Clash: A High School Bully Romance - Madison Falls High Book 2 Read online

  “Yeah, what’s the big deal?” Alexi asked and looked around. “Are you all going to waste a good party talking about crap? Fuck Chad! If Sophia wants to kiss or fuck anyone else, that’s her business. Hell, he’s probably off screwing someone else anyway and they aren’t even an item anymore so leave her the hell alone, ladies.”

  “Thanks, Alexi. I knew you would get it.”

  My phone buzzed, and I took a deep breath. “I bet that’s him.”

  “Then you’re not answering,” Alexi said as she grabbed my hand and tugged me off and to the deepest section of the party where the craziest stuff was happening.

  I covered my nose as I passed a cloud of smoke, and I saw when Brody turned right away when he saw me. He had nothing to worry about, and I ducked and weaved through the small throng as we found a spot close to the back that looked like a lounge area, equipped with plush sofas and cushions.

  “Yeah, that’s me right there,” I said, right before my body twisted and I was spun violently around.

  I tried to get free of Chad’s hold as my face reddened and my heart raced out of control. “Let go of me!”

  He didn’t listen, and I could see the veins in his forehead as he pulled me into the corner. “What the hell are you doing, Sophia? Wes Collingwood? Do you even know who he is?”

  I wanted to just walk away, but no. He was right there and he was going to hear everything that had been on my mind. “Do I even know who you are, Chad? Taking me to the cliff? Getting me back into the water? Taking my fuckin’ virginity, and then dumping me like a used tire? Huh? You have no right to tell me what to do. You can’t even give me an explanation as to why you dumped me!”

  His jaw tightened and he closed his eyes, but he never let me go or answered. I could feel his hand squeezing my wrist, but I knew tugging would only make it hurt more.

  “Please let go of my arm. You’re hurting me,” I said calmly, even as my breath came out in short bursts.

  “None of this is what you think, Sophia,” he tried to explain.

  He slowly let me go, like he didn’t trust me not to walk away. I crossed my arms in front of me. “Well, what the hell is it? Because I don’t get it—any of it.”

  He wiped his hand down his face. “I don’t care who you want to be with. Fuck anyone you want to. Just not Wes.”

  I narrowed my eyes and lifted my hand to slap him across the face, but he anticipated it and gripped my arm. “Wes doesn’t want you,” he sneered. “This is just a game to him.”

  “Says who, you? Because he’s been nothing but decent. What? You afraid that he’ll get what you know you’re missing?”

  “Chad?”

  We both turned when Callie appeared, her red lips making a straight line across her face, and her eyes accusing. She stood there in her five inch Gucci heels and her hands on her hips like a controlling girlfriend even though I was pretty sure they weren’t dating still.

  Chad hissed and walked off without another word, and so did she.

  “What the hell was that?” Amanda asked in amazement as the girls hurried over to me.

  “I’m not sure how to answer that, but I’m beginning to agree with Alexi.”

  “About?” Amanda asked with concern and folded her arms across her chest, pushing her cleavage upwards.

  “Wes. I say to hell with Chad. I can date whomever I want.”

  “But Wes?” Amanda asked with disgust. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Anyone’s a good idea except for Chad. And just in case you didn’t see, seems Callie has him on a leash again.” I rolled my eyes and walked past them. “I don’t know about you, but I could use a drink.”

  “Same here,” Stacey replied and walked off behind me.

  Alexi ran up to hug me. “I’m with you, Sophia,” she grinned as we reached the bar area again and filled our cups. “Here’s to no more Chad.”

  “No more Chad,” I replied and clinked my cup with hers.

  She laughed, and suddenly I wasn’t in such a bad mood anymore. I saw Chad glowering at me from the other end of the room, and when Wes found me again and slipped his hand around my waist, I let him.

  And I enjoyed it.

  Chapter 7

  “Did you see his face when we were leaving?” Alexi asked as she rubbed suntan lotion over her body.

  “I wasn’t paying attention,” I replied as I lay against the beach chair. The salty air coated my skin, and I closed my eyes and inhaled the fresh scent of perfection.

  “Too busy entertaining Wes?” Amanda asked bitterly as she removed her shades and peered at me over it.

  “Too busy being tipsy and forgetting about Chad,” I replied and stuck out my tongue. “And what’s with the sourpuss attitude, Amanda? You should be happy for me.”

  “How can I be happy for you when you’re replacing Chad with an even bigger ass?”

  I narrowed my eyes at her. “Amanda, I’m just having a little fun. Relax, will you?”

  “She doesn’t know how to do that,” Alexi said and snapped the sunscreen tube closed. “You’ll get used to her.”

  “Very funny, Alexi,” Amanda replied and tightened her face. “I can relax, but seems I’m the only one around here who’s thinking.”

  “And what was up with that Callie thing?” Alexi said, totally ignoring Amanda’s remark. She clicked her teeth and fell back against the chair, pulling the shades back over her eyes. Alexi waved her off and pulled her legs up on the beach chair.

  “I don’t know,” I answered. “I hadn’t really thought much about it, but now that you mention it, do you think they’re back together? Maybe that’s why he left me in the first place.”

  Amanda pulled down her shades again. “No, I don’t believe that for a second. No way he would go back to Callie after that epic dumping.”

  “How did they break up?” Suddenly I was very curious.

  “In front of the whole school,” Alexi replied. “Pretty much the same as you, but bigger and more dramatic considering she is the richest and most popular girl in Madison Falls.”

  “Oh,” I mouthed. “I see. So what was that thing at the party then?”

  “Beats me,” Alexi shrugged. “Seems she has him by the balls with something though.”

  “But he’s Chad,” I said and shook my head. It didn’t make sense to me at all. “No way Callie could have something on him to have him on a leash. Isn’t he just as rich as she is and does whatever the hell he wants?”

  “Not so much,” Amanda replied and completely removed her glasses before sitting up. “She’s richer, and her parents pretty much own this town. It could be anything and do anything.”

  “Could she make him break up with me?” I wanted to know. It didn’t make sense to me, but I had to ask anyway.

  “Nah,” Alexi assured me. “No one really makes Chad do anything. Just chalk up your breakup to him being a douche bag.”

  “Yeah,” I mused. “But anyway, enough talk about those two. Who wants to go swimming? I don’t want to sit here talking about boys all day. It’s a beautiful Sunday, and we have nothing to do but relax, so let’s go catch some waves.”

  “I thought you didn’t surf anymore,” Amanda quipped and arched her brows.

  “Yeah. I changed my mind,” I told her, without mentioning how I had actually gotten back onto a surfboard.

  “I’m game,” Amanda replied and got up immediately.

  “Me, too,” Alexi added.

  “Where’s Liz and Stacey?” I asked and looked around. “Thought they would be here by now.”

  “Liz is with Cody, as usual,” Alexi replied with a roll of her eyes. “I don’t know about Stacey.”

  “Yeah, she hasn’t replied to my texts,” Amanda added. “We’ll catch up with her later. Maybe she’s out with her mom.”

  Usually surfing freed my mind. Not that time. The sprays from the water, the gentle lapping of the waves, and the smooth rides did nothing to get my mind off of Wes or Chad. Or Callie, when I stopped to
think about it.

  When I arrived at school on Monday, Wes was waiting for me by my locker. Somehow my heart swelled seeing him standing there – faded jeans, white tee and a letterman jacket. Damn he looked like a tall piece of candy.

  He smiled a boyish grin, and rocked off the locker when he saw me approaching. “Hey there, gorgeous,” he said smoothly and rubbed my shoulder.

  “Hey, yourself,” I replied. “You think I can get in there?”

  He looked back at the locker and laughed. “Sure. You busy after school?”

  “Um, I don’t think so,” I replied while taking out my binder and replacing it with my purse. “Why? What’s up?”

  “I was thinking of me and you spending a little time over at my place…?”

  I cocked my head to the side. “Your place? Just the two of us?”

  He laughed again, teasing me gently. “You’re right. That does sound sleazy. Okay, how about we hang by the pier?”

  I was about to say no when Chad walked by us. “You sure know how to pick ‘em,” he shot and laughed. Brody kept his eyes forward, like he didn’t want to look at me, and Cody gave me a crooked smile. The others just followed him quietly, but I saw the grimace on Wes’ face and I knew what was about to happen before it did.

  He made two steps back and then turned, grabbing Chad by the shoulder. “You got something you want to say, Minor?” he growled.

  Chad, already heated it seemed, shoved Wes backwards hard. He crashed into the row of lockers.

  I saw Wes’ balled fists as he pushed up off the locker in a second, and then Chad’s face twisted after he received the first blow. “You need to back the fuck up!” Wes growled. “She doesn’t belong to you.”

  Chad shot me a wicked glance, before he wiped his mouth and rammed Wes in the stomach in a football tackle. The two crashed into the locker, and my jaw dropped to the ground.

  This can’t be happening.

  “Chad! Wes! Stop it!” I shouted as I dropped my binder and rushed forward. Strong arms held me back. I twisted and turned to see Deven and Cody staring at me.

  “Not your fight, Sophia,” Cody said softly.

  “You’re just going to stand here and let them have it out?” I asked in disbelief. “They could get suspended and kicked off their teams.”

  They exchanged glances before Cody stepped forward and pulled Chad off of Wes. The two were raging bulls by then, snorting and pawing the ground as they prepared to charge. Cody wasn’t enough to hold Chad back, and he charged into Wes again, knocking him to the ground.

  It took Brody, Cody, and Deven to get him off. A small crowd had gathered by then, and I knew it would only be a matter of time before the principal showed up.

  “Wes, you need to get out of here,” I shouted at him.

  He hopped to a stand and glared at Chad. “This isn’t over, Minor,” he said and pointed at Chad.

  “You can count on it,” Chad spat, and then looked at me with hateful eyes. “I expected better from you.” That stung, and my stomach twisted into knots. He shook off the boys and walked off through the parted crowd. Then he made a sharp turn and took a couple of steps back. “Ask him about end of summer race night, Sophie. Let’s see what bullshit lie he feeds you.”

  End of summer race night? What’s race night?

  I heard oohing from some of the students, with some giving me worried glances. I turned to Wes. “What’s he talking about?”

  “Nothing,” he replied and wiped his hand across his mouth.

  I squinted at him, expressing my disbelief. “Do I look stupid to you? What don’t I know?”

  “Tell you later,” he said as the principal appeared and Wes walked away before he could get called.

  I stood by the locker, and the principal eyed me suspiciously, like he assumed I had something to do with the brawl he must have heard about. But I had the feeling both Chad and Wes were untouchables anyway.

  I closed my locker, retrieved my binder and walked stiffly to class. I was surprised that Amanda hadn’t shown up. She was running late. It was a good thing, too – I couldn’t handle all the questions and criticisms right now.

  One thing was for sure – Chad was trying really hard to get me away from Wes, and I needed to know why.

  He didn’t show up for first period, which was understandable. But the looks Callie kept shooting me were unsettling. I was more than happy when the class ended, and I slipped out of the room like an escaped convict.

  It was the same song and dance for the next couple of days, with Wes trying to get me to go out with him on dates, and Chad shadowing me in the background.

  “I’m telling you, something’s up with those two,” I told the girls when we sat down for lunch. “Callie keeps coming at me, even though I’m not with Chad, and sometimes, it’s like, he doesn’t say anything when she’s around.”

  “Really?” Liz asked. “I thought he wasn’t talking to you at all.”

  “He’s not. Not really,” I had to admit. “He’ll make snide comments and stuff, but never when she’s around. Then, he gets tight-lipped. Let me show you,” I told them and looked over at his table.

  I stood and waved. “Chad!”

  He looked up from his lunch, narrowed his eyes at me, and hung his head again.

  “See? Now look at her,” I told them as I focused on Callie’s table.

  Four heads turned to see Callie’s lips turn to a slit in her face. She slammed her napkin down on the table and walked over to Chad’s table.

  “I’m beginning to think you’re right,” Amanda agreed slowly. “Wonder what she’s saying to him.”

  “Get the fuck outta my face, Callie!” Chad barked and swiped his hand across the table, scattering the lunch tray as he did. He got up and walked out of the cafeteria, and Callie stalked back to her table, her face red and her eyes on fire.

  “Well, there goes the theory that something was going on between them,” Stacey said.

  “Told you,” Amanda said proudly.

  I wasn’t convinced. “So why did she go to him when I called to him?”

  “I don’t know. Beats me. Who knows why Callie does what Callie does?” Alexi asked. “I for one am tired of all of them.”

  “Including Wes?” I teased.

  “All of them,” she repeated. “If you wanna fuck him that’s your business. I don’t judge.”

  “Thanks for your support,” I replied sarcastically.

  Liz giggled. “It’s up to you, anyway, Sophia. I don’t think any of us can convince you to do or not do anything.”

  She was right. I had always been my own person – never needed anyone to make decisions for me. But I knew there were things going on I wasn’t sure about, or just plain didn’t know.

  “Hey, guys, what happened end of summer race night?”

  “Race night?” Liz asked nervously, and they looked around at each other like they were mentally contemplating if they should mention it.

  “Yes, race night. And don’t tell me you don’t know anything about it,” I challenged them.

  They looked bummed, and I knew I needed to know the truth, once and for all. “What does it have to do with Chad? Or Wes?”

  “How did you hear about that?” Amanda asked and twiddled her thumbs.

  “Does it matter?” I asked as I looked around the table. “Is someone going to say something?”

  “Fuck it,” Alexi said and leaned forward.

  “Alexi!” Liz warned.

  “Liz, shut up!” I snapped. “I need to know. Something is going on and it all comes down to that event. Whatever the hell happened.”

  “You know they race, right?” Alexi asked. “Of course you do. Anyway, summer after tenth grade, there was an end of summer race. Wes won, Robby didn’t. Robby lost his pink slip to Wes. Shit happened. Robby died. Wes got sent away and that’s the story.”

  My eyes almost popped out of my head. “Wait, what? Hold on…who’s Robby?”

  “One of Chad’s boys,” Liz answered thi
s time. “Brody’s best friend, in fact. He blames Wes for Robby’s death. Couple days after the race, Wes gets sent away. We don’t even know what the hell happened, or where he was shipped off to. But that’s it. That’s all we know. Only Chad, or Wes, or one of them can fill in the rest of the blanks to that story.”

  “Damn,” I exclaimed. “I didn’t know any of that.”

  “How could you?” Amanda asked. “Wes has been gone a year, and you just came. Missed all the fun,” she replied sarcastically.

  But it sort of made a whole lot more sense why Chad hated Wes, and vice versa. “What does any of that have to do with Callie?”

  “Who said it did?” Alexi asked, a perplexed look on her face.

  “I don’t know. I just assumed it…it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t change anything.”

  “Doesn’t it?” Amanda asked and raised her brows. “Wes and Chad are natural rivals. They have been for as long as any of us can remember. Wes is a bad choice for you.”

  “Just because of Chad? No,” I insisted. “I’ll judge Wes for how he treats me, and so far, he’s not been that bad. I’m not going to judge him on a past I have no solid information on.”

  The bell rang, interrupting our conversation. There were many gaps and details surrounding race night, like what really happened, and where had Wes been for all of junior year? And why had Chad never mentioned Robby?

  As I walked down the hall I stopped and looked at the large glass case against the wall that held school memorabilia such as plaques and, trophies and then peered a little closer. I had never really taken the time to look since I had been at Madison Falls High. My eyes fell to a large picture frame of a boy in his football uniform. He had light brown hair that was tousled and came down just to his above his ears and bright blue eyes. He wore an infectious smile on his face that revealed a dimple in his right cheek. He was very good looking. I looked closer and read the plaque. It said, ‘In remembrance of Robert Turnbill.’ I couldn’t help but suck in a breath and I touched my lips with my fingers as I stared at the boy that died. My heart fluttered for a second as I continued to stare. He was the center of it all—this hatred that Chad had for Wes.