Truth or Dare (First Love H.S. Romance)

Chapter 5- Justin

My morning started off better than yesterday. I got some much needed rest and Mrs. Annette, our housekeeper, made my favorite breakfast: Belgian waffles and brown sugar bacon. After scarfing down seconds, I was bright eyed and bushy tailed until Hurricane Bridget rolled in fucking up my whole day.

Apparently, someone ratted me out and told her about my past hook ups. It was old news but Bridget has to make everything a national event even though she was far from a faithful girlfriend. The only difference, I didn't care. The more she was occupied with someone else the less she was up my ass.

Honestly, I was happy she called me a two-timing jerk. Now she can move on and leave me the hell alone, right?

Wrong.

By second period, I was getting messages asking whiny questions like, 'how could you hurt me?' and 'what did those girls have that I didn't?'.

When lunch rolled around, she spent the entire time glaring at me like she was plotting my slow, torturous death.

Now that the day has come to end, I'm ready to work out this week's stress in the weight room which sounds better than catching a charge. I would never hit a female but damn if Bridget isn't poking the bear.

Between her and my mom, the women in my life are poisonous thorns in my side. Where my mom finds more interest inside her martini glass than her own son, Bridget chases me around like a rabid dog ready to either hump my leg or rip out my throat.

I head out the main building and catch up to some of the guys on their way to the gym for basketball practice. We shoot the breeze for a few minutes before they split off to start drills while I get changed.

For the next hour and half, I grit through the burn of overworked muscles. The adrenaline pumping through my veins is a welcome distraction from the last couple of days and by the end of the session I'm feeling better.

I use my shirt to wipe the sweat from my brow as I head back to the locker room. Bypassing the showers, I grab my things deciding to get cleaned up when I get home.

The sound of music follows me down the long hallway and just as I'm approaching the exit, I feel a shift in the air.

Call it a sixth sense or heighten defenses from growing up in house with two sociopaths but I can always tell when a threat is nearby.

"Did you enjoy your workout?"

The seizure inducing voice has the muscles in my jaw tightening and the endorphins that gave me a relaxing buzz plummets down a rocky cliff.

I continue walking but cut my gaze to the left. Bridget, wearing a pair of nylon shorts and t-shirt from cheer practice, is smiling sweetly as if this morning never happened.

"Sure."

Reaching out, she places a hand on my arm to stop me. "Justin, can you just hear me out?"

My answer is to pull my arm away causing her nails to scrape across my skin. Similar to my affection for her, I feel nothing. Not even when she tries to appear remorseful by looking up at me underneath her lashes.

I stop walking and arch a questioning brow even though I know the answer to what I'm about to ask.

"Can you just leave me the hell alone?"

She sighs and wraps her arms around herself. "Listen, I only want to apologize for earlier. I was out of line and just so upset that you betrayed me that my anger got the best of me."

Maybe I should let her in on a secret that apologies are useless when she's constantly

repeating the same behavior.

This morning wasn't the first time she made a scene and contrary to popular belief, I hate being the center of attention. However, Bridget will always find a way to be the star in her own manufactured melodrama.

"Can you forgive me?" she asks, her voice deceptively contrite.

Completely done with her bi-polar episode and this whole day, I grit my teeth and nod. "Fine."

Totally oblivious to my flippant tone, she grins and claps her hand. "Great and since that's out of the way, I say we try to give things another go-"

"Are you fucking serious?" My growl echoes off the walls as I round on her.

The sleeping monster that is my dark temper fights to lash out and shake the shit out of her so she'll get it through her thick head that I'm not, nor will I ever be, interested in her.

"Yes, Justin, I am. You fell victim to temptation, we're teenagers, it's natural but that shouldn't ruin what we have."

For a moment I'm stunned speechless.

I look deep into her Indigo eyes and see a girl whose living in a land of delusion. It's like she truly can't fathom a world where all her wants aren't delivered to her on a silver platter.

I shake my head because I've noticed the same greedy, over privileged gleam in my father and brother's cold eyes.

That familiar rage simmers just below the surface because I'm constantly being surrounded by people trying manipulate me for their own selfish, cruel, or power hungry reasons. For years I've had to take their shit because I was either too weak to fight back or wanted to keep the peace. Now that I'm older and bigger than my bullies, I can feel myself coming to a tipping point and once that fuse is lit... 

The back of my teeth grind as I pull forth every bit of patience I can muster.

"I'm going to make this crystal fucking clear and this time, I want you really hear me because I won't be having this conversation again." Bending from my six foot two height, I stare Bridget in the eyes so she can see the building hatred in mine. "We have nothing left between us and, at this point, we're not even friends. We'll be cordial around our parent but that's all. Do you understand me?"

"But-"

"No buts, Bridget." The growl in my voice clamps her lips shut.

She's a fucking broken record and I can't take another declaration of love from of her deceitful lips. Despite what she says, Bridget doesn't give a shit about me, it's the hit to her pride she can't bear to accept. Well, too damn bad because I've hopped off this dysfunctional  merry-go-round so she can play her games with someone else.

She crosses her arms over her chest while she thinks of some way to persuade me. I start to walk off until the door at the end of the hall creaks open. Our attention is pulled to the cheer team and Bridget visibly stiffens. The conversation is cut off mid sentence once they spot us and a few faces light up, eager for more drama.

From one second to the next, Bridget does a one-eighty in order to save face in front of her squad. She rolls her shoulders back, lifts her chin, and the haughty little brat is back in effect.

"Don't bother with your excuses, Justin." She flips her hair. "You've hurt me for the last time and I'm sooo done with you."

She makes an about-face and sashays off as a few of her loyal minions shoot me withering glares. I shake my head with a wry chuckle.

Well ladies and gentle men, I think we've crossed scorned ex territory into bat shit crazy.

Story of my fucking life.