Chapter 51: Chapter 51

Daisy's POV

I sat in class absent-minded, the events of the past few days weighed heavily on my mind, I felt someone tap me and I turned to see Desiree looking at me with concern, "are you alright?"

I nodded, "why shouldn't I be?"

"The class teacher has called you for more than three times but got no response from you", she explained, that was when I turned round to see all eyes on me, Celine snickered maliciously,

"Er...I... I'm sorry ma'am, I didn't hear you call my name", I quickly apologized to the teacher who was standing with arms folded across her chest and staring at me,

"To my office, now", she ordered as she carried her materials and left the class, damn, now, I'm in for it, slowly, I stood up and followed her,

"You can have your seat", I gingerly sat down in the only available seat in the office which is across from her,

"Can you tell me what's going on with you?", She asked, removing her glasses and placing them on the table

"Nothing, I am fine", I mumbled and she looked at me quizzically,

"Recently, your grades have dropped drastically and I noticed that you're always absent-minded in class which proves that there's something bothering you, you can tell me about it you know"

I kept quiet and she sighed, "you were not in class yesterday, where were you?"

What excuse should I give now? No way I am going to tell her that I went out with Aires to see the monstrous side of my dad

"I see that you don't want to say anything but I'll have to warn you not to skip classes again"

"I won't ma", I mumbled, even without her warning, I didn't plan on ever skipping class again

The door to her office opened and I perceived his smell just before he spoke, "you sent for me ma'am", my eyes widened and I glanced up to meet Aires' gaze, why has she sent for Aires?

"Yeah I did" she replied, staring at the both of us, "listen carefully as this concerns you especially, Daisy, your class was given a project to work on and after that, you'll seat for a class test and any student that performs excellently will be allowed to graduate along with the graduating students and also, on scholarship", my heart raced as I took in what the teacher is trying to explain, if I do well in the project, I will be allowed to graduate? Allowed to leave this town that only holds painful memories for me? This is such a piece of good news, "your classmates have been paired with the graduating students but only the both of you were missing yesterday..." She paused, staring hard at the both of us as if trying to guess if we both skipped class together or if it was just a coincidence, I squirmed a little in my seat,

"Anyways, since the both of you are the only remaining students that have not been paired, I'll say that the both of you should work together on the project and Daisy, also prepare for the class test, I wish you good luck", she handed over a paper to us, "whatever is written in that piece of paper is what you're required to do", taking it from her, we left her office.

"Let me have that", Aires said, taking the paper from me before I could even read what was on it, it finally dawn on me that he was my project mate but I don't know how to feel about it as I wouldn't be cool to be project mate with any of his classmates, just imagine that I was paired with Henry, I shivered at the thought, I'm going to do the project all alone and without his help, I need to qualify for graduation

"What did it say?" I asked, eager to know what is written there, he merely stared hard at me and walked away with the paper in his hand.

*

*

"Well, well, well, ain't you such a scheming Fox? I bet you planned it so that you'll have Aires as your project mate", Celine said as soon as I entered the class, it was a free period and so I shouldn't even hope for any teacher to come and save me, I made no reply to her but simply went to my seat, but unfortunately, I was tripped and my forehead hit against my locker, I could hear the laughter of the whole class ring against my ear,

"So clumsy", Celine mocked

"Don't you dare walk out on her when she's talking to you", Owen, who is Celine's ardent fan warned, I believe he is the one who tripped me

"She does not deserve this", Desiree said, trying to defend me but I shook my head at her, I do not want her to get into trouble because of me, Celine is the queen bee of the school, and standing up against her is like going against the rest of the popular kids, they'll make your life a living hell and mine is worse because I am dependent on what she and her dad have to offer to me,

"Don't you dare interfere", Celine warned Desiree.

"But you're hurting her", Desiree countered, not mindful that I am trying to get her to shut up,

"What is it to you if I do, who cares?" She snarled and walked away, shoving me with her elbow

I sighed as I sat down, "you shouldn't have done that", I softly reprimanded Desiree,

"She shouldn't have done that to you, now, you have a bump on your head"

I smiled sadly, "I'm used to it Desiree, it's nothing to get worked up on"

I brought out my book to read, that's all I have to do now, read very hard and hopefully, be picked to be among the graduating students.

*********************************

"What the hell happened to you?" Aires yelled as soon as he saw me, I had gone to look for him to ask him what the project is all about, he has just finished with his practice and was cleaning his sweat with his hand towel when I saw him, his face changed immediately he saw me, the bump Celine gave me on my head is very much visible,

"I...I...hit my head on my locker", I quickly lied without thinking, Celine was very angry with me the last time he confronted her, and I don't want more trouble, besides, I do not understand why he should be angry that his girlfriend is bullying me, isn't it laughable that my bully will be angry that I'm being bullied by another, he grabbed my chin painfully and squeezed hard,

"you'll get punished for lying to me", he clenched out and I blinked severally,

"I...I.. didn't lie to you", I tried once more and he scoffed,

"You're so pathetic, when will you learn to stand up for yourself, you're such a wimp and it's disgusting", he pushed me away from him and I fell on the ground, something like regret flashed through his eyes but before I could be certain, it was gone, replaced by a cold, angry stare, perhaps, this is the wrong time to approach him for the project, I blinked back tears as I stood up from the ground, I stared at my hands, sure enough, I have sustained bruises on it,

"Don't you dare cry in front of me", he warned as my eyes threatened with tears, "it's no wonder that your dad left you, how can he stand a pathetic child like you, so disgusting",

Pain pierced my heart at his words, how could he use that against me? That's so cruel of him, I couldn't stop the tears that flowed out at his words, I couldn't stand looking bruised, pathetic, and crying in front of him, one thing that pierced me more is that he just might be right, my father left me and hates me because I am a wimp, turning on my heels, I ran, blinded with tears, he's such a cruel bully.

Aires'POV

My heart turned over as I watched her run off with eyes filled with tears, I know it was a low blow using her father's attitude against her but gosh, I only want her to stop being such a crybaby and stand up for herself, she might see me as her hateful bully but I have done things favorable to her that she does not know, I always protect her and it irks me that she had chosen to hide the one who gives her injury, instead, she chose to remain pathetic being, I cracked my knuckles, I suddenly feel like punching something or someone, even if she didn't say it, I know it was Celine that left that bump on her face, directly or indirectly but I just know that she is involved,

"Aires", thinking of the devil and she appears, I turned round to see Celine walking towards me, her step faltered just a few steps from me, she must have noticed the anger in my gaze,

"I...is something wrong?" She asked, sounding unsure and feigning innocent, I was irked the more,

"I warned you to stay away from her", I growled and she stepped back a little, I was glad to see the fear that flashed through her face,

"I don't know what you're talking about",

I grabbed her and dragged her along with me, towards the back of the school, there, I will do whatsoever I wished and no one will notice,

"Let me go, Aires, I only came to see how you are doing",

"Really?" I growled as I threw her in front of me, she hit her back against the wall,

"What happened to Daisy"

"I don't know, you can't treat me this way because of her",

"Wrong answer", I replied and in a cold calculative move, I threw my pocket knife at her, she screamed as she closed her eyes but I had calculated it so that it landed just a few inches from her head, between the crack on the wall, slowly, I walked closer to her and slowly, removed the knife from the crack, "next time won't be a miss, what happened to Daisy?"

She was visibly shaking and her eyes darted to the side, looking for a way of escape, I raised my hand to throw the knife at her again and she screamed, raising her palm, "stop, I'll tell you what happened " she yelled, sweat broke out from her forehead and her tongue darted out to lick her dry lips,

"That wasn't my doing? I didn't ask Owen to trip her, I only warned her to stay away from you because you're mine"

My eyes narrowed at her as I registered the tripper's name at the back of my mind, I'll deal with that fool later

"The whole school thinks that you are my girlfriend but you and I know that it's a facade, I made that clear to you Celine"

"I know but I can't help my feelings for you, can't you see Aires, I am the only one that truly loves you, let me be the one to love you more, why won't you give me a chance "

"I can't "

"Why? Because of Daisy? I thought you hated her after what she did to you but see how you almost killed me because of her, how are you sure that she won't do the same thing to you again"

"I am sure because I won't let that happen", I said fiercely, why should I listen to Celine? Daisy is mine and mine alone, I'll make sure that I dominate her, the only person she'll think of will be me,

"You weren't able to stop her the first time, let me love you Aires, you won't regret it", she had walked up to me, finally, overcoming the fear I had put in her, she ran her fingers over my chest,

"Fuck off Celine", I snapped, catching her hand and twisting it behind her, "if you ever bother Daisy again, I promise you that even my first throw won't be a miss", I pushed her away from me and turned to leave but paused with my back turned to her, "one more thing, I think it's time to end this little charade of ours" I heard her gasp but I didn't even spare her a glance as I walked away, "damn you Aires, you wanna make me a laughing stock, damn you, I won't allow you do that to me, arrrhhh", she screamed angrily at my retreating back but I have said what I said and I mean it, no turning back.