Thorns of Roses

Angry God

Song for this Chapter:

Shooting star-Hale

CHAPTER 3

CORINNE

"Could you show us your manners when we're in front of the dinner table?" Martha scoffed in the back of the car while Rico drove to school.

This has always been like this, I am not complaining but you can see where I stand in these families because of the sitting position.

I am always sitting in the passenger seat beside Rico or any other drivers, and Martha and Carina always in the back like some sort of royalty they are.

I know that Martha comes with us to scold me or even try to ruin my day back in school.

She’s always this pain in the ass for me, not that I am expecting her to be nice to the daughter of her husband with another woman. I even expect her to be more ruthless, like a stepmother in cinderella.

She often shows me her bad behavior when Dad is not around or when Dad can't hear or see us. She is still afraid of her husband to treating me badly in front of him. The first time she tried to, she and Dad had a fight. And it was so messed up, and I felt sorry for Carina while watching her parents fight. So since then, I didn't want to tell Dad what she was doing to me. Nothing bad will happen to me if I listen to Martha's poisonous words towards me, as long as she doesn't include my mother in the anger, she feels towards me now. And I think that's when Carina's view of me started to change.

And I understand her, she’s just a child an only child, to say the least when I came home with Dad that night. I can’t blame her.

“Yes, Martha. I will.” I sighed and I see Rico smile at me.

"That's if you really have manners? Maybe it's because your mother raised you to have none." Martha starts again, her words cut through me in a very uneasy way.

“What did you just say?” I looked at her through the mirror, and I saw how she put her arms on her chest, smiling at me. challenging me, Getting on my nerves.

“You heard me.”

I sighed and close my eyes, I look at Rico and saw him barely shaking his head, stopping me. so, I just nod “Okay. Say what you want.” That’s all I have to say.

The car stops in front of the Riverdale Country School. The students were clattering getting inside the fine school, this is what I love here in Eleanor. Rich or poor is the same here in this high school. No one has the upper hand in everything.

But I didn’t say they’re not aware of everything, because they are.

I got out of the car first after I said thank you to Rico for driving us. I waited for Carina to hop off the car too so that we can walk together. Carina opened the door to her side of the car and I heard her "I don't want to go with her, Mom. You know that there has been an issue with her since last year and I don't want to get the receiving end too." That's it. I know I did something last year, but little by little I am changing myself after what happened that year. I also know that the issue that I am a wicked person has not yet died.

I sighed “I am going.”

I started walking, not bothering to look for Carina behind me, as I feel those eyes noticing me.

Off course, it’s not just because people go on summer vacation that they will forget what happened last year. No, they're not. And I can feel it in their whispers and looks at me.

I didn’t even see Blaze after what happened last year. Father makes it possible for me not to attend the weekend’s getaway and dinners with the Mayhems. And I know Havoc knows what I did to his son too. So, I know he wasn’t a fan of mine either. Not that I care.

I tried to get on inside the campus when I feel him.

Even if I didn’t see him, I know he’s in there, looking at me.

I smiled then my eyes find his instantly which made him smile too. “Cory!” he called out to me.

That’s his own nickname for me since we were just fifteen years old, and I love it when he calls me that. I love it when he calls me something that no one else calls me.

He walks towards me and hugs me tenderly, how I missed his peppermint scent and his huge arms caging me.

I am still not allowed to attend the meetings with the Mayhems, so that means I didn’t get to see Diesel the entire summer.

That explains the tight hugs and the sweet peck on my head and my cheeks like I am his.

But I know better.

I know him better.

“I missed you.”

I nod “I miss you, big buck.” I slap his ass which made him laugh.

He noticed the stares and the whispers as much as I do, and I know he does feel that I am being uncomfortable as of now.

“Don’t mind them.”

I smiled, trying my best not to be bothered “I am not.”

“You can’t lie to me, Cory. You know that.” He smiled, but he was so serious.

The more I think about it as the years passed me being in love with Diesel, I can feel that he sees me as nothing but a best friend. Nothing more.

I know how you look at someone who you’re in love with because I can see it in me when I am looking at him. And even if it is hurt to admit it, I can see that he was not in love with me.

He loves me, but not the way the love I needed.

But as of now, he’s the only one I need.

I sighed “Okay, I’ll try.”

He put his arms on my shoulders as we walk in the school halls together. I know what he’s doing. He’s claiming territory. He’s letting everyone know that I am under the wings of a Mayhem, in that way no one will ever bother me. and I smiled to myself.

Maybe I did deserve someone like Diesel in my life when all I have left in me is despair, he’s there lighting up the darkness.

“Let’s hang out at break? Or you have other’s plans?”

“I think hanging out with you sounds good.” I put a peck of a kiss on Diesel’s cheeks.

Both of us are clingy and touch when it comes to each other, but it’s just that, I trust him with my all. The way I trust myself. “After all, I miss your hunky pecks.” I squeeze his arms and he laughed.

“And I miss your smart mouth.” He wink that made me melt, but he didn’t know that, of course.

I lean on my designated locker after I put all my stuff inside. I cross my arms on my chest as he caged me in, he looks genuinely interested in what I have to say. And that is what makes him the most trusted person I have. he’s giving me attention and importance, that is why I had fallen in love with him. “How’s Hawaii?”

“So many f*****g girls. I can’t even keep up with all of them.” He chuckles. And I did too, but he didn’t know I am hurting with him sleeping around girls that were not me.

After what happened between the two of us three years ago, we chose not to talk about it ever again. And never to do it again if both of us wanted to be in the life of each other.

Diesel and I have something in common; we have trust issues. Actually, a relationship issues because of where we grew up in.

So, we don’t want to waste what we have in just pure s*x that we may feel at the moment.

But I am always ready when he is ready. Always will be.

“Did you even use protection? I don’t want you getting so many diseases because of the exotic s*x you’ve had.” I joke, but I meant it well.

“Of course, I am.” He pecks my nose “After all, I promised you that whenever no one wants to even marry you, I’ll marry you instead of you being an old lady.”

I laughed, but I do hope no one will ever want to marry me.

He suddenly looks serious as he saw the scar on my right arm, he put his hands on it and caressed it so tenderly. “I am sorry I am not there to protect you.”

“You don’t have to be there.” I sighed “I don’t want you to be there too.”

“Then why you are there?” he asked so seriously.

I looked at his bright green eyes staring back at me “Gian needs me.”

“Gian is crazy.” He whispered.

“What if she’s not?”

He closed his eyes “Look, Cory—” he swallowed hard and look around “Don’t mess with Blaze.”

“Die, I f*****g saw him with my two eyes. He’s holding a gun—”

“Diesel!” a very familiar voice broke the sentence I am going to say to Diesel.

I turn to look at him already looking at me with a flare of fire in his gaze.

But I didn’t back down and look at him the same way.

He needs to know that I am not afraid of him.

“Are you both eye f*****g?”

I snap my head on Diesel who is now smirking. “What? f**k no. anyone but him.”

Then I saw Blaze already walking towards us. But why does my heart thumps so loud? I thought I am not scared of him.

This is the first time we ever seen each other again after the incident last winter.

When he’s standing so near me and Diesel, he put down his hands that have been caging me and I am now open to the walking fire.

“Hey, Blaze. I do believe you already know Corinne.” Diesel jokes, trying to ease the tension.

Blaze tilts his head, still looking at me from my toe then stops at my breast then onto my face.

Fucking pervert.

“Oh, I know her damn well.”

I didn’t talk, I just look at him and get my sketch pad that fell to the floor.

I have never been ashamed of how dark and erotic my sketches, paintings, and molds are. But when Blaze stared at my sketch of two black fallen angels having s*x, I couldn't help but feel ashamed because it was new to him. The last thing I want is for him to call me a freak.

I saw him smile, but only for a second. The kind if you don't look at him, you won't see him. The blaze has not been attractive to me ever since. Because I know what kind of person he is, I know what he does and I know what he is hiding in those beautiful faces of him, is the monster lurking from beneath.

I immediately took my sketchpad from the floor and closed it. Blaze's eyes immediately followed me, but his eyes were so dark that it was as if you couldn't see anything white. Full darkness. Just like what I saw that night.

Something evil. That I literally shiver.

“She has a great hand, right?” Diesel chimed in.

“She is.” He shrugs while putting both of his hands on the front of the pocket of his slacks.

“Is that sarcasm?”

He tilted his head “It’s not. In fact, I am ready to be your model for your pieces if you want." He smirks.

I still then Diesel scoffed. “Man, she’s into nudes and s*x when it comes to her pieces.”

Blaze's smiles grew bigger and look at me again “That so?”

I rolled my eyes “I don’t need you.” I start to walk off when he talks again.

“Why? Are you satisfied by just imagining it’s you and Diesel?”

I turn around “What the f**k?” It’s me and Diesel say in unison. As if disgusted by the idea of him.

But he was just standing there, not even bothered by what he said. Even if some students heard him say those things to me and his cousin.

“What? I am the best model you can ever have.”

I scoffed and put my hands on my waist, getting so pissed off “f**k me.”

“Oh, I will, baby girl.” I stiffened at his nickname, the same one as what my Dad’s using.

He must’ve noticed the discomfort as his smile grew bigger like a maniac. “You like that, Baby girl.”

I closed my eyes and tried to count from one to ten. Be calm. You don’t want to get into trouble with your Father again.

“You know what, you’re right.”

He smiled as if he was already claiming his victory.

“You are the best of the best that I can ever have to be the model of my pieces. But keep this in mind, Boo.” I tippy toe to reach his ear and whispered to him seductively “I am the only p***y you won’t ever have in this lifetime.”

I saw Diesel laughing quietly behind him, snickering even.

As I put my arms on my chest, looking at Blaze’s smile bigger. I thought I can piss him off.

He bows down next to my ear and I almost smell the faint smell of cigarette and citrus on him. “Is that a challenge, Baby girl?”

I looked at him. Hard. I shake my head “No, that’s a promise.”

Then I remember Gian’s smiles, which made my blood boil. This man is here in front of me living his life, while Gian isn’t.

“A f*****g promise I made to Gian.”

Then his feature changes. His smile was no longer there anymore. “How many times do I have to tell you; your friend is a f*****g psycho.”

I shake my head, there’s no kind of remorse in his eyes “She’s not and you know that. We know that.”

Diesel holds Blaze's arms “Guys, let’s just stop this.”

Blaze looks at me again “This won’t be the last time I will see you, Baby girl.”

I nod “Of course, it isn’t.”

With that said, Diesel and Him are gone.

Never back down.

Just when I thought that this day couldn’t be much better, once I step foot inside my art class, professor McNeil told me that the school directors and panels chooses me to fight in the district art exhibition this year. That exhibition is a huge deal and that exhibition alone can help me get through some ivy league universities.

So, it was hard to say no when you are given that kind of opportunity.

Guess I really need the angry god being the model, right? And, this can be the perfect opportunity to track his movements and gather some evidence.

Let’s see what he’s got.