True Love:Follow Your Heart

by Melissa Heagerty

  《***》

  Michael was now more curious than ever before. What secrets did she have? He was on his way to find out soon but got more than he bargained for. As the hours went by, it got harder and more difficult to find her. Since he had a free class, he decided to ignore his current situation and study, and that's when he found her ... in the library. “There you are, I've tried to look for you all day.” Michael was happy to see a familiar face.

  She heard his voice and smiled. She had avoided almost everyone in her family today, even her sister, Torrie. "You found me,” she teased in an absent, shamefaced tone, and moved her bag over for him to sit. “I come here when I want to avoid everything or everybody.” She shrugged, it wasn't supposed to sound like a joke, but he smiled and sat down next to her.

  “So, you come here often?” Michael jokes, which made her blush a bit and turned her head back to her work. “Can I ask you something?” He asked as she nodded.

  “Shoot,” she replied.

  “Ethan mentioned you had some incident last year?”

  Eileen nodded her head. “I had a body issue thing last year." She lowered her eyes to the floor. It became easier for her to explain everything if she wasn't looking directly at him. “I became a cheerleader last year, but I knew that if I wanted to keep my spot, I did whatever it took.”

  Michael whistled as he took everything in. He knew she felt insecure about herself, but wow, he didn’t expect that. Michael knew where this was going. “You don't have to—”

  She shook her head. “It's fine, I did it again, forced myself to throw up. I must've done it one too many times, and once I was on top of the pyramid. The next thing I knew, I found myself in the hospital with a sprained wrist and concussion.” She walked away to look out of the window nearby. She noticed his shadow behind her.

  “We all do things we wish we could take back. But what I see now, is a smart, beautiful woman who has a lot more going for her than she knows.”

  Eileen knew he tried, and it almost worked. “You don't have to do this out of pity. I know the truth and what everybody sees me as. Kelli made it crystal clear,” she grabbed her bag and wanted to leave, but Michael stopped her.

  “I'm not doing this out of pity. Nobody set me up. Whatever this Kelli did or said to you is what you seem to believe, but you aren't alone here, no matter how much you believe it.”

  She let go of his grip and walked out of the library but stopped when she wondered about something. “Then why are you doing this?” She asked but didn't look at him. “You seem like a nice guy, Michael, but if I were you, I'd stay away from me before trouble finds you too,” she warned him and stormed out of the library.

  《***》

  Michael became determined to do whatever he could do so she would trust him.

  “I want to say, she's right,” said the voice of Ethan who came by.

  Michael gave him a confused look.

  “She told you, huh?” Ethan assumed something happened between the two.

  Michael nodded, still at a loss on what to do next.

  “She did it to scare you away. Or she knew if she didn't, Kelli would.” Ethan saw that concerned look on his face. He knew the identity of the bullies, but Michael didn't.

  “Why did she say she's the trouble? I get that she has trust issues...” Michael asked Ethan, who remained silent.

  “Keep your head up, alright? You’ll find out sooner, rather than later.” Ethan informed him.

  Michael gave up for now and watched Ethan leave for practice.

  《***》

  It was after school as everyone, most everybody left for the day when a familiar voice spooked him. “Well, junior, we meet again,” the chilled voices of Christian and Ryder that came from behind scared him.

  “Now is not the time,” Michael warned them, even if he wanted to blow some steam.

  Footsteps approached as the leader of the group came to the front. Michael narrowed his eyes at him.

  “Heard you tried to mess with my boys today?” Avery inquired.

  “Let me guess, there is always a leader, right?”

  Avery smirked and signaled the boys to hold him. Michael struggled to break free and got punched in the gut a few times.

  Ryder and Christian shoved him down and kicked him. “Stay away from our sister,” Christian warned as they fled before one of the teachers walked by.

  Michael groaned, and wondered what that meant as the pain made his eyes roll back.

  《***》

  Eileen took a detour, as she finished studying, and needed to grab something from the locker. A moan made her turn around to see Michael laid out, which made her rush over.

  “Michael?” She asked as he turned over to see who it was. She knew who was responsible. He tried to help him up, but it didn't work. “Hey, it's okay, I'm here,” she reassured him that everything would be fine. She was furious. Her brothers crossed a line, and they were going to pay for it once she saw them again. Eileen examined his bruised face and noticed that he must have fought back. From his bruised knuckles, she smiled as she was glad someone stood up to them.

  Ethan came back from practice as he wondered what transpired. He jogged up to Eileen, who tended to an injured Michael. “Whoa, what the hell?” Ethan knelt with a bewildered look on his face.

  “My brothers, that's what.” Eileen chimed in as Ethan saw the rage in her eyes for the first time.

  “Are you sure?” Ethan wondered if she knew that it had been going on since he came.

  She nodded her head to confirm it. “Can you take him to go get checked out?” She asked Ethan, who agreed.

  “Y—yeah, what are you going to do?” Ethan didn’t want to leave her alone in this state.

  “Just help him ...” Eileen left them alone.

  《***》

  “What did you two do?” Said the voice of Torrie as she walked past them to reach the entrance of the school.

  She waited for Eileen, who was running behind. Eileen told Torrie to meet her in front of the school. Just before the two of them were going to speak.

  Torrie spotted a furious Eileen storming up ahead. “There you are, you—” Torrie was going to say before Eileen slapped Ryder then Christian as hard as she could.

  “Oww,” they said.

  “What the hell was that for?” Christian asked as he held his cheek.

  Eileen’s hand tingles from the slap. “I saw what you two did to him.”

  They wondered who she was talking about.

  “Michael, I saw what you did—”

  Torrie raised her eyebrow, why would she care about the new kid?

  Footsteps approached the crowded hallway. “He got what he deserved.” An overconfident Avery tells her.

  Of course, she should have known these two idiots would go back to him. She goes to slap him too, but Avery caught her wrist.

  “Hey Ave,” Christian said, going back in protective mode.

  “I like it when they get all feisty,” Avery smirked, and tighten the hold again, but at this point, she didn't care.

  She tried to slap him with her other arm, but he caught that one too.

  “Come on, man, let her go,” Ryder feared her safety.

  Torrie knew she needed to do something.

  “Relax, boys. I'm not going to do anything … at least not yet.” Avery let her go and shoved her into her brother, who caught her. “Here's how this works … you want your brothers to stop, they'll stop under one condition.”

  Eileen rolled her eyes as she rubbed her wrist.

  “No, Avery, come on ...” Christian tried to step in, intervene if you will, but Avery told him to stay out of it.

  “Name it,” Eileen made Torrie’s eyes widen in surprise that she'd go along with it.

  Ryder and Christian heard enough.

  Torrie pulled her sister aside to talk some sense into her. “You don't have to—”

  But Eileen already mad
e up her mind.

  “Fine! If I agree to go whatever it is, you’ll leave Michael alone?”

  Avery did the cross signal on his heart as he walked away. Eileen glared at her brothers.

  “We're—” They were going to say, but she didn't want to hear it.

  All Eileen cared about was that Avery kept his word and left Michael alone.

  Chapter 8

  Once after she got ready for school. Kate headed towards the front of the building, as she spotted a certain car parked out front. Flynn and Caden were waiting outside for her.

  “What are you two doing here?” She walked up to them.

  “Flynn wouldn't quit pestering me to see if you wanted a ride to school,” Caden explained to her.

  It was a sweet gesture, though. “You guys didn't have to go through this trouble.” The bus stop was around the corner, but she watched Flynn opening the door, giving her no time to reply.

  “We don't mind at all. Ladies first.” Flynn winked, as he let her in the backseat. No matter what she said, it wasn't going to work.

  Caden knew Kate might as well cave in defeat. Everybody got settled as Flynn started the car back up.

  “Thank you, even though you didn't have too,” she told him again.

  Flynn nodded in the reflection of the mirror.

  《***》

  She scrutinized the girls who gave her stare-daggers while she exited his car. They figured that she must’ve been the new 'flavor of the week.' Kate breathed a little easier after she walked past them.

  “You alright?” Caden noticed Kate was a tad flushed.

  She reassured him by lying. “Y—yeah, fine,” he knew she was far from it.

  After they went their separate ways, Kate entered the ladies' bathroom.

  A group of girls followed her behind. Two of them guarded the door. “Whatever this ridiculous love-sick saga you have with Flynn, it's not going to last.” An ecstatic, flawless, petite, arrogant junior, sneered.

  Kate glimpsed at her reflection in the mirror, she spotted her red hair over her shoulder. “What are you talking about?” Kate asked her. She held her ground and used her willpower to let the statement wash over her.

  The girl tilted her vision towards the mini-me’s, who sang a hearty snicker—playing the dim-witted card. Cute. “See, we know who you are, Kate. If you claim your life is in hell already? You ain't seen anything yet.” A sly smirk appeared on her face. “First and last warning: stay away from Flynn Claybourne, or else.” She expressed in a threatening tone, which Kate laughs off.

  Who does this bitch think she is? Kate thought to herself. “Okay, you know what? I tried to play nice, sweetie. Whatever gullible, fantasy you think there is. You're a bit delusional if you—” Kate trailed off; she had enough of this childish petty game. She took a deep breath to continue her banter. “Look, I have zero desire to be with him. Not now nor ever. Does that make you happy?” Flynn knew how to choose the superficial ones, didn’t he? As much fun this was, Kate wanted to—well, be anywhere else but here. Turning around, she headed out of the ladies’ room. Kate felt her wrist twist, as the woman stopped Kate.

  “Please, you thought this was a nice guy act. Him being all chivalrous? Oh … you thought that?”

  Kate's face fell. Why did it feel like she got stabbed in the gut or her heart shattered?

  “All he is in this school is nothing but a pompous, philanderer. He demands things in return, whether he asked or not. If you can't pay in advance, he tossed you to the side.” She couldn't believe Kate bought this nonsense. “You can deny anything you want, but I know the truth.”

  Kate jerked her arm free and rubbed it from her grip. “Geez, are all you preppy, bitches are mentally preposterous?”

  “Why shouldn't we demand power? We own this school.” The girl asserted. “So, do what I say next time, or you'll feel my wrath. Let's go, girls.” She spat and snapped her fingers to leave as they do in a sashay manner.

  Kate waited a few minutes to regain her composure. Shortly after, she headed to class, but low and behold, she ran into Flynn.

  《***》

  “Everything alright?” Flynn asked, but Kate backed away. Flynn saw a fretted Kate. She tried to abstain from uttering a word.

  Another voice caught his attention. “Hey, baby,” the familiar redhead seduced in a whisper, as she linked arms with him.

  He grins as she sparkled those dark blue eyes, a phony performance in front of him.

  “You look flustered, what's troubling that beautiful head of yours?” She caressed his cheek.

  Flynn brushed her away. “Tiff, why are you still with me? It's over between us.” Flynn recalled the incident when her father caught him in her bedroom.

  Tiffani’s eyes narrowed at the floor. She tried to fight for him once he left. It's always the same thing in the end. A backfired deadend conversation. “Come on, Flynn, remember all the wonderful times we had?” Tiffani asked in a flirtatious whisper, doing that thing he loved. Her breath breathed down his neck, she moved her hands on his muscular body.

  A mischievous grin formed on his lips and recalled all the good times they had. “I won't lie, our few weeks were fantastic,” he said, but he rarely saw them as a serious long-term situation.

  Tiffani's eyes beamed as she felt optimistic for a second chance. She knew he didn't feel the same. She considered the reason why. “Don't tell me it's that dweeb's fault?” Tiffani stated.

  He never gave other women a second glance since Kate's appearance.

  Tiffani muttered; her glossy eyes narrowed in his direction. She swallowed her pride in front of him. She remembered the one piece of advice her mother taught her. Never show vulnerability, especially in front of a man. You'll be back, baby. She turned on her heels, she strutted away.

  Flynn hated to see them go but loved to watch them leave. He walked in the opposite direction.

  《***》

  Don't let them win. You heard the stories. Kate thought inside her head. She knew he was a womanizer. He could flirt with whomever he desires. They agreed to a private tutor. What more could happen? Was he going to scheme without her knowledge? A puzzled Kate realized she lost sight of her next location. Although, she encountered herself on the web of woes.

  “We told you'd be back,” Tiffani sneered. Her minions weren't too hard to locate.

  Kate gawked at the two others, Ivanna Douglas and Morgan Peyton. She couldn't survey either when they trapped her in the bathroom this morning. What did she want now?

  “You saw I ended things with him,” Kate said, half lying to her.

  Tiffani rolled her eyes out of annoyance. “No, all you did was paused the indefatigable! How do I know? He ditched me to the curb, me!”

  Kate heard the tantrum tone in her voice. It was almost a screech.

  “Nobody blows me off like that! Flynn is one of the hottest guys in this school. I'll be damned if your four-eyed, pencil nerd hands step in and snatch him from me. I run this school.” Tiffani pointed out.

  Kate had to interrupt again at that last statement. “Funny, you and Kelli Lockhart seem to have a different theory about who’s in full control,” Kate mentioned another issue Tiffani needed to confront. Kelli Lockhart was yesterday's news, according to her. Kate clouded her focus. “You want him, go for it.” Kate urged her to succeed in this delusional relationship, as she opted not to be a part of this. “He's not my type.” Kate felt dumb-witted to explain it in the first place.

  Tiffani wasn’t that moronic, and she saw through that lie. “You hang out at his house!”

  Kate began to get frustrated at this prolonged conversation. “I'm friends with his brother, Caden!” She exclaimed. “Here's how this will work. I'll stay out of your way if you stay out of mine, 'kay princess?” Kate asked as she had enough encounters with the primadonna for one day.

  Chapter 9

  “God, I wish I didn't have cheerleading practice today,” Kelli complained as s
he reached the entrance of the kitchen.

  Kasper smirked as he heard Kelli whine while he read the paper.

  “Guess my wish didn't come true last night, you're still here.” Kelli sauntered past him to grab a cup of coffee for herself. If she wanted to survive today's practice or his witty banter, she wanted at least to be ready for whatever came first. “Look who returned from yet another tale of bad boys r us.”