Chapter 50: A Real Friend Knows

Next day

Latoya's POV

"Hurry up in the bathroom Toy! I have to go!" Marlon yelled banging the bathroom door while I stood in front of the mirror doing my makeup.

I rolled my eyes and slammed my lipstick down on the counter getting annoyed from his existence.

"This house has many bathrooms! You ain't always gotta use this one! Go to another one!" I yelled back.

"Every person is in a bathroom and I still need to get ready for school!" He continued knocking rapidly.

"Well you should've got up when the alarm clock went off!" I pulled my phone out to take a mirror picture.

"Latoya open the door!" Marlon kicked the door.

"Go find somebody else to bother! Why does it always have to be me?!" I yelled.

"Open the door!" He raged.

"Nope." I pursed my lips and leaned on one hip for the picture as he struggled to get the locked door open.

I swear we still act like little kids towards each other. We're always arguing.

Every morning we go through this.

He comes to the door thaT I'm in and rushes me when he could be going to Michael's or the other boys' bathrooms.

"OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!" I heard a deep scary voice.

It made me jump and almost drop my phone.

I know good and well that's not Marlon yelling at me. His voice isn't that deep.

I unlocked the door and opened the door slowly and there stood Joseph standing beside Marlon still dressed in their pajamas.

"This is not your damn house and you don't have the right to lock any door. You're not the one who pay the bills."

You're not the one who pay the bills either... you just leave Mother hangin.

"Marlon go get ready to go before you miss the bus." Joseph mumbled and walked away.

I gathered my makeup and stuffed them in my makeup bag and left the bathroom so that Marlon can do his business.

While walking across the hallway upstairs, I bumped into Michael. He has a few tears beneath his eyes and holding his used pajamas.

"What's wrong Michael?" I breathed.

"I want her b-but she's with Prince. I swear she's the one but she's already taken. This is too hard for me." He held his head with one hand and his pajamas in the other.

I sighed, "Michael, you act like they're gonna be together forever. Relationships don't last that long. Especially at this age."

"I'm trying to be patient but it's too long. I would've been with her if Kaitlyn hadn't interrupted." He whined.

"Tried to tell ya but your dumb self wouldn't listen. Now, go on and get ready to go and stop crying over Ariel." I shooed him away with my hand.

I walked into my room and packed some of my needs in my backpack. Folder, binder and pencils is all I need. I grabbed my cheer bag and packed, extra clothes, my cheer uniform, pom poms, cheer shoes, cheer bow, brushes, makeup, flat iron and a pack of hair ties.

We're having a pep rally this morning in school and having cheer practice every night this week.

So that means I'm going to be sore and tired all week.

That means my boyfriend, Marcus will be watching me at cheer practice and probably beg me to take him home with me so that he'll do some sexual stuff on me..

It doesn't always happen but when it does I get so irritated.

I told Mother that I'm dating him since she's been questioning why she's always finding his clothes in my room and why I sometimes smell like his cologne.

Of course I got in trouble because his clothes were scattered all on my floor that evening and she was thinking something inappropriate was happening. I lied and said that his parents kicked him out the house and he had to bring clothes so he can live with us for a few days.

So she wanted to get to know Marcus and they did. She told the family that I'm dating him and I really didn't want her to.  Marcus is nice but sometimes he can be a little bossy and sexual.

He's forced me to have sex with him a lot of times.

Now I'm stuck with him and if I break up with him, I would have to tell my family why and that'll cause a lot of drama.

I went downstairs with all my stuff and ate breakfast with my family before hopping in the bus.

I sat beside Ariel on the bus and stacked both my bags on top of my lap and see that she does too.

"Hey Ariel. Ready for the pep rally." I playfully nudged her arm.

She jumped a little and rubbed her arm.

"I don't think I'll attend the pep rally today." She mumbled and laid her head against the window without giving me eye contact.

"Why not? It's gonna be fun." I chirped.

She shook her head and looked down.

"What? Are you still sick?" I asked her.

She nodded her head slowly.

"Yeah a little, the doctor said I'm not supposed to do a lot of jumping and crap but I guess I'll break her rules and do it anyway so the coach can shut up." She spat.

"Mhm. She had a little attitude for you not coming to practice the day you left the hospital. I told her what happened and she didn't care." I rolled my eyes.

Coach was nice at the beginning of the school days and now she's a mean bitch. She gets mad over everything and she's careless.

"See, I was thinking about you and trying to figure out why you fainted. You were throwing up quite a bit.. are you allergic to something? Did something poison you?" I quizzed and she sat twirling her necklace with her fingers.

She stayed silent, still playing with the necklace with her fingers and I'm waiting for her response.

She then shrugged and stared out the window to the dark morning sky.

I tilted my head forward to try to see a better view of her face. It's still hard to see because the sky is still dark and there's no light in the bus.

"Are you okay? You seem a little depressed." I tapped her arm.

She looked away to the window.

"I'm fine. It's too early in the morning to be so hyper and energetic for me so of course I'm this way." She sighed.

"Oh sorry... but did you find out why you were fainting? Are you chronically ill or something?"

"Because of my... blood pressure. That's why." She responded.

"Well dang. If something is wrong, I'll tell the coach for you so that you won't have to practice."

She nodded and laid back on the window.

The rest of the ride to school was silent and awkward. She kept sniffing and rubbing her nose the whole time and I kept asking if she was okay and she doesn't respond.

Once we left the bus, she took off running and sobbing into her hands and I ran after her into the building.

I kinda knew something was wrong with her. I hate when she tells me that she's fine when she's really not.

I finally caught up to her by the bathrooms and grabbed the back of her shirt and pulled her back so that I can see her face covered by her wet teary hands.

"Omg Ariel! You are crying!" I finally got a hold of her hands away from her wet face.

I studied her face and it looked like she didn't have enough sleep because of the bags underneath her eyes and she looks.... beaten.

She slapped her arms in front of her face again.

"And and- what happened to your eye? It's all black on the side!" I pulled her arms away from her face.

"I fell down the stairs!" She got irritated and pushed me away.

She's always saying that! It can't be!

I think that's the millionth time she said that to me and I'm tired of hearing the same words.

"Ariel! You can't fall down the stairs everyday! There's got to be a real reason behind this! I'm tired of you saying you fell down the stairs!" I raged.

Ariel sighed and rushed away from me. I followed her down the hallways trying to get her attention.

She cannot fall down the stairs every single day. I know the girl is clumsy but not that clumsy.

Damn. If she were to fall down the stairs everyday then she might as well get her a life alert necklace.

I followed her into the girl's dressing room to get ready for the morning pep rally. She slammed her stuff down on bench and sat down covering her face.

"I know for a fact you didn't fall down the stairs.." I started.

"Yeah sorry. I slipped in the bathtub and hit my head on the counter." She mumbled in her hands.

I grew a big huff and puff..

"If you won't quit all that lying and talk to me. I know for a fact you didn't fall down the stairs and I know well that you didn't slip in the bathtub." I assured.

She put her hands down from her face and looked at me revealing her messed up makeup and her beaten wet face.

"How? You weren't there. Ask Sabrina, she was there. I told her that I fell down the stairs."

"You say you fall down the stairs all the time. Last time you had scratches. How the hell do you get scratches from falling?"

She sighed and looked down.

"I swear if you had a fight with Kaitlyn and didn't win, imma be pissed cause first of all, you didn't tell me you were gonna fight her and second, if you told me then you wouldn't have lost the fight cause imma jump in too and beat her ass." I said in a harsh tone.

She chuckled a little bit while wiping the tears off of her face

"No. We didn't fight." She sniffed.

"Then what happened? And why are you crying?" I questioned.

"Look. I'll tell you what happened later. We have to get dressed and warm up."

iel 's POV

Latoya took off her shirt and threw it her locker and dug into her cheer bag for her uniform.

All the cheerleaders in the dressing room are doing the same but me. I want to wait until everyone is gone to change my clothes because I have bruises on my body from William.

Nia dropped William and I off to my house because William "lost" his keys to his house and nobody was home.

I knew he lied about that so he can have a chance to rape me again in my room.

Once again, I'm so exhausted. I've been up since three crying and complaining about my life.

I want to disappear so bad.

"Aren't you gonna change into your uniform?" Latoya spoke snapping me out of my thoughts.

I shook my head and looked down.

"No. Imma wait until everybody leaves."

She shrugged and continued to change into her cheer uniform.

I don't think I want to attended the pep rally but I have to.

I might just quit cheerleading.

I got too much stuff going on...

"Ariel! I need to talk to you." Denise popped put of no where, pursed her lips and furrowed her eyebrows.

I jumped and she stomped towards me.

I can tell that she's not happy.

"Who is she?" Latoya gave a confused look a Denise.

Denise slammed herself sat next to me on the bench.

"I've been hearing rumors about you!" She snatched her phone out of her pocket.

"Rumors? About what?" My heart begin to pound fast against my chest.

"About you being in the mall with this guy last night! I saw it on the news this morning. Paparazzi took some shots of you!" She held her phone in front of my face.

I took her phone and begin to read the bolded words carefully....

"Ariel Bleu. Cheating?"

Latoya sat on the other side of me and leaned her head forward so that she can read too.

I look down to see a picture of me beside William and it looks like we're holding hands when he's really digging his nails into the back of my hand after he yanked me and yelled in my ear when I was trying to leave.

"Ariel Bleu found in the mall last night with her friend Nia and holding hands with a mysterious guy. She's dressed in a nice dress and the guy is wearing a nice outfit as if they're going out for a date. Many are wondering why she's hanging out with other guy instead of Prince. Did she break up with Prince or is she cheating on Prince? "

I gave her phone back and slapped my forehead with the palm of my hand.

Drama after drama after drama.

Drama never stops does it?

Paparazzi never leaves me alone.

They come up with lies just to get money.

When can I get a break?

How am I gonna explain this to everybody?

I'm gonna find a way but if I do tell anyone, I'm gonna have to get my funeral planned.

Latoya crossed her arms and gave me a disappointed look.

"Are you cheating on him with William? Really? I thought you don't like him! If you really want a other guy so bad then why couldn't you choose Michael?!" Latoya yelled.

I stopped her with my hand and took a deep breath.

My eyes started to water and my legs started to shake as they stared me down.

"Latoya... Denise. I can explain all of this but if I do, you'll probably tell everybody then it's gonna be on the news and then there goes my life... I'm gonna be killed." My voice shook.

"What do you mean Ariel?" Denise asked.

"Killed?!" Latoya made a puzzled face.

I sighed as a tear slowly ran down my face.

"I'm not cheating it's just that this guy I knew for years is.."

"So you're telling us that you want the guy you were with because you knew him for years?" Denise cut me off.

"No! Just listen! Please? Nia set me up to go to the mall with her and told me she'll bring a friend but she didn't tell me who."

"Oh this Nia bitch trying to do this again?!" Latoya jumped up from the bench.

"Yes! She is! She's trying to make me go out with William! She told me that she wanted to be my friend and all and then William came out of no where and I figured out that the 'friend' that she was bringing was actually William." I spilled.

"That bitch! I swear she needs her ass beat!" Latoya pounded her fist against the palm of her hand.

"What's going on?" Denise raised an eyebrow clueless.

"She forced him to hold hands with me last night too and they took a picture of that." I lied.

"But you shouldn't have let her force you like that. She's not your mama! You're dating Prince and you shouldn't have went with it anyways." Denise argued.

"I really didn't want to hold his hand. Trust me on that." I cringed.

"Then why didn't you leave. I would leave and never come back. You just stayed there and just let things happen. What? Did you like hanging out with him?"

"No I didn't and I had no choice but to stay there. You don't understand."

"I do understand. I understand perfectly fine. You should've stayed loyal to Prince and not let Nia boss you around like she's your mom. The article says that you were there and you were holding his hand and ya'll watched a movie together. I mean you could've left... especially after you broke Prince's heart and let Michael flirt with you yesterday."

I raised an eyebrow.

"What? H-how did you know?" I stuttered.

Denise rolled her eyes at me getting a little irritated.

"Prince told me what happened and you thought it was no big deal. You let Michael treat you like you're his girlfriend and you let him stay over your house for a little bit and go on over with Nia and whatever that other guy is without texting or calling Prince at all to see if he's okay." Denise crossed her arms.

"No. Michael and I are friends. He wanted to be nice to give me a few gifts because he felt sorry that he believed Kaitlyn while I tried to tell him that he should break up with Kaitlyn because she lied he whole time."

"Why are you worried about another nigga while you're already dating Prince?" Denise crossed her arms.

"Woah Woah. I don't know who the fuck you are but you don't talk to my best friend like that!" Latoya said harshly to Denise.

"We tried to help Michael break up with Kaitlyn after she lied about everything to him to so we can protect him." Latoya explained giving Denise a dirty look.

Denise scoffed, "But still. Why is she so worried about a guy while she already have a man? Isn't that obvious?" You're supposed to worry about your own man, Prince. Second, she's all up on another guy too. Wow. You're a basic hoe Ariel." She spat.

How is she gonna be my friend and then switch up on me like that?!

"First of all, did you hear a word we just said?! Nia is the one that tried to get William and I together. I never wanted him, I never will and I won't ever be in a relationship with him because he's such a terrible stupid jackass."

"Ha! Did you just hear a word I just said?! Once again, you were holding his hand and you never left that building at all! You wanted this to happen Ariel! If you didn't want him then your ass would be out of that place!"

"I couldn't leave that place!" I yelled.

"Why not?" Denise and Latoya said at the same time.

I took a deep shaky breath in and out and close my eyes as I felt my legs shake.

I started to speak but I hesitated.

"You know what? Imma just leave. Go and worry about your two niggas lil hoe." Denise got up from the bench and walked up to the door.

"One, I have no idea why you're so upset! You're not even that close to Prince and I bitch ass. Why are you worried?!" I yelled as I stood up and walked up to her.

"Two, I'm not a hoe. If I was, then I would be fucking every guy!" I added before she left the room.

Latoya stood in front of me and sighed knowing that there's something wrong.

A real best friend knows.

Fake ones jump into conclusions and make everything worse.

"Ariel, talk to me. I know for sure you didn't want to go to the mall because Michael told me that you were supposed to have dinner with us last night and you wanted to go."

"It's just-" I stopped as tears quickly filled my eyes and I chocked up.

Latoya sat beside me and put a hand on my back while I sobbed in my hands.

"It's alright. You can tell me. William and Marcus are related and I'm kinda sure that William has the same traits as Marcus, probably that's why you didn't leave the mall." I heard her say.

"Marcus is a little bossy and if you don't do what he says, he has a big ass fit and forces you until he gets his way."

I continued to cry into my hands and try to calm down so that I can talk again. Every time I try to talk, I get chocked up and start crying again.

I wish I was a kid again.

Back when I was happy and had to deal with no drama.

I remember when I always thought that high school would be perfect and fun like in the movies but now I know the reality.

Not just high school, being a little popular too. When I remember when was little, I always thought being surrounded by paparazzi, having most of the students in school know who you are and new people wanting to be your friend were the most greatest things in life.

Growing up, paparazzi would take pictures of us sometimes and I would get annoyed.

Seven years ago, I got really annoyed when my mom announced to us that she signed up to make a reality show. We only had the show for three months and we quit because I kept begging her if we can stop.

When I was a kid, I was never abused and raped until twelve years old. Those were the good days.

My crying died down a little bit and I took a deep shaky breath while Latoya waited for my response.

I looked at her even though I couldn't really see her because of my wet blurry eyes.

"Please don't tell anybody!" I cried.

"No promises. I just want to fix this." Latoya sternly said.

I sighed, "It's gonna make it worse if you tell I can promise you that!" My lips started to quiver as I start to cry again.

"No it's not Ariel. Just tell me. Everything is gonna be fine." She put her hand on mine.

"Well see-" I forced two words between my crying.

I took a deep breath and wiped my tears carelessly messing up my makeup to cover my hidden bruises and scars.

"When William came he acted all fake giving me flowers and all and saying that he'll be better than Prince but when I tried to leave he kinda abused me and threatened to kill me if I tell anybody that he abuses me." I explained in my shaky voice.

"He- abuses you?!" Her eyebrows furrowed.

I sighed, "Yeah. He's always abusing me."

"Is that because you have a bruises on your face and body and you keep saying that you fell down the stairs everyday?!" She raised her voice.

I nodded my head slowly and looked down.

"Ariel you dumbass! You just let him do that to you?!" She stood up from the bench.

"I fight back you know but I can't fight back too hard! He always have a gun on his person and he's strong and chokes me all the time. What the hell should I do!" I shouted.

"At least call the damn Popo on his ass! That nigga don't have a right to hit on a girl! How old is he anyway?! He built like a thirty five year old!" She shouted back hitting her fist against the palm of her hand.

"I try to and it never works! He always end up throwing my phone across the room causing it to break! He did it last night and my phone is cracked!" I held my destroyed phone out.

"You're gonna have to do something about that. Call the police when he's not around." She advised.

I shrugged, "I can't. I don't know where he lives. I don't even think he stays at home at all because he's always on the streets with his friends."

"Ariel, I'm telling you this now. If I see another bruise, scratch or any of that and you never had called the police on him, Imma show my ass up and act a foo." She warned.

I sighed and nodded my head, doubting that it would happen.

She's kinda like a second mom to me..

"And we're gonna have to have a little talk to Nia. I can't stand her ass." She aggressively put her hair into a high ponytail with her cheer bow.

I stood up from the bench.

"No. I can handle it. It was her fault that he came over my house and ra- abused me!"

The word raped almost spilled out of my mouth and my heart begins to pound against my chest.

"True. But if she still continues to do this, we're gonna have to jump her." She grabbed her pom poms and stuffed her cheer bag into her locker.

I changed into my cheer uniform, fixed my makeup and did my hair and we all headed into the gym to warm up for the pep rally.

"WI-LD CA-TS! Yup! Yup! We're Wild Cats! We're red hot!" All of us shouted as we tumbled across the gym floor and some of us being lifted and tossed into the air as thousands of students watched us.

I smiled big, hiding the pain I have and embarrassment from the news.

What if most of the school saw William and I on the news and told Prince?

What if Prince already knew and is planning to break up with me because he thinks that I'm cheating?

After this pep rally, I'm gonna run and hide because I don't want anyone to see my face anymore.

My face showed up on the tv too much these few weeks.

Everybody doesn't know what's going on and they're listening to the lies and rumors on tv.

As I was holding a flyer up in the air, I spot Prince in the middle of the audience with an disappointed look.

My heart tore knowing that he's mad at me now.

I don't know how I'm going to explain all of this to him.

After we got done doing our performance, everybody clapped and cheered as we ran off to sit on the bottom of the bleachers.

As the principle walked to the middle of the floor with the microphone, everyone lowered their voices so that they can hear what he has to say.

I suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder and got startled. I look back and it's Nia behind me sipping her water bottle.

She swallowed her water and smiled at me.

"Hey Ariel! How's it going?" She chirped in an excited manner.

She's so fake.

I gave her a disgusted look and she kept her smile ignoring the fact that I'm mad at her.

"How's it going? You messed everything up! I'm on the news and shit!" I gritted my teeth keeping my voice lowered down.

"That's good because everyone will know that you'll will not longer be with Prince anymore and be with William soon." She carelessly said and took another sip from her water bottle.

I wanna punch that bottle up her nose like I did when we were in lunch that other day.

"I can't believe you Nia. You lied to me. You said you weren't gonna bring William with us. You just want to make everything worse for me do you?" I clenched my fists.

"Well to be honest with you, I had to lie to you Ariel so that you wouldn't go away. I'm trying to do you a big favor here and you wouldn't let me."

"You think you're doing a big favor when you're really making things worse. William abuses me. He's no good. And you caused him to abuse me before the movies, during the movies and when I got to my house when I could've been doing my plans."

"Before the movies and during? He never laid a finger on you!" She assured.

"When I tried to walk out he did. During the movies you were asleep, so how did you know if he didn't lay a finger on me?" I furrowed my eyebrows.

She stayed silent and rolled her eyes.

"Like I said, William is a good guy and stop making things up just because you-"

Im tired of hearing the same thing over and over again.

"I keep having tell you to leave me alone before you make things worse and you didn't listen! You've cause me emotional and physical pain all for trying to have William and I to get together and I really don't like that!" I stood up from the bleachers and clenched my fists.

Latoya rushed over to where we're at knowing that something is about to go down.

"Ariel. I think you should wait after school to do this so that you won't get in trouble." Latoya whispered.

I really give no fucks.

"All I was trying to do is help you." Nia argued.

"Help me get abused after I've told you about him?" I popped my knuckles.

"William says that you always say that he abuses you so that you won't be with him. Dude give him a chance. This guy is really good, he has money and all."

"Money from selling drugs and guns on the streets. I've known him longer than you have!"

"Yeah and all these years you rejected him because you wanted somebody different. You're such a picky bitch!" Nia stomped her foot as she stood up.

Most of the attention was on us from the students around us.

"Oohs" and "Ahhs" from the students around us are heard as more people pulled in making a little crowd around us.

Latoya stood beside me popping her fingers and her neck, looking like she's ready to fight too.

"Ha. I know you're not ganging up on me! I wish a bitch would hit me!" Nia yelled as she stepped down from the bleachers.

"Well you have your wish!" I shouted before I jerked the top of her uniform with such hard force for her to slam flat on the ground.

The crowd gotten more bigger and louder as we start to fight.

I start to beat her with my fist pounding on her face and my other hand is full of her hair clenched up into my fist letting out the pain and anger I had inside of me from all the times she tried to get me with William and I get abused every time.

No matter how many times I tried to tell her that he's no good and he abuses me she refuses to listen because she wants it her way.

I punched her so hard that it will possibly leave bruises on her body and face like William did to me. I want to transfer my pain that she caused William to do to me for her to understand how I feel being abused.

She starts to fight back by pulling my hair and slamming me into the ground. I felt a lot of force onto me as she sat on my waist and punched my face repeatedly.

I jerked forward, realizing that Latoya pulled Nia off of me and slammed her onto the ground.

I quickly got up from the floor and stomped my foot on her face while Latoya rapidly beats her face with her fists.

I've never seen Latoya beat somebody before.

She may be a nice school girl but if you make her mad she's somebody else.

"Beat her ass Ari! Go!" I heard from the crowd.

Latoya and I continued to beat her while students encouraged us and recorded from their phones.

I finally stopped kicking her once I noticed that Nia is bleeding from her nose and that there's a big knot on the side of her forehead and people cheering and clapping.

Latoya got snatched by a security guard and at the same time I got snatched.

"Let go off me!" I screamed as I got quickly carried away from the chaos.

I slapped and squirmed so that he can let go of me but his grip around my waist was so strong.

"Stop Ariel it's me!" The guy had a familiar voice.

He put me down and I whipped my head around to see Prince looking not very happy.

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