PLAY WITH FIRE

CHAPTER 16

SCARLETT VALENTINE

5 YEARS AGO

Walking into school the next day, the only thing occupying my brain were Holden's words from the night before. 

"You are amazing, Scarlett Valentine" 

Holden Kincaide thought I was amazing and no one could take that away from me, not even Holden himself if he suddenly decided to hate me. 

"Scar" I turned at the sound of Mariah calling my name from down the hallway. Looking up and away from the ground, my books hugged tightly to my chest, I took in my chest friend making her way towards me, a big smile on her face. I couldn't even get a word out before she pulled me into a tight hug, her face resting in the crook of my neck. 

"I missed you" She stated, a laugh leaving my mouth as I pulled away. 

"It's been all of two days" I replied, Mariah letting out a breath as she nodded, holding her hand to her heart. 

"So you agree? Way too long?" Another laugh escaping from my lips as I nodded. 

"Sure" Mariah scoffed, eyeing me before rolling her eyes. 

"Don't over exude yourself with the enthusiasm, Scar" I nudged Mariah to turn around so that I could continue down the hall. 

"I love you, you know that" I told Mariah, smiling down at her. The two of us continued to talk about our weekends, or rather Mariah did. She was just getting to the part where her Mum had made dinner when we turned a corner, a crowd of people standing in the hallways, surrounding a locker. My heart raced as we neared closer to where my locker was, near where everyone was crowded. The closer the got the more people turned, looking at me before smiling and moving away, letting me walk through. Some people looked at me sympathetically, other people grinned horrendous grins. I started pushing past people, trying my hardest to ignore the laughs and snickers as I pushed through into the open area where everyone was looking. Mariah had been pushed back by people, leaving me to stand alone and swallow the lump in my throat as I stared at my locker. 

Pictures, loads of them littered all over the door, of naked men and women having sex, my face photoshopped onto all of the woman. There was also black sharpie all over my locker, words like 'whore' and 'rape doll' written in large block letters. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't fucking breathe. My hands were shaking, my eyes watering as I stared, frozen, listening to people laugh as if this was the most hilarious thing ever pulled. 

"What's everyone staring at?" A couple moments later a few bodies pushed their way into the open space with me. 

"Scarlett?" It was Holden. 

"Oh you sick fucking bastards" Dean was suddenly in front of me, pulling the pictures off my locker and ripping them up. Eros walked over, taking in what was written on the locker door. 

"Who wrote this?" He asked, turning to the crowd of people that were no longer laughing. 

"Who fucking wrote this?" He yelled, those around us flinching at his sudden outburst. I blinked fast hoping to get rid of the tears welling up. 

"Hey, what's going on?" Schmidt and Nolan pushed through the crowd, both stopping in front of the locker and sighing once they took the contents in. When Holden mumbled my name again I finally looked over at him, but his eyes weren't on me, they were piercing through the crowd, locked on something, or rather someone. Holden's jaw ticked, his shoulders stiff as he shoved through the crowd, his eyes set hard on his destination. 

"Hold, what is it?" Nolan asked, stopping at my side, his hand meeting the small of my back. It was a comforting gesture, the heat his body radiating, helping get rid of the cold shock I was in. Everyone quickly parted once they knew where Holden was stalking toward, and when the crowd spread it gave us all a clear direct view of his target. Mitchell Banner; the asshole basketball player Holden scared away a couple weeks back. The one that had cornered me in the hallway, his buddies laughing behind him.