Deceiving My Bully Stepbrother

(Johnnie)

I scurried down the hallway, keeping my book close to my chest as I tried to avoid as many people as possible.

Crap..I'm going to be late again. Professor Harris is going to kill me. I had asked him to look over my final essay for my English class and he made it very clear not to waste his time.

Tomorrow was the last day to turn it in before summer break started.

Rounding the corner, I ran smack dab into a wall..well..what I thought was a wall..in fact, it was a chest. A very muscular hard chest to be exact.

Peering up, I felt my stomach drop..shit..Caspian King, my high-school bully.

Caspian and I had known each other since we were kids..his brother Alder, and my older brother Ben were best friends. They are six years older than us and actually ran an advertising agency together. Which Ben and Caspian's dad invested in.

Dave King was his name, he is one of the wealthiest men in the country and owns multiple homes throughout the world..I believe he is currently vacationing in Sweden. Well, that's the last I heard..

The only reason I know this is from Alder and the family dinners we have on Sundays..Luckily Caspian doesn't attend those. Their mom Viva actually met my mom in Highschool and they have been best friends since. All four of our parents were at one time..well, that was before everything blew up in our faces. Viva hasn't been coming around as often..and I'm not sure why. But I can tell something is going on..Ben can too.

He lives in Seattle currently, so he isn't too far off from WSU. I am currently a Freshman and already feel like a failure..I'm not sure what Major I am going for yet..so I am just working towards my associate's degree. I wrote down an English major at the start..but it just doesn't feel right..I don't know what I am doing..it's kind of been an issue.

Of course Caspian attends here too and is on the Hockey team. He definitely looks like a hockey player with his towering 6'5" height and extremely broad shoulders. I could barely see the tattoos peeking over the collar of his shirt and knew there was a lot more where that came from.

The last family vacation we went on, he even added one more. His whole chest and arms are covered in them. It's like it all happened overnight.

As soon as he turned eighteen, they seemed to multiply every time I saw him. But what do I care? It's not like I want to see them anyways...well, any more that is..

Maybe a few years ago I did, but then my sophomore year in high school changed everything.

That year, Dad was declared lost at sea, he used to work on the crabbing boats by the southern coast of the Pacific Ocean and would be gone for weeks at a time..sometimes even months..but the last time he went out, I remember begging him not to go. He was going to miss my first piano recital and I felt so heartbroken..it felt like he was never there..like he always missed everything important in our lives.

I was so angry..I cried all night and didn't even say goodbye to him. He walked into the room and kissed me on the head.

"Bye Jojo, I promise this will be the last one okay? I love you sweet girl." I just ignored him and shoved my face into the pillow..and then he was gone. After a few minutes, I realized my mistake and jumped out of bed to catch up with him, but it was too late. That was it..After that, we never saw him again. That's when things changed. When I stopped trying and wore only baggy clothes. I was always a little chubby and seemed to get bullied for that enough, so when I went through my "dark" phase...things got worse. And of course, my main tormenter was Caspian. The messed up thing was that he knew about my dad too..and yet he didn't even care.

❝f**k Turner, when was the last time you showered? You smell like shit." He would say, making everyone around me point and laugh.

I would just duck my head down and walk away. I showered that morning..it might not look like it because I would throw my sandy blonde hair into a messy bun..but he said it to hurt me.

A lot of times I would wear my dad's hoodies and they weren't exactly in the best condition..so maybe that was a part of it too.

At some point, we used to get along. My brother and I would spend the night at their house together but then after high school, things started to change. Caspian began pushing me away...and I liked him..a lot..like more than a crush..I was planning weddings and kid's names. It was bad..but now, I want nothing to do with him.

"Watch where you are going, Turner." He said rudely as I clenched my teeth together and went to step around him.

"What? No crying today? You know it really makes my day when you cry." He whispered, making a shiver tremble through me as I kept my gaze down and tried to step by him again.

"Move...please." I added..cursing myself for being freaking polite to this Neanderthal.

"I think you can say it a little better than that, can't you Johnnie?" I could hear the smirk in his voice as he suddenly reached up, gripping my chin tightly, and tilted my head back, forcing me to meet his gaze.

I locked onto his deep blue eyes, the amusement he held in them causing me to clench my fists before biting the inside of my cheek.

"Please Caspian, can you move, I am running late." I choked out, before hearing him scoff.

"Why are you still even attending here? You don't even have a social life..maybe you would benefit from taking online classes..that way I won't have to see your ugly face every day." He spat, making my brow furrow as I tried so damn hard to keep it in. "Why do you hate me so much? What did I do to you?" I whispered before seeing the satisfied grin fill his face.

"You were born..that's enough of a reason." He smiled brightly before dropping his hand and shoving past me.

His words caused me to break down as I felt my chest tighten. I quickly made my way into the bathroom, shoving the stall open as I locked myself inside.

I placed my palms over my face, trying to take slow deep breaths in and out as I wanted to keep it together.

It wasn't the worst he ever said..but still..it affected me the same.

"Oh my God, did you see what Caspian was wearing today?" Suddenly the sound of voices filled the bathroom.

"I know..what a f*****g god..seriously. You are so lucky Ava..." Another girl spoke, making me close my eyes and fight the groan that wanted to escape me.

Ava Wilson..Caspian's current girlfriend. Another person who isn't a fan of mine..Probably by association..because what the hell did I ever do to her?!

"What's up with that fat girl though? Why is she always hanging around him?" The friend asked, causing my heart to sink as I chewed my lip nervously. I had actually lost a lot of weight this past year with Ben and Alder's support..but apparently having curves classifies you as overweight. Maybe wearing baggy clothes doesn't help my case..but still.

"Oh..she is nothing..Caspian actually hates her. I guess she used to have a major crush on him and would follow him around like a stalker or something." She whispered, making a scowl set on my face..I never did that..

Actually, it was the opposite..I was terrified to be alone with him because I got so nervous..we were friends but I made sure to keep my crush hidden..I thought so at least.

"Oh my God, what a psycho..so she still follows him around?" The friend asked who I now realized was Tammy Patrick, one of Ava's minions.

"Yeah, I guess Caspian said they f****d in Highschool or something and she became really clingy. He told all of his friends that she was a horrible lay.." She laughed, making my mouth drop open as anger now boiled through my veins.

Without even thinking about what I was doing, I slammed the door open, making the two girl shriek as they were fixing their makeup. Ava jerked her hand, causing her pink lip gloss to slide across her cheek as she looked at me with wide eyes. "That is a total lie. I never slept with Caspian!" I yelled, making the girls glance between one another before looking back at me.

"Well..why would he lie about that? He was pretty embarrassed actually." Ava scoffed while eyeing me up and down.

"With reason of course.." Her friends added with a laugh.

"Embarrassing for him? More like Embarrassing for me..I wouldn't sleep with Caspian King even if he was the last man on earth." I shouted, causing the girls' eyes to widen as I kept going.

"He is the most disgusting, vile, and immature jerk I have ever met..and I'm pretty sure his overconfident attitude is compensating for something else he must be lacking..but you would know more about that than I would..right Ava?" I added before turning on my heel and making a beeline for the door..only it wouldn't budge..and..and it was breathing, very heavily I might add.

"What the f**k did you just say?" Caspian gritted through his teeth, making my body freeze as I slowly dragged my eyes up, landing on his angry handsome face.

His black shaggy hair was hanging down in his face and his usual deep blue eyes were almost black..I had never seen him so mad in my life.

"C..C..Cas.." I couldn't even get his name out before he reached up and gripped my arms roughly.

"Are you seriously talking s**t about me right now?" He asked firmly and I shook my head no like a coward.

"Ava, was she talking s**t?" He asked the blonde behind me..and I knew without a doubt she had to be wearing the biggest grin right now. "She was baby..she tried to fight with me too. I was really scared." Ava said with a sniffle, making me turn my head to glare at her.

"No, don't look at her..look at me." He gritted through his teeth, making me tremble as I tilted my head back to look up at the beast. "Johnnie Turner..you have no idea what fresh hell you have made for yourself." He said with the most wicked grin I had ever seen. I'm in trouble..