Six

Skylar's POV

"My head's gonna burst any second, Chicks." I groaned, clutching onto my forehead as I slumped down on my bed. Chicken purred in response and curled around one of my legs, something that didn't seem to help in the slightest.

I really couldn't understand why my head was aching so badly right now, the pounding in my head seeming to increase if I sat up for too long. Now that I thought about it, the hit hadn't been that severe.

But what if I had accidentally bursted a vein or something? Or maybe cracked my skull?

I should've gone to a doctor, or maybe even told my parents about this. But I didn't want to deal with those series of questions. Gulping down those painkillers felt so much easier than making up excuses.

I scrambled around, trying to reach for my phone with my outstretched hand. And when I switched on the screen, I saw various messages and missed calls, all from Alex. A twinge of guilt spread over my heart. He was probably worried why I had suddenly asked him to not pick me up for school today, and had skipping school as well.

I rested my head against the bed rest and took another painkiller in my palm, gulping it down with a glass of water.

I opened up Alex's latest text and let out a small, helpless groan.

Someone

uploaded

a

video

of

the

cafeteria

from

yesterday. Almost

trending

on

YouTube, Sky. It's

kind

of

fucked

up.

I frowned at the exaggeration in his words. I'm sure it wasn't trending, but did that even matter? Things like such spread around in our school way too quickly. I despised being involved in any highschool rumour, it was very stressful.

I found myself clicking on the attached link and a YouTube video popped up on my screen. Even Chicken felt the need to crawl up in my lap, her eyes trained on the lit up screen.

The video was exactly of what Alex had mentioned; a recording of the entire scene in the cafeteria yesterday. And there were almost more than a thousand views on it, with comments that really weren't fun to read.

This really was fucked up.

I switched off my phone and closed my eyes, blowing out a heavy sigh. I was truly glad that I had skipped school today, even though that'd be a big problem when my mom finds out. With this freaking headache, I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to stand those stares in school hallways.

In everyone else's knowledge, Caden Miller never asked for something, especially from a girl like me. Not to forget that little glaring-fight he had with Alex. People were mostly surprised to see that Caden hadn't bashed Alex's head, like he would've done with anyone else. And I swear to God, if anyone came up with a rumour that it was all because of me, I would probably flip out on every single one of them.

Another small buzz vibrated my phone but I didn't check it. It was probably another text from Alex. He'd probably be arriving at my home if I kept on ignoring his calls and messages like this. But then again, it wasn't really my fault. I had been asleep the whole day, only waking up when it was somewhere near nighttime.

The only person who seemed to be a bit happy right now was Chicken –who wasn't really a person– since she got to have my company the entire day, even if I was on my bed the whole time.

Thinking that I had sulked around enough, I stood up from my bed and headed downstairs. I pulled up my hair and tied them in a ponytail before pouring myself another glass of water, and sitting down on the couch in the lounge.

I had really skipped a whole day from school.

I knew I couldn't do the same tomorrow. I'll eventually have to face the people, and Alex too.

Right at that moment, I heard the doorbell ring.

I looked over at the front door, thinking that it was certainly Alex. I didn't think I was ready to see him, or maybe I was. He was my best friend and I surely couldn't keep on ignoring him for the whole day. If something was up, we always spoke it out one way or another.

Letting out a small yawn, I stood up from the couch and went over towards the door. When I opened it, I found myself face to face with the only person I wasn't expecting to find there.

"Caden?" I spoke up with wide eyes. "What–How?"

He looked at me with those green eyes and my breath hitched. Again.

"It really isn't nice to see you again, Anderson." He replied bluntly, and I managed to frown at that even though I was totally checking him out.

He was wearing his usual leather jacket over a black shirt, with equally as dark jeans. It really was hard to look away.

I give up.

This guy was standing right in front of me, outside my house, and I couldn't help but admire how extremely good looking he was?

"How did you know that I live here?" I regarded him suspiciously.

He raised a brow at me and let out a short, humourless laugh. "I don't think I'd like to tell you that."

I opened my mouth in disbelief. He had the nerve to stalk up my house address and refused to tell how?

"Why are you here?" I stuck with frowning at him, placing my hands on either side of the doorframe. It would be so much easier if it had been Alex ringing the doorbell, not him.

Caden's eyes trailed down my face, certainly judging my colorful pajamas, unlike his complete black attire. I crossed my arms across my chest and his gaze flickered back to my eyes, one corner of his lips curving up ever so slightly.

"I thought you agreed to give me that letter." He stated. "Didn't know you sucked at keeping your promises."

I forced myself not to fidget under his intimidating gaze, even though it hadn't been my fault. I really had forgotten about that whole promise thing.

"You weren't at school today." His gaze didn't seem to leave mine.

I ended up rolling my eyes. "Yeah, I wasn't. But since you were too nice to come here yourself," I hesitated a little before opening the door wider for him. "I might as well give it to you now."

I was aware that I shouldn't have done that: invite a total stranger into my house. Because firstly, I didn't think my parents would've appreciated to know that I let a boy in my house when I was all alone, and secondly, if Alex found out that I let Caden inside my house, his hate for Caden would probably make him do something really stupid.

I did hesitate to let him in my house, eyeing him skeptically. "Um...yeah." Then I stepped aside to let him in, because really, it was way too cold outside right now.

He stared at me in clear amusement before stepping inside, and once he was past me, I closed the front door and turned my back against it.

"You just let a stranger in your house when you're all alone." He said, stopping few feet away from me. "Do you really don't care about your safety?"

I did. But since he had kind of saved my life before, I didn't think he would be of any danger—at least, I'd like to believe that.

"I'm not alone." I replied with obvious confidence, my eyes searching around for my cat. "I've got my cat with me."

And really, I wasn't even kidding. Chicken could be a real threat with her paws if you ever tested her. Unfortunately, Caden didn't know that. That's why he responded with a look of slight disbelief in my direction, as if I was the most idiotic person he had ever met.

I failed to spot Chicken around the lounge and almost cursed silently.

That traitor!

When I felt something furry curling around my right foot, I looked down and saw Chicken, who had actually been here with me all this time.

Oh well.

I leaned down to pick her up but instead, stepped on my overly large pajama bottoms and ended up stumbling forwards before falling down on my butt. Chicken reacted with jumping on top of me.

Caden, on the other hand, looked at me with raised brows and I saw him shake his head slowly.

"You really amuse me, Anderson." He confessed before coming towards me.

Right at that moment, I thought that he really was going to give me a hand and help me get up. After all this time, he would give me a hand! But all he did was pick Chicken up and leave me where I was.

I looked at him in disbelief. How come he was so rude to the same person who let him in her house?

Irritatedly, I stood up myself and tried not to wince out loud at the sudden pounding in my head, sticking with grinding my teeth together. I saw Caden eyeing me and I responded quickly, "I'll go and get that letter. Just wait here."

When I reached upstairs in my room, I blew out a small painful sigh and went over towards my desk. I started rummaging through my drawers which were filled with real crap.

Mom was right. This was really messed up like shit.

Somehow after few minutes of searching around, I finally found the crumbled white paper. Closing back my drawers, I opened it and tried smoothing it out as I walked back downstairs.

Caden was exactly where I had left him. The only difference was Chicken, who was roaming around his feet. Once I stepped down the last stair, Chicken ran towards me and I picked her up before setting her down on the couch.

"Stay here, Chicks." I murmured to her and she let out a small meow.

Caden gave me another look of disbelief when I turned towards him, as if he couldn't believe that I was talking to a cat. Before he could've made a comment about it, his eyes traveled down to the paper in my hand.

I pushed my hand towards him and gave him that paper.

The next few minutes passed by in total silence as I watched him in anticipation, while he looked over at the paper, reading the words with a blank look.

Then a small frown formed on his forehead and he finally looked back at me, a strange expression in his eyes that I couldn't really point out.

"What is it?" I asked him when the silence seemed to stretch on, not being able to hide the nervousness from my voice. Something about the expression on his face was making me nervous.

He looked back at the paper and he didn't look happy this time, nowhere near it actually. When I started to think that he wouldn't be saying anything anytime soon, he finally opened his mouth, seeming like he wasn't sure whether saying it out loud was worth it or not.

"It's the East Gang." He muttered.