CHAPTER 19

A/N: This chapter has a racial comment and I'd just like to say it's just a character's thought and it isn't meant to offend anyone.

***

I walked over to Shane when I saw him at lunch.

I really needed a distraction because if I didn't get one, my mind would still be thinking about Boston and that was the last thing I wanted right now.

"Hey," I said as I sat down beside him, sipping my water bottle.

"Where's your lunch?" he asked.

"I don't want any, don't really have an appetite." He nodded his head and sat up.

"So how was Boston?"

"I don't really want to talk about that," I replied and he smiled.

"Fair enough.

"Where are Luce and Bels?" I asked and he shrugged his shoulders.

"No idea where Isabella is but Luciana has been ditching me for boys so I've had to hang out with cheerleaders."

"What cheerleaders?" I asked curiously.

"That would be me."

Veronica Clarkson sat in front of us. Also known as head cheerleader. Isabella hated her guts and whenever I asked her about it, she would just say she didn't want to talk about it. Shane and Luciana got along with her just fine though.

Her green eyes were piercing through me and her blonde hair was tied in a high ponytail.

"Isn't this awkward?" I said and Shane nudged me.

Veronica rolled her eyes at me and looked at Shane. "You're coming to my party next week right?"

He smirked as he eagerly nodded his head. "Good."

"Ads here can come too can't she?" he asked and she looked at me.

"Sure," she replied. "Can you persuade Isabella to come?" I raised my eyebrows at her.

"Why are you asking me and not Shane?"

"Because I've seen how close you two are and you could just drive her to my house, pretending you didn't know it was me. Shane knows where I live so you need to do it."

I looked at Shane who gave me an encouraging nod. "She is going to kill me if she finds out I lied."

"Well then you better make sure she doesn't find out," Veronica replied and I rolled my eyes.

"Addison I grew up with the two of them and this will do more good than harm. It's about time they spoke." If Shane was saying this to me then he obviously he had a point. Plus he knew the both of them more than I did so he would know if this was a good idea or not.

"Why does she hate you so much anyway?" I asked, looking at Veronica.

"Addie!" Shane said, frowning at me.

"What? I know she did something and I want to know if you want me to help you," I said looking at both of them.

"I just started a bunch of rumours about her to become head cheerleader," she replied.

"Oh my God you're sick," I said as I shook my head.

"Whatever, are you going to do this or not?"

"I'm not sure I will get back to you on that one," I replied and Shane glared at me. "Fine."

"Why is everyone suddenly paying attention to new girls?" A girl came over and asked Veronica who rolled her eyes. Veronica was only interested in me because Isabella and her friends were.

"I've been attending this school for weeks, I wouldn't refer to myself as new," I replied and the ginger haired girl turned to look at me.

"Well compared to the rest of us, you are new," she replied and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm sorry who invited you here?" I questioned and she rolled her eyes. "Because if I remember correctly, no one called you."

"Ads," Shane said, looking at me but Veronica didn't say anything.

"Fine," she replied as she glared at me and walked away.

"God now I see why Isabella likes you so much," Veronica said with a smile and I chuckled.

"What is there not to like?" I joked and she smirked.

"What lesson do you two have next?" Shane asked.

"AP Biology," Veronica replied.

"Oh I have that too, you're in my class," I said and she narrowed her eyes at me.

"Seriously?"

"Yep, I sit at the back and you sit at the front."

"You two should sit together then," Shane suggested and I rolled my eyes at him. He liked to include himself in everything.

"I'm not sitting at the front and what are you? a nerd?"

"Oh shut up. I like keeping my grades high," she retorted.

"You could do that and sit at the back, teacher's pet." She gasped and I could see that she was offended but I didn't care.

"Why are you sitting here?" Isabella said as she looked at Veronica.

"Isabella-"

"Don't even say my name," Isabella said through gritted teeth. "Tell her to move Shane," she said and Shane sighed.

"Come on Isa, just talk to her-"

"Shut up Shane I don't recall asking you for advice." With that, she walked away from our table and I sighed loudly before standing up.

"I'm going to go and follow her, I'll see you in Biology," I said, looking at Veronica who nodded and then looked at Shane, "and you later."

I walked away before they could reply and dialed Isabella's number but it went straight to voicemail. I knew she liked hanging out under the bleachers so that was where I went next.

"Hey," I said as I sat down next to her and she sighed.

"I see you've met Veronica then."

"I guess you could say that," I replied.

"She's not a great person."

I didn't know how to respond so I just stayed quiet and a comfortable silence formed around us.

*****

I didn't even want to be in my AP Biology class. It was the only class I was alone in.

I had sort of made a friend, Lana but we were too different. She reminded me of Spencer's new friends, not that anything was wrong with them because there wasn't. God I missed Spencer.

"Hey." I looked up at Lana and forced smile on my face. I was the new one here so I didn't have a choice and couldn't choose my friends I had to be grateful or anyone that showed an interest in me.

"Hi."

She sat down in front of me at her usual desk and just started talking. She could talk so much. I didn't think I had ever met anyone who could talk as much as she did.

"So now the news of the school is about the head cheerleader's party," she said and I was suddenly listening.

"Are you going?" I asked and she laughed bitterly.

"People like me and you don't get invited to her parties."

I didn't know what to say so I just stayed quiet.

"Lana have you not seen where she sits? she is best friends with Isabella, Shane and Luciana," the girl next to her, Jo said.

"Actually," Veronica said as she sat down next to me and I smirked at her presence. Lana looked shocked as her face fell. "My dear friend Addison here has been invited to my party so you were wrong there Lana." Lana's body tensed and she continued, "But I can tell you something you were right about though, people like you don't get invited to my parties."

That was just cruel.

Lana clenched her jaw and I turned to look at Veronica. "You don't have to say it like that."

"Well it is true," she replied and I rolled my eyes.

"You act like a fucking queen all the time," I snapped and she scoffed.

She was again offended.

She was going to stand up but I grabbed her hand, pulling her back down. "Sorry," I said and she rolled her eyes.

"You don't mean that and you are just saying that so I can sit with you. Apologise when you do mean it." She said through gritted teeth before moving to the front and I sighed loudly.

I packed my things together, grateful that not a lot of the students were present.

"You're going to follow her?" Jo asked me and I shrugged my shoulders.

I looked at Lana and said "ignore the negative stuff she says to you okay?" Lana gave me a smile and nodded her head.

I sat down beside Veronica who rolled her eyes. "Before you say anything, I'm sorry but it's true." She scoffed but didn't say anything. "And you can't ignore me, who else is going to make sure Isabella comes to your party?" She didn't say anything because she knew I was right.

Mr Vincent walked inside when the class was present and started the lesson.

Half way through the lesson, Mr Vincent turned his attention to Lana and Jo. Lana spoke a lot and usually couldn't stop herself from talking in lesson so I wasn't really surprised when he called her name. "Is there something you would like to share with the rest of the class?" he asked and everyone looked at them.

"No Sir," Jo said but Lana didn't have the same opinion.

"I was just telling Jo how my dog just died," Lana replied and the class chuckled at her comment.

Lana was different, she didn't care what anyone thought of her.

Veronica smirked and turned around. "That's for the best though isn't it?" she retorted.

"Shut up," Jo said and Veronica's smirk widened. Everyone else was silently wondering how they would get away with talking to her like this.

Mr Vincent wasn't even saying anything so Veronica continued. "I mean you are Asian Lana, you and your family would have eaten it." She shrugged her shoulders like what she said wasn't even racist and the entire class started laughing.

"Apologise," Mr Vincent demanded.

"No," Veronica retorted.

"I will not have a racist in my classroom," he replied and she shrugged her shoulders.

Oh God.

"Just apologise," I said and she turned to look at me, rolling her eyes.

"No." She packed her things together and just walked out of the classroom.

I rolled my eyes at her little stunt before standing up. "I will also transfer you if you leave that door Miss O'Grady."

"Fine by me," I confidently said before leaving the classroom.

I caught up with Veronica who was walking down the hall. "What the utter fuck?"

She looked at me and shrugged her shoulders "Are you racist or something?"

"No I'm not, it was a funny joke."

"It wasn't funny, what you said was disgusting."

"If it was so disgusting then why are you here?" she said in a bored tone as she opened her locker and I smirked at her reaction.

"I don't know, I just think you're interesting, a bitch nonetheless but interesting." She chuckled as she rolled her eyes at me

"Why are you hanging out with her?" Isabella asked as she stood in front of us and I sighed loudly.

"Bels-"

"No, Addison we're going now."

Veronica rolled her eyes and Isabella glared at me. "I'll catch you up," I said, looking at Isabella who clenched her jaw but walked away.

"She can't just control who you hang out with," Veronica said quietly.

"Yeah but it's you and she hates your guts," I replied and she sighed.

"I'll try my best to get her to talk to you okay?" she nodded her head before I walked away.

I hated drama but in this case I was slightly thankful for it because this way, I could forget about Boston.