f i f t y e i g h t


MY NEW ROOMMATE was obsessed with the color yellow and grand theft auto—and not in the sense of the video game. He side of the room was drowning in yellow, from the curtains, to the carpet to even her fucking clothes. The only thing not yellow is her uniform, but she's added yellow stripes to her shirt with a highlighter.  


I stare at her side of the room to distract myself from the loud pounding against the wooden door. 


"I can't fucking deal with this, I'm sorry Hayden." Lilith groans as she stands from her desk chair and storms across the room. She wrenches open the door, but only half way so I was obscured from the view of the hallway. I pull a pillow into my chest as I sit in the middle of my messy, unmade bed. Lilith grunts, "How many times do I have to say it boy—fuck off." 


"I need to speak to Hayden." Chase demands gruffly from the hall. Fuck, I wish I could see him. 


Lilith puts a hand to the hip of her bright yellow sundress, "Well she doesn't want to speak to you buddy." 


"Is she in there?" Chase questions as Lilith glances over her shoulder at me. I shake my head vigorously at her. Lilith had been pretty chill about everything since I had moved in five days ago. She didn't ask, didn't press for answers, and only offered me tiny yellow cupcakes which were fucking delicious. 


"She's asleep." Lilith sighs as she turns back to Chase, "So come back tomorrow when I don't have a fucking paper due and the only thing I've written on it is the fucking due date!" 


And with that, she slams the door in his face, turns squeals in frustration. I watch with wide eyes as she marches back to her desk and slumps down into her chair. 


"You're really fucking cool." I mutter and wonder how the hell I hadn't run into her at all this year. She's been a student at Caldwell since she was thirteen, hence why her side of the room was so customised. 


"Thanks." She breathes heavily and twirls one of her dark brown pigtails between her fingers. She then turns around in her chair and rests her forearm along the back, "Did Chase Everett eat your banana pudding? I hate when guys eat my banana pudding." 


I laugh lightly "No, he didn't eat my banana pudding." 


"Then what happened?" Lilith questions as she tilts her head adorably. I don't answer and instead glance down at my lap, my brain screaming at me to tell her. To tell anyone. "I mean it's just the whole school is wondering why you left Elwood, so you should probably be prepared for the rumours tomorrow—that's if you're planning on finally going to class." 


I hadn't really left these four walls since I moved into them. Lilith basically hordes snacks from the vending machine and she shares everything with me so there is really no need to go to the dining hall. I've gone to the nurse's office, a small and brightly lit room on the other side of campus, twice to make my story of feigning period cramps a little more believable. 


I had turned my phone off a couple days. Chase was constantly bombarding my phone with texts, Vera and Noah were trying to call me and Penn was sending emails every five fucking minutes.  They weren't making this easy at all. 


"I am...I will." I nod as I slowly lay down on my back and stare up at the white ceiling of my dorm room. My new dorm room. 


"Lucky for you, I hate all other humans except for those in this room right now. So I can walk with you tomorrow if you want." Lilith offers as she stands from her desk chair. Her and Levi would be great friends. She shuffles over to the open windows and where the curtains were blowing furiously in the wind. She then wrenches the windows shut with a harsh grunt, "There's meant to be a terrible thunderstorm tomorrow. I'm going to pray someone gets struck by lightning." 


I mumble, "You do that..." 


I fall asleep in a few seconds with the sound of Lillith's light type on her gold MacBook—it was the closest thing she could get to yellow. 


♤♤♤♤


Everything seemed in slow motion as I walked down the crowded hallway. My converse step lightly over the wooden floorboards as I pull my grey hood over my head and stuff my hands into the denim jacket layered over top. I couldn't hear anything except the very depressing music flooding through my headphone. Why the fuck do I even listen to this shit? It only makes me more sad. 


Students were turning and watching me as I continued on my way down the hall. They were whispering, talking, or yelling. I couldn't tell. I move my gaze down to the ground in front  as the crowd of pupils continue to split like the damn red sea. 


I finally make it to my English Lit class without bumping into a wall or anyone for that matter. I take the headphones out of my ears as I step over the threshold and glance up. The entire class had stopped their conversations and were all staring at me. Vera sat in our seat and she was staring at me, all I could focus on was her. Slowly, she smiles and pats the desk next to her. It made my heart squeeze in pain. 


I avert my gaze from her and instead head right to the back, to the desk near the window that no one ever sat at as the window never fully latched shut. I sit down at my desk and pull out my laptop from my bag, keeping my head low and trying not to look up. Because I know if I did, I'd stare into Vera's big brown eyes and break instantly break apart. 


"She's in here!" At the familiar shout of Noah's boisterous voice, I glance up to see Noah and Levi sitting at the front of the room. Seconds later, Chase comes running into the room and stumbles to a stop. I stand to my feet in fright, the chair behind toppling over as Chase stood there, puffing heavily as if he'd been running for a long time. 


Vera knew what I was going to do before I even did. 


She reaches out into the air, "Hayden, don't—!" 


But by that time I was already pushing up the window and climbing out of it. Luckily, the English Lit class was on the ground floor of Calgary Hall, so I fall right into the untamed and dead gardens below. I  jump over the small bushes as if they were hurdles and take off into a dead sprint.


It was pouring outside and the icy bullets stung my face as I pushed through the storm. I think I am crying, but I can't be sure. My face was wet from the rain—everything was wet from the rain. 


"Jones!" I hear behind me and I glance over my shoulder to see Chase sprinting through the rain after me. My toe of my shoes strikes the uneven ground and I go tumbling down. My knees scrap against grass and twigs and small rocks and I curse under my breathe at the erupting pain. I push to my feet instantly and continue to run as fast as physically possible. 


My impression of Usain Bolt didn't last very long because ya girl is unfit as fuck. Running fitness is so much different from swimming fitness. Holy shit. 


I was slowing down, I could feel myself slowing down but I willed myself to keep running. Chase was catching up. No, stay away. My hoodie and denim jacket were weighing heavily down on my shoulders as well as my converse that my socks were now swimming in. 


Chase catches up to me but he obviously underestimated the slippery surface of the grass below and ends up bulldozing me over. We both fall to the ground and land with heavy grunts. Before I could even get to my feet, Chase was already pulling me towards him and I struggle against his chest.


"Jones—stop—fuck—" Chase grunts as my hands turn into fists and begin to pound at his chest. 


"Get the fuck off me!" I scream loudly as Chase wraps a hand around both of my wrists and holds them tight. I continue to writhe underneath his body so he places both legs on either side of my waist and straddles me. "Fucking get off me Chase!" 


"Tell me why you moved!" Chase yells at me over the booming thunder above us. The rain seemed like it was getting heavier by the second and I had to squint as I stared up at Chase's enraged face. 


I continue to struggle even though it was a loss cause, "Because I wanted to!" 


"Without a goodbye? Without anything? You really expect me to fucking believe that!?" Chase roars as he attempts to hold me still beneath his weight. He shakes my arms violently, "Do you!" 


I went stiff as I stared up at him in silence. It was the first time in the past six days that I've gotten a good look at him. His hazel eyes looked worn and restless and obviously hadn't slept in a while. He had a slight five o'clock shadow over his prominent chin and razor sharp jaw. And he looked heartbroken; completely and utterly shattered.


I obviously wasn't the only one.


"Why?" Chase whispers, barely audible as his eyes flutter close and he presses his forehead against mine, "Fuck. Why are you doing this Hayden? You said we were meant to be together, you said you loved me, you said that you would never leave me." 


I swallow the lump and hold back my painful cries, "I didn't mean it." 


"That's not true." Chase pulls back and glares down at me with a clenched jaw, "That's not fucking true, Jones. I love you, I love you, I love you...." 


He continued to mumble the same three things over and over again as he presses his lips to mine. I melt under his touch instantly and my body ignites despite the surface of my skin freezing from the icy rain and unforgiving wind. Our tongues explore each other, hastily and violently as my back arches up into him. Fuck I missed him so much. 


Images of Luke's smirking face, his blackmail, his pictures and my gut wrenching fear flicker through the burning fire of pleasure inside me. Stay away. Keep him safe. 


Chase's grip on my wrists had loosened and I was able to move one out from between our bodies. Squeezing my eyes shut, I swing out in a wide orbit and feel my clenched fists collide with Chase's cheek. He goes tumbling off me and I instantly spring to my feet. 


Chase was clutching his face as he stared up at me. I was standing above him, my fists clenched at my sides and warm salty tears streaming down my face. We were at the back of the General Library, between the school and the large surrounding forests. There were no windows, no students and no witnesses. Good


Suddenly, two teachers and three security guards race around the corner, all but one was looking in the other direction. 


"Stop!" The one teacher screams as he points a stern finger at us. The group of adults then run over to us. "What is going on here, Miss Jones?" 


"Nothing. Just a misunderstanding." I mumble as two security guards flank my side. The other was helping Chase up from the ground. 


"Oh god, you're bleeding." The other male teachers huffs as he points at my leg. Blood was streaming down the side of my calf and was staining my white socks at the ankle, "Take her to the nurse's office. The storm isn't suppose to let up until tomorrow morning so we best get inside now." 


"As for you Mr Everett, you can come to my office." The other teacher instructs over the pouring rain. Everyone was getting soaked so the two security men gesture back towards the centre of the school and I begin to make my way there without a single look back. You're safe now.



awww poor chayden...


luke's finally gotten what he wants, but is he going to do something more


the next chapter is already up on inkitt if you want to go read that! 


also please remember to still vote and comment your thoughts on the chapters

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