Good Boy Gone Bad [ First Edition ]

Chapter 8 | The good boy that wanted love

[ c h a p t e r e i g h t ]
8 — the good boy that wanted love

[ z a r a ]
— point of view

Don't you ever wonder how to take down a bully? Approach the bully calmly and question why he or she bullies people relentlessly? No. That would never work, people will never reveal their secrets as to why they do such cruel things.

I make my way down towards the bus stop, only to find Xanthe sitting down on the bench already, texting away on his rather expensive looking phone. As I approach him, he instantly looks up, throwing me a glance of acknowledgement.

"So, I heard what happened yesterday Zara," Xanthe says gravely, he didn't look happy at all. "If I knew what he was doing, I would've broken his bones." he states boldly, tucking his phone in his pocket.

I take a brief glance at him. His expression was enough alone to tell me he cared about me, but the thought of someone caring about me seemed so distant. It seemed too unreal to be true.

"I'm okay Xanthe," I murmur, this side of Xanthe didn't exist at school. He was known for his rough attitude and cold demeanour. Why did he reveal his kind side to me only?

"Besides, I stopped him from hurting that freshmen, that's all that matters right?" I look at him as he runs his hand through his raven hair locks.

"No, but you could've got yourself hurt, why would you go intervene in helping someone who won't help you back?" Xanthe questions, his words make me stop and ponder for a moment.

The freshman never came back or asked anyone to help me.

"You're right," I respond, just as the school bus stops in front of the bus stop. I watch as Xanthe intertwines his fingers with mine, holding my hand as the both of us enter the bus.

This would happen all the time, he would always hold my hand and sit down next to me. The bus ride will always be silent as he heard his music and as I watched the scenery outside the tainted window.

Maybe this was our thing.

And I had no complaints against it.

»»————-　♔　-————««

As I walk through the hallways I notice people glancing and me from time to time. This was because of yesterday right? Were they all mocking me due to what happened with Bryce?

I have social anxiety, the thought of people watching my every movement and them turning back to talk to their friends make me feel terrible. I make assumptions that they're speaking badly of me, but I couldn't stop. My mind was made to make up stupid scenarios that make me cautious of everything I do.

"Zara!" A voice exclaims, I stop walking and turn back only to be face to face with Carter. He was breathing heavily as he stood in front of me with a guilty expression.

"A-Are you okay?" he stammers, his alluring eyes melting into mine. After two days of ignoring me, he finally speaks to me as if nothing happened.

It's a good thing I don't hold grudges.

"I'm fine Carter." I state blankly, turning around to walk towards my locker. But Carter had different plans, he pulls me back by my wrist, making me face him once again.

"Why didn't you tell me that Bryce hurt you? Your wrists are bruised and clearly by the way you're acting now you're hurt." Carter exclaims, his grip loosening on my wrist.

"It's just a bruise, it will fade away."

Carter shakes his head. "You're telling me, this will go away." he gestures towards my wrists that had dark red and purple bruises.

It hurt each time someone touched it, heck it hurt each time I moved it. "Don't worry, I'll deal with it myself later." I tell him, making my way towards the opposite direction.

But Carter doesn't let go of my hand. "No, you're coming with me to the infirmary and we're gonna treat it there — I won't let you walk around school with bruises as harsh as that." he says straightforwardly, his tone was grave. I decide not to argue against his words.

He gently holds my hand as the both of us walk silently towards the infirmary. Once we arrive there, the nurse was nowhere to be seen. Carter sighs as he pushes me towards the soft bed that laid there.

"Sit." he mumbles, turning around to get some alcohol to wipe on my bruises. I don't move an inch as he returns back towards me, holding some cotton and the alcohol in his hand.

He silently applies some alcohol on to the cotton, he places the bottle on the table beside the bed as he continued on to place the cotton on my bruise.

I hiss as the cold cotton touches my skin. It burned so much, but Carter didn't stop, he applied it on to each and every bruise on my wrist. I couldn't help but stare at him as he did so, he seemed so focused and calm.

He seemed like his old self.

The good boy who cared about everyone, the one that made me smile every day. The one that helped clean up the classrooms after school with me, it made me feel s little happy. It was ethereal for his old personality to make a sudden appearance just for today.

"Zara..." Carter trails on, I shake my thoughts away only to find Carter looking back at me. That's embarrassing, I thought to myself as my cheeks felt like they were set on fire.

Carter's face was just an inch away from mine, suddenly feeling uncomfortable I stand up abruptly — not failing to notice the hurt expression he was masking.

"We should go to class." I say, the tension in the room was rising. It's becoming completely unbearable.

Carter nods his head as he walks behind me, I shake my head as I walk ahead of him. The way I was acting just now wasn't justifiable, I wasn't acting like myself. The way Carter was making me feel seemed so wrong.

It was so wrong because I couldn't stand seeing him like this.

The changed appearance, him holding a reputation that screamed bad boy. It made me feel weird, it stops me from having a single feeling for Carter because I feel like it's not him. The bad boy here isn't who he is, the old him is trapped inside and is wanting to come out but it can't.

Carter is stopping himself from letting his old self out. The good boy that just wanted love.

[ e n d o f c h a p t e r e i g h t ]
#9 — authors note

is this book going too slow? like do you like the plot slowly building up or is it too time consuming and boring?

thank you for reading this chapter <3 i will trying updating once every two days :)

thank you for 13,000 reads!

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