Chapter 81: Chapter 81

"I want to tell Steven that I wanna help Tucker first and see how he responds, then I will decide what to do next." I looked in her eyes and she liked the idea, I can tell.

"I want to help too." She ended up saying after thinking about it for a few seconds, "Sid has to understand." she mumbled, we both passed each other a smile and headed like idiots who think they are wise, in the direction of the boys. Steven shoved his hands in his pockets and gave a jerk to his brows, asking us what happened.

"First, we need a place to sit down." Dina being dramatic, mumbled and the boys shared a brief glance.

Steven drove us to the cafe, located near the school, getting us a corner table.

"So?" Sid, who was impatient to hear it out, asked.

"So there is something wrong in that house," Dina stated and Sid rolled his eyes, Steven was trying hard to read my eyes as I kept stealing eyes from him.

"That something is Tucker, go on." Sid couldn't hold back to comment and scoff, Dina sighed, they were not co-operating. With their body language and constant staring, things were getting intense.

"You know how Lauren used to poison my mind?" I had to jump in, "she is brainwashing Tucker." I actually expected a gasp or at least a dramatic glance share moment, but none, they were watching us with this boring look that was making me think twice about if this stuff was really that serious?

"Guys, we saw some weird stuff in that house, in Tucker's room." Dina has to yell to express her frustration, they weren't taking us seriously.

"Are you sure he didn't make you see it? What if he planned to make you feel this way?" Sid, who I don't blame for not believing in Tucker because Dina has told me how Tucker betrayed them over and over again but at least show some interest when your girl is talking.

"Or did you realize how gorgeous that guy is?" Sid stated again and this time Dina and I quickly looked at each other and then at him.

"Sid behave!" That was Steven, who was also not interested in this topic, but at least he intervened to show he was still present there.

"Don't you see what's going on here?" Sid complained, glaring at Steven for always stopping him from saying his mind.

"Whatever, we are helping Tucker." Dina, ugh! Wrong timing. She declared and Steven veered his neck to me, his eyes looking at me like he needed damn answers.

"Obviously, not alone," I added, elbowing Dina in irritation. Now that I have grown up, everyone around me turned twelve again.

"Oh! So who else is helping you?" Sid bowed on the table to bend our way and made eye contact with me.

"Sid!" Steven gritted his teeth and pulled him back with a bang, Sid's back hit the back of his chair and we all jumped. It was strange how Sid didn't even glare back at Steven, they really were good friends.

"Ask the Sheriff to help him," Steven advised, his fingers restlessly being tapped on the table and shaking a leg.

"He wouldn't, although dad knows their back story now he thinks she is this sweet lady, and now an upset widow, he would never believe in a single word that I say," Dina murmured, obviously why would an adult listen to us? And what proof do we have?

"So it has to be you two." Steven nodded and smiled sarcastically, licking his lips and then shaking his head. His posture wasn't still, he kept taping his fingers, scoffing, and shaking his leg.

"Who else would? I had stayed there and I---," I hadn't finished yet when Steven interrupted but not in a normal tone, he sounded extremely pissed.

"And you ran away when he tried to force himself on you." His eyes were big and out, he was trying to make a point here, which he wasn't wrong by the way. "You still think he will redeem himself and be a good guy?" his eyes were scaring me, the look on his face was shaking me in my skin.

"Steven!" Sid slowly elbowed Steven to calm himself down and we all sat in silence for another two minutes, kind of charging ourselves.

"You don't trust us?" I added up starting the conversation again, I can't let Lauren walk free after what she has done to me, and after everything, she has been doing around.

"I don't trust him, it is about him Giselle, why do you have to defend him after everything he has done?" Steven was going crazy, his face was getting red and his eyes forming tears. It wasn't like I was going to date Tucker again, or he really thought if I get a chance to be with Tucker I will take it?

"I am defending him, hear yourself. You always blame me for this crap, what is wrong with you?" I couldn't hold it back anymore; I wouldn't want him to accuse me of this same thing my entire life. I get it that I have made wrong decisions in my past, one of them was to date Tucker but that doesn't mean he has to use it against me every time.

"What is wrong with me?" He nodded, his eyes not breaking eye contact, "You want to help him, the guy who does nothing but lies, and what a great justification for his actions, his mom brainwashed him. Good, I will do all the wrong things I can and blame them on my bad past, on my stepie, it is a nice escape, don't you think so?" he slammed the desk and I jumped, Dina and Sid sat silently, not wanting to intervene.

"You didn't see what I saw Steven that's why you don't understand." In my defense, I murmured. He wasn't wrong, but at least he should trust me.

"Cool!" He sighed, Sid patted his back as he lowered his face and exhaled briefly. I can see his body shuddering; the restlessness was visible.

"Look, if you don't want---," he didn't let me finish,

"No!" he gave a big shake to his head, "we are helping him." He stated and ran his hand through his hair. He just went on and that's why I argued because I wanted to prove him wrong for thinking If I ever get a chance I will choose Tucker over him. "let's order something," he announced with a fake smile and shaky voice.

"Sure!" Sid followed his lead, except for putting on a smile. I still hadn't looked away from Steven's face.

"I will be back in a moment." Steven excused, getting up and walking out of the cafe.

"I am not helping." Sid declared as he went through the menu, "and I am not stopping you, you can if you want to." he mentioned Dina, who was silently confused, wow we did piss them off.

Steven's POV:

I rushed out of the cafe to hide the tears, I don't want them to see them, if they don't care about my feelings, they don't deserve my tears. A fresh cold wind brushed against my cheeks and dried my freshly escaped tears.

"Thanks, fate." I muttered, gritting my teeth, "you always find a way to make my life miserable." pulling out a cigarette, I lit it and reached the parking. "she wants him, she just wants Tucker to be Steven for her, she wants Tucker in everything, everyone." it hurt that after everything he has done, she still cared for him. He is her guilty pleasure, she will leave me one day, if not today might be tomorrow.

I told her countless times that I want to say something, held her hands, there is no way she didn't know what I was talking about, but she never asked me what was I going to say like she never cared.

I puffed the smoke in the air and rested my hands on the roof of my car, closing my eyes. We always want something that doesn't belong to us. I know I was overthinking but she confused me today, Tucker always jumps in from somewhere, with her helping him, spending time with him, what if the dead feelings come to life again? What about me then? What about my love?

All my life I have stayed strong, but now, with Giselle, I can't, I can't just stand and watch her go away, that will be the death of me. Tucker can have the girls from the world, but not Giselle, she is mine.

I was going crazy, tears had to escape to soothe my aching heart. I was standing there, all alone, when someone, who I didn't realize had followed me, wrapped their arms around me.

Giselle's POV:

"I am gonna go check on him." I got up immediately, I wasn't feeling well, I can't help Tucker and hurt Steven, it is like pulling one out of the trouble and pushing the other to pain, the other who was actually someone I had feelings for, the feelings that weren't just called friends, Yes! I loved him and I wasn't going to let him go through this pain alone.

"It might not be a good idea." Sid softly spoke, his mood was nowhere good, but at least he was polite, "give him some time when he is mad like this, we stay away from him." He advised.

"Well, I have to tolerate his anger, why not start with today." I hinted and Sid narrowed his eyes, trying to make out what I said.

I walked out of the cafe and wandered for about a minute when I finally spotted him in the parking, was he smoking? He never smokes in front of me. I slowly walked his way, I must have hurt him badly. If he thinks I am not trustworthy and I will leave him for Tucker, that is not his fault entirely, maybe I failed to make him believe that he is more important than Tucker had ever been.

I can't shake off the image of Steven shivering when we were arguing, he lost his posture at that time. I reached him and losing my control, I hugged him tightly.

He was startled at the beginning and then he lowered his face, watching my hands he knew it was me. I can hear his heart beating loudly from the back of his body.

"I am sorry," I whispered in my mouth and his tensed muscles relaxed. I let go of him and he turned around to watch my face.

"It is fine." his cheeks were turning red, not due to crying but due to cold. On top of everything, he was lying, it wasn't okay, he sounded upset, but confused that I touched him like that because usually, I was shy about getting close and being touchy.

"I am not doing it," I stated, "I just wanted to do it to punish Lauren for ruining my childhood, everything for me." I declared, standing close to him, "but honestly, if you are not okay with it, I won't do it." I mumbled, "You always compare yourself with him, Steven, I don't know why you do that but that's insane. Even if he tried for years, he won't be near to as good as you, as special as you." I murmured and his facial expressions softened, he was at relief.

"I wa---," he closed his eyes and mumbled but I hushed him.

"Let me finish," I said and he watched my face, "I told Dina that I want to stay friends with you, for now." My statement made him step back a little, "because I didn't want to start a relationship with misunderstanding, I want to enjoy my every second with you." He nodded, trying to understand my point, "I thought being friends with Tucker and still not feeling anything for him, choosing you will clear this misconception forever," I know it must be hard for him to swallow but from the look of his face, I can tell that he understood what I meant. "Just to comfort you, you stole my first kiss." I added and there appeared a sweet smile on his face, "yes! I never let him touch me even when we were in a relationship, but with you, it is---," he put his finger on my lips and hushed me.

"That's enough, you talk a lot." He smiled, exhaling in peace, "you scared me today." he mumbled and chuckled, "I agree with you, I will wait, Giselle, even I will be at your side, and when all this is over, I will ask you that question and express what I feel, and then it will be for you to decide." he smiled, slowly running a finger down my cheek. "But don't be too comfortable with this setting, don't expect me to be not to be jealous." he rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Well, before being friends only, can I hug you one last time?" I asked and the happiness on his face was worth watching. He spread his arms and eyed me to land in between them, I shyly rested my face on his chest and he tied his arms around me tightly.

"I can't wait for all this to over," I whispered on his chest and smiled to myself. We stayed out for a few minutes and then head back inside, we still had two idiots waiting for us.

"You okay?" Sid asked Steven and he passed him the most satisfying smile.

"So, what did you guys see actually?" Steven, who was now relaxed and calm, mumbled, watching us.

"We saw strange drawings and--," I hadn't even finished when Dina jumped excitedly and shoved her hand in her bag.

"Wait, I will show you," she mumbled and pulled out the pages and the drawings, it took me a minute to respond. My heart stopped for a moment and then I gasped.

"You stole these?" I yelled and quickly turned down my tone when I looked around at the people, "are you nuts?" I whispered.

"They are merely just papers Elle, he was hiding his face and you were not looking so I took them." she shrugged her shoulders very carelessly and handed them over to Steven. Sid, who had clearly stated that he doesn't wanna take part in this matter, trying hard to peek through the papers.

"This is insane," Steven commented, looking through the pages and trying to remember something, Sid impatiently grabbed the paper and looked at it, they both shared a glance and then watched the paper again.

"Dude, you remember when Tucker was with us one day and he had cuts on his fingers like someone has scratched them multiple times, and we asked him what it was he said something along the lines of, she wants to delete the lines of my hand, she wants to erase my future and make one by herself," Sid recalled and showed us one picture, which was a drawing of his hand with some kind of lines that didn't make any sense.

"I am getting goosebumps," I announced and looked up, Steven watched my face to make sure I was okay.

"So we have to befriend him to get close to him, to be able to get access to his life?" Steven questioned, giving us a possible plan.

"Sounds like a good idea." Dina shrugged her shoulders, we don't have another choice.

"And let that snake makes his way in our group again?" Sid added, we all rolled our eyes, "No, I mean think about it, why would these papers be resting so normally in his room? I hope it is not a trap." he folded his arms and rested his back on the chair, confusing us all at once.