Tessa's Pov
I crumpled the note from Ashton and threw it on the floor. Why did the White brothers have to pick on me?
Ever since I came to this school, they made my life miserable. They dumped purple paint on me, ruining my clothes and hair. They beat me up in the park and cut off my braid with a knife.
They were the kings of the school, adored by everyone. But to me, they were monsters. I hated them with every fiber of my being.
I wiped away my tears and focused on my lessons. I had a promise to keep to my dad. Before he died, he made me swear to be happy, to take care of myself and mom, to study hard and get into my dream university. And that's what I was going to do. Nothing would stop me. Not even the White brothers.
* * *
The bell rang loudly as everyone scattered across the hallway and the gossips began at Eastside High School. I skipped lunch as usual. I didn't have enough money to buy anything and I didn't want to run into the White brothers. They always found a way to make me miserable.
I decided to take a walk to my favorite place which is the park.
No kids ever go there at this time of the hour, which is why I love it. No body to make bad comments about my outfit or hair or any part of my body. It's just me and my beautiful novels to read.
Unfortunately just as I was on my way to my happy place, I got hit by a ball, the hit got straight to the head which made it even more painful. I immediately started searching for the stupid owner of the ball
"Who the hell hit me." I yelled but only to be stopped midway as the owner came running and stopped right infront of me.
Guess who the owner was!
Fuckin! Ethan white the school's quarter back stood before me dripping with sweat, but not just sweat was flowing all over him, and smelled of nothing but sexiness.
"Hey, Tessa. Did you miss me?" he said with a smirk. He picked up the ball and tossed it to his friends. "This is your punishment for avoiding me."
"That was your punishment for ignoring me, geek."
I couldn't even hear what he was saying all my attention was on his body. The worst part was that he was shirtless, giving me quite an awful of his rippling muscles, it sure is a crime for a boy his age to look that hot.
He was a chiseled perfection. Hispecs were hard outlines atop his, abdomen were rolling hills, putting the term six-pack to shame, leading down to a defined V-cut ... Oh Lord, I couldn't help but look away.
I could feel my face heat to an uncomfortable level, I felt mortified, I was even starting to sweat. I knew my face was the color of a ripened tomato at that moment and this felt so fuckin embarassing to me.
"Stop acting like you don't like what you see" came in his arrogant voice. Well he sure is so full himself.
I glared at him. "What do you want from me?"
He leaned closer to me and whispered in my ear. "I want you to do my homework for me."
But I said that after looking away from his puppy face, I could never say it looking at his face. "Am sorry but I wouldn't be able to help y...."
Then his action stopped my apologies... He grabbed my arm and squeezed it. "Listen, Tessa. You have two choices. You can either do my homework and get some money from me or you can refuse and get some heavier punishment from me. What's it gonna be?"
I looked into his cold blue eyes and felt a shiver down my spine. I knew he wasn't bluffing. He could hurt me in many ways.
"Fine," I said reluctantly. "But only this once."
He smiled wickedly. "Good girl. I'll see you after school at the court. Don't be late."
He let go of my arm and walked away with his friends. I rubbed my sore arm and picked up my book. I hated him so much.
***
The moment the bell for the end of school rang, I immediately grabbed my bag and rushed to the court. I wanted to be the first one there so that I could give Ethan his book without anyone noticing me, most especially his stupid admirers.
Too late because by the time I reached there groups of girls from different classes were already there to watch him practice. Don't they have better things to do than look at sweaty bodies.
"Ethan," I called him but he seemed to be lost in his practice as he was currently being ambushed by other players.
"Jeez! God save me!" I muttered to myself as I saw a group of girls walking towards me, their leader was Tiffany Hawk, the most popular girl at school, also the leader of Ethan's girl fan club of damn nothing doers.
I turned around ready to get on my heels and run away from here as fast as I could but just as I had turned I met face to face with Natalie Mars Ashton's ex girlfriend, with her two slutty bestfriends just like her standing behind her.
I tried to go back to the direction I had just turned away from but it was too late since Tiffany's and her minions were already in my face and none of them looked happy. This meant trouble since the two groups had me cornered from all sides, the only thing I could do was hope and pray that they didn't harm me.
They looked at me with contempt and disgust.
"What are you doing here, Tessa?" one of them asked.
"Leave me alone," I said.
"Why should we? You're always getting in our way, harassing our men." one of them said.
"What are you taking about? If you are talking about the White twins, they bully me, those two make my life a living hell. God damn it!" I screamed at her and she flinched.
"Hey you know what we should do?" Tiffany said cocking her perfectly shaped brow at Natalie.
"What??" She questioned.
"We should shove her into that filthy pond over there and then beat her ass for talking to our men!" She said with her hands already holding at my shorts and with just one shove from her I ended up falling into a pond with my face first.
"Nice one, Tiff," I turned around only to see Natalie high five her.
Why the hell do I get involved with the bad people. All I do is mind my own business yet bad luck still finds ways to find me.
They pushed me harder and harder until I lost my balance and fell into the pond nearby.
The water was cold and dirty. It soaked my clothes and hair. I gasped for air and tried to get out of the pond.
The girls laughed harder and pointed at me.
"Look at her! She's so pathetic!"
They threw some rocks and sticks at me, hitting me in various places.
"Stop it! Stop it!" I cried out.
They didn't listen. They kept on throwing things at me until Ethan came over and yelled at them.
"Hey! What are you doing? Leave her alone!"
The girls stopped and looked at him with fear and admiration.
"Ethan, we were just having some fun," one of them said.
"Well, your fun is over. Get out of here," he said.
The girls pouted and left reluctantly.
Ethan walked over to the pond and offered me his hand.
"Come on, Tessa. Let me help you out."
I looked at him suspiciously. Why was he being nice to me?
I ignored his hand and got out of the pond by myself. I wrung out my wet clothes and hair as best as I could.
My dress was ruined. It clung to my body, showing every curve of my legs.
I felt exposed and embarrassed.
Ethan stared at me with a strange expression on his face.