14: Temporary truce.

Sarah.

So that's it. I guess the decision is basically final. And there's nothing that can be done about it. I guess all I can do is hope and pray that Connie isn't one of the twenty six Crown students that are coming to Berry. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she goes to 'Hearst' or something... just not here!

Since the dismissal of the assembly, 'Crown students coming to Berry' is all everyone is talking about.

Some people were actually excited... the school band most especially. It's a fact that the Crown Lake Academy's school band is pretty talented. Their music is to die for... and I'm not kidding. The school band is miraculously taking their arrival extremely positively.

Others on the other hand were pissed, Kenzie being one of them. She has never really liked competition, especially when it came to the squad. And bringing Crown students here is doing just that. I wouldn't blame her either. I'm not being a critic here. This has nothing to do with the hate I feel for Kenzie and her minions either, but the cheer squad at Crown makes Kenzie and her squad look like amateurs.

Some people were overjoyed by dfthe news, for their own personal benefits of course. The football team is definitely in that category. Apparently, girls at Crown Lake are, what was the word they used, "Fuckable", and they would all give anything to be able to brag that they 'made out with royalty! I'm not denying the fact that they're right, I have met a couple of Crown students thanks to Connie. And truth be told, they are all stunning! It's as if beauty is a necessity to join the school, cause it's a trait they all seem to have.

Though something that seems to worry most people is their attitude. Known fact, Crown Lake is known for having the 'important kids in the society'. The kids of CEOs, directors, managers, politicians, ambassadors, those extremely rich and successful people. Also known fact, with great money, comes great 'bitchiness'! And rumors are, Crown Lake apparently has the bitchiest people on the planet... even bitchier than Kenzie. And that's really saying something considering that Kenzie might as well be awarded for it. 

Now, I'm not agreeing with the rumors, and I'm not denying them. The few I've met weren't like that. But then again, I haven't met all of them... just the cheerleaders, who were friendly, sure, but that may have been because I'm Connie's friend. Maybe the school really is like that, spoilt and all. Maybe Connie is even secretly like that.

I was too lost in my thoughts to realize the huge 'barrier' standing in the middle of the hallways blocking my path... And it was too late for me to stop myself from colliding head on with it. I have no idea which one hurt more... the collision, the fall, the land or the embarrassment! Not to mention my books which spilled all over the place... Yet again, I looked like a total clutz to everyone.

 I wasn't going to give people the satisfaction of seeing me cry. I wasn't going to break down in front of them. No matter how much they were going to whisper and gossip and laugh behind my back, I wasn't going to react. 

To distract myself, or at the very least hide my tears from everyone, I quickly bent down to pick up my books. The quicker I got out of here, the better.

"I'm beginning to think that you're making it a habit to intentionally bump into me," I could detect a smirk behind his humorless statement. It doesn't exactly take a genius to figure out who it was. Of course it had to be him, who else would it be? It sucks that I have to deal with him even now. His little teasing in the gym didn't seem to satisfy him at all.  

To avoid any kind of confrontation, just like I always do, I proceeded to simply collecting my books. But just as I was about to collect the final book, he stepped on it, trapping my book between the floor and his shoe. When I looked up at him, his face was completely serious, it made me nervous. I hated that face. Come to think of it, I just hate his face. But it's not like he can beat me up in front of everyone! That would be too much, even for him... right?

"How's your arm doing?" I don't know, you tell me! Last time I checked I 'slipped in a ditch or something!' Was he kidding me? Was this a trick question? Was he waiting for me to answer so he could shove me to the ground and make me the laughing stock of the entire school yet again? That wasn't going to happen... not this time. I'm way smatter than that.

"Well, seeing as you aren't going to answer, I'll go straight to the point!" he squatted in front of me so that we could be eye level. Instinct made me crawl a couple of feet away from him. Something about us being that close made me sick to the stomach.

"If Connie does in fact study in this school," he continued, his voice going back to it's usual casual cold self, and I couldn't help but hold my breath and brace myself for what would come next, bunch of insults or a beating, "I want you to stay as far away from her as you an. I don't want you talking, eating or even studying together. I don't even want you looking at her. If you so much as breath in her direction, you're as good as dead! You even think about opening your mouth to tell her anything... dead! And I think you know me well enough to know that I DO NOT like repeating myself!

Of course nobody in this school  understands that better than me. I've even had the honor of experiencing it first hand. Scared to death, all I could do  was give him  meek nod.

"Don't cross paths with her... no matter the circumstances. Do that, and you and me will be just fine. Understand?"

I gave him another nod.

"I need to hear it from your mouth___"

"I... I understand," my voice came out as a whisper, but by the satisfied smile on his face, I knew he had heard it.

"Good girl, " he finally quit stepping on my book. He took it, dusted it off a bit, and then placed it on top of the pile of books that I was carrying,  "And to show you that I'll keep my word..." he took one of my pens, then moved a bit closer to me.

He gently took my cast in his hand, and when he did, all sort of sick twisted movies began playing in my head. Movies where be twists my arm again, or stabs it with a pen until I bleed to death. And I closed my eyes and braced myself for the pain... but it never came. Quite the opposite, he signed his name on my cast!

"Temporary truce... until you decide to piss me off," he said casually. Was this some kind of joke? Or a dream! Surely that would explain everything. Or a prank and someone somewhere was recording everything. I had to look around the hallways to make sure. But I couldn't tell, cause everyone in the hallways basically looked as shocked as me. And it's hard to tell if someone may be secretly recording considering half the people around here had their phones with them... any of them could be secretly recording. One thing was certain though, nobody could believe that this was actually happening.

"One chance Vance. One chance to rekindle our childhood friendship... Don't make me regret it. Stay away from Connie. That's all I ask," he took my books from me as Jake and Brian helped me stand up. He placed the books carefully on my hand and only let go when he was sure I had a firm grip on them. And without another word, he walked away, his friends faithfully following behind him. I was left all alone in the hallways, people's gazes swapping between Casey, who was walking away and me. At the moment, all that my mind could register was, "what in God's name just happened?!"