Page 158 of Dear Love, I Hate You (Easton High)

Every time I think I’ve hit rock bottom…

I keep falling.

I knew it was just starting when I was removed from the “Find Zac and Love” Facebook group by the admin. I guess they weren’t comfortable with Love witnessing their savage bullying up close.

Whispers I could handle. I could even accept the name-calling, but the cheer squad opting for a more direct approach… that I can’t handle. Brie and her bimbos have been having a field day making my life a living hell.

Tripping me in the halls.

Slipping nasty notes into my locker.

Slapping my books out of my hands.

Any petty, mean-girl shit you can think of, they’ve done.

It’s like middle school all over again.

Dia assured me Finn would keep the basketball team on a leash, and Mr. Popular strayed true to his word. Thank God for that. I can’t imagine having to deal with Regina George the Second on top of Axel and his goons.

As much as I appreciate Finn looking out for me at Dia’s request, I couldn’t stomach the thought of continuing to eat with the jocks. And when I say jocks, I mean Xavier.

Dia and I eat just the two of us now, and while it’s helped me avoid Scumbag Emery, I still run into him in the halls every now and again. The real kicker is, when we cross paths, he doesn’t ignore me like any decent fuckboy would.

He stares until the last moment.

Maybe he gets a kick out of watching me suffer. Knowing he took everything from me. Maybe he feels powerful. Whatever it is, that single encounter is enough to ruin my day.

“Sorry to interrupt, ladies.”

My head snaps up, and I find myself back in the crowded cafeteria in a nanosecond. I’ve been in my head since lunch started. Dia’s sitting across from me, her dark, angry eyes staring bullets into Axel’s forehead.

He’s standing by our table, a cocky smirk plastered to his face. It takes me a second to realize he’s talking to me. Finn didn’t show up at school today. I’m guessing this makes today “Torture Aveena” day.

Gather around, everybody.

Tickets on sale, limited time only.

“What do you want, Fletcher?” Dia grits through her teeth.

“From you? Nothing.” Axel’s gaze flicks to me. “From Love, however…”

I don’t react to his usage of my alias.

Everybody knows, no point in denying it anymore.

He presses the heels of his hands flat against the table, leaning forward as if to tell me a secret. I notice the room’s gone quiet all of a sudden. As expected, the majority of the cafeteria is looking in our direction. It’s crazy how human beings tend to be drawn to chaos. Not that I can blame them. Any kid who says they hate gossip and drama is lying.

We all live for that shit.

Until it happens to us.

“Think it’s about time you fess up, don’t you?”

I don’t grace him with a reply, my throat so full of rage I couldn’t form a sentence if I wanted to. The bullying doesn’t make me sad anymore. It makes me livid.

“Come on, you can trust me. Who’s Zac? I won’t tell.” He flashes a mischievous grin.

I’m convinced some higher power comes into play when I randomly lock eyes with Xavier sitting at the jocks’ table. Like the rest of the school, he, Theo, Brie, and a few basketball players are watching the events unfold. Only… unlike the night where he broke my heart, there’s emotion in his eyes.