CHAPTER FIVE

Just immediately the general alarm went off, the loud buzz bringing him back to his senses. It was game time already!

A sudden sensation ran through Lance's spine, remembering that Maya was his 'partner'. He walked out of the sea side in search of Phoenix.

•

"Hey dear loser, where are you running off to?" Savannah smirked

"Just let go of me Sav" Maya heaved in annoyance, already fed up with everything. First Allison, then Lance and now Savannah. All this popular students and pissing her off.

Her three minions surrounded her, blocking Maya from dashing off.

"Not after the stunt you pulled in school and almost getting Allison and I in trouble. You still had the guts to come to Summer camp? To have fun I guess" Sav spat. Maya stood still starring at her with total disdain.

"If fun is what you want then fun you'll get" Sav collected a bottle of spraying can from Milly; her minion. And angrily sprayed from her hair to her face and then her entire body.

"Sav....stop this" Maya managed to stutter, trying to get away, one of the girls pulled her back.

Sav kept spraying and all Maya could do was sob in silence, not able to move an inch. She thought the torments would end since she had stood up against them, but no it had gotten worse.

The students around stood to watch and were already mumbling.

Phoenix who was passing by saw the students gathered and decided to see what it was. His eyes widened as he watched Savannah bully the innocent girl.

"You look so horrible darling. You care for a bubble bath?" Sav smirked again, resentfully. She walked to a corner and picked up a bucket full of dirty soap water.

"I'll help you with that!" She emptied the whole bucket on Maya, and angrily pushed her off her feet. The other girls picked up their buckets and poured on Maya too, cussing at her dejectedly.

Now on the floor, dripping wet of soapy water, Maya couldn't hold in the tears. This was never what she wanted, she never wanted to be noticed even by them. Sav and her minions laughed at what they've done, full of resent.

Savannah stepped on her with total disgust on her face.

"Stop it!" Phoenix had seen enough, and just had to yell. Everyone turned to him, including Sav, she didn't see him all the while.

"So this is what you do Sav?"

"Uh---no I"

"You bully innocent people and say it's fun? I'm so disappointed" He walked over to Maya and forcefully pulled her up.

"Lance is gonna hear about this and the rest you've done. So don't ever dream of talking to him again" he spat angrily and dragged Maya out of the place.

"Phoenix, its not what you think. She started it" Savannah tried explaining.

'Lies' some of the students muttered.

'Suck a wicked bully'

'I can't believe Milly has joined her too'

'I hate her right now'

'I've always hated her'

'I hate her minions as well'

He didn't budge but kept dragging Maya away, out of the place.

He took her to the nearest bathroom stalls, and they both walked in.

"Are you okay?" He asked once they were alone.

She kept quiet and sobbed silently, he gently pulled her to a warm embrace though she was soaking wet.

"I've never being this humiliated all my life" she sniffed.

"Its gonna be fine, I'll make sure Sav pays for this" he stroke her long hair gently.

Once they broke out from the embrace, he pulled off his jacket and placed it on her shoulders; to suppress the cold.

"Hang on, I'll get you something to change in to"

"No it's fine" she sniffed again.

"Huh?"

"I'll just go to my dorm and change"

"Then I should take you there, you really are soaked. I can't possibly leave you like this now"

She starred at him and watched as he glared at her too. She never knew he was this nice.

~~

"Maya what happened?!" Vinna yelled once she had opened the door for them.

"I think I'll leave now. Just make sure you're fine, okay?"

She nodded in affirmation

"see you guys later then" with that he walked out.

"I ask again what happened, you're a total mess" Vinna yelled again, all Maya did was sob.

"Who the hell did this to you?

"Savannah" Maya managed to mumble.

"Sav? That crazy wench!" Vinna fumed "How could she think of doing this. Wait did you do anything to her like insult her or---"

"No! You asked me to ignore them and I did just that. It was like she had planned it already" Maya sobbed the more. She really was tired of everything. She was in absolute pain.

If only her Dad had written the petition, she won't still be regretting why she was ever here.

"We'll deal with that later, right now you need to get changed. Its gonna be fine okay?" She reassured.

"Come on, get into the bathroom"

~~

Lance stood among the people in the game garden, he was expecting to see Maya since he was her 'partner'

"Hey dude" he heard a mutter behind him

"Oh Phoenix, where have you been? You left the dorm all of a sudden"

"You wanted to be left alone and I did just that. Besides I had to take care of something" Phoenix gritted. Lance could see the grimace on his face, he was obviously upset.

"Dude what's up? Why the face?"

Phoenix heaved, remembering how horrified the innocent girl's face looked after she got bullied by Sav. He was still ruminating on whether to tell Lance about it, he might just as well not believe since it's his girlfriend who did it.

"Phoenix! You're not saying anything" Lance mumbled again, trying to avoid the gawking stares from the girls.

"It's about time!" Mrs. Huggins yelled grinning, standing on the podium. The students' attention darted to her.

"Dude are you gonna talk or what?"

"I'm fine"

"I as well hope y'all are back with your respective partners" Mrs. Huggins asked with grumbles as replies from the students.

"Very well then, I see how dauntless you all are. But I must say the game would be postponed" The students grumbled again.

"Yes, since it's just the first day, a personal break would be fine for the rest of the day and the real game would commence by tomorrow"

Lance glanced at Phoenix one more time who was still unwilling to talk. He looked around and still couldn't get a glimpse of Maya. He was not even paying attention.

'Where's she?' He mentally asked himself.

"The newbies would get their respective group T-shirts later in the day and thence the procession of our game would be tomorrow. Trust me y'all, this would be more intriguing than the rest of the summer breaks you've had" She made a dramatic pause and beamed one more time. "As usual by 10am tomorrow, at the sound of the alarm we all gather here. For now you are all dismissed"

'She could have just told us through the intercom'

'Yeah rather than stressing us to come down here'. Some sets of students grunted.

One by one, they departed and Lance stood still, probably he could see her.

"Aren't you coming?" Phoenix muttered

"Nah, I'll join you later"

Phoenix bounded off, still having her in mind.

Apparently, both boys were having the same girl in mind.

"Babyyyy" Sav slurred, curling her arm around Lance's

"Sav!" He heaved

"I've been looking all over for you"

"Me too" he lied.

"I didn't know, common let's go to our usual" she grinned

"Yeah I'd have loved to, but I really have to take care of something now"

"But we haven't seen each other the whole day and--"

"I know, but this is really important. See you some other time, okay?" He pecked her lightly on her cheeks and slipped away.

She stood still, contemplating whether Phoenix had told him already.

/\

"You know I want Lance, what are you talking about now?" Sav half yelled starring at the blonde guy before her.

"Then if you really do, you won't still keep messing around. When it becomes too much and he gets to know, trust me it'd be over for you" his voice denying hers.

"Kyle..." She whined "So you promise you'd help me get Lance's full attention?"

"Of course, that's if you compensate me enough" he grinned sheepishly.

"Oh common, just get over here, you pickle head" she chuckled. Once he got close she brushed her lips against his. He didn't withdraw, his rational mind responding to every movement she made-

The room tensed as their kiss graduated to being rough, they were now on a whole make out mode.

A moan squeezed from her lips and Savannah grinded roughly against him. His whole body seemed to be crying out for the feel of her. Swirls of want and need and lust swam around the tensed room.

This time she broke the kiss, Kyle didn't let go of her. Instead he curled his arms around her slender waist and whispered with desire.

"I want you now, Sav"

"Kyle---" she slurred

"I really want you. You deserve better than to be with Lance" he whispered again, and his breath came warm against her flesh.

"I want you right back" she said in a hush.

Apparently he saw the truth in her eyes and gently tugged at the hem of her blouse.

This was what he meant by 'compensate me enough'

\

"Now we missed game hours. I guess I'll just ask Blake what Mrs Huggins said" Vinna sighed. She paused and glanced at Maya.

"Babe, are you okay now?"

"Yeah I think"

She turned to her side for a moment before deciding to join Maya on her bed. She gently brushed her palm on her hair. "Trust me Sav would pay for hurting my Maya's emotions" she reassured.

Maya broke out and held her arm "You've said that a number of times, I'm okay now"

"I know, but Sav is really gonna pay for this I'm serious" Vinna said firmly.

Maya let out a beam and hugged her.

"Okay? That was unexpected" Vinna stiffed, still relishing the hug.

"Thanks for being there always. I never really believed in friends, but you're a good friend" Maya said with a proud smile.

"You want me looking like a flustered tomato right now?" They chuckled and sighed at the lit expression filling the room.

They broke out with the sudden knock from the door. Vinna glanced at the door as the knock came again.

"Are you expecting anybody?" Maya muttered

"No, I was just about to ask you same"

Vinna finally decided to check out who was at the door. Her face partially lit up once she opened the door. One of the famous guys in her grade was standing right in front of her dorm room again.

"Hey" he said huskily

"Uhm...hi?"

"I was the one that brought your friend in about an hour ago" he added

"Yeah I remember that"

"Uhm---is she in?

"Yes. Pardon my manners, please do come in", her smile widened as she extended the door.

Maya wasn't expecting him again, she thought he'd just forget about her once the show was over.

"Hey, how are you now?"

"Fine. I'm fine" she nodded.

"Sorry if I disturbed. I only came to get my jacket back" he said thickly.

"Oh right" How could she have forgotten? He offered his jacket when she was still wet and now she just forgot.

She got off her bed and picked out his leather jacket from the closet.

"Here you go"

He stretched out his hand, collecting his jacket. Their hands clasp against each other and he felt a splinter of warmth touch him.