Bitter Sweet Life

Four

A/N:Rob's pic on the side... I drop dead at the sight of this guy.. 'love you'- in a whisper.. :D

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Four





The next day, I wasn't in any mood to go to school at all. Just a day of school and I've already ruin the art of being invisible. I wasn't ungrateful for finally being part of something. I was ungrateful that I got too much attention.



As I walked the hallway towards my locker, people were staring at me. Yesterday, nobody even cared about the new girl; now, because of the stunt I did, they are interested about me. Maddy called me yesterday when I got home. We exchange phone numbers in class. She told me about this, that people will take notice of me since I just dish a bunch of popular football player who mostly rule the school.



When I reach my locker, I almost buried my face inside it with shame. As I got my things and close my locker, I notice someone leaning beside my locker, blocking his face from my opened locker. I close it and wished I slammed it the other way.



"What do you want?" I said, annoyed and tired. I looked around the hall and saw the people stopped and stared at me more.



He didn't say anything and just smirked at me. This made me more annoyed and angry at him.



"You leave me alone. If you don't have anything to say to me, go away. You're attracting unwanted attention for me Nicholas." I said, and walked away from him, turning the other way.



"Wow. Who gave you permission to call me Nicholas?" he said, annoyed at the sound of his real name.



"Since it is your name, wouldn't it be proper for someone who is a stranger to call you by your real name. I mean, we aren't in anyway acquainted at all. Nicholas. " I said, turning back to him and faced him head on. I didn't weaver when he stared me down with his eyes.



For a moment, he looked pissed but he easily got himself together and back to his annoying, cocky self.



"Wow. I'm flattered that you got your way and look me up to know my real name." he said, smirking already.



I have no intention on playing along with him and his cocky self, and walked away from the scene. I was in no mood to fight with anyone yet since I am new to this school. Though, Nick was provoking me, I wouldn't give him the pleasure of fighting back yet. I need to be totally under the radar since I am not in my best situation for the past three years after that incident happen.





For a week, I kept to myself taking all of Nick's endless talk and only had the pleasure of relieving it all from Maddy's kindness and motivating words. I didn't let him get to me that easily. When the weekend came, I was already exhausted and kept myself locked up in my room. My mom was worried that I changed back to my old self again by locking up for the rest of the weekend, but she looked relieved when she saw me up and eating breakfast on Monday. I felt sorry for her for going through with it and for being with this kind of daughter, but sometimes I have to have a time for myself to relieve everything.



That morning, she tried talking to me, asking questions, but in the end, I couldn't tell her about it. I didn't lock myself up because of Nick and my week in school, I did it because I was having those dreams again. They weren't really dreams but memories of my past. And, I can't have her think I'm unstable again. It would ruin her to see me that way.



When I was on my way to school, walking from the bus stop, someone hocked behind me. I turned around and saw Rob driving a silver Mercedes. I was in awe of him for a moment, his window rolled down, his head leaning towards me with a smile. I didn't hear what he said and just stared.



"Earth to Natalie? Are you sleep walking? You look like you didn't sleep for a week." He said, reeling me back to reality.



"I'm sorry. I just had a rough week." I answered tiredly, my voice sounded like a whisper.



For a moment, I felt all the bad things weighed down on me, and I was sucked out of life. I sighed and closed my eyes and took a deep breath.



"Are you sure you're okay?" he said worriedly.



When I opened my eyes, I looked at him and gave him a soft, convincing smile. " I'm fine, just tired." I replied.



He looked at me for a moment and smiled back. " Well... that's good to hear. Since you look so down, I will give you a ride today to cheer you up." He said and parked his car beside me and got out.



"No, it's okay. it's only a few block from here." I said, slightly caught off guard by his offer.



"It's a privilege to be asked to ride with me. And, I don't take no for an answer." he said and walked towards me and pulled me to his car.



I smirked at his pushiness and went along with him, he did offer it to me nicely and I was dead beat tired.



When we reached to school silently, the parking area was mostly empty. I looked at my watch and saw that I was an hour and a half early for school. I almost laugh from my own stupidity which made Rob look at me weirdly.



"What's so funny?" he asked, smirking.



"I thought I was already late for school, but my watch tells me otherwise." I said with a smirk. I looked up again at the almost empty lot and sighed to myself. I don't know what I would do for an hour and a half before class starts.



"Do you want to watch us practice?" he asked, making me stop what I was thinking.



"Practice what?" I asked, confused at what he said and forgotten who he was. Then, it hit me. He is part of the school's football team. "Oh, right. That's why you're here early." I said before he could explain it to me.



"You looked surprised. You don't know?" he asked, he looked a little hurt from what I said.



"Oh, I knew. I just, sort of forgotten about it. The only football player I know is that annoying cousin of yours..." I said with hatred as I remembered his face.



"Huh. So, he got your full attention. He always gets the beautiful ones." He said silently, mostly to himself.



"I'm flattered that you think I am beautiful. And I don't think that guy wants anything from me other than to annoy the hell out of me." I stated sternly.



"He's just like that because you didn't fall for his charms. Actually, you're the first person I know that didn't fall for his charms. That guy is too charismatic to reject." He said, smirking at his own thoughts.



"He's like a kid that bullies the girl he likes..." I stated, trailing of in question, a smile slowly forms in my face with the thought of Nick being childish.



"If you put it that way, then yes." he said, smiling with me from the thought.



I agreed to go with Rob and watch their practice. While we were walking towards the field, we talked about Nick and his childishness. He was a nice guy if he wasn't being cocky and for a moment he made me feel safe and carefree. We laugh as he told me a joke about one of the summer he had with Nick about him almost sleeping with a guy who was gay because he was so drunk and wasted. I laughed so hard that my stomach almost started to hurt. But, as we reached our destination, Nick walked towards us, smirking.



"Wow, cous. I didn't know you had it in you make this miserable woman laugh." he said and patted Rob on his shoulder.



Rob didn't say anything or smile at what he said. I was grateful for it and looked at him and gave him a soft smile as thanks. He looked at me and gave me a smile in return.



Then, I faced Nick and stared him down. "Well, Nicholas. I'm only miserable whenever I am around you. You're like a leech that such all the happiness in me with your cockiness. And, I'm surprise that you still have pride left in you after you whore yourself with any gender, especially men." I said, trying to look serious.



Rob snickered at what I said and remembered what he told me in the way here. But, he stopped when he saw Nick raising his fist towards me.



"Hey. Come on and let's change before you get yourself in trouble." Rob said as he held Nick in a bear hug blocking him from me. He slowly pushed him away, shoving him towards the locker room.



"If I hear you say that again, Hale. You're dead." He said to me angrily, his face fuming and ready to kill me.



I stood there stunned and shocked of his reaction. For a moment, I was scared that he was going to punch me, but I didn't flinch and looked at him straight in the eye.



"You wish! Don't anymore bother me or else this tongue of mine would slip and the world would question about your manhood." I said to him more loudly since they were already across the hall from me.



He looked at me shocked and tired to squirm his way away from Rob's hold but he held him tighter and pushed him back harder.



Before Nick can say anything to me, Rob shouted to him angrily, "Enough! Let's go."



Nick looked at him and back at me and to Rob again and walked away, stomping his feet towards the locker room. Rob stood there for a moment and followed him without looking back.



I stood in the empty hallway alone. I pondered what I said and did and regretted most of it. But, I was exhausted and tired and let the thought drop and went to the bathroom to cool myself down. I stayed there for a while before I proceed to the field and sat at the bleachers, watching the football team practice.



When I got there, I was surprised to see Maddy sitting by herself away from the cheerleaders who were warming up for practice. I approached and called her name. As she was me walking towards her, she got up to her seat and met me half way.



"What are you doing here so early?" she asked me after greeting me a good morning.



"My alarm told me I was late, but my watch says different. Rob invited me to watch practice." I said with a soft smile.



"Rob asked you?" she asked, her lips twitching into a grin.



"It's not what you think..." I said before she could think anything out of it.



"Why? What do you think am I thinking?" she said, smiling at the thought.



I sighed heavily and gave her a soft smile. "You know what I'm talking about. And, I already told you I wasn't interested. I known the guy, what? Two days? The last time I saw him was in the pizzeria..." I said, stating my defense.



"That wasn't what I was thinking..." she said, smiling wide. "What happen? I can feel that something happened..." she added excitedly like I was going to tell her good news.



"Don't lie to me. I know you think we are... well, anyways, nothing happened. We just talked, that's all."I said and moved up the bleachers looking for a nice place to seat.



"Wait! I'll get my things and seat with you." she shouted and walked back to her seat and grabbed her bag.



When we were already settled, she dropped her bag beside mine and started asking me again. I smiled at her enthusiasm and gave in. I told her the ride Rob gave me this morning and our little chat, but didn't get into detail. Then I stopped talking when I remembered the confrontation with Nick. She notice me paused and asked what happen. Then, I told her about Nick. She was angry at the part when I told her about Nick almost punching me but she squealed with delight when I said Rob defended me.



"He likes you, you know." She said after I told her the story.



"What? How could he when he doesn't know me..." I stated, looking at her like she was bluffing.



"Why do you deny it so much? Rob is a nice guy." She said with a smile, her eye glistening at the thought of Rob and me together.



"I know how love works. I just don't see how going through all those difficulties and challenges can benefit me. I'd rather stand and watch how things unravel for others." I said almost sadly but kept my face as emotionless as I can.



"You know, you're bitter sometimes. You're just scared that a guy like that might actually like you. Everyone deserves to be loved." She said with a smile, her mood never falter at what I said.



I stared at her for a moment and ponder at what she said. I forgot what it felt to be loved by someone special. The last memory I have led someone I love to die.



"Oh. Did you know that someone was going to build a skyscraper downtown? I can't believe that Walker Empire would think to build something huge in a small town like this." She said, reeling me back to reality.



"Did you say, Walker Empire?" I asked, shocked at the sound of the name. My heart was beating so fast and my palm was starting to sweat.



"Yes... Are you alright?" she said and asked and she saw my reaction.



I closed my eyes for a moment and calmed myself down. "I'm okay... I just have a rough week." I answered after I opened my eyes and took a deep breath.



My mind went blank after that, and I was feeling more exhausted.



He found me, he knows I'm here. He wasn't supposed to know where I was. For three years, he was only allowed to see me under the supervision of the court. My mother and I stayed away as much as we can from him, the man who partly ruins my life for the past three years, the man who neglected my existence and my mother, the man who threw us away.



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Hey lovely readers.. this is the end of four.. and the mystery starts here..

So, who do you think is the man? any ideas? what do you think of Nick's reaction? do you think Rob likes Nat?

tell me what you think and leave a comment..

If you like the chapter i would appreciate a vote..



til next chapter..

...Melon Diaries...