Hunter? This new girl calling Anna a hoe? Sam defending Anna? Give me your thoughts! I love hearing your thoughts! Things in the story will heat up soon.