Playing with Fire

Chapter 1

“I’m on a roller coaster that only goes up, my friend.”  - The Fault In Our Stars, now in theatres!

Chapter One 

He was late.

I sighed as I massaged my knees. I’d been waiting for more than an hour here, right at the schoolgate, but of course, Matthew would always be late. It was a trait imprinted so deep within his blonde head that nothing would ever change it.

Not that I could complain. I didn’t want my perfect boyfriend to walk away from me, too.

The schoolyard was almost empty because today was Friday and everyone was dying to have a night out early. The only people who stayed behind were students who studied too hard for their own sanity. And me.

But then, I heard a group of people laughing and talking from behind, and I shuddered in fear.

Their voices sounded familiar. A year ago, it could have been a good thing, but now there was nothing more terrifying than meeting them.

Them. My ex-friends. Them. Now certified as Azalea Walter’s professional bullies. Them. The popular, commanding kids, especially Noelle, because she knew me the longest and she knew how to hurt me the most.

Panic-stricken, I looked for something, anything for cover. There was a large bush near the tree, and I scooted over there before they could notice me. It was like a neverending game for them. Whenever I was around their vicinity, they would pick a fight with me, but they’d do it together in packs, so no matter how hard I fought back, I’d be in the losing end.

As I hid behind the bush, I saw them, all of them were still pretty, still shining, still turning heads. Instead of me, though, Noelle was on the very front, a sure sign of her leadership. Sometimes when I stared long enough, my mind would play a trick that made me believe that I could walk to them and everything would be like before.

But then I saw Kevin walking towards Noelle and kissed her in the mouth, and all the fantasies cracked.

Kevin had been my first boyfriend, and before he was with Noelle, he was with me for two full years. It was because of Kevin that our friendship broke, because I didn’t know that all the time I was with him, Noelle harbored a massive crush towards him.

I shook my head as the pang of pain throbbed against my chest. I didn’t even want to think about it anymore. I’d spent enough nights bawling my eyes out because of this. Even if they couldn’t see me, I’d still feel like a loser if I shed an extra tear for them.

The Popular kids were chatting right in front of the school gates; the excited shrills of the girls and the attractive laughs from the guys rang on my ears as I hoped fiercely, ‘please go away please go away please go away’.

My wish got fulfilled when I saw a few guys pulled away in front of them with a few shiny cars. Their laughter getting a few decibels higher as they all went inside the car, probably to a very cool party in a very cool club while drinking very cool drinks.

I couldn’t even deny my jealousy.

I got out from the bush and straightened my clothes. Right now Matthew had been late for more than an hour and a half, but still I couldn’t muster enough anger to be pissed at him. Matthew, after all, was the only good thing going on in my life right now. He was good-looking, tall, a university student. Plus, he was an alumnus of our school and even until now the jocks still talked about him in awed voices.

I always knew I was crazy, but not crazy enough to let him go.

Twenty minutes later, finally I saw a black Porsche slowing down I front of me. There was only one person that I knew who drove a Porsche, and that person was Matthew.