Tolerating The Player

It was time for school and Grace had promised to take care of Joe but nevertheless I wanted to do it myself because I missed doing it even though it’s not up to a week yet.

“I missed you Isabella, please don’t stay away for too long so you won’t leave like mum” he cupped my hand with his two little hands as he looked at me with his big brown eyes and wet curly hair.

“Joe I’m never going to leave you and I’m letting you know this”

“But she said you were going to leave like my mum” he said and I raised his chin to look at me.

“Who said that?” I asked and he wiped the tears off his face with his wet hands.

“My girlfriend” he said and more tears started to run down his eyes. I would explain to him later about the girlfriend thing but now is a different time.

“I don’t see any reason for me to leave you Joe, Always and forever will I be with you even in my grave” I said and he hugged me tight. I placed a kiss on his head and tried to stop the tears from running down my eyes.

“Let’s get you ready for school”

********

After some minutes if not hour, we were all prepared to go to school and Maya was in her car driving. She seemed to be fairly okay than the last time I saw her, which was in school.

I remembered I haven’t told Maya about my incident at the party and what I have to face everyday but as I was about to call her, her phone rang and I kept quiet.

We arrived at school and Zach parked his car beside ours almost immediately. I didn’t want to face him, the thought of last night made me upset and all I wanted to do was to smack his hair off his face.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

I came down from Maya’s car and he also came down from his, watching my every movement.

He had a big bag on his hand and he gestured at me to collect his bag from him. I rolled my eyes at him and left to enter the school.

He seemed to have been humiliated but I care less about his reputation because he’s a scum.

I was having a physics class when Zach suddenly entered the classroom. I didn’t think we were having the same class together but I tried as much as possible to ignore him.

“Are you supposed to be here Mr O’Connell?” The teacher asked him, causing everyone’s eyes to drift to him, not like they weren’t on him before.

“There’s nothing bad about an extra knowledge” he teasingly smirked, causing some girls to laugh. I found it irritating.

“Then have your seat” the teacher said and I suddenly felt his glare on me. I tried to not be affected by it as I paid no attention to him then boom the devil’s son decided to sit beside me after bullying the poor boy that was on the seat.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” He licked his teeth while playing with the edges of his pen.

I didn’t respond to him and pretended not to hear him talking.

“I’m talking to you Bella and you have to answer me!”

“Never call me Bella, I’m Isabella” I responded not realizing that my voice was a little bit loud.

“Is there anything you two would like to share with us?” The teacher interrupted and I shook my head before continuing with the classwork.

“Yelling is rude, especially when it’s coming from a Shrek that is supposed to be glad she’s stuck with me”

“I am not a Shrek, in fact call me whatever you want for all I care but mind you I never wanted to be a part of your foolish game!”

I stopped to catch my breath, I hadn’t realized that I had stood up to yell and now the whole class was staring at us.

“Okay that’s it, Miss Brown and Mr O’Connell to the counsellor’s office now!” The teacher instructed and I packed my books and carried my bag.

“Bullshit!” I cussed as I slammed the classroom door really hard not caring if it had hit Zach’s face.

*********

“You two realized you disturbed a class and that is a serious offence” the short busty woman said while patting on her puffy blonde curly hair that looks like a wig.

“You know I would never disturb a class on purpose” Zach took the woman’s hands in his giving her a puppy eyes.

“Of course I know you can’t disturb a class, you’re too sweet for that” she responded with a smile on her face.

Just like every time, Zach was getting away with this again even though he caused it.

“Now tell me, did you or did you not raise your voice while a class was going on?” She asked, referring to me.

“I did but…”

“No buts, you did it or you didn’t” she cut me off

“I did it” I whispered and she gave me a smug smile.

“Good, you’re to assist the janitor at the end of school today. You can go now” she said and dismissed me. I felt like crying, I had never been punished and none of these people wanted to believe me but they rather chose to believe Zach.

Zach gave me a cold smirk even though he saw me crying. I immediately wiped off the tears and walked out of him.

It was time for lunch and I had made up my mind to confront him and tell him I would no longer be a part of his stupid game.

“Hey Isabella!” Maya waved at me immediately she saw me and I walked to sit beside her.

“You don’t look well, what happened?” She asked, I wanted to tell her about everything but I knew that would only make me cry the more and I didn’t want to break down in public.

I sighted Zach and the rest of his gang at their usual lunch table and stood up to meet them.

“I’ll be right back,” I said to Maya before leaving.

Some part of me wanted to stay behind and sulk in the pain while the other part of me wanted to inflict pain on him too.

“I want to speak with you Zach” I said immediately I got to the table and they all kept quiet waiting for me to talk. Zach only stared at me but didn’t say anything.

“I’m so sick and tired of you Zach, ever since this stupid game of yours started you’ve caused me nothing but pain!” I yelled, causing a lot of attention.

“What have I even done to you to receive this punishment? I didn’t even know you not until you helped me in the classroom and I totally regret it, you should have let her embarrass me rather than torturing me. It fucking hurts the way you treat me and the things you’ve caused” I tried to control the tears from falling down my eyes and at this point different students were with their phones recording the scene. Shit!

“Can you just shut it….” Aurora yelled but I cut her off immediately.

“No I will not, I won’t shut it, if you need someone gullible and naive to play this game on, then you should get some other girl because it’s a game over for me”

“I’m done with this game of yours Zach and I refuse to be humiliated by you” I finally said and turned my back to leave being fully satisfied.

“You know the consequences?” Aurora asked me to stop on my tracks.

“I don’t care!” I yelled, stressing every word and a sly smirk appeared on her face.

I walked out of the cafeteria and headed for the basketball court. I needed to get my head together and escape from the different faces that were staring at me.

The court was empty and just the perfect place for me to pour out my emotions on, I rested my head on my knees and ran my hands through my hair.

I suddenly felt a presence beside me and when those hands touched my back, I knew it was Maya.

“Hey girl!”

“Hey” I replied after blowing my nose into the handkerchief she gave me.

“Wanna talk?” She asked, I didn’t know if I wanted to talk, to be alone would do me better.

“Can I be alone for now? We’ll talk after school” I pleaded

“Shit I have to stay behind with the Janitor!” I pinched the bridge of my nose as I remembered.

“Wait, you got into trouble?” She asked and I nodded my head.

**********

School was over and everyone was trooping and rushing to go outside but then there’s me, the girl who has to clean the school.

“I’ll help you” Maya offered and I thanked her as we both got a mop and started to clean a part of the school.

She offered to clean the hallway while I cleaned the cafeteria and the Janitor would do the rest.

I spotted Xavier coming towards me but I pretended not to see him, I didn’t want to have anything to do with any of them.

“Hey?” Xavier greeted me and I gave him a fake smile which he quite noticed.

“Look! I just want you to know that I have nothing to do with everything that is happening and I’m also trying to convince those dudes but they’re hell bent on continuing the dare even though Zach himself wants to end it” he said and I nodded my head not knowing what to say to him.

“I know it’s hard but try your best to continue, besides you have about just two weeks more, Aurora would do anything it takes to humiliate you because that’s the rule”

“Whoever quits first will be humiliated, else they accept and continue the dare, I hope you understand” he asked and I nodded my head.

“I do, thank you” I replied even though I knew I was never going to continue the dare.

“I’ll drop you off” he offered

“No thank you, actually Maya’s going to drop me off”

“She left with Frank” he chuckled, “she asked me to drop you off* he smirked and I buried my head in my hands. Can’t believe she ditched me.

I returned the mopping stick and adjusted my messy hair before following him to his car. I have to admit it, Xavier might look tough and hard on the outside with all the piercings and tattoos in most parts of his body but to top it all he was the sweetest of them all.