Arabella Rivera My stomach churn in disgust as I looked at her. I was certain I looked as shocked as I felt. Did she really just say that, or was I hallucinating? Taking a step back, I looked at her lost. "Is this a sick joke to somehow get back at me?" I whispered. Despite father and I not being on the best of terms, he was still my father and was married to my mother. As much as they never got along, I never thought in a million years he'd been sleeping with my so-called best friend. If this was true, how long were they doing this for? And as her eyes stayed glued on me and the smirk on her lips grew, I couldn't help but feel like a complete fool for not even realizing it sooner. During last summer, Gwen supposedly had been on a date with some 'older guy' she met. Apparently, they knocked it right off the bat and she was supposedly going to be his sugar baby. I didn't think much of it before because it wasn't my place to judge. It was her body and not mine. But as I dug deeper into the past I realized that I did witness their sneaky glances and the flirtatious giggles she would let out when he was in the same room. How had I missed it? And how did I let the devil into our home? "Does it seem like a joke to you Arabella? I needed the money, your dad had money and a cock. Problem solve. It's not my fault your mother can't keep him on a leash-" I didn't know what came over me when I threw my bag and pushed her on the locker behind her. I didn't care I was making a scene as I repeatedly punched, tugged her hair and screamed at her. All the chattering around suddenly diminishes into nothing but silence as I focused on her and only her. She was no longer my best friend. She was a complete stranger. No friend would sleep with your father knowing he was married to your mom. If you had a friend like that, you'd want to stay away as far as you can. "You deranged bitch! Get off me!" Gwen cried as she tried to block my attacks with her hand held up."You came into my home, laughed with my mother, complimented her and you had the nerve to stab her in the back like this?!" I sneered, my nails getting skin and scratching her cheek. She screamed kicking my stomach. "You knew how much she loved my father. You fucking knew everything, yet you stabbed us in the back." I yelled, not backing away from her. I wanted to rearrange her face to exactly how I was picturing her right now. A devil. That's what she is. Nothing less. Strong arms circle around my waist and tug me away from Gwen. I can say I put up a good fight, as I refused to let go of her hair she cherished so much. I still wasn't satisfied when I managed to take some of her silky blonde strands. "You're a crazy bitch!" Gwen screamed as she held the side of her head where I took some of her hair from. "You haven't seen crazy yet, you backstabbing slut!" I sneered, throwing her strands on the floor in disgust. I tried to wrestle my way out of the strong arms that held me but they wouldn't budge. My nails dig into the arm as I glared at Gwen and Brandon who was helping her up. "Bella. Bella, baby calm down." That's when I took the whiff of his scent. Mint and the faint smell of cigarettes. He was smoking again. "Please, calm down." Haiden pleaded in my ear, drawing me further away from Gwen. I tried to listen to him and took in some calming breaths as I forced myself to relax. When I seemed to not be a ticking time bomb, Haiden lessen his hold and turns me around. His brown eyes that always seem to warm me, pierce into me. His hand come to tenderly hold my cheek. "What happened?" He whispers, looking at Gwen behind me. His question made Gwen's confession hit me ten times harder. With my vision blurry I answered. "She slept with my dad Haiden." Silence. He doesn't answer nor looks shocked. Instead, he seemed rather guilty. That's when it all clicked. Haiden hated Gwen because he knew her secret and Gwen not wanting me to find out, told me to stay away from him in fear of him telling me. Only that she ended up telling me herself out of rage or out of finally being fed up of acting like my friend. I walked out of Haiden's arms in shock and betrayal. He knew and he didn't tell me. "You knew." I accused, shaking my head in disbelief. The two people I trusted most, lied to me. Haiden takes a step forward, his tone going grave. "Bella." He reaches out to me, but I slap his hand away. "No. Don't touch me." I snapped lowly, feeling the tightening of my heart. Was this heartbreak? Was this what it felt like? "Bella please-" His voice cracks as he reaches out for me again but I shake my head. "There she goes again making it all about her. Self-absorbed bitch." Gwen sneered behind me, and the anger I felt at both her and Haiden nearly consumed me. Turning around to face her, I was about to prance on the bitch when my name is called. The intercom above us buzz. "Arabella and Gweneth to the principal's office now." "Bella- "Stay away from me Haiden," I said in defeat and made my way to the principal's office. Betrayed by the love of your life, didn't feel good. I just needed space to think. Keeping this huge secret away from me for weeks while saying he loved me? Did he truly love me? If you love someone wouldn't you trust them with your secrets? Even if they were deep, dark, and haunting? __________ Haiden Cross "Hey dude." Malcolm runs over to me. He was sort of an acquaintance of mine. Didn't really consider anyone a friend, they all wanted something from me. Either a smoke, or protection from bullies. Either way, friends weren't really my thing. "What?" I sighed, throwing the half burnt cigarette on the ground and stomped on it. I had been thinking so much that I now had a permanent headache. Cigarettes always seemed to relax me before but even the fumes couldn't help me this time. Maybe it was the guilt of knowing I just did something I promised Bella I wouldn't do anymore. "Dude your girlfriend is kicking that Gwen chick's ass in there." He pointed to the school's building. Girlfriend? Gwen?"Girlfriend?" I asked. I wasn't sure if Bella wanted that out yet, so I better play my cards right. He looks at me like I had grown a second head. "Arabella?" Taking a menacing step towards him, I hissed lowly. "How do you know Arabella's my girlfriend?" Raising his arms in surrender, he laughs in fear. "Chill dude. It's all over the school that you two were boning behind Christian's back." All over the school? Behind Christian's back? Shit, I didn't know because I hadn't bothered going inside the school as yet. I chose to smoke outside knowing those damn teachers would have a problem with it. Wait. Arabella's fighting with Gwen? Sprinting towards the school, I didn't care that I might have thrown Malcolm to the ground. I needed to find Bella. The loud voices led me straight to her. Pushing through the throng of bodies to get to my girl was hard seeing as they wanted to get a good glimpse at the fighting girls. But I could hear Bella. I could hear her scream and that's what pushed me to get to her as soon as possible. "You knew how much she loved my father. You fucking knew everything, yet you stabbed us in the back." Bella yelled in anger. Shit. What the fuck was going on? As I finally pushed the rest of the students away, what greeted me was quite frankly shocking. Yet confusing. What the hell happened between them? I quickly go towards her, shocked by her strength as I wrap my arm around her torso and tugged her away from Gwen. I cringe when my eyes fall on Gwen. She looked like she had been run over by a huge truck.