|chapter three:: still care|

"CAN we talk?" I heard above me and look up from Polo's Twitter page on my phone to see Ander standing in front of me as people began to leave the class when the dismissal bell rang.

I closed my notebook and stand up, "We have nothing to talk about, Ander." I dismissed, "And I don't want to hear whatever you have to say." I brushed past him, but I felt him lightly grab my arm to stop me, though I was quick to pull away from him to turn and meet his restless eyes. He looked like shit, and for a second I just wanted to hold him in my arms until he fell asleep, but that second was quick to pass.

He looked down briefly before looking at me with pleading eyes, "Please, Adriana, it's important."

I kissed my teeth and look around the now empty room, "You know what was important, Ander? The truth, that was important to me. My sister was important too and so was finding who killed her and you knew that." He then lowered his head, placing his hands in his pockets as I stepped close to him, "Don't talk to me, Ander. I mean it, because next time I might say something I will regret, regardless of what you did."

He didn't respond and I didn't care as I turned back on my heels and walked off, but when I left the room, my legs felt weak. I pick up my speed, hurrying off to the girl's bathroom, nausea making its way up from my stomach as I rushed into one of the stalls. I quickly regurgitated my breakfast, only to grimace at the sight before I flushed the toilet and left the stall. Though, when I did, I meet Carla's eyes as she leaned against the sink.

"I saw you come in here," She explained, "You don't look to good."

"Did everyone I don't want talking to me just have a group meeting and said 'fuck it'?" I huffed out, ignoring her concerned as I went to the sink to wash the taste of vomit from my mouth. I glanced at her after I stepped back from the sink to see her hold out gum to me, causing a dry laugh to leave my lips, "I'm going to tell you the same shit I told Ander, but this time more blunt; fuck off."

"We were friends once, Ana." She claimed and I raised a brow at her.

"And that's supposed to mean something now when it didn't before?" I questioned, snatching the gum from her still before tossing it into my mouth, "You're logic is fucked up, Carla, and so are you."

I chuck the wrapper at her and leave the bathroom, gripping my bag tightly as anger now replaced my sickness. I swear if Polo pops up from the corner like he's Pennywise-

"Addy!" Nic called me, and I turned to see him rushing my side, "Guess what?"

"I'm not in the mood for guessing right now, Nic." I grumbled, rubbing my forehead, "Just tell me what's up."

"Fine, mi corazon, since you asked so nicely," He sarcastically remarked, before standing in front of me to stop us both from walking, "Since I'm now my father's favorite, he's called some of his friends for me and got me a definite spot at Stanford University."

I raised a brow at him, "In California?"

He hummed, a wide smile on his face, "Isn't that great?" He wondered and when I nodded, he came back to my side and put his arm over my shoulder, "It's going to be amazing, Addy. Hot weather, great parties, beautiful women, and the best opportunities the world would give there on out."

I chuckled at him, "I'm proud of you, Nic."

He kissed my forehead, but pulled away to look at me, "Did you hear anything from your school yet?"

"Brown?" I asked and he nodded before I shook my head, "No, but I'm being patient."

When we had the universities visit, it wasn't moments before the event went to shit since Guzman attacked Polo and punched him hard, causing him to fall into a college booth. Because of this, Azucena enforced that if we even lay a hand on Polo or any type of violence would lead to automatic expulsion. I definitely did not need that on my record.

Though now to get their revenge, they've been writing tweets pretending to be Polo as he confessed to Marina's murders. I feel like that was better than the other day when Guzman brought Polo to our house and tortured him.

Nic hummed at my words, but continued to hold his grin as he came up with an idea, "Hey, if Brown doesn't work out, you can always come to Stanford with me." I raise a brow at him, so he groaned, "Come on, Addy, it would so much fun if we went to the same college. Party all night and sleep all day."

I laughed, "College isn't just some 24/7 Frat Party, Nic. It includes studying and working hard, you know?" He scoffed, so I continued, "Why did your dad place you in one of the top schools again?"

"So I could be continents away from him instead of cities this time," He stated, with a brief laugh when we left the school, "So I was thinking, want to come to my house?"

"Does it involve studying?" I asked before he nodded.

"Yeah, it's going to be studying," He responded, but he quickly smirked, "Of the human anatomy."

I rolled my eyes, "You're something else, Nic. "

He held his smirk, "Is there so many that you just can't describe what I am?"

"I could start off with one," I claimed, grinning at him as we were getting close to my car, "Replusive is one."

"Really, Addy?" He wondered, "Because I don't believe that's what you were screaming out the other day. What was it?" I shoot him a look as he tapped his chin, "I think it was, 'yes, don't stop' and 'right there'?"

I couldn't help but laugh at his exaggerated ways, shoving him towards the passenger side of the car as I got into the driver's side, "For that, we are going to study and it's going to be at my house."

He groaned at my words, but allowed me to drive home as he toyed with my stereo. Though, when we got to my house and say in my room, I couldn't get this obsessive thought in the back of my head. What did Ander want to tell me? I shouldn't care, but I do because of our past. It's not like it never happened or never meant something to me because it did and that why it fucking hurt.

We sat on my bed, both of our scribbling down notes, though occasionally I would catch him glancing at me, so I looked up from my notebook and at him, "What?"

"Nothing," He simply shook his head and grabbed my legs to place over his lap before he went back to his textbook. I chuckled to myself about to go back to my work, before I chose to check my phone only to see a few text messages from Guzman to meet him at Samuel's house almost twenty minutes ago. I furrowed my brows, and Nic noticed, "What's wrong?"

"Guzman needs me." I explained as I got up from the bed and grabbed my shoes.

"Want me to come with?" He wondered, scooting to the edge of my bed as I shook my head, "Okay, I can call a cab home."

"Okay, sure," I hummed, before putting on my jacket, "Just text me when you're home."

He got up from the bed and nodded, calling a cab as we left my room, so by time we got outside, the cab was already there. Nic turned to me and smiled, "I think I could get used to us just studying. We could do more together at Stanford."

I rolled my eyes playfully and pushed him towards his cab, "Goodnight, Nic." He waved with a smile before getting into the can and leaving as I got into my car. The drive took a while longer than I had expected, especially since Guzman continued to text me nonstop, though when I got there and went upstairs, I was surprised to see the people that were accompanied with Guzman- or should I say person. I look around the room, my eyes bouncing from Samuel to Rebeca, Guzman, Omar then Ander, who was the only other person to meet my eyes besides Guzman.

Guzman held a pissed expression as I sat down, "I texted you almost an hour ago, Adriana."

"Sorry," I apologized, "I was occupied."

"'Occupied'?" He questioned, "By what?"

"It's not a what, my dear Guzman," I heard and turned to see Valerio leaning against the doorframe, in only a towel, "It's a who, particularly my dear friend, Niccoló."

Guzman furrowed his brows at me, though I was too distracted by the pair of eyes burning a hole in the side my head, "You're still hanging out with that dick?"

"He's my friend." I told Guzman, only to hear Valerio scoff in the back.

"That's what we call fuck-buddies nowadays?" He wondered and I instantly shoot him daggers, so in hopes he could shut up, "I guess I really have to start catching up on today's lingo."

Guzman then looked at me, pissed at Valerio's words, and I clenched my jaw briefly looking down to sense Ander still looking at me, "Why are you here, Val?"

"I've been asking myself the same thing since I stepped in the door," Guzman grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I live here now," Valerio explained as he dried his hair with another towel he had. I forgot that Lu told me her parents kicked Valerio out, but he was supposed to be countries away instead of being in Samuel's house, "Is this meeting about those tweets?"

"Valerio, we just need to talk privately for a moment," Samuel sighed, looking over at Valerio who hesitantly nodded at Samuel.

"Okay, well don't make yourselves at home and don't touch my beer." He stated before walking away, whistling loudly. I rolled my eyes and got up to go to the fridge, grabbing a beer anyways before sitting back down next to Guzman.

He then gave me a look and snatched the beer from me to put down, causing me to gape at him,, "I think you had enough fun for tonight, plus I'm driving myself back home." I huffed out as he looked ahead at Ander, who now had his head in his hands, "Now tell us whatever it is you dragged us here for."

Is this what he wanted to say to me earlier that was so 'important'? It was about those stupid tweets? He kept his head hidden in his hands, rubbing his forehead with his palms, "You guys need to stop this."

"We owe it to Marina," Samuel argued, but I watched Ander shake his head as he looked up again, his eyes meeting mine before I looked down.

"That's not true," Ander objected, "You're doing it for yourselves, not her. Because you need revenge."

Guzman mumbled a curse under his breath before jumping up from his seat to step a away only a few inches from me, "We don't need revenge," Samuel told Ander, "But we won't let a killer go free like nothing happened."

My eyes were trained on Ander, causing me to see him fumble with his fingers as Omar massaged his temples, "Life is too short, you know?" Ander sighed, looking at me before at the floor, "It's not worth wasting."

"What the fuck do you know about life, Ander?" Guzman gritted, finally saying something as he stood next to me, glaring Ander down. Ander knowing about Polo killing Marina probably hit Guzman a bit harder than me, seeing that Guzman was staring at Ander as if he was a stranger. I don't blame him because this isn't the same guy I fell for either. "Why do you keep defending him?"

"Because he almost killed himself," I sighed out and everyone looked at me, though I kept my eyes on Ander, "That's why he didn't say anything." To be honest, I don't think I'll ever understand why he kept it a secret or why Polo couldn't handle his own truth and that was that he killed my sister- accident or not.

"I told him I'd tell on him if he didn't turn himself in," Ander added, looking at Samuel, "And because of that, he almost killed himself."

"Wait, are you saying this to get me to forgive him or forgive you?" Guzman asked, caring less for Ander's explanation.

I sighed, tired of even being here any longer, "Guzman-"

"No, fuck this, Adriana," Guzman cursed, "Let me tell you, Polo deserves everything that's happening to him, even if it's a hacked account, threats or physical violence. And hopefully, Ander, you will get what you deserve, too." I stared at Ander as he slouched into the couch, not even daring to look up from him shoes.

The room was awfully quiet after Guzman's words, so I stood up, eyeing everyone, "Well, I think I heard enough bullshit today, so I'm going to head home. Later, fuckers." I turned and brushed past Guzman, who followed behind me as I went out the door. I never thought of it, but if I wanted Polo dead for killing Marina, why didn't I want Ander to suffer equally for protecting him?

Maybe because no matter what, I'll still care.

{author's note:: so i wrote this in my feed, but i just wanted to address the fact that there are several Elite books that are strangely similar to mine and it's just upsetting how the books are put out as if it were it were the author's idea, though it's almost exactly my plot for this entire series. i know some of you are probably like "what if they created the book before you, Savannah?", which could be true but i like to do some background on things before i state claims like this. like i said in my feed, i have no problem if you were inspired by my book, but why not just say a one sentence statement at the bottom of your book blurb that you were inspired by me instead of claim the plot idea as your own. i absolutely adore writing this series and i really love every single one of the feedback i receive from you guys, it's just that this hurt a bit. i'm not saying this to threaten anyone or make them feel like shit, it's just i really love you guys and this series and it would mean a lot of credit was given❤️

also, some of you asked what are the songs i based this series off of and it's from the artist AU/RA, who makes really good music }