chapter 5

It has been hell for Catherine in Riverside High School. Sometimes she misses her classes because she was too scared to face the mockery the students will subject her to.

She walked inside the ladies locker room to change after practice, when she opened her locker to grab her towel, the door pulled opened. With the thought that it might be one of the students, she didn't look at the intruder, not until she felt someone's breath on her neck.

Her eyes widened and she tried to look back but the person pushed her forward so that her front was pressed before her locker. His woodsy and peppermint scent filled her nose and she realized without looking that it was Ace.

Ace fucking Hampton.

"What…..what are you doing, Ace?" She stuttered.

"Shhh," Ace whispered into her ear. "Don't say a word."

Catherine shut her mouth close, her heart thumping against her chest erratically.

She couldn't understand how Ace found her in the ladies locker room. She knew that she was discreet enough not to let anyone see her while going in.

She has done everything to keep him away from her, she had stayed clear of him because maybe...just maybe if he doesn't see her constantly he might get bored of her but it looked like she was wrong.

Loud and wrong because her biggest nightmare was just behind her, stepping into her personal space and dominating her existence.

She noticed Andrea fisting on her game short and she quickly placed her hand on his, shaking her head as she begged him silently.

"What did I said about stopping me whenever I'm about to do something, Kitten?" Ace questioned, his voice sounded cal, it doesn't sound like it belongs to the cruel hands of her bully, even when he sounded so calm she could still feel his dominant presence behind her.

Ace suddenly wrapped his hand around her throat and bent over to whisper into her ear.

"I don't like repeating myself, Cat. So answer my question, now." He said firmly.

Catherine felt like a whip has been used on her. The way he commanded her, she just knew that she doesn't like that, she just felt like she doesn't like to be boss around.

He let go of her neck and she turned around to face him, the look in his eyes threw her off guard.

She could read his facial expressions; all of them.

It was as if he let her see it, he let her see him.

There was pure hatred in his eyes while he stared at her. Catherine couldn't understand why the hell he'd hate her when she had done absolutely nothing to him.

Either way, she doesn't care.

She won't let him boss her around without a fight. Besides, what's the worst that can happen?

"You are not going to see the color of my underwear, Ace Hampton. You'd be the last guy on earth to see it." Catherine seethed out. She was surprised at the steady tone of her voice but was also grateful that she didn't end up stuttering.

Ace didn't look taken aback by her words, infact he was just waiting for her to snap until he start the real game.

The game to break her, to destroy her.

One thing he knows is that he will make Catherine Meyers pay and she will pay in the worst ways possible.

"If I want to see your underwear, what will you do?" Ace asked and cocked his head to the side, watching her intensely. "In fact I want to see it, I want to see the color of your underwear, now."

Catherine looked taken aback, she tried to get away from his but Ace's cage of a body wasn't helping her.

After struggling to get out of his hold for as long as she could, she placed her hands on her waist and glared at him.

"I won't let you bully me, not anymore, Ace Hampton. I am going to report you to the principal and also report you to your coach, let's see what you will do when you finally lose that NFL draft." Catherine said confidently.

She was sure that her word will make Ace get away from her.

Every footballers dreams is to be drafted into NFL and she was confident that Ace Hampton wasn't a different.

Ace chuckled and grabbed her chin roughly, the pad if gis hand burning into Catherine's cheek like a furnace.

"Do you really think I care? NFL? Who gives a fuck about it? Surely not me. Go to my coach or the principal, go to the media if you want but just know this; no one will believe you.

I am a Hampton, Catherine. You can't win against me.

Catherine felt as though her life was slowly leaving her, she actually though that she finally got him where she wanted him but it ended up being a fruitless try.

"Why? Are you tired of running that mouth of yours? Because I'm not done playing, Catherine. I will ruin you." With that firm promise, Ace glanced over at her body one more time before walking out if the locker room.

He got to the corridor and was met with Liam; his best friend.

Liam smirked when he saw Ace and walked towards her.

"You can't believe whom I just saw, Hampton." Liam said, Ace wasn't a fan of guessing. Whenever he wanted to do something or say something, he usually go straight to the point and Liam of all people knew this.

"Who did you see? And why are your eyes like that, Wesley?" Ace questioned,he was clearly impatiently. One of the things he hated with passion was suspense.

He doesn't like to be in suspense and everybody knows this which made him suspect Liam even more.

They walked towards the football field and Ace stopped on his track. He furrowed his eyebrows as his eyes took in the scene before him.

Anitra Steel.

Back to Riverside High School when they have not less than three months before prom.