CHAPTER 29

CHAPTER 29 RAIN OF TERROR

Mark was on the third floor where the seniors are usually supposed to be, he wasn't alone, he was with two of his other friends, Leo and Axel.

Axel is a smokin' hot high schooler with messy, tousled hair that falls just above his piercing blue eyes. He rocks a leather jacket that accentuates his lean, athletic frame. His smile is infectious, and when he flashes it, all the girls in school swoon. The only issue is that Axel has a girlfriend who's a pretty bad bitch, so most of the girls do not openly swoon like they used to.

And Leo, Leo may not be as jaw-droppingly handsome as Axel, but he makes up for it with his quirkiness and charm. He has a mop of curly brown hair that gives him a boyish, mischievous look. He wears round glasses and has a lanky build, but his playful smile and twinkling eyes make up for it. Leo is the kind of guy who's popular not just because of his looks, but also because of his offbeat sense of humor and easygoing personality. He's the class clown, but he's also genuinely kind and loyal to his friends.

Mark is not too bad himself. He's got a tall, gangly frame, with unruly dark hair that he constantly runs his hands through when he's nervous. He's got a shy, sweet smile, but his nervous energy makes him fidgety. He wears a lot of flannel shirts and has a tendency to trip over his own feet. He's the kind of guy who's endearingly awkward but secretly a hopeless romantic.

Leo is the comedic relief, always cracking jokes and lightening the mood. Mark is the peacemaker, always trying to keep the group drama-free and in harmony. Axel is the confident leader, always taking charge and making decisions for the group. They're the ultimate trio, like the Three Musketeers or the Three Stooges - always up to shenanigans, but with each other's backs.

"So you finally got to spend much time with her and you didn't say a single thing." Leo spoke in amusement.

"Yup!" Mark replied looking down.

"Bro we should have been at the club yesterday." Leo said, referring to Axel.

"Because of me? What were you gonna do?" Mark asked.

"No, you dimwit. We should have been there for Veronica." Leo smirked.

"Oh!" Was all Mark had said.

Axel didn't say anything and just kept on doing something on his phone.

"Hey!" Leo tapped Axel and stared into his phone trying to see what he was doing. Axel looked at him and pushed his head away placing two fingers on his forehead.

"What do you think you are doing?" Axel asked with his eyebrows raised. Leo smiled cheekily and didn't reply.

"Leo?" Mark called slowly trying to ask him what was going on. Leo looked at Mark and said;

"You see." Pointing his hand towards Axel. "He's upgraded to the premium you are still on the free trial." Leo continued, causing Mark to glare at him while Axel just burst out laughing.

"I shouldn't have told you anything." Mark said making Leo and Axel laugh even more.

"What!!! It's not my fault that you are still waiting for your ticket while he's already on the love train." Leo was very good with jokes as well as insults and he was successfully angering Mark.

"All you need to do is prove him wrong, there's no harm in that." Axel finally spoke, advising Mark.

"We haven't really talked much, so I can't just walk over to her and tell her I like her. What if she doesn't even like me?" Mark rambled.

"Chill! This is why you have to spend more time with her. Take her out on dates or hang out." Leo advised.

"You think it's so easy." Mark replied, telling discouraged.

"You have been stalking this girl for so long and you can't even make simple conversations with her." Axel spoke, quite disappointed in Mark.

"Why not just go downstairs, she should be in school now, just talk to her." Leo suggested.

"Really! Now." Mark felt unprepared.

"Yes! Stop being a pussy and go talk to her." Leo teased again, which was a dare for Mark. He didn't say anything and just left the guys alone heading downstairs.

"You think he won't mess up?" Axel asked Leo.

"Of course not. Mark is just being like this because he has real feelings for Rachel. Ever seen him mess up with other girls?" Leo vouched for Mark because he believed he could get Rachel if he tried enough.

"If you say so." Axel replied and continued chatting on his phone.

"When's Reagan arriving anyways?" Leo asked Axel.

"She said she has no clue yet." Axel replied.

In the middle floor where the juniors were assigned to be, Rachel was standing in front of her locker looking for her Biology notebook. She was having biology class, so she was trying to get herself prepared before the bell is rung.

'Seems like Veronica isn't going to show up today.' Rachel thought while rummaging through her locker. She saw Alice pass by but didn't say anything.

'She ain't worth my time anyways.' Rachel thought again.

Alice also went to her locker but wasn't searching for anything like Rachel; she just leaned on her locker reading. She couldn't afford to fail her SAT, AP, and PSAT exams before going into senior year. This was why she was a genius and always topping the class; she was always prepared for her exams long before the exam time.

Alice and Veronica were actually geniuses, but Veronica wasn't as smart as Alice. This was one of the reasons Veronica had always hated Alice since the freshman years; Alice always beat her. So to please herself and quench her hatred, she tried to bully Alice and hurt her.

Mark was seen coming down the stairs, which attracted the attention of the juniors on that particular floor. Some of the girls gasped, and some started gossiping. Alice only raised her head up then went back to reading. She wasn't interested in any of the seniors; she hardly noticed them neither did she even know their names.

Mark went straight to Rachel and leaned on the locker next to hers with his hands in his pocket. The girls and guys in junior year were actually surprised; they had thought he was only passing by. They didn't actually expect him to be going over to Rachel.

"Hey!" Mark spoke, startling Rachel. She wasn't aware of the things going on around her; her mind was off thinking about how she was going to cope without Veronica. She looked at Mark and couldn't deny he looked cool.

"Oh hey! Good morning." She replied him with a smile. Mark, seeing her smile, boosted his morale.

"I see Veronica couldn't show up today." He said.

"Yeah. With that lot of alcohol, she'll be experiencing a tough hangover by now." Rachel replied.

"Certainly." Not wanting to make things awkward, Mark decided to go straight to the point. "Okay. I was hoping we could hang out sometime." Mark said with his heart thumping loudly and fast.

Rachel looked at him for a while, and it seemed like she was going to decline anytime soon. Mark was about to say something again before she rejected him, but she spoke faster.