The Bad Boy's Possession

Chapter 4 - Second Chance

"Violence is strictly prohibited in this school, Miss Clayton. It's your first day here and you went off and punched a student? What were you even thinking?" The Principal reprimanded, slamming his hands on the desk as he glared at me through his thin glasses.

"Forgive me, Mr. Warton, but I had no choice. I am an extremely calm person, but he provoked me. Ace and his friends were bullying me," I replied.

"Nonsense!" He said, staring at me like I was crazy. "I have never received any such complaint about him before."

"It's clear why. Who would dare to complain about the Mayor's son? It's not like the school would take any action," I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Miss Clayton," he scowled, "are you blaming the school for supporting bullies? How dare you?"

I sighed, shifting my gaze to the floor.

"That's not that I meant," I said softly, frowning.

"I hope not," he replied. He took a deep breath, as he started to sift through some papers. He retrieved an envelope from them, and handed it to me. "Here's your letter. You can submit your dorm room keys to Jackson."

My eyes widened.

"You're... You're really expelling me?" I said, gaping at him.

"You don't expect me to ignore your arrogance, do you? Besides, unlike what you think, we do take strict actions against bullying. This is your punishment for laying hands on a student," Mr. Warton said, the previous anger on his face and voice now replaced with nonchalance.

"You can't do this," I muttered. "I'm on a scholarship here, I'm a good student with a clean record. He bullied me first. You can check with my previous schools, with my teachers, I have never been a violent person. I ha-"

"I'm sorry, Miss Clayton, but sometimes loss does that to you. We understand that you lost your parents in a tragic accident, but that does not mean you will project your anger and frustration onto other students," he said, placing the envelope on the desk.

I blinked, biting my tongue, as tears pricked my vision. I stared at the expulsion letter, and sniffed, stepping forward and picking it up.

"This isn't fair," I whispered, and turned around to leave, when there was a knock on the office door.

"Come in," Mr. Warton said, and the door opened to reveal Ace. He entered the office, and stood right in front of me, looking down at me. His hands were stuffed in his pockets and he had a laid back posture. He knew what had happened. I could see the amusement in his eyes. "Mr. Argent," the Principal smiled at him. "What can I do for you?" The ghost of a smile appeared on Ace's face, and I shifted my gaze to the floor. Walking around him, I deliberately bumped my shoulder into his, wanting to hit him again before I'd leave.

"I want you to cancel her expulsion," Ace announced, making me freeze in my tracks. My eyebrows shot up in surprise, and I waited for him to continue, not turning to look at him.

"You want me to do what?" Mr. Warton questioned, bewildered.

"Cancel her expulsion," Ace repeated. I turned around to face him now, frowning. He was already staring at me, and I looked away, not wanting to maintain eye contact.

"Okay," Mr. Warton replied. "If you forgive her, I can do that."

"Oh I will forgive her," Ace smiled, but it did not reach his eyes as he continued to look at me. "As long as she apologizes to me. In front of the entire cafeteria."

"I am not doing that," I stated, now meeting his eye. "You bullied me first. If you apologize too, I will do it as well."

Ace let out a chuckle, stepping closer to me.

"You know you'll be kicked out of here if you don't agree to my condition," he said softly. "I'm giving you a chance to fix what you did, and stay in this school. And I'm only doing this because of what you did for me that night."

My mouth parted slightly, my previous determined demeanour crumbling. "You remember?" I said softly.

"As a matter of fact, I do. So just apologize to me, and all of this can be over. You can continue studying here on your scholarship, live in the dorms, save your future. It doesn't sound so bad, does it? All in the exchange of one apology," he whispered. He stepped even closer to me, and I had to tilt my head back to look at him. "You see, I have a reputation, Ava, and your little stunt is raising questions. I will do anything to save it. So it's either an apology, or expulsion. You have twenty seconds to decide." He stepped back again, crossing his arms over his chest.

I frowned, weighing my options. What would I do if I got kicked out? I had no idea. I came to Hillcrest for this very school, to escape my home back in Bluedell. I could not live there anymore, not with the memories of my parents, when they were not there with me now. And I did not have the kind of money I would need to afford another school. They wouldn't possibly give me a scholarship after being expelled from one place.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three-"

"Okay, okay!" I exclaimed, cutting him off. "I'll apologize."

"Great," Ace smirked, excitement and mischief dancing in his eyes. I felt a shiver crawl down my spine when I saw his expression, and suddenly, I was not so sure of my decision anymore. He took the envelope, and retrieved the letter from it, tearing it into pieces. Ace took my hand and placed the torn letter in it, before leaning in to my ear. "Best of luck, Ava Clayton," he whispered, making me gulp. Without another word, he left the office, leaving me staring down at the pieces of paper in my hand, wondering if expulsion would have been the easy way out.

Because from what I judged by his tone and demeanour, I was screwed.

- - - -

I took in a deep breath before entering the cafeteria again. All eyes turned to me, as if they were all waiting for me to return. It was easy to spot the Wolves' table. Right in the middle of the room, where everyone's attention would be. I saw Ace sitting with his friends, laughing about something, while Sapphire sat in his lap, playing with his hair.

"Here goes nothing," I whispered, before slowly making my way to them. Whispers and shocked gasps erupted throughout the cafeteria, as students wondered what I would do next. Or how I was even still there.

Ace's gaze shifted to me, and the genuine smile on his face changed into a smirk. He tapped Sapphire on the back, and she glanced at me, standing up from his lap only to sit beside him. Ace sat with one leg over the other, resting his elbow on his knee, and his chin on the knuckles of his closed fist.

"The Ugly Duckling returns," Darren announced loudly, clapping to make sure we had everyone's attention. Priya, Aisha and Sapphire laughed at his comment, but Ace did not. He kept staring at me in anticipation, waiting for me to give him what he wanted.

"You have a problem?" Sapphire asked, raising an eyebrow at me. "If you're here to say something, say it. Or get out of our faces."

I gulped, taking a deep breath again to prepare myself.

"I'm sorry for punching you, Ace," I said softly.

"What was that?" He feigned ignorance, drawing his chair slightly closer to me. "I didn't hear you properly."

I took in a deep breath, trying to keep myself calm. "I said I'm sorry for punching you," I repeated. He stood up, walking closer to me, and I took a step back.

"Still didn't catch it," he smiled.

I bit my tongue, now glaring at him. "I said, I'm sorry for punching-"

"Louder," Ace said, cutting me off as he shoved his hands inside his pockets. He bent down slightly, to reach my eye level. "Couldn't hear you from up there."

I felt my fist clench again, and all I wanted to do was punch him again. But I knew how that would end up. So I gritted my teeth instead.

"I said I'm sorry for-"

"Louder, Ducky. As loud as your punch was," Darren announced.

"I'm sorry-"

"Louder!" Aisha interrupted me this time.

"I'm sorry for punching you!" I yelled at the top of my voice, making the Wolves smile in satisfaction. "I should've kicked you in the gut as well, because you deserved it!" I added, my tone slightly lower now, but loud enough for the whole cafeteria to hear me. Their smiles faltered, replaced with scowls and glares in a second. Ace narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression hard. "You guys think you can buy everyone with your false status and greatness? Guess what, you can't. Because you people belong in the dumps for tormenting those who have lesser money than you do. And you, Mr. Ace Argent," I pointed a finger at him, "just because your father practically owns this city, does not mean you own the people. You bullied me, so you got what you deserved. And given the chance, I'd punch you again." I let my hand drop to my side, as my chest heaved up and down while I caught my breath.

Before anyone had the chance to say anything to me, I turned around and walked towards the door, ready to go get away from all the attention. I could hear what was happening behind me, as Sapphire, Darren and Priya tried to follow me, but Ace stopped them all. Sighing in relief, I quickly exited the cafeteria, my pace increasing. I went to the girl's washroom, and placed my small bag on the sink, taking a deep breath.

"s**t," I muttered to myself, biting my lip. "This won't be good," I gulped, running a hand through my hair. I closed my eyes and massaged my temples. I had known Ace Argent for less than two hours, and he had already given me a headache. "Pain in the ass," I mumbled through gritted teeth.

"I'd give you that, Duckling, but I'm not so sure I'd enjoy it," I heard someone speak, and my eyes shot open, widened to the size of saucers. I glanced at him through the mirror, to find him standing right behind me, and I immediately turned around, backing into the sink.

"What are you-"

"Shhh," he cut me off sharply, placing his index finger on his lips as he closed the space between us. "You were thinking about me, so I showed up," he said, giving me a smile that didn't reach his eyes. I gulped, looking around, but before I could even think of escaping, he bent down and placed his hands on the sink on either side of me. I felt my heart rage within my chest, and I leaned back as much as I could, staring at him with wide eyes.

"What are you doing here? This is the girls' washroom. You can't come in here," I said, my previous courage not completely absent.

Ace chuckled darkly at my words, leaning in even closer to me, as he looked me in the eye.

"You really thought you could say all that, and hide from me?" He asked, his breath fanning against my skin. "No, babygirl," he shook his head, trying to tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear, but I turned my face away. "It doesn't work like that."

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