•Chapter 7• The Past

••New School••

"Dad, you can't do this to me!"

"You are the mayor's daughter. You should attend a good school that is up to your standards"

"Ugh! I already go to a good school!" she reasoned

"Yes, but this is more of an elite school."

"Dad, please, I don't want to change schools"

"Enough! This is not up for debate. Go to your room, Hannah, now!" He shouted, and she stomped to her room.

She entered her room and slammed the door shut. She didn't want to leave her old school, she loved her friends and the life she had there. Everyone was nice, there was no bullying, no popular or unpopular kids. Everyone was friendly and was treated as equals.

The Richemonte Academy, on the other hand, was a snobby school full of elitists and jerks.

"Calm down, Hannah, It can't be that bad..." She talked to herself.

•THE NEXT DAY•

She dressed up neatly, in a black summer dress that ended her just above her knees, and paired it with black pumps. She took out her mother's ribbon and she sectioned the top part of her hair and tied it back with ribbon making a small ponytail under which the lower section of her hair flowed freely. She put on a lip balm and looked at herself in the mirror.

She looked okay from the outside but from the inside only she knew how miserable she felt.

It was her first day at Richmonte Academy.

The whole car ride she kept biting her nails. Her legs seemed like jelly as her knees were knocking together. A lump formed in her throat but she ignored it. Her stomach seemed to jump in her throat.

She stepped out and before her stood a magnificent Neoclassical building. For a second, she felt like she was in London outside of some royal palace.

"Hannah Clarke, we were informed that Mayor Clarke's daughter has decided to move to Richmonte Academy and we are very glad to have you here. Welcome!"

A teacher took her to the principal's office, gave her a schedule, and gave her a tour of the school. When it was time for her first class she left her with an elderly woman. She peeked into the classroom and found teenagers causing havoc.

"Hey, are we going to prank the new girl?" Grayson asked his best friend.

"Hell yeah!" Sebastian laughed as he used his cellphone. He hadn't seen the new student yet but since the morning all anyone talked about was the mayor's daughter, who transferred to Richmonte Academy.

"Let's put a dead rat in her locker" Dalton suggested. "With some creepy note"

"Ew," Violet cringed at her brother's suggestion. "Let's put glue in her seat"

They were still talking among themselves when the teacher's voice resonated in the classroom.

"Good morning, class! Let's welcome our new student Hannah Clarke, She is the daughter of our gracious Mayor" she announced happily.

Sebastian finally looked up from his cellphone and suddenly the loud chatter behind him faded away. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. She looked so pretty and cute with her dress and the ribbons in her beautiful brown hair. She kept looking down playing with her fingers while the teacher introduced her. She looked somewhat familiar to him. I must have seen a pretty girl like her in his dreams, he thought to himself.

The teacher walked out of the class because the principal had called her. She told her to take a seat that's when she looked up biting her lip to find a seat for herself.

"No way in hell we're pranking her!" Sebastian said to his friends.

"Why?" Violet asked

"Because I said so!" Now, Gray, get the fuck up from here" Sebastian whisper-yelled to Grayson, who sat in the seat next to him.

"Why?"

"Just do it!" Sebastian said looking at Hannah who was about to walk to a seat in the back.

"Oh, someone's got a crush!" Grayson teased. 

Sebastian glared at him. "Gray, I'll give you my Lamborghini's keys for a whole day," He offered, Grayson abruptly got up and walked back to the only available seat to which Hannah was walking.

She halted in her steps when she saw Grayson sitting there. Grayson in return gave her a smug smile.

"You can sit here, you know," Sebastian offered her patting the seat next to him nervously.

Violet and Dalton just watched the scene before them with confusion.

Hannah sat down in the seat next to Sebastian and took off her backpack. He scratched the back of his neck and a nervous smile played on his lips.

"Thank you..."

"Um... No problem"

She took out her notebook unaware of the way Sebastian was staring at her. He was drooling over her and everyone in the class could see that. Violet felt threatened, she was the prettiest girl in the class and Sebastian has never looked at her in this way.

"So, you are the mayor's daughter," he questioned trying to make a conversation with her to which she nodded politely.

"What's your name?" He asked and she furrowed her eyebrows, didn't he hear when the teacher announced it to the whole class.

"Hannah Clarke" She mumbled

Sebastian thought for a while. He didn't know what got over him when he said.  "Can I call you Anna?"

She reminded her of something but he could remember what it was and the name Anna was on the tip of his tongue. He didn't know why but he wanted to call her Anna.

"Sure..." she smiled and it was the most beautiful smile he has ever seen.

"What's your name?" She asked, warming up to his kind nature.

"Sebastian Harding," he said proudly, Hannah was oblivious to who Hardings were.

"Nice to meet you, Sebastian" she smiled

The teacher came back into the class cutting their conversations short and told them to take out their textbooks.

THREE MONTHS PASSED in a blink of an eye. She blended in with the rest of the school just fine, it was not that bad. She was good friends with a really nice guy named Eric Newman. He came from an abusive home and talked to Hannah all about it, she could relate to him at some points too but didn't have the nerve to talk about it.

Eric wanted to be on the school's football team. It was his dream and the captain of the football team was Sebastian Harding, his ideal.

The first day when Sebastian talked to her, after class, a girl named Violet along with her friends cornered her in the girl's restroom and told her to stay away from him or they will literally make her life a living hell.

She was already living in one hell called home, she didn't want another hell. She steered away from him and distanced herself from wherever he was.

She also got to know that Sebastian along with his two best friends Dalton and Grayson was a playboy. They use girls for their pleasure and treat them like trash afterward. There was a hate club for Sebastian Harding and his friends formed by the girls they ditched.

She was sitting in the library researching for the science project that she and Eric needed to do together but he was busy licking some football player's butt. She was alone in the library with one other girl and it was dead silent. 

Suddenly, the door burst open and some girl was pushed in, she laid down on the floor with Sebastian on top of her, right in front of the door. He was kissing her like his life depended on it and began to unbutton her shirt.

Hannah felt uncomfortable while the other girl enjoyed the show. She slowly got up from her seat picked up her school bag without making a sound, she tiptoed her way to the door. As she was about to reach for the door handle, it burst open by the pissed-off librarian. Hannah stumbled by the force of the door and fell on Sebastian's naked back.

 

When did he take off his shirt?

Sebastian lost his balance and bumped into the unknown girl harshly and she screamed as his weight crushed her. Sebastian was sandwiched between Hannah and the unknown girl, who was crushed under both of them. Hannah was trying to get up startled. Sebastian turned which made Hannah fall to his side.

Sebastian was surprised to find Anna there and that too on top of him. He hurriedly got off the girl, he didn't want her to think less about him.

Hannah's breathing stopped as she took in his muscled naked chest with perfect abs, his perfectly messed up black hair, and brown eyes, and also for the first time she noticed how tall he was.

"Anna," he said breathlessly and picked up his shirt from the floor.

 

"Mr. Harding, Miss Clarke, and the girl I don't know the name of, to the principal's office, right now!" the librarian shouted.

"I didn't do anything" Hannah held up her hands as if someone had pointed a gun at her head. Sebastian smiled at how cute she looked while putting his shirt back on.

"You three were having a three-way in the library, don't you have any shame?" Librarian said disappointed.

"What? What's a three-way?" She asked innocently making Sebastian laugh.

"That's when---" he got cut off by the librarian's loud voice.

"Enough, to the principal's office right now!"

Hannah's shoulders dropped in resignation as she made her way to the principal's office. Sebastian strolled behind her looking at her butt. He liked her butt, her hair, and everything to do with her. They sat down waiting for the principal to call them in.

She was angry at Sebastian, she was in this mess because of him. He should tell the principal that I wasn't involved, she thought.

"I am sorry and I will but what the hell were you doing on top of me?" Sebastian asked.

Did I think that out loud?

"Yes, you did," he said smiling, her eyes widened and blood rushed to her cheeks.

"I was trying to leave the library but then the door opened hitting me in the process and making me crash on your back," She said looking anywhere but him.

"Mr. Harding and Miss Clarke, the principal will see you now and where did the other girl go?" The principal's assistant asked.  

"No idea..." Sebastian shrugged and got up along with Hannah. They went in together and the principal asked them to sit down.

"Who was the other girl with you, Mr. Harding?" Principal Evans asked.

"Honestly, I don't know her name," Sebastian muttered, for the first time he was ashamed because Anna was there.

"What a fine young gentleman you are, Mr. Harding" Principal taunted

"And Ms. Clarke, I expected more from you. In the past three months, your performance has been perfect as a model student. Please don't mingle with the likes of Sebastian Harding. I have called your mother, Eva Clarke, and told her about your little anecdote. I must say she wasn't very pleased" as these words slowly left the principal's mouth tears prickled in her eyes, her heart dropped into her stomach.

"It wasn't her fault, she was not even involved. She was studying and the librarian sent her here because she didn't tell on us" Sebastian said trying to make her feel better.

"I was told that you three were involved in a three-way" Principal frowned.

"We weren't, the librarian clearly misunderstood the whole situation. He is so uptight, he needs to get laid---" he stopped himself and smiled sheepishly as he saw the principal glaring at him. 

Principal Evans held his head in his hands. "You both belong to respected families, that is why I will let it slide this time. Next time I won't be so lenient. You both can leave now and Sebastian, stop causing trouble"

They both hurriedly walked out of the office and Sebastian faced her.

"I am so sorry," he said again when he saw how much she was crying.

"It's okay" She smiled with tears shining in her eyes and walked away, while he stood there watching at her retreating figure.