Eighteen: Bailee

EIGHT YEARS AGO (Sixteen years old)

“If it isn’t Baby Evans!” Jacob mocked, pulling on a chunk of my hair and jerking my head back.

“Ow!” I snapped, spinning around to swat his hand away. “Leave me alone!”

“So touchy! What’s wrong, Baby Evans? I thought you liked getting your hair pulled. I've heard all about you.” Jacob said, grabbing a fist full and yanking on my hair again, this time forcing me back so far that I stumbled, crashing into a warm body.

“Let her go,” The deep, familiar voice made me tense, but as his arms wrapped around me, I froze.

“Come on, Xander!” Jacob laughed, grabbing the strap to my backpack and tugging on it. “Lighten up. Ben’s not here, and she’s not your sister. I’m just having a little fun.”

“Don’t fucking call me that, and get your hands off her!” Alexander growled, and my hands grabbed his sides to hold myself up as Jacob gave one last tug on the strap.

Ben’s friends hadn’t always bothered me, not until I hit puberty a few years ago, anyway.

After t