Chapter 13: Payback

I woke up the following morning to the sound of birds chirpiness outside. I had spent most of my night thinking about the best ways to get back at Alex for what he did. He made a mockery of me and i was just about to pay him back in the most unexpected way.

I got up from my bed and dressed the bed before going to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and then took a quick shower.

Thirty minutes is quick right?

I wore a pink tank top with white shorts. I combed my hair and let it fall on my shoulder. I applied my cherry lipgloss which Zoey had given me two months ago.

I wasn't a make up person,the little makeup i had were all presents from Zoey who was make up obsessed. She couldn't go anywhere without makeup and it was kinda weird.

I went down to the kitchen and made myself bacon,egg and cheese sandwich. After eating,i dished it out in my plates and then ate everything.

A smile came to my head as a plan popped up in my head.

Today is sunday so why not do some charity work?

I packed out all the groceries and food items that my mum had stocked for us into my car. It occupied all my seat.

I went back into the house and grabbed my purse and then went back to the kitchen to pick up whatever food item was left.

I stared at the now empty kitchen which was only stocked with pots,pans and other kitchen utensils.

I smiled and went back to my car, pulling the engine to life. I drove away to an orphanage downtown and distributed all the food items to them.

"Thank you so much Olivia,the kids will be so happy"The nun said, smiling at me and i couldn't help but smile back.

"I'm glad that i am able to do this for you"I gave her a warm smile as we walked back to my car.

"It was nice having you here today,we hope to see you again soon"She said as i got into my car.

"Of course ma'am, I'll hope to see you soon also"I smile and we said our farewells before i took off.

My mum had always gone to that orphanage for charity work,she always donated to the orphanage every month but this time I'm the one donating for my own selfish and personal reasons.

I drove back home with the highest speed i could keep up with.

I arrived home to see Alex on the couch and immediately he noticed my entrance,he stood up to face me, staring at me angrily.

"Hey Alex"I gave him the fakest smile i had ever given anyone and he glared dangerously at me.

"Where have you been and why is there no food item in the kitchen,you won't tell me you ate a whole stock of food item that was to last us for a month"He yelled.

"Keep your fucking voice down when talking to me, I'm not some kid you can shout at"I told him.

"I'm not in for your melodrama today Liv,tell me where the hell all the food items are?"He asked.

"Food item?i don't understand you,what happened to our food items" I faked anxiousness.

"Olivia drop the act,it doesn't suit you one bit,i know you're behind the disappearance of the food stocks,tell me where you hid them!"He yelled.

"Alex!I can't believe you are accusing me of such an unreasonable thing,why would i hid any food item?" I feigned pretence.

"I'm not joking here with you,if it were someone who didn't know you they'd have falling for your little act but I know you too well by now,where the fuck did you keep our food items!"He yelled.

"I don't know what you're talking about Alex,as you can see I'm just coming home and I'm really exhausted, I'll be in my room"I said and walked past him but he pulled me back to face him. Roughly.

"Hey!"I yelled.

"I'll ask you one more time Olivia,where the hell did you hide the food items!"He yelled.

"Fine... I'll tell you, I visited the orphanage today and did some donations"I smirked mischievously.

"You did what?"He exclaimed.

"You heard me clearly,i did charity,you should have seen the look on the children's face,they were so happy"I said smiling genuinely this time as i recalled the events at the orphanage.

"Are you mad? didn't you see money or any other thing to give out as charity?you could have given yourself as charity if you were so eager to do charity,who gives away all their food items as charity!"He yelled.

"This girl does,as far as i can recall this is my house and i can do whatever i want,if you're hungry go and get food supplies for yourself"I said.

"Liv are you insane?how could you?"He spat.

"Well i can and could and will still couldn't could"I snapped back at him. Even though i knew what i just said made know sense,it made perfect sense to me.

"You're abnormal,you need a psychiatrist"He said.

"Well at least i can be cured,your madness is incurable"I smirked as i walked past him but then stopped on my tracks.

"Alex"I called.

"What?"He snapped, making my smile grow wider.

"This is payback for messing with me"I said and went up the stairs.

The rest of the day was spent with two teenage people who kept staring at each other in the most unlikely manner.

Monday approached fast and i had decided to get food supplies from the supermarket when coming home from school.

***

"Hey"It was Cade's voice.

He sat beside me with a broad and welcoming smile plastered on his face.

"Hi"Came out my dry response. I was feeling tired and weak.

"Um....Liv.... I've been meaning to speak to you" He started.

"Okay?....about what?"I questioned.

"Well......I don't know how this may sound, I....um....my mum and i had an argument yesterday and we haven't really been on good terms for a while now.....do you mind....if....i....um"He swallowed. "Do you mind me staying over at your place for the next two days?"He asked.

"Um...this is quite...unexpected"I said nervously.

"It's okay if you aren't cool with it, I just felt like asking,if your parents aren't gonna be okay with it then don't worry, I'll find somewhere else to stay"He gave me a dry smile.

"It's okay,fine, I'll let you stay at my place for two days,just two days okay?"I told him.

"Really?oh thanks Liv, you're the best"He said excitedly as he pulled me in for a hug...a friendly hug.

"Yeah,you can come over after school if you want"I said smiling.

"Oh thanks Liv, I'll get going now"He said as he got up front the chair.

"Okay"I said in response.

"See you later in the day Liv"He smiled and then turned to leave. He stopped on his tracks and looked back at me as if trying to remember something.

"What?"I asked.

"Um.... I don't know your address,do you mind texting it to me via sms?"He asked and i nodded in response.

"Ok thanks"He waved at me and took on his heels.

The rest of the day was spent with me shopping for groceries and then i was back in my room. I was rolling on my bed from the top to bottom,then to the side and other side. I was in a miserable state.

Why does my period always have to come so painful? I managed to get up from the bed as i wobbled into the bathroom with leg cramps for the fifth time this evening.

I don't know why i feel more relaxed in the bathroom during my period than in my bed. I got into shower to take my bath for the fifth time since i returned from school.

Periods weren't my thing,i felt dirty and gummy during my periods,i always feel insecure and extremely emotional during my periods.

A sharp pain came through my lower stomach and i winced in pain as the hot water poured down on me.

I hated Menstrual cramps,they made me feel so weak and sick. After taking an extremely slow shower,i got out of shower with a towel wrapped around me as i went back into the room.

I took out a tampon from my drawer and inserted it into me. I wore a lace pantie. I put on a black oversized t shirt that was long enough to cover my naked laps. I tied my hair in a messy ponytail and wore my perfume before leaving the room.

I plodded down to the kitchen and pulled out the fry pan and some oil,flour,sugar and other spices to make pancakes.

Knowing that Cade will soon be here any minute from now. I made extra pancakes.

I took out five pieces into my plate with some grilled chicken I had made. I poured out a glass of milkshake for myself and set it down on the table to eat. One thing about me during my periods was that i had more cravings and i ate more than i actually ate.

After finishing up my meal,i cleaned the dishes and went to the living room to watch Tv to kill time.

I felt the cramps in my stomach begin to increase so i got up from the couch and went back to my room. I went over to my drawer in search of a Tylenol all to no avail. I must have used the last one available during my last period.

I left the room and then did the most unthinkable and embarrassing thing ever.

"What?"Alex asked, leaning on his door as he stared directly into my eyes.

"Hi...um...do you perhaps...have a Tylenol?"I asked nervously.

"What do you need it for?"He asked.

"Um...i...um...is it important to ask that?"I swallowed.

"Fine then, don't disturb me"He said and shut the door on my face.

Asshole.

I considered going out to get it from any pharmacy nearby but there wasn't any pharmacy close by and i wouldn't be able to drive down the road to the pharmacy to get a Tylenol with the kind of pain i was feeling.

I don't know if it's only me that feels this kind of pain during periods or maybe God used my periods as a way to punish me for my sins.

I knocked on his door again but i didn't even hear any movement from the other side of the door so i kept knocking continuously until he opened the door, staring at me angrily.

"What?"He yelled.

"Please just give me a Tylenol, please" I begged.

"Oh so you can beg" A knowing smirk came across his face.

"Please Alex, i really don't have the strength to exchange words with you, just give me the Tylenol"I pleaded.

"No i won't,you can go down to the pharmacy and get yours,have you forgotten how you made me starve yesterday? Here's payback"He smirked.

"But you could gave gone to a restaurant and bought something"I told him.

"I would have but there weren't any restaurants open since there was a curfew and i still wonder how to got past the curfew to go visit an orphanage"He said.

"Please can we not do this now?"I pleaded.

"Fine then,you want a Tylenol?"He smirked.

"Yes please"Was my response.

"Come get it"He said, gesturing for me to follow him into his room.

He went over to his drawer and pulled out a packet a Tylenol and my eyes drifted further into the drawer where he had different brands of condoms. I wasn't surprised but still it was weird for someone to have that much condom in his possession.

Alex was a sex god.

He handed me the packet of Tylenol and shut his drawer back. After thanking him,i left for the kitchen and took the tablet with a glass of water.

I felt a lot better after taking the tablet and it felt like a bunch pf pain had left me.

I sat down comfortably on the couch and fixed my eyes on the Tv. Few minutes later,i heard a knock on the door and then i got up from the couch to get the door.

Cade was standing by the door with a backpack hung loosely on his shoulder.

"Hey Cade"I smiled at him as i stepped aside to let him in.

"Hi Liv" He said. I locked the door and took him further into the Living room. "Nice house"He complimented.

"Oh thanks,feel at home"I said as we got into the living room.

I heard footsteps coming from the staircase and then turned to see Alex coming down the stairs. He locked eyes with me as he approached us.

"What is he doing here?"He asked.

"Um.... he'll be....um... staying here with us for two days"I answered.

"Wait...you guys Live together?" Cade asked and i drifted my attention back to his amused expression.

"Um...yeah....we sort of"Came my unsteady reply.

"Whoa, I thought you guys hate each other"He asked.

"We still do"Alex responded and i shot him a death glare.

"How come you guys are staying together? Have you guys being staying together all these while?"He asked.

"Umm...Cade,you must be tired,why not freshen up and come down for dinner, we'll talk about it later"I said anxiously.

"Okay?"He said unsurely.

"I'll show you to your room"I told him as i grabbed his hand, walking past Alex as we headed out of the living room,towards the stairs. I took him to one of the guest bedrooms and told him to freshen up. I went back to the living room to meet an angry looking Alex.

"What was that all about!"He yelled.

"What was what about?"I feigned ignorance as i sat down on the couch, turning the Tv on.

He yanked the remote from me and switched off the Tv.

"Oh so when i bring in a girl you make out an issue of it but then you bring in some boy?"He asked.

"Cade is not some boy, he's my friend and unlike you I'm not bringing in a boy to fuck,i only brought him here for some reasons"I defended.

"And what reason is that,if i may ask?" He questioned.

"It's non of your business Alex,mind your business and besides it's been a while since i stopped complaining about you bringing in a girl so suit yourself"I told him.

"Liv you don't know Cade, he's-"

"Stop acting like your my boss or anything, you are not the boss of me so keep your dirty ass out of my business"I said,my temper rising as i stood up to face him.

"Oh really?"He smirked.

"Yeah,get lost"I told him.

"Come on Liv,you don't know Cade,he...he isn't the guy you think he is"He warned.

"Shut the fuck up Alex, I know you're only trying to turn me against Cade because you don't like him,just get lost,i thought you too had become friends again so what the fuck is wrong with you?"I raised my voice.

"We can never be friends let alone anything...why am i even wasting my time here with you?"He asked himself.

"Exactly,why are you wasting your time with me? don't you have better things to do?"I questioned.

"You know what?suit yourself but don't come running back to me"He said and walked away.

Running back to him?since when have i come running back to him?

Is he under drug influence or something?

Maybe he's on drugs, that's the only reason he'll think i will ever come running back to him.

***

"Hey Liv, I'm sorry about you and Alex,i didn't mean to make you fight because of me"Cade apologized.

"It's okay, it's not as if Alex and i were ever on good terms anyway, we've never gotten along or even agree on something,you know that"I told him and he chuckled softly.

"Yeah,i guess you're right. But still, I'm sorry that I'm the reason for your fight this time"He apologized.

"Yeah it's alright,you must be hungry"I said.

"Yeah I'm starving"He admitted with a nod.

"I made pancakes earlier, I'll heat it up and dish yours for you"I said getting up.

"Oh thanks"He said and i gave him a short smile before heading to the kitchen.

I turned on the food warmer and heated the pancakes and chicken. I dished it on a plate alongside a cup of yoghurt.

After dinner,Cade had gone to bed leaving me in the living room as i was watching one of my favorite soap opera.

I heard my phone buzzing from the side stool and i picked it up without bothering to check for the caller ID.

"Hello sweetheart" My mum's melodious voice rang from the speaker.

"Hey mum"I smiled.

"How are you doing sweetie, I hope you've been staying out of trouble?"

The last thing i wanted right now was a lecture from my mum.

"Of course mum, I've been pretty good,how are you?"I asked.

"We're pretty good honey,i just called to inform you that our project has been shifted to two more weeks so we won't be home till next month"She said.

"What!"I exclaimed.

"Calm down honey, I know how you must feel but hey,two weeks isn't much,just look, it's been three weeks since we left and you've been staying well with your friend"She said.

If only my mum knew that these three weeks were spent on trying to prevent myself from commiting murder.

"Oh yeah....but mum,two extra weeks?i don't like the sound of that,I'm really starting to miss you guys"I told her.

"Oh come on sweetie, we'll be back before you know it,we miss you too but you know this project is very important, we'll be back once it's completed i promise"She assured.

"Fine then,can i speak with Dad?"I requested.

"Your Dad isn't awake, he's gone to bed,you can speak to him tomorrow when he's awake okay?"She said.

"Okay mum"I nodded my head even if she couldn't see me.

"Stay safe okay? make sure to eat on time and go to school early"She lectured.

"Mum I'm a teenager,stop making it seem like I'm some two-year old"I told her.

"No matter how old you are, you'll always be my little adorable girl"She teased and i groaned in response.

"Good night mum,have a good rest"I told her and i heard her chuckle. I ended the call before she could speak.

I switched off the Tv and went up to my room to sleep.

I was still feeling a little cramps but it wasn't big enough to make me not sleep.

I woke up the following morning and got up from the bed, tidying the bed. I went into the bathroom and pulled off my clothes and all before going into the bathtub. I took a hot and refreshing bath and then got out to clean my body and then applied my deodorants. I put on a tampon and then slipped into my underwear. I wore a black t-shirt with blue three-quarter shorts. I packed my hair in a neat pony tail and woke a fitted pair black sneakers. I took my backpack, hanging it loosely around my shoulder as i scurried downstairs to the kitchen.

I took out a red apple from the food basket and washed it before shoving it bit by bit into my mouth.

On my way out of the kitchen,i saw a shirtless Alex heading towards my direction. As he approached me, I saw Cade coming down the stairs. My frown suddenly turned into a smile. Alex looked at me confusedly as we marched towards each other. I walked past him,much to his surprise and approached Cade. I could feel Alex's eyes on me but i dared not to look back.

"Hey Cade"I greeted with a bright smile.

"Hello beautiful, how was your night?" He questioned.

"It was amazing and yours?"I asked.

"It was okay"He smiled.

"Okay, I'll be heading out" I told him.

"Let me drop you off" He offered.

"No thanks, I can use my car" I told him.

"Come on Liv, allow me to do that much for you"He requested.

"Fine,just this once"I told him and he smiled.

"Sure, let's go"He beamed and we walked past Alex,hand in hand as we left the house.

We drove to school in a comfortable silence, though we frequently engaged in small talks.

He pulled into the school's parking lot and then turning off the engine after parking in a convenient space.

"Thanks for the ride Cade"I told him.

"I'm glad"He said sweetly as i got out of the passengers seat.

I waved him off before heading down to the building.

***

"Hey girls"I greeted as i joined Jane on the bench.

"Hey, how have you been?"Jane smiled.

"Good, what about Zoey? Isn't she here yet? "I asked.

"She should be on her way i guess"She replied.

"That girl"I sighed. "let me call her"I told her and she nodded as i took up my phone to call Zoey. Just as i was dialing her number, Zoey came running into class. She waved at us as she approached us. I dropped my phone back on the table

"Sorry I'm late"She said breathlessly as she sat beside me. I couldn't help but noticed her slightly rumpled uniform. A knowing smirk crept up my cheek as i beamed at her already knowing the reason for her lateness.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" She questioned.

"Um... nothing, why were you late?"I asked. I enjoyed it whenever she lied to me about her whereabouts.

I think it's really sweet when someone lie to you but you know the truth. I enjoyed listening to lies when i know the truth.

"Um...i was....i was helping my mum with something"She lied.

"Of course"I smiled. "I hope you gave your said mum a hand job"I smirked.

"Liv"They both gasped.

"What?Zoey knows what I'm talking about"I smirked.

"Zoey what are you hiding?"Jane asked.

"Nothing"Zoey answered hurriedly. I could see trails of nervousness on her face. She was sweating despite how cold the atmosphere was.

"Spill Zoey"I told her.

"Um...ok....i...was....um....I'm hungry"She said anxiously.

"Come on Zoey, we're your friends,tell us"Jane nagged.

"I don't know what's the big deal in you seeing Blake"I said.

"Seeing Blake?"Jane questioned.

"Yeah,she and Blake have been messing around lately"I told her.

"What?"Jane gasped "Is that true Zoe?"She asked.

"Um...yeah...we're just... casually dating"She admitted.

"OMG this is huge!"Jane exclaimed.

"Please don't tell anyone,we don't want anyone else to know since it's not yet Official"She pleaded.

"It's alright,we won't,just be careful with him,you know how Alex is and any friend of Alex is surely as bad as he is"Jane cautioned.

"Blake is nothing like Alex"Zoey defended.

"Look Zoey, I know Blake and Alex are a litter bit different but still you have to be careful, don't take risks,i wouldn't want him to hurt you"I told her.

"Hurt me?why would he hurt me, I've told you guys that we're just casually dating,why must you make a big deal about it? Who i date of whatever i do is none of your business so mind your fucking business!"She flared.

"Why are you getting angry Zoe,we are just telling you the truth so that you'll be careful"I said.

"I don't need your damn advice, especially not from you Olivia,you always feel that you're right and always want to be the one in charge of everything,you have no say in my relationship so keep your stupid mouth out of my life"She yelled.

So we are now using each other's full names?Ever since we've bee friends,neither of my friends have ever called me by my full name. But today she is calling me by my full name and even insulting me just because I'm trying to look out for her.

"Look Zoey, I can take anything from you but not insults,we were just trying to advice you as good friends who love you and want the best for you so why are you acting like a bitch?"I told her,my anger rising.

"I don't remember asking for advice from either of you so get your fucking asses out of my life"She said and stood up. Jane and I also stood up to face her. A small crowd gathered around us,string at you.

If only Zoe will keep her voice down.

"Come on Zoe,why are you acting like this,you know we meant no harm,we were just-"

"Save it for someone who cares Jane,now if you'll excuse me, I have better things to be doing than to stand here and listen to this control freak of a bitch who only knows how to make things happen her way. Who knows how many times Alex has banged you're rugged ass already,you should stop the silly act of hating Alex already, everyone knows you guys are just pulling up the act to cover up your slutty ways,i bet he even knows the underwear you're putting on today"She said and we heard people gasping from the background but i was already too angry to care. I slapped her hard across her face.

"Where is this coming from Zoe?this isn't the Zoe I know"I said.

"This is what you get for meddling with my affairs,now if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do"She said and walked away leaving us there, listening to murmurs from people around us.

I grabbed my backpack and left the class alongside Jane.

Zoey had gone too far this time and i won't be forgiving her anytime soon. I don't know what brought about this sudden change in her attitude.