Chapter eighteen.

After what felt like an amazingly long weekend, Blair found herself back at school approaching their final semester and exams fast. She briefly wondered how on earth she'd been so unfocused the last few weeks. She'd promised herself by this time of the year she'd have an airtight study plan that would map out her final months at school.

Unfortunately all she had now was a ridiculous situation with a certain sullen boy whom she lived with...and a best friend who she was keeping a huge secret from.

Blair made the decision right then to start focusing on her studies again. She'd always said she wasn't one of those girls who dropped everything for a guy. She'd made fun of those girls, how silly they were screwing up their education for someone who would statistically disappear from their lives as soon as they started university.

Plus it had already happened to her once with Noah, she was only glad it happened in a year where the exams had no impact on her future. This was her final year and no one was going to ruin it for her.

'I'll catch you later B,' Hailey said with a wave as she headed off to her first class leaving Blair standing at her locker trying to remember her timetable.

'Yeah B, I'll catch you later,' Cade said from behind her mocking Hailey in a high-pitched tone.

Blair turned around rolling her eyes at him, 'Oh very mature.'

'Why does she call you that? It's not like it's hard to say Blair, it's only one syllable?' Cade leant against the locker next to Blair's seeming interested.

'It's stupid, don't worry about it,' Blair dismissed him taking out her math book and tucking it under her arm.

'No, I want to know. It's so lame, I'm sure it has an equally lame story behind it,' Cade smirked at her.

Blair raised an eyebrow, 'Ok if you really want to know, I had a little trouble when I was younger pronouncing my name and spelling it...' She trailed off watching his face for reaction, 'I called myself B for years, thanks to my parents giving me such a hard-to-pronounce name for a kid with speech difficulties.'

Cade eyed her for a minute as though not sure if she was winding him up, when he was satisfied she was telling the truth he burst into laughter. 'Oh man you're being serious! That is hilarious.'

Blair was tempted to frown and be annoyed at him again for making fun of her and for the sake if it, but she could see the funny side of it. She found herself giggling along with him, 'Oh shut up Cade, I was young!' But she was smiling at him.

'I'll see you later B,' he winked at her and headed off down the hallway.

Blair tried to wipe the stupid smile off her face as she made her way to her next class but someone crashed into her from the side causing her to bump into some lockers.

'Hey Blair.'

Blair turned her head when she heard the sickly sweet voice of Lacy.

'What do you want Lacy?' Blair didn't actually care but she thought it might be easier than trying to just walk away.

'You and Cade seemed pretty cosy just then, what was that all about?' She demanded, even putting her hands on her hips causing Blair to roll her eyes in disbelief.

'Cade and I are not cosy,' She replied with disdain. 'But even if we were, what does that have to do with you? Would you try and steal him too?'

Lacy laughed coldly, 'Still upset about that? You need to get over it loser, you never had a chance with Noah once I decided he was mine.'

Blair knew it shouldn't still affect her, but Lacy's words stung as usual.

'You were pathetic Blair, Noah was glad to get rid of you. Ask him yourself,' Lacy sneered at her knowing how impacting her words can be on weak people like Blair.

Blair just stared at her, astounded that the Noah she once knew could actually stand to be in the same room as Lacy the bitch. Let alone have sex with her.

'Nothing to say as usual,' Lacy walked up to Blair asserting herself. 'Stay out of my way, and stay away from Cade. He's out of your league.'

Blair watched Lacy walk off to class frozen in her spot against the locker. She cursed, frustrated with herself for not standing up to her again. She couldn't understand why Lacy hated her so much. Lacy had taken everything from Blair, and still wanted more.

'Blair?'

Blair looked up into the face of one of her teachers who looked concerned and worried. 'Is everything ok?'

Blair nodded shakily, 'Fine thanks, sorry I forgot one of my books so I'm late to class.'

The teacher nodded slowly, 'No problem, I'll write you a late slip if you need a moment.'

Blair watched her teacher scribble on a piece of paper and took it gratefully. She knew the teacher thought something else was going on, but she wasn't about to sit and have a chat about her feelings.

When Blair entered the classroom five minutes later, she simply handed the slip to the teacher at the front and made her way to her seat without a word. She could hear the loud snickers from Lacy, sitting to the back of the room next to Cade. She didn't even bother looking in their direction, definitely not worth it.

...

'Hey Blair where are you going?'

Blair paused at the doorway to the school, sighing as she turned around. Today had not been the best day and she was ready to go home.

Brady stared at her confused holding his sports bag in one arm, 'We have volleyball training now remember?'

Blair shook her head, 'I'm not going.' She adjusted her book bag on her shoulder and turned to walk off.

'Hey, wait a second,' Brady chased after her down the front steps. 'What happened? Are you ok?'

'Yeah I'm fine Brady,' Blair spun around. 'I just have a lot of study to do and I can't train right now.'

Brady nodded slowly, 'Wes might come and watch, will that sway you?'

Blair let out a reluctant smile, 'Sorry Brady I'm just stressing about exams. You know how I get, I really need to do well.'

Brady nodded and turned back to the school, 'You better still play the game this week,' he warned as he headed back.

Blair gladly made her way home dumping her bag onto the kitchen table, spreading out all her notes she sat down and began to map out her final months of the year. She was pedantic with this sort of thing usually, she even included what times of the day she would focus toward each subject.

It wasn't until she heard loud raucous laughter coming from the front hall, the front door opening and slamming that Blair was shaken from her daze. Hailey and Cade piled into the kitchen chatting animatedly as Blair watched them in surprise. Hailey truly disliked Cade, yet here she was looking like best buddies.

'Please don't tell me you skipped out on practice to study,' Cade groaned into his hand when he spotted her. 'That is beyond lame.'

'Easy,' Hailey warned him frowned. 'She can do what she want Cade it's none of your damn business.'

Blair hid a smirk, there it was. Hailey's disdain for her cousin surfaced once again.

Cade just rolled his eyes and disappeared out of the kitchen. It was times like these when Blair wondered where the lust for Cade actually came from.

...

'Honey are you alright? Brady mentioned you seemed a little off this afternoon,' Hailey said as they settled into her room, some chilled out music playing in the background sorting out Hailey's wardrobe.

Blair looked up surprised, of course Brady would have mentioned it. She wondered if he'd said it to Hailey privately or if Cade had heard too...

'Yeah I'm fine, it's just Lacy again.'

Hailey's face hardened, 'What did she say this time?'

'Just the usual stuff trying to make my life miserable...'

'She is such a bitch,' Hailey growled angrily. 'If I wouldn't get expelled for it I would knock her bloody head off. You know what, on the last day of school, after I've graduated and got my final grades I'm going to find Lacy and punch her in the face.'

Blair eyed Hailey and started laughing, 'Thanks Hails but the idea of you punching anyone is pretty hilarious.'

Hailey grinned, 'I'll take boxing lessons from Jacob. Believe me Blair this will happen.' Then she cocked her head to the side, 'Hey what if we ask Cade to get her to back off? For God knows what reason he seems to actually be friends with the evil witch.'

Blair shook her head forcefully, 'No, no way! I don't want him getting involved.'

Hailey shrugged, 'Why not? He's been weirdly kind to you lately I'm sure he wont mind...' She trailed off in thought. 'Like weirdly kind B, the other night i swear I even caught him staring at you and smiling.'

Blair froze awkwardly and decided to ignore her comments she shook her head again, 'No thanks Hail's but I want to deal with this my own way by staying out of her way and ignoring it. Bullies will tire eventually, its just my luck my bully has a bit of stamina.'

'It's so stupid, there has to be a reason she's still going on like this. It can't all be because of the Noah thing?' Hailey mused out loud. 'We know she obviously had a thing for Noah while you guys dated, she made that abundantly clear when she stole him off you.'

Blair winced at her words, they still weren't easy to hear.

'But she has him now, and has had him for the past year. She should really just leave you alone.' Hailey frowned. "I bet there's something else keeping her angry with you, some stupid personal thing.'

Blair nodded, she had no idea either but it was only upsetting her to think about it. 'So how was training?'

Hailey rolled her eyes, 'The coach never showed up, he must have completely forgot about us again. So Brady ran the training, Wes came too and joined in plus a few guys from Wes' school.'

'Wes' school?' Blair asked surprised. 'What do you mean? Is he in school still? He looks so much older.'

Hailey nodded, 'Yeah its weird, hey! He goes to Riverside, senior year too, he is a year older but I think he looks in his twenties because of his facial hair. Its so sexy isn't it?'

Blair was definitely surprised at that, so Brady was dating a guy from their rival school. Brady was always so one eyed when it came to school spirit, she wondered how this would go once it came to competing time.

'Yeah they invited us to a Riverside party this weekend,' Hailey grinned. 'I think it's the perfect distraction for you B! A new crowd, some new boys and no Lacy.'

...