Chapter 3 SHE WAS ALWAYS THE ENEMY

SLADE'S POV

~ THE NEXT DAY ~

"Mum, I am off." I snagged the black Alan Walker decorated tote bag, poured tea down my throat, took one bite out if thr bread and raced for the door.

"For school? I thought you weren't feeling well." She appeared from behind the mahogany kitchen door, Her forehead wrinkled in slight surprise.

I stopped, lightly turning to give her a soft, assuring smile.

"I'm better now and... I will be fine".

She gave me a long look and then weakly returned the smile. "You know you can tell me anything."

I beamed and spurn around. She watched me out the door and into the Kimberly Memorial Highschool's early bus.

The threadbare brown seat dipped down immediately as I sat. It felt like plummeting into a dream of hallucinations, my mind floating out of the bus and back to that night.

I sighed for the umpteenth time. My attention diverting to the call with Kale, this morning. If there was anyone who understood how to fix broken hearts, it was Kale Mayfield.

She was waiting at the bus stop just as she said. We escaped to the roof top of the third grader's class building, our little secret hideout.

"You can speak now, Sia." Kale said. We stood side by side now, my head on her shoulders. The breeze fluttering our curls.

"I broke up with Milan."

She was silent. I looked at her, she seemed to flinch, beaming immediately. It seemed artificial.

"Kale you don't look shocked."

"Why would I be." She took a stop forward. I straightened up.

"You are the sweetest girl I know. If you ended things, it means he fucked up big time."

She tucked so adventurous strands into place. Her hair was straightened and blonde, not curled like it used to. The edges a fading shade of black. It was beautiful and odd. She didn't have blonde hair. She was a brunette.

"You don't seem sorry for me."

I held her gaze, searching her ocean blues. She rolled them.

"I am here to make you get over it. Not wallow in self pity like you probably have all these days." She threw her hands on my shoulders. "I know you love him but you cannot let the wrong guy steal your prime, Okay?" She turned my face to meet hers. She flashed me a broad smile, her rosy cheeks and dimples forced me to return the gesture.

"See. That's more like it. Get over the loser boyfriend and forget his Cheating ass." She snickered.

I pulled away from her, laughing now at her childishness. My eyes searched for her, she was a bit distracted by the breeze fluttering her sleeves and messing with her perfect folds. She turned them up a little to refold.

Something red etched on her arm caught my attention. I looked closer. It seemed to be a....

'Wait... what in God's name.'

There was a tatoo on her arm, shaped like a cross.

The smile disappeared. Hazy memories flashed before my eyes.

Milan's naked body, blood damping his jet black hair, filled my consciousness . The girl on the bed. I couldn't picture her face again but I remembered her blonde hair. They were straightened and faded into black at the edges. Her nails were white with star shapes pinned on them. Her pale skin seemed a bit tanned under the incandescent lights. She had a tattoo, shaped like a crooked cross on her left arm.

For a second, I felt exhaustion wash over me. My legs threatened to break beneath me. Fear crawled up my spine.

'Is Kale.... No, it can't be. Kale couldn't. Hell ofcourse it's not her.'

Kale looked at me, still cheerful.

"Hey are you crying? I thought you already got over your cheating boyfriend."

My eyes widened. The pooling tears, I didn't notice, dripped down my cheeks.

"Kale, how did you know Milan cheated on me? I never said that."

Kale went cold. Her smile fading into a grim frown. She threw her eyes around and then, returned it to me.

"Honestly, I didn't think you would have thought about it, Fairy princess. I expected you to remain in your perfect life fantasy." Her tone was sardonic.

I lurched towards her, grabbing her hand.

"It's can't be you1 right. Kale you would never betray me, right?"

Our eyes were crossed. Mine, begging for her to say 'Yes'. Kale was my heart and soul. My best of all friends.

"Get off me." she shoved me away. "I was remorseful in the beginning but seeing you do this. I am kinda happy I fucked your man. Well he fucked me. I guess he too got tired of your pretty princess virginity shit."

"Kale-"

"Well, it's not like I am lying."

My mouth opened but no words came. For a moment, disbelief rocked my mind. It didn't make any sense. Kale would... Kale never hurt me. She never would. But now she did. She took the only man in my life away from me and she didn't even have a tiny bit of remorse. I loved her and she trampled on my love just like Milan.

The dread faded into anger. The once astonished look of my decayed into hate. I held her eyes, glaring at them.

"Kale. Why did you do it? Did you two plan it together? To betray and hurt me?"

She scoffed. "Does it matter? I suggest you let it go princess. I am sure some else will be willing to bang your virgin ass."

She exploded into a mocking chuckle, on her hip and sauntering away from me.

My fist tightened. The tears burned, my heart thumping faster. I grit my teeth, holding back the raging desire to hit her.

"Sierra!"

Her voice sounded close.

I spurned, my face met her balled fist. I stumbled forward, lost my footing and crumbled, my left arm colliding with the hard concrete floor.

"You bitch!" I threw Kale a bloody glare. One eye purple.

"Hey, it's just a punch. You are obviously gonna tell your mother about me and Milan, I'm sure of it so I want to shake you up a bit. You know, so you will shut up." She grinned. I could see the switchblades in her eyes.

'God, this is not the Kale I know'.

I scampered to my feet and limped, running. "Get away you sick bitch!"

She followed me, looming like the doom she had evoked. Rubbing her fist, readying it for another hit.

I staggered on, looking behind me. Because of that, I didn't notice the brick on the floor. I stumbled and fell on my face right at the edge of the roof.

"Get up, princess." She grabbed my hair and yanked me off the ground.

"Let go. I won't tell. I promise." I searched for her hand with my fingers.

"After this," her lips come close to my ears. "of course you won't. Look at you, so pathetic. I wonder what Milan saw in some trash like you. He should have been with me. He was always meant for me. I wanted him first!"

I winced. Her yell piercing my ears. My tears blurred my vision but I could feel something. Her grip loosening. If I tried, perhaps I could make a break for it.

"Kale, let go of me."

I scratched her hand. Her skin split and bleed.

"Ah!" she shoved me.

I stumbled forward, staggering, struggling to maintain balance. I didn't instead, I missed a few steps. I felt my body falling forward. Her yell echoed through my head.

"Sierra!!!"

Before... I fell off.