The last period bell rings and I scurry to class with two Starbucks cups in my hands. The warm stinging  sensation reminds me to pick up my pace. I bolt into class and plop in my seat only to find Vicky isn't here yet. I place the hot cup on her desk and wave my hand around to cool it off.

  The second bell rings and still no sign of her. I frown.

  I stare at the door hoping for her to show up. I haven't seen her at all today. I got a new phone days ago and texted her, but never got replies. Just reads. Finally, she shows up 10 minutes late. She apologizes to the teacher and scans the room. Our eyes lock and I smile and pat the desk next to mine. Her eyes flash with guilt before she takes an empty seat at the front. My face falls.

  Is she avoiding me?

  I whip out my phone and ask her that question. She reads it, but doesn't reply. Typical. Angrily I tell her "fine be that way". Another read. This is aggravating. I tuck my phone into my bag and slump back in my chair with my arms crossed against my chest. No matter how hard I try to avoid looking at her my eyes always gravitate towards her only to see the back of her head. Wow her hair looks amazing today maybe I should go compliment-NO! I have to stay focused I'm mad at her. I have done nothing wrong.

  The bell rings. While I sat alone I was planning a confrontation. I jump out of my seat and grab all my things. I jog towards her desk, but she disappears out of the room with a large crowd of students. I dispose of my empty Starbucks cup and her full one. She owes me $5 for the waste.

  I have one foot out of the door when I'm called back in. Reluctantly I see our teacher with his eye brows raised.

  "Are you alright Ms. Harris?" I bounce on the balls of my feet.

  "No just have some issues I need to clear up with someone," I reply.

  "You weren't paying attention at all in class are you sure-"

  "Yes. I'm fine. I'm sorry I really need to go," I cut him off before exiting the classroom. I hope I didn't come off as rude, but I really need to get to the bottom of this.

  The halls only have a handful of students left. They gradually get their binders and bags and leave. None of them are Vicky. I assume she's in the parking lot, so that's the direction I go in. I pass an empty corridor and suddenly my body is propelled to the side knocking the air out of my lungs.

  "What the hell?" I yell. I bring my elbow to my face to inspect the damage. From the corner of my eye I can see a pair of shoes in front of me. That are connected to legs. My eyes slowly move upwards only to meet the eyes of Bryan.

  I waste no time in glaring at him.

  "What was that for?" He simply shrugs. My lips form a tight line and I place my hands on my hips.

  "That isn't an answer you turd blossom." He sighs and steps closer on me. I take a step back. Is it just me or is this hallway getting smaller?

  "Well forget it. I forgive you. I'm just going to take my things and go," I say while dropping to my hands and knees and gather my things. Once I have everything tucked into my binder and stand up his hand soars through the air and knocks it onto the ground. He sticks his leg out and kicks it behind him.

  "Bryan!" I screech. I feel like I've been in this situation with him a lot. Oh wait I have. This is getting old fast. I cross my arms and hold my head high.

  "Pick them up," I demand. He shakes his head menacingly.

  "No can do princess." I glare at him my eyes never leaving his face once.

  "Let me repeat what I said in case you didn't hear me. Pick. Them. Up." His hands roughly grab my shoulders and throws my body to the side which connects with lockers.

  "Oh Marley, Marley, Marley. That cocky attitude of yours will only make this easier for me," he taunts. I lean forward to try and escape only to have my back slam against the locker once again. I cry out in pain.

  "Look around us Marley there's no one here. I made sure of that. Only a couple teachers and a janitor. " Sure enough the main hall is empty and so is the one we're in. I really should learn to stop being a smart mouth, but I can't help it. The words just leave my mouth.

  "Well aren't you thoughtful," I say sarcastically. His hand clamps onto my mouth. I mumble words against his hand and he places his free hand to his ear.

  "What was that? I couldn't hear you." He smirks. I bite down into his hand. Hard.

  "I said better move your hand."

  He cries out in pain and cradles his hand close to his chest. I kick him in the shins causing him to double over and use this chance to run. I scoop up my binder as I pass it. I look behind me occasionally to see if he's coming and sure enough he is. I clutch my binder to my chest and continue on. I focus on my breathing.

  In, out, in, out.

  I accidentally ran into the opposite direction of the parking lot in my attempt to escape. Thankfully this school has an exit at the back beside a stair well. I reach the door to the stairway and look behind me. Bryan is charging down the hall with anger written on his face. I scream.

  I can either take the stairway up or the exit which leads to the outdoors. I have seen way to many horror movies and know that the worst possible idea is to go up stairs, so I run for the door beside the stairs.

  I throw my weight against it, but it won't budge. It's locked. Bryan runs past the door and back tracks to the doorway. I scream and run up the stairs as fast as I can. There's a door on the other set of stairs I could try. My feet move as fast as they can. My heart is pounding against my rib cage and it feels like it's going to fall out of my chest. My lungs burn, but no matter what amount of pain i experience I can't stop and I won't. I hear his heavy footsteps thumping behind me. Beside me is a girls bathroom. I look back and see he hasn't reached the top of the stairs yet.

  I duck into the bathroom and hide in a giant handicap stall. When he runs back down the stairs and passes the bathroom I will leave and run to my car in the parking lot. I quietly lock myself in a stall with my back pressed firmly against the door. I place a hand over my mouth to keep my breathing level down and I choke back a sob. I hear him stomp by with his footsteps echoing in the bathroom as he goes. I count to three before opening my stall. As my hand unlocks the lock a pair of hands wrap around my ankles and yank me backwards causing my body to fall backwards.

  My face connects with the floor and I feel blood drip out of my nose. Bryan drags me under the stall door and I claw at the slippery tile only to fail miserably. A streak of blood stains the floor. I wriggle and thrash around, but his grip is too tight. He overpowers me.

  He grasps a handful of my hair and pulls me to my feet. I scream in pain and scratch at his hand to let me go. He pushes me violently into the  counter and no matter how hard I try I can't control my shaking body. His hand connects with my face knocking me to the side only to have his hand stop me from falling to the ground. Bryan grabs my shoulders and keeps me still. My legs are weak and want to give out, but he holds me up.

  "I never wanted this Marley, but you gave me no choice." He states calmly. His finger tucks a lock of my hair behind my ear causing my skin to crawl. I turn my face around him to hide the tears streaming down my face, but I'm pretty sure my quivering lip gives me away.

  His hand roughly turns my head back to look at him.

  "Now are you going to listen to what I have to say? Not that you have much of a choice." He smirks again. Anger surges within me. I spit on his face. The saliva drips down his face. He lifts the back of his hand and wipes it away.

  "Now that wasn't very nice," he says calmly. He Uses the back of his hand-the same one he wiped the spit away with- and smacks me across the face. My head turns to the side, but he didn't use enough power to knock me out. 

    "I was going to tell you something, but you decided to run away," he says. "It's story time so gather around because Bryan is gonna share something with you." He kicks the back of my knees making me fall to the ground. My head drops forward and I look up at him through my hair. He blocks the bathroom entrance which means I have to go through him to get out.

  "Well, if you haven't figured out by now my apology was a load of shit. I didn't mean a single word of it. There was no lie to get her to make me comply. I did it willingly because I am in love with her."

  "Who?!" I say finally finding my voice. Amusement flickers in his eyes.

  "Ah ah ah. I don't kiss and tell. That would ruin the point of the game and we don't want to cheat now do you Marley? That part you will have to find out on your own. She has a bigger picture for you and I am willing to help her with every part of it. It all started a month ago when I met Vicky. I'd seen you and her together an could immediately piece together that the way to you was through her. So I entered your little friend circle and get closer to you without you ever suspecting a thing. I found ways of sabotage. My job was to get your phone number and learn your secrets which Vicky told me without even meaning too. Just some simple reconnaissance. I knew that one major way to screw up your life was to bring down your relationship with Jace and it worked." He grins maniacally.

  "The next step was to convince you that I didn't mean to and to apologize to get you to not suspect me for any of this. But, she told me to come and have some fun with you and I will always make my girl happy." I push the hair out of my eyes.

  "Why would you make yourself the bad guy? Why would you want to work with a psychopath like her?"

  "I'm not the bad guy. I'm helping her get the justice she deserves and you did deserve this Marley."

  "Haven't you ever watched a movie, Bryan? Villains always get what they deserve."

  "And that's exactly why we're screwing up your life," he says.

  "I have done nothing! She doesn't love you she's using you. If you think it's love you are just as crazy as her! She has you brainwashed Bryan. Don't you know that?" His nose flares with anger. At the moment he raises his hand to hit me my last period teacher walks in.

  "What is going on here?" His eyes switch between the two of us and widen when he takes in my appearance and his raised hand.

  "Step away from her. Now," he orders. Bryan reluctantly steps back and lowers his hand and clenches his fist.

  "You, sir, will accompany me down to the office and we will discuss your punishment for beating up a girl with your parents. Ms. Harris you can leave now," he says sympathetically. I wipe the blood that is still running from my nose and go to my car. In the rear view mirror I see my cheeks are swollen and my eyes are red and puffy. Blood stains my skin and I need to get myself cleaned off. I have been avoiding my dad for a while and don't feel like facing him now. I might as well finish what I started earlier. I pull out of the school and head to Vicky's house.

***

  A/N- I am so happy I finally made an intense chapter. Freaking Bryan is working with the stalker. How many of you saw that coming? Hahaha NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE ONE (I THINK) YOU HAVE WANTED FOR A WHILE NOW. IT WILL BE IN THE STALKER'S POV! You get to see through her eyes and I'm super excited to write her POV. Until the next update au revoir mes amis

~Mar