Ruin Me

17. Scare me

My back was slammed against a hard stone wall so forcefully I knew it would leave bruises. I was too scared to complain though. My heart was racing in my throat and my stomach was doing flips so fast I wanted to be sick.

"No need to be so rough," a male voice cut in, it wasn't one I recognised but a hand was still clamped over my eyes so I couldn't see him. At least it didn't sound like him though, it could be someone he'd sent to speak to me.

Suddenly, the hand from my eyes vanished and I was hyper aware of everything around me. The way the wall was sticky and cool on my back, how the scent of urine and disinfectant flooded my nose and how my heart was racing in my chest so quickly that I couldn't catch my breath.

Then my sight fell into focus, in front of me stood three boys, lined up like the Great Wall. My gaze lingered over each of them waiting for a sign of recognition but nothing. They looked like ordinary high school boys, a little tougher maybe but nothing remotely menacing. Wait, was the central boy in my math class?

I let out an almost audible sigh of relief, they were harmless boys in my year. I mentally shook my head at myself, I'd just been snatched and shoved about by these three boys yet I was relieved? My brain was seriously fucked up.

"Cara Collins," the ringleader, the one in the centre stepped forward, he had that swagger about him, one that showed he was trying much too hard to look more impressive than he actually was. Defensive mode flicked on in my brain and I folded my arms as I waited to hear the reason for my kidnapping, nothing.

"Are you going to state something other than my name, something worth my time or should I just go?" I retorted forcing my voice to sound bolder than I felt. I imagined my mom sat with a row of cards in front of her with her chin titled up and famous poker face staring defiantly at her opponent, no matter her hand.

"You're the new kid on the block so I thought I'd explain the rules so you don't have to make the same mistakes again," he rocked back and forth on his heels thinking he looked cool. He looked like a fool.

"Rules?" I raised my eyebrows.

"You brought Kings Bridge boys onto our territory."

I couldn't help the snort that escaped my mouth.

"Seriously?" The boys face didn't look like he was joking around, "our territory! I'm sorry I didn't realise I'd walked into some cliché werewolf film. Last I checked people had the right to go wherever they wanted."

"They're not welcome here and they know that," the boy hissed through his teeth, he looked a little more ominous now, "especially when they flaunt you as their way in."

I felt like I'd been slapped in the face, was I their way in? Was this just some stupid rivalry that I'd been unknowingly dragged into and was now being used as a ploy to get into Ainsley territory.

No, the boys weren't like that. Some nagging part of my brain didn't fully believe that though. People lied, it was no surprise.

"Any particular reason why they're not welcome, or just for dramatic effect?" I rolled my eyes at the stupidness of the whole thing. And to think I thought my life was in danger a mere minute ago.

"There's not a good history between our schools, it goes way back, that's always how it's been. Also, that huge guy messed around one of our girls. Now you come here flaunting their school jacket like you're one of them. I'm telling you not to bring them back because it won't end well, you should be thanking me for warning you."

"Sorry," I made my voice high pitched and squeaky, "thank you so so much for grabbing me and hurting me and then giving me some ominous warning about where I can and can't go with my friends but ...,"