Twisted Devil by Ivy Blake
Chapter Twelve
Ruby
Even though I was missing Bella, I’d wanted to stay at home for another day, to avoid Tyler and also have more time to study without interruptions. Dad wasn’t having it and I knew that I was going to have to face school at some point, so it was probably better to rip the band aid off now.
The whole time while I was walking around school, I was waiting for someone to jump out and tell me that they knew what I’d done to Tyler’s car or, even worse, that they knew what we’d done in that changing room. I hadn’t even thought what would happen if the teachers saw me on CCTV in nothing but my towel running into the boys’ changing room. Horrified would not even begin to describe how I’d feel if they called me in to the principal’s office.
I was practically on edge the whole day, waiting for the moment that I got called out and all my secrets were exposed. I kept an eye out for Tyler and would freeze up any time I saw a tall brunette guy walking past before realising that it wasn’t him, resting for a moment before the same cycle started again. It was pure torture.
What the hell would we even say to each other when we eventually did cross paths? My timetable informed me that I had maths, and as far as I knew, me and Tyler were still in the same class.
Maybe he’d act like it never happened. Or maybe he’d make a big scene out of it. With Tyler Katz, you never knew, but there was always a high probability that you’d get hurt. I’d learned that much now.
My phone buzzed, and I checked it slyly before I ventured into Miss Green’s classroom. I still had to find my confidence before I walked in there. Weirdly enough, even though it was a school space, it felt like Tyler’s domain. Probably because the last time we were in there, I felt like I was trapped in the lion’s den with nowhere to escape.
I looked down at my phone, and a message flashed up on the screen.
You got this girl; I believe in you! Xx
Bella’s message made me smile, and I took a deep breath as I shot back a thank you text before tucking my phone into my blazer pocket and heading into my maths classroom.
I kept my head high and face blank as I found my seat, trying my best to steel my nerves while I simultaneously tried to scout out the room to see if Tyler had arrived. He hadn’t, which gave me more time to prepare my stone cold bitch face, but only just a little. Just as I got settled with all my pens and books, the devil himself waltzed into the classroom and when his eyes fell upon me, his lips curled in secret knowing.
I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. I gave Tyler a bored look before casting my gaze out the window, which overlooked the sports’ pitches. I could tell from the growl that escaped his throat that he wasn’t happy with this response, which meant an extra point for Team Ruby. Miss Green cleared her throat after the last students walked in and got everyone ready so she could start the class.
I had to stop myself from practically beaming when Miss Green set the maths paper down on my desk. I didn’t want to look like a psychopath, and I didn’t want to give my game away. I couldn’t help but be excited at having a chance to prove myself and beat Tyler at the thing he thought he was best at.
Not any more.
Miss Green told us when to start and I dove into the test paper with all the confidence of a seasoned Olympic swimmer. This baby was mine. I scoured through the entire paper, making a mental note of all the questions that would be coming up so that I could discard the information that I didn’t need in order to focus on what was in front of me.
I worked quickly and efficiently, making sure to detail my precise workings out and triple checking all my answers to ensure that I didn’t make any stupid mistakes that would cost me points. Points that would decide if it was me or Tyler that came out on top.
I refrained from turning in my seat to see how Tyler was getting on. One, because I didn’t want to get accused of cheating, and two, because I didn’t want to be thrown off or intimidated by whatever he may or may not have been doing. I finished the test with ten minutes to spare and set my pen down on the front of my closed paper with a smug look on my face.
How could I not be smug? I didn’t make a big deal about the fact that I was the first one to finish, especially with a test that I could tell was clearly supposed to be more challenging. If I hadn’t spent those extra hours studying the papers that Bella had sent, I’m not sure if I would have been prepared for the more difficult questions that had been put in place to throw students off guard at the end. Miss Green caught my eye and nodded at me approvingly once she realised that I was finished.
I sat patiently until the bell rang, even though I would have preferred to leave early. Once I was free to go, I packed up my things and made a beeline for the door before Tyler or his intoxicating cologne could stop me in my tracks. I had a mission to accomplish, and I needed to keep my head straight. There was no space in my mind for memories of illicit blowjobs or the fantasy of a future rendezvous. The only thing I could think about was revenge.
* * *The rest of my first day proved quiet, which was odd, but allowed me to focus on what I was doing without worrying about Tyler, or Amber for that matter, getting on my nerves.
For the remainder of that week, I breezed through my classes and quickly became sure that my hard work was paying off and that I was performing at the top of each class. This had been confirmed by the fact that each of my teachers had pulled me aside at the end of their classes to tell me that they were proud that I was finding my feet and that I should keep up the good work.
If only they knew what the biggest motivator behind my grades was now. I was starting to get perfect 90s across the board now, but I couldn’t revel in each individual grade. Sure, I needed to keep my GPA at 4.0 or above, but it was more than that. They were just stepping stones to get to the next spot, to the ultimate prize, which wasn’t valedictorian itself, but triumph over Tyler. By doing this, I could prove that I was actually better than him and not the dumb pauper he insisted I was.
When I checked my timetable, I realised I had gym and let out an audible sigh. That was the one class I still couldn’t care for and really struggled to pretend to, but because everything added up, I had no choice but to go and try, even if I was still getting majorly creepy vibes from Coach Jenkins.
I spied Amber in the corner looking my way and I cast her an ugly sneer to match her own. She was practically old news. I don’t know why she even bothered to get my attention.
“Did you guys know that Ruby’s dad is a pedophile?” Amber said in her whiney voice.
“No way, that’s gross!” replied a girl whose name I hadn’t bothered to learn.
“Shut the fuck up Amber and stop fucking lying!” I shouted across the changing rooms.
“Why’s he dating someone young enough to be your sister, then?” Amber taunted, her hands on her hips.
“Mind your fucking business, that’s why,” I snapped, even though I felt lame at the fact that I couldn’t answer the question she’d shot at me.
Amber continued tittering with her friends and throwing looks over her shoulder at me as she got changed and then left for the pool. I felt so angry and wanted to bin the whole class off and sit in the library instead, but wasn’t going to leave Bella on her own.
“You ready?” I asked Bella as I folded my clothes up neatly. I’d made a mental note to come out with all the girls once class had ended and to not make any detours that would put my clothes at risk of being stolen by Tyler again.
“Yeah, sure,” said Bella, but her tone was distracted. She fiddled with one of the crystals around her neck, the pretty pink one, before taking it off and tucking it into her blazer.
“Is everything okay?” I asked gently as we walked out together. Bella nodded at me but the faraway look in her eyes was still there.
“Yeah, I’m fine, I just…” she cut off her sentence as if she decided against it. What was she hiding? From the way that her face had paled, I knew it couldn’t be good, and it worried me that whatever it was, she was keeping to herself.
“You know you can tell me anything right and I’m not going to judge you?” I said softly. I squeezed Bella’s hand to let her know that I was serious and trustworthy.
“I know,” she said slowly, her bottom lip trembling. Both our heads snapped up as Coach Jenkins came into view. “Look, forget it,” Bella said suddenly, before casting me a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. She slid into the pool before I could protest and Coach had already started yelling. Just fucking fantastic.
