Heartbreak Girl

Chapter Eight: Defense

 Jeriah felt as though he were on steroids. King of the world with the biggest of all secrets. He felt like everyone knew about the underground ring.

What he felt most guilty about was the fact that Tabitha had asked him to go to an auction with her. He knew he should have agreed to it and would have if the fight hadn't been that night.

As it turned out, the cash was close to a thousand dollars in hundreds. He quickly rushed it to the bank early the next day and made a private account to deposit it into. He nearly had a nervous breakdown with that much money at his fingertips.

After a few days of knowing it was there, and spending enough on new sneakers, he realized he should be saving his newfound money for better causes. Calming down his spending was difficult, but forcing himself not to spend it was the best thing he could have done.

The bell broke him of his thoughts. He forced himself not to jump out of his skin by taking a calming breath and closing his eyes to the class hustling toward the lunchroom.

Taking the time to collect himself, he smoothly gathered his belongings. Standing and swinging the bag over his shoulders, Jeriah grabbed his phone.

Movie 2nite? He wrote and pressed send.

It took a second before the new message icon showed on his tiny flip-phone screen. Cant. working a doble. Next time?

Letting out a disappointed breath, he clenched the phone in his hand and thought it through. She wouldn't pick up another shift unless she was avoiding something. Or someone.

Clenching his jaw, he strode out of the classroom and headed for the lunchroom. Seeing a crowd around his usual table, he sighed and shoved himself through the crowd to see an overwhelmed Tabatha at the center. "Hye, back off. The lot of you, I swear you're like wolves around fresh meat. Get."

Ignoring the grumbling crowd as they moved away, Jeria pulled out his seat and munched on a carport stick. Watery carrot, yum. "Looks likeLookslike you found someone to go to the auction with." Made him feel less guilty about turning her down.

She groaned and ran her fingers through her long golden hair. "If I had known that bringing him would cause so much trouble, I wouldn't have gone."

Jeriah chuckled. "I get that, I felt the same that night." If he had known he was going to face a champion st on inflicting pain, would she have gone? Would Shaye have thought about the other night? Would she have been concerned, but supportive? Or would she have told him off? "How do you get a girl to love you back?"

She took a moment to think before hanging her head low. "I wouldn't know. I've never been in love." He nodded, disappointment bringing down his moral. "Who is she?"

He looked up, to see Tabitha curious. "Her name is Shaye. She's a pain in the ass and has enough attitude for both of us." Memories flashed through his mind. The time they painted her room and got paint all over themselves from their paint war. Then thought of the paintball war they had with neighborhood kids. "And I love her. I love my best friend."

"Well," she said, bring him back to the table. "What have you tried?"

He sighed and ran a hand over his weary face. "I've tried to drop hints, but all she did was bypass them with an amused look on her face and a cute laugh."

She sat up straighter, almost as though her oncoming idea was the solution to all his problems. "Have you tried telling her that you love her?"

He shook his head, apprehensive about the thought. "No. Because what would I do id sh doesn't return my feelings? I can't live without her."