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Unedite-Im sorry I'm still laughing over the fact that you guys think Kevin is a love interest.

So a little recap for those who've forgotten, Michella is back! Clara is still as confused as ever although things have technically her relationship with Alec is over and Jake is leaving for New York in a few weeks time because he thinks Eric will hurt her.

Meanwhile Clara found out that Kevin, a guy who Jake had gotten into a fight with way back in chapter 18 were actually fighting because of her.

Ooh one last thing, does anybody remember when Clara got high on the brownies way back in chapter 13 and didn't remember anything the next day?

P.S: I know football season starts during the fall but just go with it won't you? And remember I know next to nothing when it comes to sports. THIS CHAPTER IS HUUUGE! So take your time although the main part is right at the end.

What now?

I know I should have been paying attention as to why they were fighting over me or why the eff was Kevin, a guy I had literally never ever spoken a word to was currently fighting over me.

Instead all i was thinking is how my life was seriously starting to look like a CSI crime scene right now.

A total bloody mess.

I was literally in half a mind to walk out of the damn room waving goodbye to this town and preferably this country and go to some monastery in the Himalayas and meditate for the rest of my life.

Hmm that would be nice.

Probably go fall in love with a yeti or something, it would still be far less stressful than this.

"Fighting over me?" I ask,"What's that supposed to mean?"

Jeremy looks highly uncomfortable and I really can't blame him. He can barely look me in the eye considering that I'd pretty much blackmailed him.That and probably everytime I saw him I think he knew just how much I wanted to punch him in the face for cheating on my best friend.

"Don't you remember?" He looks genuinely puzzled though,"During Jared's party last October-"

He breaks off and swears under his breath,"Shit I have to be on the field. Tell Rebecca I love her."

He rushed away thankfully before I mutter,"Yeah it sure looked so when you were with Natalie."

It's going to be a freaking miracle if I get through this day without stabbing someone with a fork.

During Jared's party.

I didn't remember attending any party apart from Natalie's back when this whole big mess started prior to Jakes arrival and then two weeks back when I gate crashed a frat party with Michella.

I didn't remember much of that night except fuzzy details. I don't know how I even got home to be honest, at first I thought it might have been Michella but it was an absolutely ridiculous notion.

But then who else would have?

Last October. What party did I go to last-the pieces click like a jigsaw puzzle. I'd forgotten about it, it had happened so long ago and so much had happened ever since that I didn't even think of ever questioning it.

That night when I ate the brownies and woke up remembering next to nothing.

What I did remember waking up next to a very hot shirtless Jake though.

What can I say, priorities.

But then how on earth's name did that have to do with Kevin, a guy I knew absolutely nothing about and never talked to.

Cheering starts and I know that the game must be close to starting. I don't want to go and watch Jake act like an idiot but I don't really have a choice.

I wasn't going to abandon my best friend but I still needed answers. Good thing I knew exactly how to get them. All I needed was fries and Rebecca.

After all if Jeremy knew why wouldn't Rebecca?

There are exactly two ways to get Rebecca to start talking, fries or some rom com she's currently talking about.

Once you get her started it's like she's a walking talking google search engine on other peoples lives.

"Rebecca what do you know about Kevin?" I ask taking a sip of her hot chocolate and handing her the fries I had picked up on my way. I don't know why but she had opted for a seat at the right at the back today.

The stadium was pretty much full which just attested to what a big deal football really was. The cheerleaders were performing their routine, Melanie leading them. Natalie was nowhere in sight and it seemed like no one was missing the queen bee.

"Kevin Fields?" Rebecca asks and I shrug. I'd never really bothered to know his full name.

"He's in the wrestling team and the basketball team and he's into shit that nobody should be." I raise an eyebrow at that but she continues, her eyes never leaving the field,"He just joined football team this season because the coach thought he would make a good replacement due to his height and weight."

"He's a total asshole along with a few choicer four letter words that will definitely be carved into his grave." She finishes.

"Do you know why Jake hates him-"

"Oh it's not only Jake who hates him." Rebecca says munching on her fries and looking ahead,"If Jake had given him a chance, Alec would probably slam Kevin into an early grave, although if I'm being perfectly honest, Alec accidentally tripping and falling into the grave would be absolutely amazing too. But Kevin is a grade A asshole."

I nearly choke on my drink. Alec? Why is Alec in on this?

"I don't blame them for hating him." Rebecca continues to say as she munches on her fries,"If I had been there I would have done far worse though. The bastard would never be able to see the light of day after what he did to you-"

She breaks off biting her tongue hard and her eyes widening.

"Shit." She curses,"So you know the weather has been really good lately-"

"What do you mean, what he did to me?" I ask interrupting her very blatant try to change the topic,"I have never talked to Kevin in my entire life."

She winces slightly as if I've caught her red handed,"Well he's not talked to you either per say- but-"

"Rebecca." My voice must have said enough because she sighs.

"The day you moved in with Jake and Alec last October." She starts,"I don't know what happened exactly but you ended up going to a party with them."

I look at her absolutely dumbfounded. I didn't remember jackshit about this party. It was like someone had taken an eraser and rubbed of that night completely.Like nothing left whatsoever.

At least during the frat party I could recall hazy bits and pieces but for the life of me I can't remember anything she's saying.

I do remember eating the brownies and going slightly off tangent, screaming something about a horror movie followed by Jake and Alec kissing and making up.

God I must have really gone off my rocker.

But then again that night I hadn't just gotten drunk but I was pretty high too and considering that night in camp when I had driven a car through our cafeteria, I knew that what she was saying was probably true.

"You were apparently kinda off it." Rebecca says,"But you really wanted to go and you kept on bursting into tears when they said no-"

I physically wince. Shit. I thought bitch me was bad.

"And so you went." She says.

"How do you know this?" I ask and she takes a careful bite of her fry before answering.

"Jeremy told me." Rebecca says,"He was at Jared's party. Which is the-"

"I get it." I say,"Can you get to part where I don't embarrass myself?"

And then I stop.

"Oh god." I ask fighting the urge I puke my guts out to even think,"Did I do something with-"

"Ugh,no." She says,"What happened was not your fault."

"What did happen?"

She looks at me unsurely and shifts from one foot from another,"Clara it doesn't matter-"

"Don't you think I have a right to know?" I ask her.

"Clara leave it." Rebecca says.

"No." I say,"When did you become like this? Hiding things-"

"If I'm not telling you, don't you think there is a reason?" She asks,"I'm not telling you because once I do it, you can't unknow it. He asked me to shut up about it-"

"Who? Jake?" I ask and she nods.

"He doesn't own me." I say,"And I'm not some toy in his hands that he can decide what people can or cannot tell me."

"Fine." She says,"You got drunk. Really really drunk. I really couldn't believe that you could go that off the wagon but considering the last two weeks -"

"Rebecca get to the point." I say. I have a feeling that I know where this is going and all I wanted to do was puke my guts right then and there.

"Clara."

"Rebecca."

She sighs,"They lost you and that no good asshole found you like that- and he kind of-"

She gulps,"It was like some real shit scene out of a book and He kissed you quite forcefully. You were too drunk to do anything back and he would have probably-"

She breaks off looking a little green and I keep on looking at her blankly.

She clears her throat,"Basically he would have if Jake didn't almost kill him."

Jake and his impeccable timing.

"And that's it." She continues giving me an unsure glance. But I was really trying my best not to puke my guts out.

Because I was so damn disgusted in myself.Was I really that stupid? That I'd gotten myself so drunk that I almost let myself- I was an embarrassment to the freaking human race.

I'm pretty sure if there was an alien invasion right now I would probably be one of those side characters who would instantly die in a flash of light with my skeleton illuminated.

Well I'd make sure they got Kevin first and kick him to hell and beyond before anything.

"Apart from Jake and Alec no one really knew about it." She continues,"And you woke up the next morning and remembered nothing. So they decided to not tell you."

"Alec told Jeremy a few weeks later, after Jake's fight with Kevin in school." She continues,"Alec told him that if you weren't like that, in that state there was a strong possibility that Jake would have ended up doing a lot more to Kevin, but when you didn't remember anything they thought it would be best to leave it alone so that you wouldn't ever have to remember."

"They being Jake?" I ask and she shrugs and asks,"How did you guess?"

"Alec would never keep something like that from me."

I swear to god the look Rebecca gave me at that moment was not something that happy go lucky Rebecca would ever be caught dead with. It wasn't meant for me that much was clear but before I could question it any further she forced it into a steely blank expression and looked ahead.

"Jake found you like that." She says her voice still one edge,"He saved you or whatever and brought you home not Alec. Jake, not Alec."

"Why do you hate Alec so much?" I ask,"It's not like he's done something to you-"

"Can we not talk about him?" She says,"Because honestly Clara we both know that god help it if Alec has done anything wrong, you're just going to blame everyone but him. And I get it, I get that he's been there for so long that for you that and that he maybe a nice guy in your eyes but-"

"Please tell me you're not in love with him too." I deadpan and she stops midway and starts laughing.

"The day I fall in love with him is when hell- nope not even then." She says,"Not everyone falls in love with the perfect golden boy whose fuck ups are non existent in everyone's eyes."

"But why do you-"

"Have you ever realised that it's because of that asshole my best friends haven't spoken to each other in three weeks?" She whisper yells,"What the eff happened to sisters before misters? I mean I don't see you being mad at Alec for sleeping with her but you haven't spoken one word to her ever since. And then there's Sam and her damn pride. I thought she was the worst I was going to have to handle when it came to the misgivings of Alec I don't give a fuck as to what his middle name is Evans but no then there is you."

"Let's face it Clara if it wasn't for him you'd actually have the damn option siting here with Samantha bitching about this game while I would be doing my best not to throw you two off the damn bleachers and I miss that okay? It's boring without coming up with creative ways to murder you both at times."

"But now I'm here trying to mediate between one best friend from making the stupidest decision in her life and I have to try to stop the other one from letting her stupid decisions screwing with hers and everyone's lives around her."

"So yes, I hate him." She says,"And I have every fucking right to and I'm sorry that I can't tolerate him for you or her, okay? Because I swear to god there is a very thin line stopping me from going and punching the shit out of his pretty face, kay? So let's just drop it."

I stare at her gape mouthed as she turns her eyes to field.

Then she turns back to me and says,"All of that and the fact that he's totally messing with my OTP, right now."

I raise an eyebrow trying to keep the smile off my face,"OTP?"

"One true pairing." She says,"Which happens to be Cake or Jara, or whatever the hell you want."

"You've actually kept ship names for us?" I ask and she shrugs.

"I'm bored,I don't want to study and I have no life so sue me." She says,"I like Jara better."

"Why not Cake?" I ask,"You love cake."

"Well everytime I see both of you guys all I want to do is slam your heads to a wall and say quite a choicey number of things mostly saying just freaking get married already." She says,"And since I actually happen to like the food cake, I rather not smash it against the wall just because that's what I want to do with the two of you. So Jara it is."

"But then if we use the cake metaphor then we can add Alec as the cherry on top." She says,"Nobody really wants it, nobody really likes eating it because it's far too sweet and yet it's stuck on top of the cake every single time on every single freaking slice like it's been glued on, refusing to let us enjoy EATING CAKE WITHOUT INTERFERENCE!"

She said the last part out so loudly that a few heads turned and she flushed red and shrunk back.

I on the other hand was grinning widely at her trying to control my laughter.

I don't how Id managed to come from oh I almost got raped in a party and don't remember shit about it to oh god I'm laughing at my friend who is currently ranting about my love life to me.

Lol screw Alec and Jake, Rebecca is the love of my life.

"Okay I might have gone just a tad bit overboard." She says,"And I'm sorry but I just don't like Alec,okay?"

I pause,"I'm not actually mad at Samantha for sleeping with Alec you know? I don't care about that, I mean it was all those years back after my sister and Natalie and all his long list of ex's I've stopped caring. But I said things I shouldn't have because-"

"She was being a bitch?" Rebecca offers,"I know. She said so."

"I was probably the bigger one though." I say,"And I want to take back everything I say but I don't know how to apologise.

"Here's a way. Say the words I'm sorry." She deadpans.

I roll my eyes just as the crowd starts cheering like crazy. Although the game had started a while back everything Rebecca had just told me had been enough to distract me.

But now I'm trying my best not to flinch. I shrink back in my seat enough so that the people standing in front of me blocking my view.

I really didn't want to see what was happening even though the roar of the crowd and the fact that nearly everyone was on their feet told me enough.

They must be winning right?

That had to be it if everyone was so into the game? I barely knew anything about football because to me the entire idea of this sport that is treated like the ultimate religion sound absolutely ridiculous when it all it consisted of was tackling each other to the ground.

Maybe there was a lot more to football, but for me that was really all that mattered.

Rebecca on the other hand beside me was already on her feet standing on her tip-toes yelling. She loved football, absolutely loved it, no questions asked.

Whenever we asked her about it, she would give the excuse that it's just because of the really hot guys involved but both Samantha and I had known her love for it ran deeper than that.

Looking at Rebecca I could only tell you the person I had known for the past two years but Samantha and I knew that there was a lot about herself that Rebecca never bothered to tell us, especially about her life before she moved here.

But that was our friendship, and all of us were aware that there were some boundaries that we didn't cross. We don't talk about my parents, Rebecca's past or Samantha's choices when it came to her career options.

And that's when I realised just what Rebecca was trying to say. I did miss the three of us together, Rebecca's newest obsessions, Samantha's blunt honesty and my usual whining.

We were always the weirdest friends having almost next to nothing common and yet somehow it worked with the three of us, we balanced each other out.

And I had practically broken us apart for a bunch of boys. I could barely look Rebecca in the eye without thinking about the fact that I could destroy her happy ignorance with one wrong slip of my tongue and how I had already destroyed my friendship with Samantha not because of Alec, but the fact that I couldn't take one stupid insult.

Rebecca was right, all it took was some courage to say the words I'm sorry.

And it pissed the hell out of me that I didn't have that courage.

"You know, I thought you'd be a mess after hearing about the entire Kevin thing." She says,"But you seem strangely okay with it. Like it doesn't matter at all."

"It does matter but to be perfectly honest it doesn't really seem like it could have actually happened to me." I say,"Because I honest to god remember absolutely squat of that night. In fact right now all I feel guilty that they're-"

Rebecca slaps me.

She quite literally slaps me midway through my sentence.

It wasn't a very hard slap at that but I still bring my hand up to my cheek and rub it,"What was that for?"

"Sorry I just had to check if you were for real." She says,"Because honest to god my ass actually gets jealous of the shit that comes out of your mouth sometimes-"

She pauses realising what she just said,"Okay that was gross but it was pretty awesome im totally using- Sorry getting back to the point. Clara honestly I know you've got this whole self hate thing going on right now but are you really going to put this on yourself too? Yes you got drunk, yes you were behaving stupid but it doesn't mean that everything every time goes wrong or something bad happens it's your fault."

"It's ridiculous as to how you somehow manage to make that asshole being a total- I can't even say it out loud- somehow your fault. It's a freaking talent."

"I'm really running out of pep talks to give." She concludes,"So do me a favour and get your shit together?

"I'm trying." I offer,"It's tough finding the thin line between getting my shit together and fucking everything up even more royally. But I'm trying."

"Good." She says satisfied,"That's all I can ask."

"I really don't remember anything about that night." I say,"And I know my reaction seems ridiculous but trust me when I tell you that there is very little that gets to me now days."

"And yet you're sitting and cowering at the back so that you don't have to watch what's going down on the field." She says,"We both know that you're shit scared and the funniest part is that the only times you really are afraid it's for someone else never for yourself. It's like you look over yourself without a second thought and I don't know if that's a thing that I admire in you or not."

It sometimes stuns me how Rebecca has me almost completely figured out. She probably knew me better than I knew myself.

So I take a deep breath in and stand up. The teams were currently huddled up on the different corners. If I was being perfectly honest I was half expecting Jake lying half dead in the middle of the field by now.

I see both number five and number nine standing next to each other. Alec is saying something and everyone is listening to him with rapt attention. Jake says something followed by Jeremy and everyone turns to look at Alec, who gives a short nod.

"What exactly is going on?" I ask Rebecca and she says,"They're deciding their play."

I give her a blank look and she sighs,"Their strategy."

The whistle blows and I wince as everyone scatters across the field taking their position.

The game continues normally enough even though I flinch every time anyone gets tackled. Thankfully both Jake and Alec manage to keep on their feet.

And then three minutes before half time it all goes to hell.

The opposition, Eastwood High had been playing a fairly defensive game as far as I could make out (which wasn't saying much considering I understood nearly nothing of the game and my vantage point from all the way at the back was bad at best.)

It happens so fast that I can barely have the time to understand what's going on before Jake is tackled brutally to the ground.

Jake lays still for a moment and at that point my instantly drags me back to when he was lying on the hospital bed unmoving and still.

Please be okay.

And just like that Jake gets up and I let out the breath I had been holding.

In a normal game which wasn't football that tackle would be a foul but if course here it wasn't.

If I ever become president I'm banning this game. And I'll probably get shot for it but at this point I would do just about anything to get rid of this game.

The game resumes again

And then it happens again.

This time it takes him longer for him to get up and I can make out that his weak shoulder is already starting to give out and it's completely stiff.

And the idiot still stays on the field dismissing everyone else with a careless wave.

He hates me. I know he does. Because if he had any amount of self preservation or any idea what hell he was putting me through he would just stop.

It was true, I had never been much of a team player I had learnt it the hard way that it was better to play solo rather than have your teammates abandon you halfway through.

And maybe I didn't get why the two boys that I cared about would give so much to a game.

And then the final tackle comes.

It's so hard and it happens so fast that for a second all I can think is how can anyone ever get up from that?

I don't know how long he stayed on the ground like that my heart is pounding like crazy and I'm a hairs breadth from losing it when he finally gets up.

He's wincing and swaying on his feet and I know he's hurt but Jake stubborn as he is once again waves it off dismissively.

He wouldn't be able to take another hit and I wouldn't be able to see him like that either.

My hands are shaking and I know it's pathetic what a mess I'm becoming but I just can't stop.

It's like after the accident when it comes to Jake and Alec, Jake especially I go straight to the edge of unravelling.

"Rebecca I-I-" I can barely string two words together but she gets it.

"I know." She says,"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No." I manage to say,"I-I just need to.."

She nods as I trail off.

I make my way to the bottom of the bleachers stopping and tripping over seemingly everything.

I can't look at the field anymore and I manage to make it to the solidarity of the back of the bleachers before puking my guts out into a bush nearby.

It could have been nastier had I had something other than the hot chocolate but it was revolting none the less.

I make my way towards the bathroom and wash my mouth and face thoroughly. Halftime must have started because pretty soon the bathroom is crowded with girls and I have to do my best to keep my head down and ignore all the looks I was getting.

You'd think I would get used to it by now, with my unofficial title as Seaviews Queen Bee but I hadn't. I didn't want to either.

I start to make my way towards the bleachers as I hear a pair of Unfamiliar voices.

I quickly look for the best spot to hide not ready to face the judgemental looks I got now days. The only place remotely good enough to hide was a right spot next to a tree.

Oh god I really hope those extra Nutella sandwiches won't cost me today.

I eye the gap warily but manage to slip through just in time as two boys stop a few feet ahead of me.

I had never really paid attention to Kevin, but now seeing him stand right in front of me I couldn't help but scan him from up and down.

Especially considering the huge bomb that had been dropped on me.

He was massive, and that was an understatement. He matched Jake's height 6'3" height easily, maybe an inch shorter but he most definitely made up for it by his width.

He looked scary, the kind that would probably actively star in the role of some dangerous super villain easily.

I can't help but compare him to Eric. They in no way looked similar and on face value anyone with eyes would point Kevin out as the clear danger.

But Eric was smart and Kevin was just brutal strength. That and Eric had managed to singlehandedly screw me and Jake over without even trying.

To be perfectly honest Kevin didn't scare me one bit. He should, I know he should but for some reason all I can think of him as some dumb jock who had the audacity to touch me.

Or even think about hurting the people I love.

I would probably stroll out of my hiding place and kick his ass of I had the choice. I had been watching a lot of Powerpuff girls and Kim Possible lately and in pretty sure when it came to it, I could demonstrate some really kick ass moves. And if that didn't work I would probably just sit on my rainbow striped purple flying pig and make a get away.

God I was such a dork.

But I was angry enough to actually try had it not been for the boy who was currently standing behind Kevin.

It was the asshole that knocked Jake down. What was his name? Last year all Alec could talk about what a jerk this guy was and how dirty he played.

What was his name?

Forget it let's just call him Leroy.

Kevin starts,"You need to keep on targeting Henderson."

Forget Kim Possible, I'm going to go Game of Thrones on this guys ass.

I reach for my back-pocket faking my phone out quickly and pressing the video record button.

"Yes I heard you." Leroy says,"Although I thought his defence was bad and his right shoulder was hurt. We have been targeting him but he keeps coming back. Id rather take that cocky quarterback out."

Yeah buddy and I'd rather strap you up to a flying pig and take you for a joyride across the entire bloody planet and throw in a pool of piranhas.

It's a good thing we can't have everything we have or else I'm pretty sure everyone would have gone extinct by now.

"I've told you, Evans is good but he's predictable, Henderson keeps on changing the damn plays." Kevin says,"And besides he has it coming. You want to win, that's the only way you're going to be able to do it."

I was the last person to come to when it came to school spirit. I had mind in the negative numbers and with good reason. I hated everything about high school and I wasn't loyal one bit.

But that was only me.

Our school loved its sports. The faculty and the students put it above everything else treated it's sports teams in the highest regards and it's football team was their pride and joy. What Kevin was doing could probably get him screwed over so bad that he would never be able to do anything credible in his life.

And that was exactly what I was planning on doing.

The phone in my hand recorded everything he said to Leroy. Half of it I didn't understand, all complicated football terms that went right above my head.

But it was clear what he was doing, not only was he selling out our team directly and that I was pretty sure the cardinal no no of our school but he was targeting Jake directly.

Only him, no one else.

And it took all my will power not to go and beat the bejesus out of them.

"Do you have what I asked for?" Leroy asked his eyes scanning for anyone close by. I push myself closer to the tree so there isn't an off chance he spots me. It was already getting dark anyway so I knew I would be alright as long as I didn't make a noise.

"I don't carry it on me." Kevin hissed back,"But I do have it, we'll deal with that later though when the game is done with. Half time is nearly over we should move before anyone finds us."

There was a murmur of agreement and I heard some shuffling noises.

When they were finally gone I let out the breath I had been holding and put my phone away.

Now that I had it recorded in it's entirety I could think about how exactly I was going to play this.

But first I had to find a way to get Jake out of the damn game.

And then I got it.

It was selfish, it was cruel but it was the only way.

Come on Alec, come on.

Alec lifts his gaze up and his eyes meet with mine. My eyes flicker towards Jake and then back towards Alec.

Please, I mouth and I don't know if he can understand what Im trying to say, If he can understand how incredibly selfish I'm being.

But if I had the option, I would tell Alec to get out of the damn field too. No game was worth it. I couldn't care if this game was the be all and end of all of this damn school right now but I wasn't letting Jake keep doing this especially when he wasn't fully okay.

But I know that Alec coming out isn't an option. No matter how much I would like it to be. He won't come out.

But Jake could be forced to.

Alec gives me the smallest of nods before turning around. He says something to the coach and the coach hesitates for a moment before nodding.

Alec then turns to Jake and Jake shakes his head. I can't exactly see anything because of the large helmets but it's clear their in an argument.

Jake keeps on shaking his head until he finally just takes his helmet off and drops it on the field. His eyes meet mine for just a second but I hold his gaze firm and steady.

I have no doubt that he knows that I'm behind this but I'm not going to back down when it comes to this.

Then without another word he walks out of the field.

He walks out of the field.

I call that a win.

For a second I think of going after him but I stop myself and instead I turn my gaze at Kevin who was currently at the back glaring holes as Jake was leaving.

I smile to myself, now it was time to make Kevin realise that nobody messed with me or anybody I cared about.

__________

I'm back in the boys locker room for the second time in one day and I can't really say it's something that I enjoy.

But I'm determined to bring the bastard down. Showing the video to the principal would at most get him kicked off a team and for me that seems like that's a little too nice for him.

Finding his locker is easy enough. The boys locker room had more or less the same layout as the girls. That meant alphabetically arranged lockers which meant Fields would be right next to Evans given that there was no other guy whose surname started with an F.

The reason I had even ventured out of here was obvious. When Rebecca had told me that Kevin was involved in some pretty serious shit, it was obvious that she meant drugs. And Kevin had hinted it to at the end of his conversation.

But then If I really wanted to hide something would I be so stupid as to actually hide it in my locker. It was stupid careless and definitely not something a guy who hadn't been caught would do.

Then where?

Come on Clara channel your inner Kate Beckett.

My eyes scan the room quickly but what caught my eye was a slightly crooked tile underneath his locker.

I quickly bend down running my hand against the cool smooth floor until I find a slightly jagged end. My fingers pull on it and the entire tile comes free revealing a small brown bag tucked into the floor.

Gotchya.

I pull it out and when I open it, a couple of vials filled with a clear yellow liquid and syringe comes tumbling out.

It doesn't take a lot to figure out that it must be some kind of performance enhancer.

Beneath it, was a ziplock bag with a white powder in it.

Into some serious shit indeed.

I stare at the things blankly and try to contemplate what to do with it. It doesn't take me long to come up with a semi-decent plan so I pocket one of the vials and the white powder before carefully slipping out of the locker room.

____________________

It doesn't take me too long to come up with what I have to do.

Which is how I land up cornering Alec at the end of the game.

We had won and everyone was in a good mood but that only until Alec saw me.

His smile immediately disappeared and I gulped seriously rethinking what I was about to do.

Can we talk? I mouth and he stares at me shocked and confused for a moment before finally giving me a slight nod and holding up his finger to convey the universal sign for give me a second.

He gave a curt nod to his teammates probably a I'll see you guys at the party later before promptly walking towards me.

"Hi." I say softly.

Alec stares back unsurely. He gulps,"Hi."

We stare at each other for a moment unsure of what to do or what to say.

"Thank you for taking Jake out of the field-" I stop abruptly realising how stupid I was being by starting like that.

"Yeah." He says cautiously,"Any smart captain would have done that."

We stand awkwardly opposite each other not knowing where to even begin.

"So-"

"I-"

We both say together and stop abruptly.

"You firs-"

"You g-"

We both stop again staring at each other.

"You go first." He offers.

"I need your help." I say slowly,"But before that I need to show you something."

I take my phone out and hand it over to him. He throws me confused glance and I bend slightly and press the play button.

The screen lights up as the video starts playing and Alec stares at it intently his expression determined. By the time the video stops playing his knuckles have gone white from griping the phone so tightly.

Alec looks mad by the time the video is done and I know that he's taking the betrayal of his team member as a personal insult to his captaincy skills.

"We have to show this coach." He says turning on his heels but I stop him.

"No." I say shaking my head,"Not yet."

He looks at me dumbfounded,"What?"

"I don't want him to just get kicked off the damn team." I say,"I want him out of this school."

"The bastard sure as hell deserves it." Alec agrees,"But Kevin isn't someone you want to mess with."

No he's the one who messed with the wrong person. Maybe Rebecca was wrong, maybe I had taken the news more vengefully than I initially thought. But I was mostly doing this for the fact that he thought he could hurt Jake and get away with it.

Mostly.

"Why because he tried to rape me in a party all those months back?" I deadpan.

Alec's eyes widen and he looks at me shocked,"H-How did you-"

"Doesn't matter." I interrupt,"But I wish you had told me."

"It was better that you had forgotten about it." He defends.

"It happened to me, Alec." I say,"And I have a right to know because it happened to me. Not you, not Jake, me."

He holds my gaze for a moment but then tears it away, defeated."You're right I should have told you and this asshole deserves whatever you have planned for him."

And worse.

"But we need to go to Coach." Alec says,"Monday is the last day of school before Spring Break, we have to show this video-"

"There's more to it than just a video." I say. He raises a questioning eyebrow and I continue on to tell him everything I found.

"I need you to get the default code from your coach." I say,"Kevin will definitely notice something missing and hide his stuff away. Besides we can't go and tell the principle or the coach about the tile beneath his locker because then they may get suspicious about our involvement. So I need the code to the locker so I can hide the only vial and drug bag I have with me so that he doesn't have a change to glance at it but it will definitely be found in a locker search."

"Okay I'll so that." He starts,"I'll-"

"No you can't get involved in this Alec." I say,"Because if you get caught everything for you would be over. You can't be caught dead with either."

He opens his mouth to say something but then closes it again.

"As ridiculous as this may sound but I need you to trust me." I say,"I know it's a lot to ask for but even though I don't have the best track record you need to trust me."

He looks at me silently and it's clear that there is war going on his head until he finally sighs in defeat when he realises that this is the only way.

"Okay." He says,"I'll get the code from him. Just- just be careful won't you?"

I nod,"I will. I can do this."

He looks at me but almost immediately tears his gaze away unable to hd eye contact with me.

"I don't just trust you Clara." He says quietly,"I believe in you and I know you can do this. I just know it because you can do anything you want to when you put your mind to it. So I'll get you the codes."

I believe in you.

Nobody except Alec had ever believed in me.

"You believe in me." I state and he nods determinedly.

"You know I do."

I smile just the smallest bit and place a soft kiss on his cheek,"Thank you for that."

___________________

It all went perfectly.

I was a wreck over the weekend considering what I had to do on Monday and I could barely think straight at home. I had forgotten all about my college application on Saturday and only realised that I was yet to post them on Sunday.

No post on Sundays, though.

So after putting an urgent reminder concerning the applications I went to sleep early after going trough what to do the next morning.

After Alec got me the code it was a piece of cake to open his locker and hide the things I had taken carefully.

Someone had nearly walked in on me while I was putting everything in but I was fairly convinced that whoever it was hadn't seen me because I had immediately leaped into a small dark corner to hide.

Next step was going to the principal. She had always had soft spot for me and when I showed her the video which I had taken when I had come by chance.

She was angry and took action immediately because it 1) concerned football (obviously) and 2)the only boy the video had been mainly targeted towards was the current owner of a multi-billion dollar company.

The end of the video had given her enough of a hint to start a locker search in which my carefully hidden items were easily found.

After being reassured at least a thousand times that I would be anonymous I was sent to class by the time half of the second period was over and by the third period the PA system announced that Kevin Fields had to report to the office immediately.

By lunch everyone knew that Kevin had gotten kicked out of the school although no one really knew why.

Alec gave me a meaningful look but apart from that we went back to our usual state of ignorance.

Jake on the other hand was blatantly avoiding me and I was probably doing the same. I'm pretty sure that Jake was already mad at me because of the shit I had pulled to get him out of the game and I knew that he would have gotten even more mad if he knew the risk I had taken.

So my Monday passed off pretty uneventfully apart from the small victory dance I had allowed myself when I was alone in the girls bathroom and I was in full mood to go back home and start my Spring Break in which I had planned on finishing my entire syllabus for the finals.

But then I remembered that I had to finish the final touches on my computer project so I had to stay back.

When I finally finished it, the school was more or less empty, no one wanting to stay any longer than necessary.

Only the football team would probably be practising right now because according to Rebecca after the coach heard that Kevin is being kicked out, he thinks the team would have to work extra hard.

I walked the more or less deserted hallway until I finally reached my locker and started to shove all my books into my bag.

Where the hell is my chem-

Suddenly someone grabs from the back and I'm slammed into my locker so hard that I'm seeing stars.

Rough hands grab my shoulder and spins me around and I'm face to face with Kevin.

Oh god, seriously?

"I should have known it was you." He spits and I flinch back but his hands pin me into position,"I thought you were in the boys locker room his morning to fuck those two like everyone's been saying but I never believed them. There is a lot going on in that big blonde head of yours and you're not nearly as dumb as you seem to look."

"First of all," I say calmly,"Let go of me and second of all stop spitting on my face."

"Third of all, if you don't let me go," I say in a sickly sweet sarcastic tone,"I will make sure you have no kids. Besides don't you think doing this in school is a bit-"

He slams me back into the locker cutting off my smart ass reply.

Ouch.

"You think you're this untouchable bitch who can do just about anything and get away with it, don't you?" He sneers,"Well hate to say it sweetheart but your cavalry is not coming you're all alone."

And that sets me off.

"I can't believe I have to do this again. First of all-" I knee him hard in the groin and he groans and stumbles back"-I am not you're sweetheart."

"And second of all." I swing my elbow hard until it makes a satisfying crunch noise when it comes in contact with his nose,"I am the cavalry."

He stumbles off me and I break away from him. Although I had totally owned his ass there was no point sticking around alone with him.

So I quickly turn around to make the run for it but Kevin makes a desperate grab for me catching my right leg and making me lose my balance and subsequently and slam to the ground landing very painfully on my left hand.

"Get off me." I say kicking as he grabs my hand and pins them. His face is right above mine his nose dripping blood onto my face.

"What, I've get nothing to lose now, do I?" He seethes,"I should thank you for that, but instead I'm going to teach you a less-"

I headbutt him.

To everyone at home, do not try this. Take this as one of those precautionary warnings where I tell you that this dangerous stunts should only be performed by professionals.

Because I swear to god that although a headbutt looks cool when Beckett in Castle does it or for that matter when anyone on TV does it , but in real life it hurts like a bitch.

Especially when the guy is so damn thick that his skull seems like it's been moulded out of titanium.

Thankfully I managed to catch him partly on his already broken nose which pushes him back enough to loosen his grip on me.

And then I punch him straight in the face. Knocking him off balance and unto the side.

I don't know how drunk Clara was but totally sober and mad Clara is not going to let this guy leave without a few scars.

I manage to get to my feet but I can barely stay put, feeling dizzy and nauseous.I know my best option was to get out of here but before I can even start to reign in my dizziness a cool metal presses against my cheek"I wouldn't move if I were you."

I freeze.

"Haven't your parents told you, that when you fight fire with fire you're bound to get burned." He says.

I glare at him and then open my mouth to let out the loudest and shrill way scream I can muster. I'm about to take another deep breath to scream some more but he slams his hand over my mouth so hard that I can taste blood.

"You're a fighter." He comments,"Last time you were far too easy, this time though you're far more interesting."

He grabs my hair and hoists me up slamming me against the wall hard. And my head starts pounding loudly and I can barely see straight. I can hear my heart beating loudly, thudding against my chest terribly fast.

He presses his body completely against mine leaving no chance for any movement.

"You ruined my life." He says,"And I'm going to have fun making sure that I ruin yours and you can start by sucking my dick, little miss perfect."

"Oh great." I say sarcastically trying not to laugh at his very sad, sad attempt to insult me,"Let me just go get my microscope."

His eyes light up with fury and I sink back into the wall in an attempt to put as much non existent distance between us and possible.

"Aah." I say sarcastically,"So you do have a small dick. Not surprised really."

He would have probably hit me right then and there had a small noise from the end of the hall not made him freeze.

Natalie stood at the end of the hall, her hair in a high pony tail eyes widened as she tried to take the entire scene in.

Her eyes fixed onto me with a totally confused and questioning stare. I think I was going to say help or something but before I can, Kevin pushes me backwards digging the cold knife deeper into my cheek.

Okay I take it back, Eric was less of a pyscho than this. But unlike when it came to Eric I had actually messed with Kevin.

Well he shouldn't have messed with me. Maybe if I hadn't known what he had tried to do with me all those months ago I would have had a less drastic approach.

But I would have never ever let him get away with hurting any of the people I love.

And maybe somewhere deep inside I loved myself too.

"She ruined your life too." He says calmly and Natalie's wide eyes are looking in between me and Kevin going back and forth.

"I'm not even done ruining your life." I spit out at Kevin,"Because when I get out of this I'm going to show-"

He backhands me and I can taste the metallic tang of blood envelope my mouth.

"We both know, this is exactly what she deserves." Kevin continues,"I hardly think you're going to want to stop-"

"I don't." Natalie interrupts and after giving me one final look, her confusion totally wiped out replaced by her typical snobby look,"Do whatever you want, you're right she deserve it, every bit of it."

And with that she turned and walked away, her heels echoing through the hall.

And I just stop fighting.

I was so stupid. Why would Natalie Anderson of all people even think about helping me?

Maybe she was right, I did deserve this.

"What no fight left in you now?" He taunts,"It's pathetic really."

"Pathetic?" I laugh without humour,"You know what's pathetic? You are. I just took away everything you wanted and ruined whatever was left of your sad sad life and all you can do right now is sit and do is act like a baby and try to throw a tantrum to prove to yourself that you just got defeated by a girl."

And that's all it takes to spark his temper. Now to light the goddamn inferno.

"Because that's all you are right now." I say,"Defeated, pathetic and lonely. You're going to live a very long and miserable life and its-"

His hands are around my neck before I can finish. I can't get enough to breathe. The knife digs into the back of my neck as his fingers curl around even tighter. Pure rage and fury shows on his face and my hands hang limp on my sides.

My vision starts to turn purple and my knees weaken,buckling underneath me.

And then suddenly the hands around my neck are gone and I collapse to the ground taking a deep painful breath in.

My vision is spotty and I can't see properly in front of me. All I can do is make out two vague figures. A streak of black hair stands out and it takes a second for my meddled brain to place it.

Jake.

My vision almost immediately clears at the sheer of panic of seeing Jake here and the scene that was currently playing out in front of me was something I would never forget.

I had seen Jake mad before.

Jake when he was mad, had a habit of being unnaturally calm, the kind that gives a clear warning that pushing him further would result in an explosion that would leave next to no survivors. It's a scary look, one that you should pray to god you're not on the other side of.

He was like a grenade with it's pin out, just waiting to explode any minute.

This time though, he had exploded.

And looking at him like that, with that kind of mad fervour in his eyes which looked wild and uncontrollable, I was terrified.

I was terrified not of him but of what he could do.

Jake threw punches everywhere, it was almost impossible for me to even try to keep track. He was uncontrollable and unstoppable.

For Kevin it wasn't a question of fighting back anymore, it was a question of getting out of here alive.

It was about defending himself.

His hands were desperately trying to reach the knife that had fallen from his hands when Jake had tackled him.

No.

His hand finally gets a grip on the knife and he slashes it blindly.

But I had already seen this coming. With whatever little strength I had, I had pushed my self forward just enough so that I could get a hold of the knife.

My hand intercepts the blade of the knife easily enough and I wrap my fingers around the blade and yank it out of his hand. I ignore the pain as the sharp blade digs deeper into my palm and throw it across the hall.

I almost collapse with the effort but I manage to make myself sit upright trying to control my heavy breathing.

There is blood everywhere and Jake still hasn't stopped, he's throwing punch after punch and it's clear that Kevin had lost consciousness long ago.

And Jake still wouldn't stop. What worried me was that by the way he was going there was a real possibility that he was going to kill Kevin.

I knew that if probably had the strength or option I would think that Kevin in some small way deserved it but Jake didn't. I couldn't let Jake do that because he would never be able to live with himself.

"Jake, stop." My voice comes out weak and pathetic.

"Jake stop." I say again this time adding a bit more of volume and his hand freezes in midair.

"Jake." I say as loudly as I can, holding myself up against the lockers. My breathing was heavy and my throat hurt with every swallow. It hurt to breathe and it hurt to think but I had to stop Jake.

If I didn't stop Jake now I would let him cross a line I knew he would never be able to turn back from.

"Jake." I say again. This time his head snaps up and focuses on me, his green eyes alight with wild emerald flames. But that's it. That's all that there is in them, fury nothing else not even recognition when he sees me.

"Jake." I say trying to wince at the sound of my cracked voice,"Come back to me."

"Please." I beg.

He looks at me blankly for a second and then suddenly the fire in his eyes dies out and he slumps back blinking rapidly.

He looks below at Kevin and then looks back at me, worried and disoriented,"Car are you-"

And that's the last thing I remember because my muscles give out underneath me unable to hold me up for any longer and everything goes black.

Authors Note:

Author: So I promised myself that I would write a slightly longer authors note because a lot of you asked me to due to the lack of in the previous chapter. But this chapter is far too long and has a lot of plot holes but that's because I decided to combine two chapters into one because of the super long wait you guys had to go through and because then all of the filler stuff could be done with here itself so that we can start moving on the final climax of the book.

Michella: Yay, more drama means more grammar errors.

Author: I really don't like her.

Readers: nobody does.

Jake: So don't forget to comment vote and tell us what you think.

Next Update: Soon?

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