Love Made Me Do It

2. Old Mistakes

"Get your lazy ass up!"

A loud voice shrilled inside the creamy walled corridor of the Mayhew Mansion down the Elma Street.

A loud bang followed up on two doors standing right opposite to each other.

When nothing followed but silence, the twelve years old brunette who had her hair braided sideways, a cheeky face with big rounded eyes that reflected her mother's genes and her full sleeved one direction shirt covering her arms, sighed in defeat and walked down the corridor.

Moving through the wings of the mansion, finally right down the stairs, where in the middle stood a tall, lean woman instructing two house keepers, she still had her grace and beauty to carry the title of Amy Mayhew.

"Mom they're not getting up." the young brunette complained.

The woman turned around and gave in her sweet smile, "Crystal, you know your brothers, they never reply to anyone's call but they'll be up."

A tall man jogged into the hallway in his sports wear, his brown locks still shining wet, his jaw line still striking the sun.

"Good morning ladies." he smiled at the two who rolled their eyes when he tried hugging them.

"You're sweating dad, that's disgusting."

"Where are the birthday boys?" he asked once he was settled onto the breakfast table.

"Still lazy asleep." Crystal announced.

The three continued having breakfast, while a young boy who had reached up his father's height and physical features, a lean muscular figure, a stick to the sun nose and his mother's hazel eyes sat down at the table wearing a smile that touched his ears.

"Good morning." he murmured slightly looking fresh with his neatly cut hair smelling of shampoo and perfumes.

He jumped ahead to reach for a breakfast roll and bagel but stopped when he noticed how everyone in the room gave him a sore look.

"What?" he shrugged casually.

"Missing me?" Another young boy plumped down the chair next to the first one. The twin replica had the same physical features, but he was more bulkier than muscular with his long hair slicked back giving him a bad boy look that he complimented by playing a rough yard quarterback football while his brother was more into basketball.

He was leaning down against the chair when their father, spoke up.

"Sit properly!"

The second twin rolled his eyes and sat straight up. "Right Sadam!"

"There goes the mother's sarcasm." the father retorted back.

"And there goes the father's annoying habit of always answering back." Amy pointed out taking a seat next to her daughter.

"Alright fine, just don't fight because of him now." the first twin said looking between his parents.

"Happy birthday loosers." Crystal announced. "And also happy graduation you guys finally are getting lost after three months."

"Crystal!"

Amy scolded in.

"It's fine mom, she's still sore that she's stuck with you guys for the next six years." He smirked devilishly making everyone roll their eyes including his twin that showed utter disappointment in his behavior.

A car honked in a distant background.

"Well... That's my ride." He got up picking an apple. "And happy birthday to you too dad."

He pointed with obvious sarcasm making Brandon throw death glare his way.

"Sorry dad." the other twin immediately braced up behind his brother, not wanting his father to be saddened by his brothers rebellious behavior.

"Will he ever just quit it?" Amy asked rubbing her temples with anxiety.

"He will... But that would be just a facade, Alexander's never gonna change." Brandon said in a dead tone and got off his seat, walking out.

Amy and the kids took in a deep sigh, their veins filled with annoyance for the daily drama between the rebel son and the tyran father who sees a better future for his son.

Amy gave in a weak smile to her children, "You can have your party tonight. Your father and I are leaving for New York and we'll take Crystal with us."

"Yeah sure, enjoy getting drunk and stupid."Crystal mumured getting off her seat and walking out.

When the twin was about to get up, Amy called him out.

"Nicholas..."

He looked at his mother and the expression of disappointment was filled right into his face.

"You know he wishes the best for you."

Nicholas nodded his head with a soft smile over his lips, leaving his uncertain mother behind.

______________________

"Move aside." Alexander pushed down on the rim eyed kid standing in the middle of the corridor walking down towards his locker.

"You alright?" Nicholas asked the kid holding him up to stand straight.

The weak guy nodded his head with a weak smile.

"What the hell is up with you?" Nicholas asked in annoyance reaching his brother.

"Don't f**k my mind Nick. I'm not in the mood." Alex warned his twin.

Nick looked around the place and dragged his brother from his collar down towards the janitor's closet.

"Stop acting like a b***h. Big deal dad cut off your scholarship to Stanford. He wanted Harvard so Harvard it is." Nick tried mending his brothers broken fence. "It's been months, we already leave after summer, so stop with this f*****g attitude."

"You don't f*****g see it. He just wants us all to be his little puppets." Alex warned his brother about his father's intuitives.

"I don't know..." Nick yelled back showing his exhaustion, "Maybe Yes! But you and I both know that we can't do anything about him but what we can do is learn to be strong enough like him and who else better than him to teach us."

Alex stood quiet for a while understanding his brother's motives.

"He needs us... Just like we need him for now. Mom told me he plans on ruling the town with us and this is exactly what we'll do one day but when we do rule the town, it will not be on his terms."

Nick walked towards Alex, holding his nape he pulled him closer, "Just bear with it. We're in this together."

Walking out of the janitorial closet Alex felt a different person. The brother he thought was weak to never raise his voice against their father's tyranny was in fact a much more intrusively cunning ones. Sharper, smarter and better at cutting off sharp edges.

He looked at the corner of the hallways and there, his gaze fell upon an innocent face. The face of an angel.

The blond locks of long curls, the blue eyes sparkling like ocean in sunshine, the round cheeks beaming with smile cornered by her only chubby and tall friend.

Isabella stood at the corner oblivious of the eyes roaming over her face and eyes.

Until her phone beeped with a text.

"Meet me behind the bleachers before school."

Her smile suddenly disappeared, not even wanting to look anywhere else but on the roughness of the text. Which made her nervously scrub over her nose, her habit of anxiety.

"What happened?" Her friend Sierra asked, piling her books inside her locker and looking at Isabella.

She gulped nervously shifting between her feet.

"Actually I just remembered a small task Mr. Brown gave me." she lied with her heart heavy with guilt.

"Sure, go and do it. The seniors are going crazy with their last day. I don't think the school will start any time soon today."

Just like a cry, a tall varsity senior rushed by blowing up shredded papers out of a blower onto Isabella and Sierra with a vicious laugh, "Take this Freshmen."

Sticking his tongue out he gave them a middle finger making the two roll their eyes, removing any traces of paper from their hair.

"f*****g Kennedy Mathews. It would be a festival in Cherwood High, without him and his f*****g circus of psychotic friends. I am so glad these arrogant asshats are finally get out of Cherwood. Can't wait to get rid of this rotten town one day."

Slamming her locker shut, Sierra walked away leaving an uncertain Isabella behind who couldn't even agree to her friend.

Sitting behind the bleachers, she looked through the slits of wooden benches behind which she felt hidden, still finding no trace of the person she was waiting for.

Heaving a sigh she leaned back, resting against the pricking wooden surface.

Sierra's words were playing a truffle inside her head, neither she would be happy for this graduating batch to leave neither would she ever be able to leave this town.

He parents were too protective of her, they barely let her go anywhere with her friend. She had never stayed for a night at anyone else's place. Her parents ran a small local bakery chain, earning a good name and place in business in town and she was their only child and they protected her like nothing. She never saw the outside world like any other kid, she was too pampered and cared for.

Her parents loved her more than anything, gave her all the attention in fact a little too much, forgetting the thin line they broke on Isabella’s patience of holding up with her parent's affection.

They always told her what to do and what not. At first she listened obediently but then it only became another reason for her to be annoyed with her parents.

They always told her to stay away from trouble and for them trouble was the Mayhew twins.

But even two angels in heaven couldn't resist their temptation for a forbidden fruit. Isabella was just a girl.

"Missed me?" A small voice whispered against her ear as two strong arms wrapped around her slim waist from behind.

Isabella smiled closing her eyes. Her anxious heart and restless mind finally finding some peace.

She turned around with a wide smile and Alexander pulled her in for a longing kiss, sucking on her lips a little too long.

"I actually missed you." She smiled at him, putting her arms around his neck.

"Good." he smirked with triumph, sitting right next to her he pulled her back against his chest as she rested peacefully.

"Where my birthday gift?" he asked running his hand skillfully beneath the mold of breasts.

Her cheeks blushed hard. "I thought face time was enough last night?" She asked looking over at him through her eyelashes.

He smiled looking at her innocent face, "You know it's never enough for me."

"So what you want?" she asked straightening up.

"You know there's no better gift than you." He leaned ahead and pulled her for a kiss.

Leading his facedown to her neck, removing her jacket, tugging her shirt off her shoulder. Isabella gasped closing her eyes but the feeling of restlessness waving back inside her heart.

"Alex stop." She pushed him back, pulling herself back against the bleachers.

Alex's expressions turned sore, not liking the way she repulsed him.

Realizing she might have hurt him she closed her eyes, rubbing her face, "It's just that I'm not ready... Not yet. There's a lot going on."

"Seriously? It's been six months already." he pointed out the time being of the two together.

"I know but it's just that with you going away and hiding our relationship from everyone, it has been difficult on my behalf."

He rolled his eyes heaving an agitated breath, "I told you already, it's for your own good. But if you still want to go against me and tell everyone go ahead." he got up, "But it's just tonight Isabella, Tonight or never."

With that he left Isabella with her swindled thoughts.

_______________________

The entire party busted with loud music with drunk kids dancing around in euphoria, seniors enjoying like it's their last night on planet earth. The Mayhew mansion flooded with animals in the name of human kids.

While the birthday boys themselves who were graduating seemed missing from their own party, lost in their own worlds, behind closed doors like secrets in the dark.

Nicholas was already huffing, rolling off his girlfriend Emerald, covering their bodies with sheets, he laid back straight.

The two seemed lost in their own world, ignoring the loud music busting through the walls.

"I will miss you." Emerald smiled sadly, pulling her chin up against his chest.

He smiled looked down at her, running his hand through her hair.

"Won't you be coming to Harvard next year?" He asked getting up and putting on his clothes. Carrying Emerald's dress towards her and pulling her in to get her dressed.

He kissed her lips longingly, never having enough of the girl he cherished with all his might.

"I love you so much." He whispered against her ear, pulling her back against his chest, sniffing her smell into his mind.

"I'll make sure to visit every weekend..."

But the small smile on Emerald's lips told another story. She turned to face him.

"About that Nick... The college letters came in today."

"And?" He asked with an anxious heart.

"I didn't get into Harvard. But I got USC."

The two stood looking at each other for a long while engulfing what had just happened and the consequences it will have on their relationship.

While Alexander pushed off another drunk girl off him and walked back towards his room.

Even in a room filled with known people he felt lost with strangers. Walking back inside he flickered the light on, only to see Isabella sitting in the middle of his bed with a smile playing over her lips.

The feeling of being lost disappeared from his heart, as Isabella walked up to him, opening the varsity jacket that Alexander had given her.

She revealed the burgundy bra she was wearing, signaling him what she was ready for.

He didn't bother asking twice if she was sure fearing she might change her mind.

Pulling her back against his bed, he cherished her body, giving her what she deserved for losing her virginity to him.

He cared enough to be gentle with her and she cared enough to match his experience.

_________________________

After that night, Isabella was busted by her parents for sneaking out and grounded for the entire summer.

She didn't tell her parents where she sneaked to, that would only get her into more trouble. Besides getting grounded was the least of her concerns.

Her biggest one being Alexander, who didn't pick her phone, neither responded to any of her texts for the entire remaining summer.

She cried secretly not even having the guts anymore to share her little secret with anyone.

For her losing her virginity meant everything but now the moment had started to become a faint tint on her dignity and decision making ability, making her question her own instincts on being unable to recognize the trouble Alexander was, her parent's point making more sense now.

"Bella..."

Her mother's voice boomed through her ears one summer day when she was inside her room in the middle of a warm sunny day, when she was lost in Alexander's thought and his crutial behavior after that night, questioning if she wasn't good enough for him.

Groaning in frustration, she got off her hanging chair and went with her mother on the grocery run.

Her mother, Mrs. Pamela Grace was a fine tall lady with brunette hair and a sparkling face, too young looking for her age. She was a much socially active and dissolved woman, unlike her daughter who had social anxiety.

She had noticed her daughter's lost and foul mood but established it was given to their punishment.

"Did you pick a dress for the annual Cherwood Ball? We are invited." she asked when the two were on their way back and the clouds were darkening the evening sky.

"I'll pick one up mom." She said boredly, checking her phone as she noticed that Alexander was online but still wasn't responding to her texts so she decided to leave him another text.

"Who you texting there?" Pamela asked.

"No one." She gave the same answer.

Pamela rolled her eyes, "I know you're mad at me and your father but whatever we do, it is for your own good and you might not understand this now..."

"No you guys are right..." she cut her mother off, her eyes wet with tears looking down at her phone when Alexander still didn't reply to her texts.

Pamela knew something was off with her daughter but she decided to google that topic some other day, when she'll feel her daughter would be ready to trust them with her secrets. Besides unlike her husband she understood the importance of personal space.

Their car stopped in the middle of a traffic, where cars honked and slided against each other.

"What happened here?" Pamela asked getting outside as she heard sirens wailing.

Isabella followed her out. The reached the front where a huge crowd had gathered together. Isabella reached first and stood with a shocked expression, her body going numb looking at the solstice view of an old man laying shot dead through his heart and head, on the warm ground. His car was screeched in the middle of the road while blood seeped right out of him through his white dress shirt, even tainting his white beard and hair, flowing down on the ground.

Pamela reached the scene through the crowd and gasped loudly looking down at the dead man instantly recognizing him. Her mind went straight to her daughter's thought and saw Isabella standing still and looking at the dead body.

She grabbed her face and shielded her eyes into her chest, pulling her away from the crowd and the scene.

She frantically pulled Isabella into the car and flew off the scene as if she had committed the murder.

The clouds had began rumbling and smashing with heavy rain.

"Mom slow down its raining heavily."

Isabella held onto the sides of her seat for life.

Pamela's brain was raging with nothing but fire, remembering the entire scene over and over again, speeding that car upto 150 on a steep down in heavy rain.

"Mom!" Isabella cried again, scared for life.

As a car light flashed against them of an upcoming car Pamela seemed to gain her senses and immediately hit the brakes.

Making the car halt abruptly as the two jerked harshly against their seats with their seatbelts.

In her rear view mirror Pamela saw a car stopped nearby as three oddly large and suspicious men with long beards or fuzzy hair wearing leather jackets walked out towards their car.

Pamela's instincts burned up as she leaned towards Isabella’s side, opening up the glove compartment she moved some files around and pulled out a glove compartment making Isabella's eyes go wide.

"Mom what the hell are you doing?" She shrieked looking at the gun in her mother's hands. Something she never thought her patents would ever possess.

"Keep quiet Isabella." she gestured her, moving the gun sideways to hide from the view of anyone outside the car.

A knock on the window cracked Isabella's heart open as Pamela put on a small smile making Isabella's eyes go even big at her mother's ability to be that fake.

"Is everything alright?" one of the large bald ginger bearded man asked. "Saw you pulling up roughly. Is your car alright?"

Pamela gave in a fake smile and nodded her head.

"Okay, stay safe, it's going to rain cats and dog." the men smiled studying the convertible Audi and walked back into their cars.

When the sped away safely, Pamela took in a deep breath, putting her gun back inside. She looked up to see Isabella’s disoriented expressions.

"Forget everything that just happened." Pamela told her in a calm manner.

Isabella was never the one to argue because that's what her parents always taught her, to never argue back because everything they did was for her betterment.

She always felt this constant pressure of disappointing her parents and her actions of having s*x with Alex had already earned her a Scarlett letter.

Maybe it was guilt that didn't make Isabella question her mother. Maybe it was her urge to not to know anything anymore with having Alexander's behavior enough for her to worry about.

But if she ever knew that staying quiet that day would cost her, her entire life she might have held the guts to question her mother.

But again... Life was bound to make her a restless damsel.

__________________

The Cherwood Ball was nothing but yet another rich people gathering to campaign in for the mayor.

Isabella spent her entire evening roaming back in the balcony trying to catch some air for her clumsy lungs. Another organ deflated inside her body.

Some times she felt that it was given to her weak medical condition that made her parents so protective of her. Too protective that her mother had to carry a gun.

She still couldn't get the picture of her mother ready to kill anyone, out of her mind.

That also coulded with the thought that it had been two months while Alexander had constantly ignored Isabella’s calls and texts to a point where she understood what he was a coward to say. That he was done with her.

She didn't want to come to the ball, but she only came to have her closure and have it one final word with Alexander. She knew that as the Mayor threw the ball, his twins would also come which meant that Alex would be there too so she decided to come and tell him on his face to man up and admit to his guilt of using her.

But looking at dumb found faces and her mother's fake smiles she felt suffocated so she hung down in the balcony for a while, until her gaze finally fell down on the entrance of the main foyer that was once occupied by media and cameramen but now it was emptied entirely.

Alexander was clinging down onto another brunette's shoulders, leaning down to whisper things inside her ear that were making her all giddy. Her flashy dress and toned legs did make Isabella feel jealous and inferior at the same time. She recognized the woman to be Mckenzie another one of Alex's cheerleader angel.

She rushed down, even bumping into Nicholas who even caught her and helped her maintain her balance.

Her weak body was rushed with panic and anxiety, a head rush already surging because of her speed. The elevator was occupied so she took a flight of stairs just not to lose track of Alexander.

Who was laughing and chiming near Mckenzie's cheeks as the two walked towards his car. He was pulled back by Isabella who didn't let the moment rest and slammed her palm right across Alexander's cheek.

It felt good, her restless veins finally felt good. Her conflicted heart finally at peace to give Alexander what he deserved for playing with her.

Yet tears were still spewing down her cheeks. She couldn't get rid of the feeling of sorrow that clouded her heart admist of a small victory. Because she didn't want this for her and Alex.

"You're an asshole."

She yelled a him, while he stood looking at her with fire burning through his eyes.

She looked at Mckenzie who stood completely shocked, "Go ahead, he won't even bother replying your messages or admit that he's not even man enough to face what he's afraid of after he sleeps with you. He's not even worth it."

With one final push she rushed away, letting her tears smudge her entire face.

Isabella and Alexander weren't a secret anymore, courtesy to Mckenzie but it wasn't Alex's place to worry he was off to Harvard.

Isabella was taunted for being a slut for the rest of her sophomore year but it disappeared into thin air as people forgot and had other things to worry about.

Even Isabella did move on... But what she never thought was if Alex would ever move on from her little assault or not.

She didn't think, what would happen if they'll ever meet again...