Being the Bad Boy's Victim

by Monette, Claire

After we completely caught up on everything, we said our goodbyes and ended the video chat.

  It was nice being able to have our weekly conversations ever since I left. Don’t get me wrong, UPenn is an amazing school. The campus was absolutely breathtaking, and I had already made a bunch of new friends. Although, none could still top Jess’ sunny disposition and enthusiasm.

  “Uh…”

  I turned around to see a girl struggling to get through the door.

  “Could you help me?” she said with a struggle.

  “Of course!” I rushed out of my seat to grab the boxes that was weighing her down, happy to see the look of relief on her face.

  “I’m Milly Crawford,” she announced through her thick southern accent, holding out her hand to greet me.

  I grinned as I shook her hand.

  “Bellatrix Brown, but call me Bella.”

  Her eyes widened at the sound of my name, and almost immediately, a large smile stretched across her face.

  “Oh my lord, I love your name! And your accent… Oh my gosh, you’re so cool!” She giggled and blushed at the end, which made me grin even more.

  Milly was a petite blonde with large green eyes, which looked almost unnatural. She barely wore any makeup and her conservative clothing relieved me, knowing that I didn’t get some crazy girl as a roommate instead.

  “Here, let me help you with those,” I offered, following her out into the hallway, where all the rest of her bags were.

  As we unpacked, she told me all about her family, and managed to cover everything about her in the time it took us to complete the task. I discovered that she was a huge Harry Potter fan, and was what one would consider a bookworm. She was born with brown hair, but as she got older, it lightened into the light blonde that it was today, completing her country girl look. Then, I learned all about Tennessee, where she was from. And she even went into great detail about the time she almost ran over her brother with her grandpa’s truck.

  All in all, Milly was a really funny person, and I knew we were going to get along.

  “Hey, I heard that there is a steakhouse a couple of blocks down the road. Want to go get dinner with me?”

  “Oh, thank God, I am starving!” I nearly yelled, making her laugh.

  As we walked through the campus, I told her about myself and all my friends back home.

  “I think it is daring that you and your boyfriend are staying together,” she told me, her eyes bright.

  “Really?”

  “Well, yeah! It’s so romantic!” She dramatically placed her hand over her heart. “And a bad boy? Oh gosh, if your life was a novel I would read it!”

  I laughed and shook my head.

  “You’re crazy. Yeah, Connor’s a bit of a bad boy, but…”

  “He’s your bad boy,” Milly finished for me, grinning.

  I smiled and nodded.

  “Oh, well, I might know you have a boyfriend, but it looks as if that gorgeous hunk of sexy over there doesn’t know that,” Milly teasingly said, her eyes locked on someone behind me.

  Cautiously, I turned around. A gasp escaped my lips as a look of confusion crossed Milly’s face.

  The guy smirked and immediately walked up to us, making Milly stiffen at my side.

  “Why, hello there!” he said softly, oblivious to my state of shock.

  “Hello, uh, I-I’m Milly,” Milly stuttered.

  “Pleased to meet you, Milly.” He shook her hand and turned to face me. “Looks like I’ll be attending school with you and Miss Brown.”

  What the heck is going on?

  It finally made sense. All those mischievous looks, knowing glances, mysterious secrets…

  “Wait, do you two…?” Milly’s eyes widened and she looked from me to him.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, where are my manners? My name is Connor Michaels.” His arms encircled my immobile body, bringing me to his side. “And it seems I’m her bad boy.”

  I continued to stare at Connor in shock as Milly started grinning and bouncing on her feet.

  “It’s amazing how I can still make her speechless,” he informed Milly, while keeping his eyes on me. “Ain’t that right, Bells?”

  Epilogue

  I was nervous.

  My stomach twisted like tiny knots and I found breathing to be difficult.

  If someone had told me eight years ago that I would be watching one of my best friends get married to my college roommate, I would have scoffed and told them that it would never happen. But here I was, standing as the maid of honor, watching Milly recite her vows perfectly. Her large green eyes were directed at Matt’s, as she spoke her lines so lovingly.

  The wedding was perfection.

  Matt’s eyes were glossy, but he seemed to be able to hold it together. Behind him stood James and Connor.

  Connor. He looked absolutely wonderful.

  It was amazing, really, how only a year ago, it was me in Milly’s place and Connor in Matt’s.

  Then my eyes flickered down to the beautiful diamond ring encrusted with small aquamarine diamonds on my left hand. Meanwhile, Connor looked like a proud father as he watched Matt make the best decision of his life. Jess was standing behind me, her sniffles reminding me how emotional she could be.

  “You may kiss the bride!” announced the minister.

  My attention went back to Milly and Matt, and I felt tears prick the corners of my eyes while they kissed passionately, holding each other close.

  The reception was set up outdoors. The cool November air was welcoming, and the setting sun provided just enough light. I sat alone at one of the tables, my eyes studying the flowers in front of me.

  “Hello, darling.” A soft whisper came from behind me. I blushed as Connor’s lips brushed against my cheek.

  He sat next to me, his eyes glowing with love and care. I turned my attention to him, and allowed a smile to cross my features.

  “Here,” he offered, pulling off his jacket and draping it over my bare shoulders, its warmth comforting me instantly.

  “Thank you,” I told him gratefully, hugging the jacket closer to my body.

  Connor smiled at me before looking to where Milly and Matt sat.

  “They make a good couple,” Connor observed before looking back to me, “But we make a better one.”

  I giggled as Connor leaned down and placed his lips against mine, kissing me slowly and sweetly.

  “There’s something I need to tell you,” I said, once we broke apart.

  It felt like the butterflies in my stomach were fluttering like crazy, and I nervously twisted my hands in my lap.

  “Wait,” Connor cut me off, waving over one of the caterers. He gently took two glasses of champagne, handing me one while he took a sip from his own.

  “Continue,” Connor said, a playful smile on his lips.

  I took one look at the glass in my hands and immediately placed it on the table. My hands had grown clammy, and I continuously bit my lip.

  “Bella? Baby, what’s the matter?” he asked, mimicking my actions. He moved closer to me, his large hands taking my own.

  Baby, I thought to myself.

  “I went to the doctor’s office yesterday,” I began.

  Connor’s expression drastically changed. The color drained from his face and a fear-stricken look replaced his loving one.

  “I’m fine!” I cried out, “Before you make any assumptions, I need you to know that I’m fine.”

  Connor visibly relaxed, but there was still a trace of worry on his features.

  “Connor,” I said, taking a deep breath, “the thing is, I had some suspicion for a while, but… but…”

  “What is it, Bells?” Connor asked, the innocence in his eyes reminding me of his younger self, back when we were in high school.

  Memories flooded my mind, and I felt myself choking up. The tears stung my eyes and I couldn’t help but let a few escape.

  Connor reached up to brush them away, but I caught his hand and pulled it close to my chest.r />
  “You can tell me,” he whispered, “I will always be here for you.”

  It was true. Time and time again, Connor had always been there for me. And clutching that thought in my heart, a burst of confidence washed over me.

  “I’m pregnant!”

  Connor and I had a love unlike others. We had been through so much, and with each other’s help, we were able to overcome them all.

  Sarah Marie Michaels was born on December 24, 2013. She weighed seven pounds and four ounces.

  She came into this world as a naïve and innocent child, as all babies usually do. She was given the utmost amount of love, and grew up to be a successful lawyer who focused on cases concerning abuse.

  As an adult, Sarah fell in love with a man she met in a coffee shop, and they got married two years after that.

  As for Connor and I? Well, what could I say?

  We grew old together, and every day our love grew undeniably more powerful. We became one of those old couples you would see walking together, hand in hand, gazing lovingly at each another. Though our bodies became weak and frail as we aged, our love grew stronger as the years passed.

  Yes, I was once the bad boy's victim. He singled me out and once made my life hell. But we fell in love and here we are now.

  And now, I am, and forever will be, the bad boy's victim girl.

  The End

  Can’t get enough of Bella and Connor? Make sure to sign up for the author’s blog to find out more about them!

  Get these two bonus chapters when you sign up at claire-monette.awesomeauthors.org!

  Here is a sample from another story you may enjoy:

  1: Some Bad News

  •Evelyn Jo •

  “Do you think he’s dead or unconscious?”

  I turned to look at Drake, who had his hand over his chin, skeptically looking at the motionless middle-aged man sprawled on the ground.

  We were on our way to go get some delicious food when we found this guy in an alleyway nearby. He was actually one of the guys that owed us money for giving him a few special things. He had a business suit on, but his tie – which used to be light blue – was now covered in dirt and what seemed to be dry blood. So obviously, this had caught our attention since something bad must’ve happened to him. I mean, there had to be a reason he was here, like this.

  Suddenly, Drake kicked the guy without any hesitation. He kicked him hard, and right in the stomach, making the guy roll over to his side. We all stood in silence for a few seconds, as the other two guys from our group – Ian and Darrel – inched closer to hear the man, in case he made any human sound at all. The man then groaned after a couple of moments, and Drake gave an approving look with a slight nod.

  “Unconscious, all right. Still alive, but barely.” He then walked around the man, his hands linked together behind him, as he seemed to be deep in thought. I wanted to roll my eyes at him, but all I did was smile a little at how cute he was actually being right now. “What should we do with this guy then?”

  “I say we kill him,” Ian immediately said, not missing a single beat. He shrugged right afterwards, as if it was no big deal that we would be killing a guy that already seemed to be on his deathbed by now.

  “Psh, I say, we take out everything he has that is actually valuable, and then dump the helpless body in that Dumpster,” Darrel suggested, as if it were obvious that it was the best idea ever conceived. He also pointed to the huge, green Dumpster right in front of us.

  “Okay, Darrel’s idea it is.” Drake didn't even think twice about it. He motioned for Ian and Darrel to get to work, as he turned and stared right at me. I bit my lip and crossed my arms over my chest just as he came up to me to put his arm around my shoulders. “Cold?” he asked me.

  I shook my head, watching Ian grab the guy by the arms and pull him up in a sitting position, while Darrel checked all of his pockets – finding a watch, a wallet, and some tickets.

  “Wrestling tickets!?” Darrel yelled excitedly, as he and Ian high-fived each other. I couldn't help but laugh at the two idiots. Good thing there were actually four tickets, though. We all loved going to wrestling tournaments considering these guys wrestled too, and even took the time to show me a few moves, which was actually a lot of fun.

  Coincidence that there were enough tickets for all of us? I think not.

  “Scared?” I scoffed at Drake's question, just as he slid his hand to rest on my waist, pulling me closer so our stomachs could touch. He grabbed my face and gently pushed my wavy, brown hair away so that he could clearly see me.

  “I don't even think we should be doing this,” I honestly told him. “We just saw him here… I mean, sure he owes us money, but what if we get into trouble when we technically didn't do any damage to him?”

  “Oh, Eve,” Drake smirked, lightly pinching my chin as I moved my head away, raising one eyebrow at him. “You always make it sound so difficult. You've been in this group for quite a while now. You shouldn't question what we do with the people that don’t understand the consequences. Like this guy, clearly.”

  I thought about it right then. What we did to people was way, way worse, sometimes, but I couldn't help but wonder who did this. Or if the guy actually did something to himself before we got to him.

  “I always wondered…” Ian then came up to us, eating some French fries from a white paper bag. I gave him a disgusted look. Where the hell did he find those? In the Dumpster? “How come we hardly called our ‘little group’ a gang?”

  “If you want to call it that, then fine, whatever. Doesn’t really matter.” Drake turned back to me, and then lightly kissed my forehead. I smiled as I felt his soft, warm lips on me. “Now, let’s bail.” He grabbed my hand, and then we all walked out of the alleyway together.

  I’ve been with this gang ever since I was in the 10th grade. Now, I was in my senior year, which means I've been with these guys for about two years now. I had reasons why I decided to join their criminal gang. But it was a very touchy subject for me, so I always kept it a secret. And Drake was the only one who really knew about my past. But hey, the past was in the past. It made us who we are today. And the bad stuff will continue to haunt us no matter what. But sometimes, we just had to forget it all – because now, the future is nearer, and it is actually more important.

  Anyway (sorry, sometimes I get all deep and shit), what we actually did was break a few laws here and there – do drugs, rob, and hurt people, if we thought it was necessary to do so. Basically, we did anything a good and innocent kid wouldn't dare do.

  Drake Lancaster was the eldest. He was 19, and out of high school, known as the leader of the gang. He was also my boyfriend ever since I started hanging out with him and the other two. He had dark eyes and short, dark hair. He was also the one who had saved me from my past misery, and showed me his rather interesting way of living.

  Then, there were Ian Cohen and Darrel Ivanova. Those two, you could tell apart from their looks since Ian had light brown hair and light green eyes, while Darrel had blond hair and dark blue eyes. But their personalities were very alike. They were the jokesters and the more lovable ones. But don't let that always fool you, because like us, they were complete hell once you messed with them.

  I was clearly the only girl in the gang. I went by the name Evelyn Jo. I was more of the feisty type, having a mischievous attitude that was actually serious sometimes, which was usually when I decided to get tough on people. I did a few bad things, and was taught how to fight and rebel. I had long, silky brown hair with big blue eyes, and was thin with olive skin. I had looked innocent once, but all of that had obviously changed.

  That was the whole group right there. We were the type of people parents warned their kids about, but of course, not a lot of people knew who we were since we always kept our faces hidden while we were doing something that might involve jail if we ever got caught.

  Drake was the only one who's ever been in juvie though, for four years, when he was just a bit younger. The rest of u
s have not yet done anything that would’ve sent us to juvie, mostly because we weren’t planning on getting caught. But who knew? Anything could happen.

  “Ugh.”

  I sipped my Coke and looked up at Drake, who was looking down at his phone with a frustrated look on his face.

  “We gotta go,” he said, putting his phone back in his pocket.

  “Whoa, whoa! Right now?” Ian asked, looking up from his French fries, which were stacked up on top of each other like the game Jenga.

  “Psh, yeah, we’re kind of in the middle of something here?” Darrel shook his head at Drake. But Drake only slammed his fist on the table and got up. He pointed at the two guys.

  “If you guys aren't in the car in 45 seconds, I’m fucking leaving you here.” He was off after that, leaving right through the back door.

  I knew then that we had a drug deal coming our way, which would explain Drake's harsh attitude. He hated missing a deal because of us. Or rather, because of Ian and Darrel here.

  I deeply sighed, grabbed my jacket, and stood up from the table. I stopped to look at the two morons, who pretty much seemed way more excited than a little kid on Christmas morning. Typical Ian and Darrel.

  Then I did the only thing that would wipe those happy faces off immediately. I grabbed a French fry from the bottom and yanked it off, making the whole tower fall… along with their pretty faces.

  “Evelyn!” they both yelled in unison, getting glares and weird stares from the people around us. I only looked back and glared at them, mentally telling them to mind their own damn business.

  “Get your asses outside and in the car, unless you want a pissed off Drake smashing your heads against the trunk.”

  A loud groan was heard all the way from where I was seated in the car. Drake suggested we leave this one to him, so we could go home right afterwards. But I admit, I hated being left out. My fist needed something to punch right about now. What?! I always had the need to, even when I was pretty calm.