CHAPTER THREE

Chapter three

Arielle

Before I left my house this morning, I made sure to prepare my mind for anything that could go wrong.

The pity looks from people who don't give a shit about me. The unnecessary concerned head tilts. The useless gift parades. I made sure to prepare for it all in my head.

When I was a freshman, a girl in our grade got sick. I had seen how people treated her and ran all the scenarios in my head. It doesn't make the actual scene less annoying, but at least I knew I prepared for it. I even prepared to have this conversation with Ms Brown about my grade.

What I didn't prepare for and never would have imagined was Drayton being in my class and ending up as my study partner. The universe sure has shitty ways of dealing with me.

“No way!” I yelled as I finally shook myself out of the shock.

“Excuse me?” Ms Brown said.

“There's no way I'm allowing him help me.”

To even use the word ‘help’ and ‘Drayton’ in the same sentence was unnerving in certain ways. If anyone had told me this time last year that I would be in this situation, I would have laughed at them and called them dumb.

“Miss McAlister, I'm afraid the school has already made it decision. You have no choice than to accept it. Mr King is going to help you with your studies.”

“Then I'd rather fail and repeat the whole semester than partner up with this asshole.” I half yelled, pointing my fingers at him.

Drayton was surprisingly quiet. He hadn't taken his seat yet and was still leaning on the door, both hands in his pocket. He was surely enjoying my helpless state.

Or maybe he didn't seem surprised because he already had this conversation with Ms Brown and lost. I was certain there's no way he'd agree to this willingly. They had to have forced him into it somehow. I was going to find that out later.

Ms Brown leaned into her chair, clearly frustrated with my rantings.

“You don't have much of a choice in this matter, Arielle. Drayton is not tutoring you, he's merely helping you catch up on school work while not stressing you too much. You can't afford stressing yourself in your condition.” She said calmly.

I chuckled.

“Trust me, five minutes with this guy would send me back to the hospital room. Your idea of not stressing me is shoving the main cause of my stress in my face?”

“We’re just trying to help you. Everyone else in your class were either too scared to help you or not as smart as you. Drayton was our only choice. He agreed to help without much convincing necessary.”

I wasn't surprised that most of my classmates refused to help me. I used to be the popular, mean girl before I got sick. And I might have made a few people's life difficult. Which is why I think I deserve everything that's happening to me.

What I find really unbelievable was that Drayton had volunteered to help me. It was like saying North Korea agreeing to form alliance with South Korea. Why would he do that?

I turned my attention back to Drayton. He had a very neutral expression on, not even his signature evil smirk was in sight.

“Listen Ms Brown, this guy here has a mental condition. He sometimes does things without realizing them. I'm very sure he agreed to this when he was having one of his episodes. When he finally realizes what he's done, I won't be the only one who'd end up in a hospital room.”

That earned a chuckle from him. I threw him a hard glare and the asshole smirked at me.

“Why is it so hard to believe someone would willingly help you, Frozen?” He asked, his voice laced with amusement.

I didn't get what was so amusing about the situation.

“It would have been more believable if your sociopathic girlfriend offered to help me instead. I'll believe she finally saw the importance of family. But you? Nah, I'm not buying it.”

Before Drayton could reply, Ms Brown cut in,

“I'd really appreciate you try to cooperate with him so no one ends up in the hospital. It's just for a semester not the whole school year. Once you get your test results and your grades are better than you're free to walk away from him. Refuse, and spend all of your free time in detention or stuck in the teacher's lounge. Which one is it gonna be, Arielle?” she pinned me with a knowing look.

I pressed my lips together. She knew I wouldn't be able to refuse now. No student would wish to be stuck in the teachers lounge. It's a different kind of punishment itself. I'd prefer detention to that any day.

“Now that we have that settled, you will meet in the library every day and study for two hours before you leave. The librarian would take note of your attendance. You can have today to yourself and start tomorrow. If you don't show up, the two other options are still very well available.”

My jaws tightened as I glared at her. She flashed me a bright smile in return. I finally understood why half of the school hated this woman.

“If you don't have any questions, you can leave. I need to attend to other students.” She added.

I wanted to yell at her to keep her mouth shut, but I didn't want to get into more trouble. I snatched my backpack from her desk and stormed out of her office.

I could here Drayton's footsteps echoing behind me. The hallways were empty which meant that lunch break was over.

Drayton caught up with me in a few strides. I gritted my teeth in anger, trying to stop myself from yelling at him.

When I couldn't take it anymore, I turned and snapped at him,

“What do you want?”

“Nothing, I'm just going to class which happens to be the same way you're heading.”

“If you want a chance to gloat, there you have it. I'm an helpless, cancer ridden girl. Laugh in my face all you want.”

He didn't say anything, he just stared at me. But I didn't miss the very subtle way his facial expression softened. It hits me in a way I had never imagined.

Drayton was my enemy and I was his. He was in no way capable of feeling sorry for me. In fact, he would wish I died so he could be the only leader of the school. That was the thought I was secretly holding on to while coming to school today. The only thing I was certain wouldn't change. The only semblance of normalcy I have left from my old life. My feud with him. He'd showed it in the hallway this morning and during classes. I was secretly excited.

But I should have known. He wasn't truly a monster. Of course, like everyone else, he pitied me.

“Stop staring at me like that. I don't need you to pity me. Just act like the heartless monster who is in capable of feeling anything that you are, because that's what suit you, Drayton. Drop the act, we both know you're miserable with it.” I said and stormed off.

I changed my direction and headed towards the parking lot instead. I don't think I can get through the rest of today's classes. I decided to go home instead.

.

.

.

I swerved the car into the mansion, screaming at everyone to get out of my way. I didn't bother to park the car very well before I jumped out of the car.

The scene I met in the living room was too familiar and honestly not the kind of scene I need right now. My father was holding my mum's arm in a tight grip and my mum looked really scared. He was yelling something at her, but the roaring in my head was too loud that I couldn't comprehend it.

And as usual, none of the servants were around to interfere. They wouldn't dare get in the middle of their fight because they fear my father.

“Let go of her!” I yelled at him before I could stop myself.

They both turned to me. My father's expression hardened and my mother's turned more fearful, but she forced a smile on when she saw me.

I forced myself to look into my father's eyes and I saw the pure fury in it. The roaring in my head stopped replaced by fear. Utmost fear. I knew what was coming before it even came. His wrath.