"You know what?" She chuckled humorlessly as she grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and bit down into it. She flickered her eyes towards her father then me and chuckled humorlessly, "screw all of you." She said, as her eyes penetrated through mine.

She pivoted on her heels and stormed out of the kitchen without turning to look back.

"That bitch, I want her out of this house now. . .I've had enough of her!" Her father shouted and I flickered my eyes towards him before gritting my teeth in anger.

I stalked up towards him and watched as his eyes levelled with mine, "what kind of father are you?" I spat.

He rolled his eyes and shook his head humourlessly, "you have nothing important to say to me right now Mason so I'll ask kindly, get out of my face."

"No, you surpassed the meaning of asshole after you raised your hand on your daughter. If you think that's discipline then you have a lot to learn from this world, Mr. White. You're abusive and it disgusts me." I spat in disgust and his eyes widened as he stared at me.

"You do recall that you live under my roof because of my leniency to take in some corrupted child like yourself. I can kick you out whenever I feel like, Mason. Do not test me." He growled dangerously low and I chuckled before shaking my head in disbelief.

"I wonder what the press will think about Mr. White kicking out his own daughter for no reason at all, poor Michelle had nowhere to stay and the only survival she had was living off of nutrition bars and water."

He chuckled humorlessly and shook his head frantically as he flickered his eyes shut. "You wouldn't dare," he mumbled through gritted teeth.

"Try me," I hissed.

He snapped his eyes open before nodding his head as his eyes flickered over me in disappointment and disgust. With that, he pivoted on his heels and stormed out of the kitchen, leaving only his wife and I standing there.

I turned towards her and scoffed, "and you, as a mother you should protect the only daughter you have left. You already lost one, try to keep the other, would you?" I exclaimed before turning on my heels and leaving before she could even respond.

I slipped into my car and drove off to the one place I knew I could find a way to calm down.

My home street. It's where I grew up for most of my life, with my brother and mother. But my mother got into trouble with the government and law and we needed to leave America, so we packed our stuff and left for Canada.

My brother, however, was sent to live with my father. Because unlike me he wasn't a troubled child. He was the good son who needed a proper figure to raise him.

I mean we've always been in contact ever since we separated but it wasn't the same as living together.

I guess life has a funny way of turning things around.

~ ~ ~

I hopped out of my car and the first thing that caught my attention was the man crouching behind a familiar car. I peered up at the building across the street and squinted my eyes to see two figures standing in the drugstore.

And then almost immediately I recognized that head of blonde locks chopped over her shoulders and that ridiculous black outfit she picked this morning.

I sighed deeply and flickered my eyes back towards the man crouching behind her car, a knife protruding from his boots and a pistol in his hand.

I guess he's running some errands.

I retrieved my switchblade from my pocket and approached him silently.

He was still peering up at the building frantically and didn't have time to notice the body hovering over him. I took this as my chance to kick the knife out of his hand, grab a hold of his shirt and slam him against the car.

He cried out in pain as I pinned his hand against the car then sent the blade flying into his palm.

Blood gushed out from his wound and he screamed loudly as his eyes flickered up towards me.

His eyes widened in fear as he backed away from me in fear and flickered his eyes up towards me frantically. "Y-you."

"M–me, y–yes me."

You just couldn't help yourself, Mason.

"M–Mason." As my name escaped his lips I brought my fist down onto his face and watched as his head lolled backwards and he crashed to the floor.

I grabbed both his arms and dragged his limp body over onto the sidewalk and dumped him there.

With that, I pivoted on my heels and unlocked Michelle's car with the extra key her father gave me to supposedly to "keep her safe". I slipped in just in time when Michelle came strutting out of the store with a paper bag in her hands.

What the hell is she doing here anyway?

She does know this isn't a safe place to be in right?

Right!?

I'll teach her a lesson that's for sure.

I watched as she slipped into the car and slammed the door shut behind her. I took this as my opportunity to teach her that "lesson" and grabbed my switchblade from my pocket. I swiped the blood against the bottom of my shirt and rose from my laying position before pressing it against her neck.

She froze and I narrowed my head towards her neck before grazing my teeth against her ear lob.

Call me crazy but she needs to learn that coming into places such as here comes with a risk. Thank god I was here fast enough to stop that guy from doing something to her.

"Dollface," I mumbled.

Her body stiffened for a moment before she relaxed against the seat and snapped her head towards me, her eyes narrowed in slits.

Somehow Michelle convinced me to not go home and instead go to a "lake" where she chills out and meditates. I didn't complain because I wouldn't want to go to that house with her so-called parents.

We pulled up on the side of the road and I watched as Michelle unbuckled her seat belt and hop out of the car. She gestured for me to follow and I as well-hopped out of the car, taking in my surroundings warily. "Did you bring me here to murder me for what I did to you?"

She rolled her eyes and began walking into the woods. "Don't bring that topic up, I'm trying to push it at the back of my head and forget it." She sighed deeply. I eventually caught up with her and followed in suit as she walked down a narrow path leading to the lake.

After a while of walking in silence, I finally spotted the so-called Lake she was speaking about.

The water was rather clear, clear enough that I could see the rocks beneath it and the fishes swimming ever so swiftly.

Michelle slumped down onto the grass beside the water and I lowered myself down beside her. "What the hell were you doing back there!?" I finally asked.

She looked at me with her big brown eyes and sighed, failing to answer my question. "Are you doing crack!?" I squealed as my eyes flickered towards the paper bag in her hand.

She snapped her head towards me and smirked sarcastically, "yeah because I'm a crackhead and I just lovvvveee sniffing cocaine." She clipped as she rolled her eyes.

Well, that's great she's not a crackhead.

"Okay, so what were you doing there?"

"I needed to get some pills." She huffed put.

"Oh my god are you on drugs!" I gasped and she chuckled deeply as she slapped me against my arm, "I'm not!"

I rolled my eyes and slung a hand over her shoulders. "If you're a crackhead I'll be a crackhead with you," I smiled.

She scoffed and averted eye contact as she fixated her gaze onto the lake, "sleeping pills Mason, I don't do drugs." She whispered and I sighed deeply as I averted my gaze from her.

"You can't sleep?" I mumbled and she nodded her head before turning towards me, "Why'd you do it?" She asked, her voice was so hushed I wouldn't have been able to hear it, but the strong words which escaped her lips were ones I could not ignore or be unheard of.

I sighed, ultimately regretting the feeling that sparked within my body, not a good feeling just a bad one.

"I kinda freaked out you know–"

She looked at me quizzically and scoffed. "No Mason, I don't know."

"Your friends were going on about how you liked me and I got pissed because we've been going at it since camp and I kissed Laila, you kissed that guy and I saw you with Damien that morning too so I got upset that they were saying you liked me when I wasn't sure if you really did. So I ended up blurting out that you slept with Damien and everyone heard. I'm sorry Michelle, I didn't mean to hurt you

I just - I'm messed up and after I realized you weren't gonna talk to me or forgive me I got bitter and continued going at it with Kayla despite how much it hurt you. I'm an asshole, I know, I don't deserve your forgiveness." I said as I flickered my eyes towards her.

She titled her head towards me and nodded her head slowly. "I get it, I mean you are an asshole, Mason. But I know what you mean. . .I was a bitch and a hypocrite so, I guess I can accept your apology. Plus Damien is partly to blame, he has a rather huge mouth." She said.

"Did you really sleep with him?" The question escaped my lips before I could stop it and I dreaded to hear the answer.

"Did you sleep with Kayla?"

"No."

She nodded and kept her intense gaze on me. "Then there's your answer, I didn't sleep with Damien. I was close to sleeping with him but I couldn't bring myself to do it, I couldn't hurt Kayla despite her hurting me but now I don't mind taking a gun and shooting her."

I chuckled at her hostility and smiled, she's a freaking keeper. If someone told me that I'd be so in love with Kaleb's ex-girlfriend I'd tell them they're crazy and they're also a crack head like her.

I'm just kidding I wouldn't have said that.

But I am in love with her.

It's been a month since I've moved here, we haven't had smooth conversations or much interactions but something in my gut is actually telling me I love her.

I've never felt such a great connection with a girl before, just her demeanour and the way she speaks with pride and sass.

She practically asked me if Kayla is still a whore.

I must admit that was a good one.

She waved her hands in front of my face with a small smile, snapping me out of my trance, "did you hear what I told you?" She asked.

"No, what did you say?"

"I said we're cool, asshole." She chuckled.

I pursed my lips in a thin line and watched as her smile faltered. She frowned deeply and parted her lips to speak but I cupped her cheeks in my hands and brought my lips down onto hers in a soft kiss.

Her body froze against mine but despite that, she fluttered her eyes close and hesitantly kissed back.

I knew about her and Brandon.

Both of them dating, don't ask me how I know I just do. But I shouldn't be doing this if she has a boyfriend. I know she's said she likes me on many occasions but does she love me?

I've seen how she looked at Brandon before; so much adoration in her eyes, the look she's never given me because from the day I landed her I've been an asshole to her when Brandon has been nothing but a sweetheart.

I pulled away from the kiss quickly, almost as if her lips burnt against mine. She snapped her eyes open and stammered, "M-Mason-"

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have done that."

She frowned and peeled my hands off her cheeks, turning her body away from me and looking into the distance. "Then why did you do it?"

I bit the insides of my cheeks and kept on staring at her, her blonde hair fell on her face and I couldn't help but reach out and tuck a strand behind her ear.

"Because I like you."

She snapped her gaze towards me and let them settle on my face, the intensiveness from her eyes burnt holes into my face and I gulped, waiting for her to say something.

She chuckled and nodded her head in disbelief. "You don't want Kayla to hear you saying things like that Mason," she tutted.

I was so close to telling her screw Kayla but if I did she'd come running to me. I don't want her to get involved with me. It's best she stays with Brandon, he's a good guy, especially for her.

She's been through enough shit and I don't wanna add to it, even I know I'm bad for her. She's no good either but what happens when you put a rotten apple with a pile of good apples?

They rot as well.

She not a rotten apple, but I am and I won't let her relapse into her rampage state. "We should probably get home."

She sighed and nodded in agreement, pushing herself off the ground and stretching her hands out for me to take a hold of.

I reached out and grabbed her hands as she struggled to pull me onto my feet. "I thought it was supposed to be the other way around?"

"Shut up." She grunted, finally pulling my heavyweight up beside her. "Let's go dollface I'll protect you from the big bad wolf."

She smiled and encircled her hands around my waist. "Don't worry I'll protect you too."