Chapter 50: Chapter 50

We rushed to the hospital where Dina was admitted. While she was being operated on, I couldn't stop thinking about how mean I was to her throughout my life. I always put her in the lowest of priority while she prioritized me over anyone.

It's been two days since that incident happens. I was being informed by everything that went like this, Steven and Dina were at the bridge when Steven pulled out his gun and shot her. I have been starving myself ever since I got the news, I shouldn't have told her all that, maybe Steven heard it and like a psycho he was, he did that to her.

"You okay?" Tucker tightened his grip over my hand to reassure me that he was with me, and I wasn't alone. Lauren and Uncle Ben stayed seated with the Sheriff while Tucker and I made our way to the room Dina was in. Luckily! She was only shot in her hand and the other bullet just brushed past her skin, she survived.

"You go meet her, I will be waiting for you here." he smiled and stayed behind. As I approached where she was, I saw Sid standing outside the room and by his side was none other than Steven.

"What are you doing here?" I yelled at the top of my lungs, looking at his face terrified me to the level that I began screaming loudly. Sid and Steven restlessly stepped back and Sheriff ran in our direction. He looked at Steven and growled madly.

"Why are you here now?" he angrily shouted at him, stepping close to Steven, who had his head bowed down.

"Is ever---," Tucker asked and then his eyes fall on Steven, he hurriedly rushed at him and grabbed him by his collar, "have told you not to mess with the girls of my town," he muttered on his face, Steven had no courage to lift his eyes.

"Let go of him!" Sid pushed Tucker away and before Tucker could launch at them again, Sheriff stepped in between them. By the time, all my class fellows and teachers arrived, they were holding flowers for Dina. Steven looked like a mess, the audacity of him to shoot her and then visit her.

"ENOUGH!" He shouted, pushing the boys apart. I was silently watching Steven's face when anger rushed through my veins and I marched towards Steven, everybody watched me blankly while Steven stepped back as he saw me coming. I stood in front of his face and not having control over my feelings, I slapped him across the cheek. A gasp was all everyone in my surrounding let go of, while Steven's eyes jumped out in shock.

"She stood by your side, even when she knew how pathetic you were," I muttered, locking eyes with Mr. Lock, Sid was uncomfortably walking here and there. "Even when we saw you forcing yourself on Monica in the hallway of the school, she never doubted you when she should have." Everybody gasped at the allegations, I didn't know what I was saying but it all made sense at that moment.

"What are you saying?" Sid shouted and approached me, but Tucker stood in front of me, blocking Did from reaching me. Steven was watching my face in disappointment, what? I should be disappointed in him. Just imagine being a bad person and roaming around freely why wasn't he locked up already?

"Hold up!" The sheriff pulled me away from Steven and sighed while rubbing his forehead.

"He didn't do anything," Sid whispered into his mouth and I eyed him in disgust, obviously, he was still going to defend his so-called friend, his brother.

"Steven didn't shot my daughter." The sheriff announced and shook his head, "but what he did to Monica is awful, he will be punished for his actions severely." his words made my mind frozen, what made him say he didn't shoot her?

"He shot her and he was in the jail right?" I stated, looking at him as I was confused about what just happened.

"He was indeed holding a gun, but because the guy who shot my daughter was going to shoot him too, but he struggled to get the hold of the gun, the real man behind this is caught and Dina too confirmed what happened there." He uttered the whole story to me and my world slipped under my feet, what have I done?

"But you were pushi--," I stopped and covered my mouth, it was hard to say anything else.

"Because the guy wanted to shoot him and shot my daughter just because she is his friend." The sheriff mumbled and turned around to our principal who has witnessed everything.

"We will need Monica to give her statement." Sheriff addressed the Principal, who was disappointingly watching Steven's face. I was drowning with the guilt of how I acted with him.

"Son! You and your friends, I don't want you around my daughter ever again." the sheriff warned Steven before gesturing him and Sid to leave, I got a close look in Sid's eyes, they were swollen and red, he must have been crying constantly. They passed me and I had no courage left to lift my face.

.............................................

I met Dina and honestly when she heard what happened outside, she ignored me like I was cancer. I wanted to talk to her, to let her know I missed her. I wished she would hear me out, those few days made me realize how much she meant to me, but this time, she didn't forgive me and I couldn't blame her either.

I was sitting on the couch and the TV playing in front of me, but my mind lost in Steven's eye, when I was babbling and he was staring at me, there was sadness in his eyes.

"But you will not back down from what I have told you, just say the exact things." Tucker was on the call when he entered the lounge, he passed me a smile and perched on the couch with me, "Monica, we are all with you, don't worry." the mention of her name gave me goosebumps. Tucker hung up on her and smiled my way.

"Why are you telling her what to say and all?" I questioned because she had told me a different story when I have asked her about this situation, I know I messed up, but I was just angry and now my outburst was going to jeopardize Steven's whole life, but what if he really did force himself on Monica?

"I am her friend." he shrugged his shoulders and mumbled.

"Yeah! But we need to stand by the truth." I declared and he watched my face, he lowered his face and shook his head sarcastically.

"What?" I inquired, it felt really strange.

"When you thought Steven forced himself on Monica, it was the truth, but now that Monica wants to say the same, you think we don't know for sure? How hypocrite of you Giselle." he scoffed, grinning in disgust at me. I was constantly staring at his face in confusion, why did he say that?

"I was angry Tucker; I am not being a hypocrite." I declared and he cackled while kept shaking his face.

"Now she is angry." He was being annoying at this point, will he ever understand me like he wants me to understand him?

"I don't like you calling her and talking about her Tucker," I stated in anger, he swiftly looked up from his phone and watched my face and then a smile crept over his lips.

"Aggression looks so sexy on you," he stated and moved forward to kiss me on the forehead, since when had I allowed him to touch me? I was pissed obviously. I pulled myself back and frowned, he straightened his back and glared at me for a moment, and looked away when Lauren arrived. Sometimes during arguments when would try to touch me and deny his touch, his anger in response reminded me of what Dina has told me about the day of her breakup.

"What's going on?" she asked pleasantly,

"Nothing, just watching TV," I replied, helping her with the tray while Tucker got up and left the house.

..............................

Dina's POV:

I saw Steven standing on the bridge, alone and silent like always. It hurt me to see him so broken and alone. I approached him and stood by his side, I was receiving these weird texts from Giselle, saying Steven is dangerous and all, he was the only person I felt secure with.

"Always silent!" I commented and he smiled a little.

"Always Clingy!" he stated and I laughed along with him. His smile was adorable, I have lost many friends in my life and honestly speaking, none of my friends ever cared about my feelings, but Steven was something else, he was always there for me.

"Did I do right?" he asked in his amazing raspy voice, I know what he was talking about. He was a pusher for Mister Waltz's drugs for a few years and due to constant insisting by me, he decided to rat on him to the sheriff because I pushed him to do so.

"Of course, you did the right thing." I passed him a closed-mouth smile and kept staring into his eyes. Poor Steven, he was strangled in this mess of drug dealings when Sid stole something from a shop and as being an Orphan boy, he was going to stay in jail by seriously unfair use of law by the sheriff, that included my dad too. Sid was only fifteen, scared, and had no idea what they were going to do to him, they were preparing a large number of allegations to be settled on him when Mister Waltz saved Sid, but he made a deal with him, Sid was going to be his drug dealer now, but Steven took Sid's place and set him free. Steven was a real hero for me, and a best friend too. "Wait! I am getting a call from Elle." I mumbled and picked up the call, she was saying some stupid stuff.

"I knew the sheriff's daughter was behind it," We startled at the voice of Mister Waltz,

"Stop, Stop!" I yelled, watching the gun in his hand as he was pointing it at Steven. I accidentally dropped my phone, but it was the least of my concerns. Waltz pulled the trigger, but I jumped in front of Steven, I wasn't going to let him die. He shot again an----

"Wake up!" I heard my father's voice falling on my ears, waking me up from the nightmare. I was breathing profusely, this incident happened days ago, but I was still getting nightmares from it.

"Is Steven okay?" I asked, trying to calm down my breathing. Father watched my face with a straight face and rolled his eyes.

"That guy is the reason you were rushed to the hospital and do not forget about what he did to your fellow Monica." Father was hating on Steven for no reason, seriously it was Giselle I was blamed for everything. She had finally crossed all the boundaries. I have always stayed by her side, but I spoilt her. Her selfishness caused Steven to remain the most hated people in the town for the rest of his life.

"The reason for this incident was me, I forced him to confess and rat on the big drug dealer of this town, you should be thankful for him." I felt heat gushing through my veins, I was back home and haven't heard from Steven, I bet father has asked him to stay away from me.

"You are not meeting him ever again." Father pointed his finger at me and exit the room.

I sighed, puffing out a fist full of air out of my mouth, I reached for my phone. I wonder how Steven will be feeling right now? He betrayed the orphans so that means they won't be connecting with him, at least not for now as Mister Waltz was their leader, Giselle hurt him extremely, those nasty allegations on him, and my father told him to stay away from me, I wonder if there will be someone by his side right now.

Me: Steven?

I didn't care about what people will say about me for hanging around with a guy who has allegedly forced himself on a fellow student, I just knew in my heart that Steven was innocent.

Me: the bullet didn't hurt me, but you ignoring me is hurting me.

Steven's POV:

I felt a warm tear burning my cheek, but before it could lead its way down, I cleaned it. I have been staying in the house ever since all that happened, the house I hated to be in but now I have no choice. Dina took a bullet for me, I wondered if Giselle would have done that?

Giselle! Who is she? Not even my friend anymore. She never trusted me, care for me, I was an idiot to count on her, I was an idiot to think she was my friend, I was an idiot to l---, shaking my head I cleared the thoughts of her. My heart melts for Dina and how caring she is, I can't let her ruin her life by being seen with a guy like me, a guy who probably has no future, no friends, no home, and no nothing. I have pushed my anger inside me, not letting it out for so long because I knew if I lifted a finger at anyone, I'll face the charges twice my crime.

"You okay?" I heard Mrs. Lock, my step-mother entering my room. Our house was a whole big mansion that our great great great grandpa built, it was more like walking in 1900'.

"I am fine," I muttered, without even swirling my neck to look at her.

"You don't even wanna see me now when there was a time when you used to touch----," she was babbling her lies again when I intervened, her, tightening my grip on the railing of the terrace I was staring at the view ahead.

"I never did any of that." I closed my eyes and all I could hear was my screams from childhood.