Collide: A High School Bully Romance - Madison Falls High Book 1

by K. Walker

  “The one and only. You have a habit of running into me.” He grinned as his hand slid from my arm.

  “I’ve never ran into you,” I replied and tried to look around him. “Where’s your friend?”

  He laughed. “You saw that, huh?”

  “Pretty hard not to; I think everybody saw that.” I smiled and adjusted the strap on my shoulder.

  “Look, um, Cody told me about what happened. Thought you could use an escort.”

  He grinned at me, and something inside me somewhere melted. Something I didn’t know I had until Chad found it. “Thanks, but it wasn’t really a big deal. Was just some guy.”

  “Lot of these guys can be assholes. They hang out here and try to lure girls. They’re mostly harmless, but scary and creepy sometimes, so watch out.”

  “Yeah, so I’ve been told.”

  We walked on for a little while longer in silence, with me painfully aware that he was next to me and also of the eyes that followed him that automatically noticed me too. I probably looked like one of those girls and would probably get a reputation just for walking with him.

  “Chad, maybe you should get back to the party. I don’t want to…”

  “Chad! What the fuck are you doing?” a voice trailed from behind us.

  I froze when I heard the beginning of what would soon be a bitchin’. I sighed and tried to walk away, but he stood right next to me and his arm brushed against mine, like he was trying to prevent me from leaving.

  “Gwen?”

  “I heard about you and that bitch, and now…” She looked me over. “Is this the new girl? Are you kidding me?” She scoffed and rolled her eyes like she was disgusted. Her face was red, but probably not as red as mine, because clearly, she thought something was going on, and I didn’t want that news spread. At least, not on day two.

  Chad’s face tightened, and even though it was dark, I could see his eyes turn an emerald green as they narrowed and he walked over to Gwen.

  “What the fuck is this?” he asked in a sinister tone. It sent a shiver up my spine.

  “I-I-…” she stuttered, and then cleared her throat.

  “I suggest that you take it down a notch,” he ordered through clenched teeth.

  I wanted to look away, but once again, I was rooted to my spot and hypnotized.

  “You can’t seriously expect us to keep going like…”

  “Like what? Like we’re not together? That’s because we’re not, Gwen. Get it through your thick skull and stop fucking walking behind me like a lost fucking puppy dog!”

  Her face crumpled. “Chad, you don’t mean that,” she tried to reason and clung to his arm.

  He pulled his hand back. “Go get a drink and chill.”

  She shot daggers at me, then smiled at him and backed away. It was hard not to see how girls would do any shit to please him, even when he treated them like crap.

  He might be hot, but he was still a jerk.

  He wiped his hand down his face clearly frustrated and then he turned back to me. “Sorry about that,” he apologized. To me. And I wondered why. It seemed uncharacteristic, like he didn’t do that a lot. Or accompany girls to their cars. It seemed like something he would tell someone else to do, like he had ordered Cody to get my lunch.

  There was a lot more to Chad Minor than met the eye, and a smile played on my lips when I turned, and walked right into Callie Humpry.

  Just fucking great!

  Chapter 7

  It was probably one of the best first days a girl could have and also one of the worst. Running into Callie had definitely made all the good in the day wither away into darkness.

  I already disliked her, and I didn’t even know her. But in a strange way, I felt like I did. And I would have to face her in cheer tryout today.

  I groaned as I got out of bed. Our chance encounter last night had only catapulted me right into her direct line of fire. She hadn’t said anything, but the look in her eyes had told me to beware. Chad had ended up walking me to the car, where I had made a hasty exit.

  I had to – she had been standing behind him and waiting for me the entire time. I didn’t want to become even more of a target. Why the hell did he have to walk with me? Or talk to me? It was causing too much attention.

  I pulled my brows together when I realized I hadn’t heard from Mom. I instantly became alert and kicked the covers off. I leaned over and picked up the phone.

  Mom: Hi baby. Sorry, had to leave early. Mr. Humpry had an episode last night. Hope you have a great cheer tryout lol. See you later, baby.

  I smiled as I read the message.

  Sophia: Very funny. If I make the team, put me up for adoption, please. Love you.

  I tossed the phone back onto the bed and walked to the shower, swaying as I did. I didn’t want to go to school. I knew I sounded like a first grader, but I really didn’t want to go.

  But I had to. My shoulders sagged as I left the bathroom ten minutes later and lumbered to my closet.

  Skimpy, she said.

  Sexy shorts, she said.

  I grunted as I took out a pair of shorts, knee-high socks, and a midi top.

  “That’s cheerleader-y enough,” I said to myself before tossing the outfit into a backpack. Now to get the day over and done with, I thought as I made a quick coffee to go so my brain would start firing.

  When I got to school, the parking lot was full again. Students, like the day before, were gathered at the front of the building, milling around, smoking shit in their cars, and messing around. I parked in the middle of the parking lot again, just before I noticed Chad’s car parked in the exact same spot he had been in yesterday.

  That was his spot.

  I shook my head and walked off, not as timidly as the day before, but with quicker steps nonetheless. Still in jeans, but an off the shoulder sweater top instead of the tee and jacket.

  “Hey, Sophia, wait up!”

  I stopped and turned. It was Amanda and I made a visor with my hand to shield from the glare of the early morning sun. She wore her hair down today. “Hey,” I replied when she got closer and threw her arms around me. “What’s up?”

  “You should have sooo stayed longer last night,” she said excitedly.

  “Why?” I asked and walked off again. “What did I miss?”

  “Oh, nothing but the Callie and Gwen showdown,” she giggled and rocked into me.

  “No way. Although I think I can imagine how that happened,” I told her and tried not to look to guilty.

  She stopped and gripped my arms to turn me to her. “Why? What do you know? Spill.”

  I laughed at her dramatics. “Nothing much. Just that when I was leaving, Chad offered to walk me to my car.”

  “Oh,” she replied and shook her head. “Don’t let him get to you with those green eyes and tats,” she warned. “He’s a douche. What else?”

  “I know, but still, he was walking with me and Gwen showed up and tried to make a scene and he shut her down. And then Callie was just standing at the bar staring at us. Maybe Gwen said something to Callie. I don’t know because once I knew the drama would ensue, I was out.”

  “No,” Amanda corrected. “It was Callie who walked up on Gwen when she was with Chad and pretty much told her to get her hands off her man.”

  My eyes widened, and we started walking again when the first bell rang. “Are you kidding me? Didn’t he already dump her?”

  She knitted her brows. “You know about that?”

  “Yeah, Liz told me.”

  “Oh. So, yeah, he dumped her because who can stand being around that bitch longer than it takes to blink? She’s a fucking control freak and Chad got tired of her ass.”

  “I still haven’t heard that story,” I said, hoping she would tell me the details.

  “Yeah, you will, though. You ready for cheer tryout today?”

  I groaned and fell back against my locker. “I have the clothes but I don’t think I’ll ever be ready for that.”

  She snickere
d and opened her locker. “I bet. Let’s go, before they mark us absent,” she said with a roll of her eyes before she smoothed her lip gloss onto her already pink lips.

  I couldn’t focus in class or in any of the periods before lunch. And I skipped lunch altogether. After what had happened yesterday, I wasn’t looking for a repeat. I walked around to the back of the school, where I was sure it would be quiet, to snack on the crackers I had brought from home.

  “Right now?” I heard someone whispering.

  I stopped and looked behind me, but there was no one. I kept walking, and then I heard the moans. I gasped.

  Is someone making out? Oh God! Just my luck.

  I stopped in my tracks. No, that wasn’t something I wanted to see. I looked around wildly, not sure of where else I could go. Maybe I could just sneak past and they wouldn’t notice me. I kept my head stiff as I walked past the jut in the building that gave them privacy.

  But I couldn’t maintain it. My head turned, slowly, as I was walking past, and I tripped when I saw it was Chad. With yet another girl. I wanted to just run, quickly, before he saw me.

  I was too slow. The girl was pressed up against the wall, one of her legs wrapped around his thigh, and his hands were cupping her breasts as he nuzzled her neck.

  My throat burned, and I hurried past as his head rose and his green eyes locked with mine. My hands began to shake as I scurried to the rows of benches, and I sat on the furthest one, my back to the couple.

  God, does Chad really fuck every girl in school?

  Do they all want to?

  Am I the only sane one?

  Or the only crazy one that doesn’t want to jump his bones, too?

  I bit into my cracker, but I might as well have been chewing on paper. I had wanted to avoid the drama, and him. Look how that turned out. I gazed out across the field and tapped my feet on the metal bars under the bench.

  It was impossible to ignore the fact that Chad was behind the wall making out with another girl. How many did he think he really needed? Couldn’t he say no? Did he not have any inner will-power, for Christ’s sake?

  I shook my head. Why do I even care?

  “Hey.”

  I froze when I heard his voice. For Christ’s sake, can’t I be alone for a minute?

  I smiled and turned, expecting to see him and the girl. It was just him. “Hi. I see you’re done with…what’s her face.”

  He chuckled and wiped his hand down his face. “Yeah. It wasn’t really…it was just…”

  I held up my hands. “Hey, none of my business and I don’t judge.” I turned back around to face the field. He came and sat right there next to me.

  I could feel him without touching him, and his smell was a scent of musk– so rich and intoxicating. “How do you like school so far?”

  I stole a glance in his direction. “I don’t know. It’s high school, I guess.”

  “Yeah. Sucks! I’m dying to get out of here.”

  I pulled back and looked at him in horror. “What? You? Mr. I’ve-got-all-the-girls? If anyone wanted to stay in school, it should be you.”

  “Yeah. It’s not just the school. It’s other stuff.”

  He had a sad look in his eyes before it faded and was replaced by a more mischievous one.

  “Yeah? I feel you. Can’t wait to be done either.” There was an intense silence between us after that, and I wondered if he was contemplating his life like I was. “I should probably go. Don’t want to be sitting this close to you,” I said and stood. “I’ve realized that’s a dangerous thing.”

  He stood too. “Wait, did somebody say something to you?”

  “Not really,” I replied. “But I’m not blind, and with all these girls you’re making out with, someone’s bound to think I’m creeping up on their man, so…”

  “Really?” he asked and climbed over the bench.

  “Yeah. Or haven’t you noticed the trail of girls you leave behind you?”

  He smirked and his eyes locked with mine as he took a step that landed him within two inches of my face. If he dipped slightly, our lips would touch. His magnetism was strong, and I had to fight to not entertain the ideas springing into my head like wells of water.

  “Chad Minor does as he pleases,” he said and touched a wisp of my hair that had escaped at my temple. “I belong to no one.”

  He smiled and his green eyes flashed wickedly before he walked away.

  I didn’t move right away. I didn’t feel like I was able to. I knew I had said I wasn’t into boyfriends, but shit! Then again, if I were into boyfriends, it wouldn’t be Chad. Like he said, he didn’t belong to anyone.

  He was free range.

  Open season.

  Anything goes.

  Not what I wanted. But damn…

  I bit my lower lip and turned. He was halfway across the field, not heading back to the building. Was he really going to…was he ditching school?

  I shook my head with disappointment. I wished he were more than the bad boy of Madison Falls High. The bell ringing brought me back to the present and I hurried back to class.

  I met Amanda and the girls on their way out of the cafeteria. “Where were you?” Liz asked, her bright eyes searching as we walked to the lockers.

  “Out back. Wanted to lay low for now, you know,” I told them.

  “Okay. You have math now, right?”

  “Yeah,” I said heavily, and sighed. “Does this school have private tutoring? I want to avoid Callie until…”

  “Sophia!” the chirpy, annoying voice carried from down the hall.

  “Oh, my God,” I groaned and plastered a smile onto my face before I turned. “Callie.”

  “You all set for later?” she asked, and clutched her Louis Vuitton Volta purse like she thought Amanda or any of the other girls might snatch it from her.

  “Yep. Got my outfit in my bag,” I told her cheerily.

  “Good. Starts at exactly two-forty. Don’t be late,” she said and swished her ass as she walked off, her girls clicking their high heels behind her.

  “It amazes me how many Callies there are. Seriously? Does every school have to have a cheer bitch?” Amanda asked angrily and slammed her locker door.

  “I’m afraid so. But best to get this over with.”

  “Wonder what she’ll say when you don’t make the team?” Liz asked wistfully.

  “I don’t know and I don’t care,” I told them, already getting tired of keeping up the façade. “She’ll just have to get over it.”

  “Ah, in case you haven’t noticed, Callie gets over nothing. It’s her way or it doesn’t happen, so if she wants you on that cheer team, you’re on the cheer team or she’ll make your life living hell,” Stacey added, her eyes clouded with fear.

  “Look, I’ve met my share of Callie Humpreys before. I can handle her.” I stated with a hand planted on my hip.

  “If you say so,” Stacey replied and sighed. “Anyway, see you later. I’m heading this way.”

  “Come on,” Amanda told me and held my hand. “We have the same class.”

  The same class where I would see Callie before tryouts. I was beginning to think I should have crossed that field with Chad and ditched school for the rest of the day.

  A smile played upon my face as I walked down the corridor.

  Chapter 8

  I had no idea the gym would be that full for a cheer tryout. It was like the damned Superbowl.

  I looked around in amazement, and my jaw dropped.

  “Over here!” Callie called and waved her hand.

  She was sitting at a long table in the center of the room, her girls stretched out on either side of her. Hoots and whistles echoed around the room when I walked toward the table.

  What did I get myself into? Too late to change my mind.

  I glanced back at Amanda and the girls who were standing in front of the stands that were full to capacity. Or so it seemed to me. The entire football, lacross and soccer teams were waiting to see who their new cheer team
would be.

  “Nice. Stand over there,” Callie said and pointed to a group of girls who were already in line and waiting.

  I walked slowly and nervously over to them, not because I thought I would suck, but because I would ‘suck’ in front of the entire school. Now I had to make my epic fail even more convincing.

  “Hey, you’re the new girl, right?” a dark-haired girl asked with a smile, her red lips curved upwards in a sensual way.

  “Yep. That’s me.” Her eyes traveled the length of my body and I stared blankly at her as she looked me over. “Did I meet your expectations?”

  She scoffed. Apparently, I did, and I was now her competition. Good. I should at least show her up. That would teach her to mess with people she didn’t know. But then again, that would also get me on the cheer team, which was not happening.

  Decisions, decisions.

  “Okay, girls,” Callie said loudly and stood. “I want you all lined up over there. I’m going to play some songs and you’ll show me what you’ve got. Then we can move on to other stuff, okay?”

  Snow White’s head bobbed as she looked over at me and stepped off like she was on a runway, her skirt swishing and revealing the curve of her ass. I looked around the gym and groaned. What did I get myself into?

  “Let’s start,” Callie said when we had all taken our positions. She started playing Hip Hop, Wish, Wish, by DJ Khaled.

  It was hard not to enjoy the way the first girl worked that song, her body moving like a snake like it was used to the beats from the club.

  “Nice. Stand over here,” Callie told the girl, who didn’t just walk over to her, but did a couple of somersaults on her way to seal the deal. I would say she had made the team. It continued like that for about eleven other girls, and then it was my turn.

  I bet I could rock any song she chose. I was ready for any of the fast-paced songs she could throw at me, in round one – I was sure she was just shortlisting people. My heart roared in my ears when she started to play Khalid’s Talk.

  I stood with my hands on my hips and stared at her.

  Does she want me to fail? Or humiliate me? I’m not auditioning for interpretive dancing.