The Bullies Who Loved Me Read online

  The Bullies Who Loved Me

  By

  Mia Belle

  Copyright © 2019 Mia Belle.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form without written permission from the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to real life, movies, television, games, or books is entirely coincidental and was not intended by the author.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter One

  Daphne

  Little do I know that the moment I enter the school building first day of junior year, my life would turn into a living hell.

  It’s bad enough that my best friend Zoe’s parents decided to send her to a private school, pretty much leaving me to navigate the last two years of high school alone. As I trudge down the hallway to my locker, I feel a shadow lurking behind me, ready to pounce. The place is crowded with kids heading to wherever they need to go. I notice a few watching me, their gazes causing goosebumps to pop up all over my arms. I knew coming here would be hard. Hell, Mom tried to convince me to switch schools. But I wouldn’t hear of it. Because I’m not backing down from what I saw and what I believe in.

  “Hey, Pigget,” Avery Pentecost says with a fake, wide smile as I make my way further down the hallway. “Had a nice summer? We missed you.”

  I ignore her. Avery and I have gone to school together since kindergarten. I’ve avoided her like the plague, and she returned the favor. But something tells me no one is going to ignore me this year.

  A hand grabs my arm, shoving me into the lockers. “I’m talking to you, Pigget.” Avery glares into my eyes. “How dare you come back after what you did last year?”

  A crowd has gathered around, each glaring at me like their queen bee.

  “This is my school, too,” I tell her.

  The kids snort. Avery still wears that fake, wide smile on her face. “Really? Is it?” She nods to her friends, and they wrench my backpack off my shoulders, chucking it down the hall. “No one wants you here. So why don’t you run back to Granny’s house and hide like you did all summer?” She yanks me away from the lockers and pushes me. Someone sticks his foot out at the exact moment and I trip, sliding across the newly-waxed floor like a wet mop.

  Laughter bursts through the halls as well as the sounds of clicking phones. Let them take pictures and videos. Let them post them online. I don’t give a damn. I’ll die fighting for what I saw last year. For the truth. Nothing and no one will change my mind.

  “What the hell is going on?” a deep, rough voice calls from down the hallway.

  Lifting my head, I find one of the Kings of Leighton High, Eric Alexander, marching over to me. His golden blond hair falls into his eyes in a way that begs to be worked through.

  The kids step aside to give him the honor he somehow deserves. His bright blue eyes pin on me, then shift to where my backpack is sprawled a few feet away.

  “That yours?” he asks me. Not bothering to wait for a response, he sweeps it off the floor and dumps the contents over my head. Pencils, pens, notebooks, my calculator crash down like a downpour.

  The hallway once again explodes in laughter. A few kids clap, and I swear I hear Avery squealing like a pig.

  Eric bends close to my ear, his smell of soap and detergent seeping into my nose. “Get the hell out of this school,” he whispers.

  I don’t take my eyes off him as he straightens up and turns toward his first class. His best friends, the other two Kings, Ryder Kensington and Caden Murray, follow him, Ryder kicking my notebook down the hall.

  The bell rings and all the kids fizzle out to their classrooms. I take a few minutes retrieving my stuff and dumping them in my backpack before zooming to algebra. Class has already started and the teacher’s head springs up as I stand in the doorway.

  “Late,” he says. “Detention.”

  “But it’s the first day.”

  That gets a chuckle out of Avery. Eric keeps those ice-cold blue eyes on me.

  “Detention,” Mr. Dwight repeats. “Find your seat so I may begin the lesson.”

  My eyes sweep along the room for a seat, and I find one at the corner of the room, a desk that looks like it’s seen better days. From the gleam in Avery’s eyes, I know she’s responsible for putting that desk there and making sure no one claimed it.

  Whatever. I won’t let these kids get to me. I’m stronger than they think.

  As I go to that sorry excuse for a desk, someone once again sticks out his foot and I fly across the room, my chin scraping the floor and my backpack spilling all its contents.

  “Excuse me,” Mr. Dwight snaps. “First you have the audacity to be late on the first day of class, and now you won’t let me begin my lesson?”

  “It’s so true,” Avery says to her friends, who giggle louder than they should. “So rude.”

  I quickly gather my things and head to my seat, telling myself to be strong. Be strong, Daphne.

  Throughout the lesson, I can’t ignore the glares from the Kings of Leighton High. Eric looks like he wants me dead. What the hell is he pissed at me for? I didn’t do anything wrong. He should blame his brother for what happened, not me. It sucks that he died, but putting the blame on me is wrong, immature, and selfish.

  I glare back, challenging him. He, his friends, the entire school can try to tear me down, but I won’t let them.

  The first half of the day passes quickly and I find myself in the cafeteria, watching the kids sitting in groups, laughing, talking, eating. Normally I’d sit with Zoe, but now that she’s off at that fancy private school, I’m alone.

  There’s a free table at the right side of the room, and I make a beeline for it, only to crash into something hard. My tray falls backward, the food spilling onto my shirt and down my jeans.

  Eric stands before me, arms crossed, with Ryder and Caden flanking him on either side.

  I look at him with narrowed eyes. “I didn’t do anything to you,” I say, hoping my voice hides the tremor passing through me. “Leave me the hell alone.”

  The rest of the kids stop what they’re doing and shift their attention to the center of the room, where the Kings and I stand.

  Ryder and Caden snort, crossing their arms. Eric steps closer to me. “You ruined my damn life,” he spits in a stone-cold voice that sends chills down my spine. “Get the hell out of my face.”

  I arch my back. “You can’t kick me out of the cafeteria.”

  His eyes harden. “Watch me.”

  I make a move to push past him, but he steps in my way. His friends follow suit. My eyes dart from
one guy to the other. Each one looks like he wants to run a knife through me.

  A few girls, including Avery and her friends, join the guys, forming a blockade.

  My head whips around for a teacher, but there are none around. How convenient.

  The food continues to drip down my shirt, jeans, and socks. The others have smirks on their faces, sneering at me like I’m less than the ants on the ground.

  Giving Eric a glare, I turn on my heels and stalk out the door. Laughter rings after me, and when I look back, I spot the Kings plop down at their table at the center of the room. Avery and her squad quickly join, as though worried other girls will snag their seats.

  Shaking it all away, I head for the bathroom and bend before the sink. My straight dark brown hair falls down my back in its usual boring manner. Luckily, no food is wedged inside. My brown eyes used to be full of joy and laughter last year. Now they’re pissed as hell. There’s some fear mixed in as well.

  “No, Daphne,” I warn my reflection. “Do not let those assholes get to you.”

  I turn on the faucet and rub water on my shirt to try to clean this mess up. I won’t grab something from the lost and found and give them the satisfaction. I’ll wear this stain like a badge.

  When the bell rings, signaling the end to lunch, I take another look at myself in the mirror, then move toward the door.

  It opens and a few freshmen enter. They scan me from top to bottom and snicker.

  I shove past them, making my way to chemistry.

  ***

  I can’t believe it, but I managed to talk Vice Principal Henson into dropping my detention. Maybe because it’s the first day and she was in a good mood. I feel Avery and her friends scowling as I make way for the exit, but I ignore them.

  School is only a few blocks away from my house. The walk is usually a nice one, especially because the weather is beautiful on this August day in our small town of Leighton, Florida. Not too hot, and definitely not cold.

  I can hear the kids calling to one another, making plans to hang out. Zoe and I would do the same, hanging out in Mom’s diner, tell her about our day, help out a little with the customers.

  I decide to keep the tradition, even though my best friend doesn’t get out of school until later.

  Mom’s behind the counter, pencil in her hair, notepad in her front pocket. Her face is cheery as usual. No matter what goes on in her life, she makes sure to always be cheerful for the customers.

  “Hi, sweetie,” she says after the tiny bell at the door jingles. “How was school?” She hands a dish to a customer and glances at me, gasping. “What happened to your shirt?”

  I play with the small candy jar on the counter. Mom hands these out to little kids.

  “Cafeteria mishap,” I tell her, avoiding her eyes. She’d spot my lie in an instant. “School was fine. My classes are great, teachers are great. Everything was great.”

  “That’s great. Junior year. Wow. Before I know it, you’ll be off to college and I’ll only hear from you once a month and then you’ll—”

  “Mom.” I finally look at her. “It’s just the first day. Take a deep breath.”

  She sighs, reaching for a strand of my identical shade of dark brown hair and pushing it out of her eyes. “I know. Still.”

  The left corner of the diner vibrates with laughter, and when I turn my head, I spot four juniors seated at a table. Mom’s diner, Jillian’s, is a popular hangout for teens, mostly because it’s near school. And because the food’s great. Mom was adamant about hiring the best chefs. The diner doesn’t bring in that much money, but it was my mother’s dream to open one since she was my age. Dad encouraged her to follow her dreams. If not for his job as a social worker, I’m not sure we’d have enough money to keep this place going. Or us going.

  Mom catches me watching the kids in the corner. “Your friends?”

  “No.” I lower the candy jar. “Just some kids from school. Do you need help?”

  “That’s okay, sweetie. Want a snack?” She plucks a muffin from the glass case on the counter and holds it out to me.

  I can feel the kids’ eyes boring into the back of my head, can feel the chuckles bubbling deep inside them.

  “No, thanks,” I say.

  “But you need to eat something.”

  If she knew I pretty much starved all day, she’d shove half the food in this diner down my throat.

  I snatch a banana from the bowl on the counter and wave it around. “Are you sure you don’t need help? It looks like the place is filling up.”

  “I told you I’m fine.” She reaches for me and pulls me into her arms. “What did I do to deserve such an amazing daughter?”

  The laughter from the left corner grows louder. Mom’s amazing and I love her, but she has no idea who and what those kids are laughing at.

  I pull free. “I’ll check if they need help in the kitchen.” I head for the back room.

  “I was so sure she’d chomp down that muffin like her fatass mother,” one of the girls says as I pass their table.

  “Me, too!” the other gushes. “I mean, doesn’t she know how disgusting she is?”

  I freeze and slowly turn around. My mouth opens to tear these bitches apart, but then I remember my mom is right there. She doesn’t need to know what happened today at school, and she certainly doesn’t need to know what these dumbass kids think of her.

  Fisting my hands at my sides, I narrow my eyes at each one of them before marching into the kitchen.

  Chapter Two

  Eric

  “You sure you don’t want back in?” Caden asks me after school as he, Ryder, and I stride down the hallway. Girls trail after us. I don’t pay much attention to them. Maybe I would in the past, but not anymore.

  He slaps my chest. “Eric.”

  I stop at my locker and dump my school crap inside. “I told you I quit the team. Coach already reamed my ass about it and I don’t need any shit from you guys.”

  “But it’s Blake’s legacy,” Caden insists. “If you swim, you’re keeping his memory alive. Don’t you want that?”

  I shut my eyes for a second before I completely lose it. I slam my locker. “No.”

  Caden turns to Ryder. “Help me out here, man.”

  Ryder’s eyes are pinned on the walls splattered with dumb posters that no one cares about. He shrugs. “If Eric doesn’t want to swim, he doesn’t want to swim.”

  Caden frowns. “We’ll never make it to the championships without him.”

  I stalk down the hall. “Not my problem.”

  Caden and Ryder zoom to catch up to me. “Sure it is,” Caden says. “Your brother would have wanted this. For him and for you.”

  I stop and face him. “Caden, drop this or I’ll beat the shit out of you.”

  Caden throws his hands up. “Fine, whatever. Come, Ryde, let’s leave him to wallow.”

  Ryder gives him a look. “His brother died three months ago. Give him a damn break.”

  “I know he’s hurting. I just think he should live life to the fullest. You never know when it’ll be your last day on this planet. I should know all about that.”

  I think back to my older brother. He knew when his last day was, because he chose when to die. I’m pissed as hell at him, but I also understand. Or I’m trying to. Blake lost everything—his dreams and hopes. His self-worth. There’s only one person to blame for that. Good thing she already left, because I wouldn’t be able to stand the sight of her right now.

  “What do you say, man?” Caden asks. “Do it for him.”

  I want to. A part of myself begs me, urges me, to rejoin the team. But I can’t. Just can’t. The guys don’t understand, and I want to keep it that way. No one can discover the truth.

  I shake my head. “Sorry, man. I’ve got to go.” I step toward the doors.

  “Where are you running off to?” Caden calls after me. I don’t answer, just shut the door behind me.

  My eyes take in the student parking lot and for some stup
id reason, they search for a car that should be there. Blake’s car. He graduated last year and I would have gotten his car. Dad promised him a new one for college. That never happened, and Dad sold the car to pay for booze. That’s all he does.

  “Eric?”

  I look up. My twelve-year-old sister stands there, hunched over with her huge backpack on her back.

  “Phoebe, what are you doing here?” I ask.

  She shifts from one foot to the other, running her hand through her blonde hair. “I…don’t have anywhere to go. I can’t go home. Don’t want to.” She puffs out her cheeks. “I don’t want to deal with him.”

  I scrub my hand down my face. “You told me you were going to Arielle’s house after school.”

  “She had a doctor’s appointment.”

  “Then hang out at the mall or something.”

  “Can’t I watch you practice? You never let me come to your swim meets anymore. You’re such an awesome swimmer.” Her eyes are downcast. “Just like he was.”

  I squeeze my eyes shut. “I don’t let you come to my meets because I quit the team.”

  Her eyes get so wide two moons can fit inside. “What? You quit? Why?” Her face grows despondent. “Because it reminds you of Blake?”

  I don’t answer and silence takes up the space between us. Phoebe’s got her focus on me, while I can’t look at her.

  “It’s not that,” I finally say. “I quit because I got a job.”

  “A job?”

  “At a mall on the other side of town. Need to take the bus to get there.”

  She keeps her gaze on me for a little while. “You shouldn’t have quit. You could have gotten a swimming scholarship.”

  I shake my head. “I was nowhere good enough. Not like Blake was, anyway.”

  “You were.”

  I shrug, though I’m not sure my shoulders move. “This job is more important than swimming. Someone has to…” I puff out my cheeks. “Someone needs to bring money into our house.”

  She shifts from one foot to the other. “If he finds out, he’ll steal your money and get even more drunk than he already is.”

  Of course she’s right. “Then I need to make sure to hide it from him.”