A maid and two brats

19

In all the 16 years I had known him, there had never been a day when I wanted to hurt my best friend so much. Hurt was not even a good enough word. I wanted to rip him apart for hurting her.

Debby.

Every muscle in my body ached to turn around, to pick her up, to make her stop crying to take back everything that had happened in the span of the three minutes I left her at the locker, to tear all those assholes taking pictures and making videos of the moment apart. But the last thing she needed now was to be further humiliated, which would happen if I went to her aid right now in front of everyone.

So like the cold-hearted, unbothered loner everyone at this school now saw me as, I walked past her, following side by side my three idiotic friends. Actually, it was more like my idiotic best friend and his two more idiotic sidekicks. I felt like an ass for leaving her alone on what would go down as one of the most humiliating first days and even worse at a school like Rock High Academy.

The school was one of the best in the state, ranked top in the country too, and many outsiders wished they could go here. Admission here was not just rare, it was treated like diamonds. If only they knew. The glamor, highly rated learning system, rich spoilt and snobby students came along with the pressure. The pressure to meet up with others and not just academically, it was the most competitive, had the highest rate of bullied students, and most students if not all lived under what could be called the regime of the king of all assholes, Damien.

Teachers and students alike dreaded Damien, and even more so when we paraded the school looking like higher class students. Damien, me, Aaron, and Josh. Many students believed that it was better to drop out completely than become one of our targets. They were not wrong. Damien had a talent in making a living hell the life of anyone that dared to cross him. Sadly, he was not only my best friend but the closest thing to a brother I had ever had. And well you know what they say about birds of a feather.

Along with the dread that came whenever we walked through the hallways together, there was also the flattery and exaggerated attention. The coos, cries, fawns, the 'please notice me', the swoons, the 'he spoke to me, I'll faint now', and no, it was not only from students. Actually, there had also been a few teachers too throwing winks our way suggestively. I could not count how many times I had had a boob flash or worse a panty flash thrown my way to draw my attention.

Today was not any different. There were the dreamy coos and cries thrown our way as we exited the cafeteria. Some fawning, others taking pictures and then there were the jerks that cheered Damien for giving the weirdo a warm welcome'

Up until last year, these attentions were my favorite thing about this school. But now, I hated having to spend longer walking through the hallway because everyone wanted a spec of attention. Right now I had much bigger problems in life that had nothing to do with teens who flustered just because I waved at them or casually flirted with them.

Some wanted it for popularity. Bella for example was the most popular girl at school because Damien had a thing with her in the sixth grade. Presently, they were constantly at each other's necks. I knew that feeling well enough right now.

Every time the image of Debby, sprawled on the floor with tomato sauce all over her popped in my head, all I wanted to do was make a fist around Damien's neck. Today though I would let him off with a warning.

But since when did Damien Mcarthy heed a warning?

"Gosh I'm so sick of them," Aaron sighed, plopping down into the plush couch at the center of the study. The personal study was our haven away from annoying classes we didn't want to attend, girlfriends we wanted to avoid, and prying eyes too since it was exclusive to four of us only. "This school needs a few new chics, everything is such a bore now."

"We have one downstairs," Josh noted from his desk.

"We do?" Being the professional man w***e he was with me following closely behind, Damien's head snapped up to him happily.

He shrugged, "I mean who can be hotter than a newbie covered in hot sauce?"

It took me a moment to understand who they were speaking of as Aaron and Josh's loud peals of laughter bounced through the wall that had countless books. Damien's lips twitched, but he did not laugh and I sprung up to my feet, suddenly losing my cool. "That was the hot sauce?"

"Did you think we would use tomato sauce?" Aaron looked at me like I was from another planet. With a deep sigh, I directed my next question at Damien. I did not need anyone to tell me he spearheaded this. He always did. "Why did you do that to her?"

The question came to him as a shock. I had never asked him his reason for being a jerk to others before. Most days, I tolerated it, other days, I found it funny how people would scamper away when we walked into a room. But today, I was flipping mad at him. He recovered from his shock immediately and tugged on a loose stitch on the hem of his uniform. He picked at it angrily as he answered, "Payback, She deserved it."

"What could she have possibly done to deserve such humiliation in front of more than three dozen students and even worse, here at school."

"I did it because it's a school like ours. If I'm lucky enough, she would not be able to stand the pressure after this and she would finally leave back to whatever s**t hole she came. And if she does decide to stay, she would never hear the end of this day." his evil smile said that he was having way too much fun at this. I could almost hear the unspoken: Call me a genius.

"That should teach her to..."

"Teach her what?!" I barked before Aaron could get the words out completely. I raked my hand through my hair. It was my only option if I was going to keep it away from punching someone or something. "How did I end up being friends with you assholes?" Who was I kidding, it took two to tangle. In this case, four.

Damien rose to his feet immediately, tossing his desk to the side, so we stood facing each other, both waiting for who would give the first blow. "Watch yourself, man,"

"Whoa whoa whoa," someone said behind us, maybe Josh, I was too busy trying to hold back from punching him to care.

Damien and I were the same age and nearly the same height, actually now that were we standing so close boring into each other's eyes, that one inch was gone and I was pretty sure we were the same height. It would be a fair fight if most of the time he spent being a jerk was not spent at the gym for me. I had no doubt who would be going home with a black eye if I let loose this rage I was working to contain loose.

"Would you both calm the f**k down?" I recognized Aaron's voice this time. "Also Zac what the hell do you mean by friends with assholes?"

I broke the glare between Damien and me and turned to him, "I mean only an asshole would do what you guys did to Debby at the cafeteria today."

"You had no problem with it when we did it to others before," Damien spoke, his voice teetering on the hem of amusement and scorn. So tell me what that makes you."

I opened my mouth to say something, but there was nothing because Damien was not wrong. I had never really had a problem with my friends making life hell for weak and vulnerable students, but for some reason, I wanted to rip him apart for doing the same thing to Debby today.

So I guess that made me a hypocrite. Pathetic was a more descriptive word.

With a sigh, I shoved my hands in my pocket and started towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Damien questioned, then added with a scoff, "don't tell me you're going to her now."

Josh gasped, "you don't possibly have a thing for that skinny maid do you?"

Balling my fists, I turned to him, "that's none of your damn business." Also, Damien, I have never told you this before, but leave Debby out of your games. And I mean it."

"Is that supposed to be a warning?" he asked as if bewildered at the fact.

"Take it however you want to, just...just leave her alone."

"You jerk!" he yelled as I reached for the doorknob, followed by Josh's amused voice, "He totally has a thing for the maid."

Did I?

I paused to give them an answer but decided against that since I had none for them. I did not bother to look back at the sound of something shattering against the wall when I shut the door. I was used to Damien destroying stuff in a fit of rage, later, I'll fix things with him later. For now, there was one person that needed me even though she would never admit to it. Actually, knowing her, she might just put up a fight.

***

Finding her was pretty easy. All I had to do was follow the trail of hot sauce leading from the cafeteria to her locker. Thankfully, we were locker buddies, or whatever she called us, so I could pretend to be unbothered and still help her at the same time.

My stoic expression quickly morphed into a frown at the sight of Bella and her friends surrounding her, I did not need to get closer to know what they were doing. Debby had her back turned to them, clearly offended by their words as she ransacked her locker for what I could not quite figure out. Her dress shirt and skirt were thoroughly soaked in the red liquid.

Her hair was damp and the blue had been covered up in most parts by a reddish thickness, her face was not left out either.

Why did I no punch Damien earlier?

I had never seen her in this state before, even when that girl had attacked her outside the ice cream shop. She looked like she would burst into tears any second. She was hurt, but still managed to look unaffected as she turned and yelled, "leave me alone," to Bella.

"Oh my," Bella scoffed, feigning shock, "I get yelled at for trying to be nice?"

"She clearly does not need your good face," I said flatly, brushing past them to my locker. Debby only spared me a second's glance before turning back to her locker.

"Zac love!" Bella cred dreamily, it was funny how she easily switched from ferocious viper to adorable kitty in seconds. Not surprising though, since I was used to it, "I didn't see you there."

"Of course you didn't," I tilted my head in time to avoid her hand reaching out to touch my face. "For your own good, keep your hands to yourself."

"Where are the others?" she asked, looking behind me like she was in search of her long-lost friends.

I smirked as an idea popped up n my head, "Damien said to meet up at the North Wing Rooftop."

She gasped exaggeratedly as her cheeks reddened. "he did?!"

"I do not repeat myself," I said simply, knowing I had hit my target. "Now excuse me, I need to use my locker,"

I moved out of the way just in time to mss her hands flying around to hug me this time. "Keep your f*****g hands to yourself," I muttered, barely able to hide my annoyance.

She actually bought my lie. I did not bother to tell her that neither I nor Damien could do so much as stand her. In hurried steps, she walked down the hallway, grinning and flipping her hair with pride. I looked at Debby just in time to see her heave a sigh of relief.

With her gone, I was left with only a few nosy juniors, still staring at Debby who had not done so much as acknowledged my present yet.

"Need something?" I snapped in my most scary tone and arched a brow. That was enough to send them scampering in different directions. I stood behind Debby for a second, hoping she would at least turn to look at me, but she didn't. Reaching out, I placed a hand on her shoulder, and asked the one question I needed to know, "are you alright?"

"Please do not touch me," she whispered, brushing my hand away. Before I could ask why she was mad at me, she dumped her books in her locker, slammed the door, and started to walk away.

I knew she was pissed, but I was surprised to see her take it out on me, still, I found myself grabbing her hand and stopping her from leaving.

"Why are you even mad at me?" I asked, ignoring the way she twisted her arm, trying to leave my hold.

"Let go of me, Zac, I have a class to attend," she said simply, not bothering to answer my question.

"Don't tell me you're going to your next class soaked in that."

"Okay, I won't tell you if that would make you let me be." she gave a toothed smile, "can I go now, the next class is in a few minutes."

"It's hot sauce, your skin will react," I pressed.

"That's my problem, so leave me to it," she pulled her arm free and started to walk away.

With an annoyed groan, I took her hands and pulled her along with me in the other direction from where she was headed. "What are you doing?" she asked, trying to pull her hand free as I made her come with me.

"You need to change out of those and I cannot handle your stubbornness now," I did not bother to look back at her as she thrashed my arm, yelling, "let go of me all the way." Considering how small she was next to me, there was no need for her to try to get away from my hold.

Thankfully, the bell went off just before we reached the locker room and I paused at the doorway until everyone flooded out hurriedly for their next classes.

There was still one person lurking when we walked inside. it was not hard to tell he was a junior from the way he scampered away at the sight of me, bowing his head and whispering countless apologies.

"What is this place?" Debby asked, looking around.

"it's a locker room for basketball teammates," I answered, bolting the door on the inside.

"Oh, I didn't know you play basketball," almost immediately, her face morphed into realization and horror, "you brought me to an all-boys locker room?"

"Relax, no one is here."

"How is being alone with you in the same room supposed to make me relax?" she gritted her teeth and headed for the door.

I grabbed her hand before she made it to two steps and made her sit on one of the benches. "I'm not nearly as horrible as you presume me to be," I crouched down in front of her and pulled one leg to me.

"What are you doing?" she protested, pulling her leg back.

"Checking if you have any wounds," I said simply, inspecting each leg until I was sure there were no bruises. I got to my feet and headed for my locker, "you need to change out of those,"

"I said I'm fine," she yelled angrily, getting to her feet.

"You might want to keep it down. After what happened today, the last thing you want is for anyone to know that you were in a boys locker room all alone with the hottest guy in school." I turned and wiggled my brow suggestively, "they will have your head"

I bit back a chuckle at the way her grey eyes widened, making them a lighter shade. Her cheeks reddened in embarrassment and her fists balled at her sides. She opened her mouth to say something but probably thought better of it. After half of a second, she said, "You are disgusting."

"Relax, I'm not exactly thrilled to be in such a situation, you are not my type actually," thankfully, the dryness in my tone did not give away my lies.

"Jerk," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

"I was just worried you might get hurt from having hot sauce over you so long. Are you sure you do not have any bruises?" I turned to find her clutching her stomach in laughter. "What's so funny?"

She wiped her eyes as the laugh faded and slowly straightened, it took a moment to realize humor had nothing to do with her laugh because there were tears in her eyes, "You and your friend's humiliate me at the cafeteria and you pretend to be worried about me 10 minutes later?"

I frowned as I pulled out my gym clothes from the locker, "What makes you think I had anything to do with it?"

She snorted, "Apart from the fact that you lured me in there...?"

"Lured you?"

She shook her head, "So you're going to pretend that Damien did not make you bring me into the cafeteria so he could carry out his plans?"

"What the f**k? I knew nothing about that." I said honestly, trying to articulate my confusion.

"I'm sure," she said sarcastically, with a half-smile, "I'm gonna head back now. I need to get to class."

Combing my hand through my hair roughly, I reached for her with my free hand, but she pried her arm back sharply, wagging a warning finger in my direction.

"It's Debrah to you! You made abundantly clear where we stand today at the locker so you do not get to act like we are friends out of the blue."

Shit, she was still hung up on my actions earlier today. I did not bother to tell her that my reaction had more to do with my ire from the way the class and Mr. Will reacted to her presence than with her. "Look I apologize for what happened today."

She planted a hand on her hips, raising a brow in my direction, "For shutting me out or for helping Damien humiliate me?"

I threw my hands in the air, suddenly more pissed at her reference to that again. "For christ's sake! What are you talking about?"

"I would never have gone to the cafeteria if I was not trying to catch up with you!" she blurted angrily like she had been holding it in throughout our time here. I on my part waited for her to finish, despite my surprise at her words. She balled her fingers like she was trying to hold back from poking them at me. "You heard me calling, and you ignored me and that's why I went in there." Her throat slid as she looked away, I did not need more to tell she was fighting tears.

With a small sigh, I took a step closer, careful to keep my hands to myself. "I did not mean to ignore you. I really did not hear you calling."

"And I should believe you because?"

I snapped, "You should believe me because it's the truth for f***s sake! I had nothing to do with what happened. Why would I even want to do that to you."

She quirked a brow at me as if to ask, 'why would you not want to do that to me?' I could not blame her though. For the longest of time, I had stood by and done nothing to help when Damien had hurt her before. She had every reason to believe that this time was no different. Only. It was.

Hell this tome, if I even had the faintest idea what my best friend was planning, I would have done everything possible to stop him. "Debby," I called again, this time hoping she would not mind my use of her nickname, "I am really sorry about what my friends did to you, but you should know I had no part in it, not even an idea about it."

She looked down at the ground, refusing to meet my eyes. I wanted more than anything to hold her chin and make her look at me, but given the current circumstances, I knew how much of a bad idea that was. "That would be easier to believe if you did not just stand there and do nothing to help."

"Because I was surprised and pissed. I was still trying to recover from you saying you didn't need me and the next minute you were in a pool of hot sauce via my best friend. I was torn between my loyalty to him and defending the girl who just implied she was fine without me."

"Of course," she scoffed, "you picked your loyalty."

With a sigh, I reached for her arm, "I'm not going to deny my friends and I have always been bastards to you Debyy. But I am really sorry about what you had to go through today, believe me."

She gave a half-smile that did not reach her eyes, "It's fine. I totally deserved it anyways." she chuckled and added, "I spilled milk all over Damien last week."

Despite myself, I gaped at her both in amusement and surprise, "You what now?"

She was also working to hold back amusement, "He was being an ass and I was in no mood to kiss his ass so I spilled over a carton of milk on him. I expected him to murder me in my sleep actually."

I burst out laughing, as an image of Damien in that situation flooded my brain. I had missed hanging out that day for basketball practice and had been too tired to go over for games at Damien's. "I would give a penny to see for myself. No one has ever stood up to Damien so fiercely."

She rolled her eyes, and waved her hands over her drenched uniform, "I wonder why."

"I'm starting to like you even more," I blurted and immediately realized that was so wrong to say. The look on her face confirmed that. "Speaking of your clothes," I stretched the gym clothes further, willing her to take it without a fight, it was the least peace offering I could offer, "Please,"

There was a few seconds of silence, most of which she spent gnawing at her berry-colored full lips and possibly contemplating what to do. Urging her on, I took one of her delicate hands in mine and slid the clothes over. It felt good to hold her hand, but I was not telling her that. If I did not know how much she disliked me, I would have agreed with my wild imagination telling me the crimson staining her cheeks rose from my hand over hers. I would be lucky if it were.

"Why are you even being nice to me? You hate me," she said, snatching the clothes and her hands to herself.

Despite my satisfaction that she had taken them, her question threw me off balance for a second. Because in all honesty, I did not know why I felt different towards Debby. Why I felt the sudden, uncanny need to protect her from Damien and extensively anyone that wanted to hurt her now. I knew that last part was inevitable—especially after today—and once before, I was on the list of people hurting her too. Not anymore though.

I had never been one to give a damn about anyone. Being abandoned by my parents to grandparents who did not bother to give a s**t about me—except for the fact that there was an heir to carry their family name and fortune forward—turned me so. But for the first time in my life, I actually felt the need to comfort someone and it had nothing to do with the usual flirting I did with the girls that would not wait for a second to throw themselves at me—I never really cared for those. Debby was different. I could not explain why yet, I didn't know how, but I knew she was.

"Who said I'm being nice to you?" Raising an amused brow, I tossed her one of my charming smiles and this time there was no mistaking the blush that crept up her cheeks. The thought that she felt shy or embarrassed by me in the slightest made me preen with pride. I took her hand and herded her in the direction of the bathroom. After making sure no asshole was hiding in there, I pushed her in, "Go get cleaned, I'll be waiting right here."

She paused to take in the sight of the spacious bathroom, then with a spin of her heels, she faced me, "there's no way in hell I'm taking a shower in a boy's bathroom," she frowned.

"You're in a boys locker room, surely you didn't expect to see a girl's bathroom in there."

She opened her mouth to speak, but realized the logic and snapped it back close. After a brief pause, with her gnawing at her lips, she said, "But you cannot be here while I take a bath."

"Okay," I shrugged, moving towards the door.

"Where are you going?" she said quickly, holding on to my arm.

"Leaving. I'm sure you would not mind someone else walking in while I'm gone." I tapped my chin, nearly smirking as her eyes widened in horror, "Maybe James. He's in my class, and since the fifth grade, he's never been known to knock before entering. I'm sure you would not mind."

"Shut up," she smacked me with the clothes and turned back to the bathroom, banging it shut and locking it.