Hex Factor - Andie M. Long Page 0,2

come down on the side of vengeance.

The worst thing? I couldn't blame her.

I sped back to my apartment, thankful of my inbuilt vamp speed, sat straight down on the sofa and thought about how fucking delicious Stacey had looked. Long dark hair, a cracking pair of tits that her tight grey t-shirt ripped over the midriff hinted at to perfection, thighs that would squeeze the life from me were I not already dead. But whereas her green eyes used to sparkle with love, now they’d been crackling with pure venom. It was a long way from how we used to be around each other. But I couldn't change the past, and Stacey had every right to look at me that way after how I'd treated her.

I let my mind drift back.

Weston Senior School – eight years earlier

“Come on, choir. This is our last rehearsal ready for the End of Year show. So pull out all the stops for me now and sing your hearts out. Pretend this is the performance to the parents.”

Stacey, my girlfriend of the last year, rolled her eyes at me. The choir was where all the losers who could sing ended up. The ones where they didn’t want us visible, but appreciated we had a good voice. All the adored kids had parts in the actual school play which this time was a production of Grease. Well, Stacey was my Sandy, and I was her Danny, so I didn’t care.

Except I did. I was sick of being picked on by the cool kids at school. They permanently took the piss out of the fact I wasn’t able to wear the designer stuff like they did. I had cheap non-branded shoes—the only ones my mother could afford as a single mum—and they called me things like Coco because I had clown feet; any damn thing to make themselves feel better and popular.

Where Stacey got completely ignored by everyone, like she didn’t exist at all, I was a target for all. Sneered at, despised, told I stank, all because I couldn’t wear labels, and I had braces on my teeth that weren’t invisible.

Finally, the bell rang signalling the end of the class and we pulled on our coats and left the building.

“Another exciting day at Weston complete.” Stacey linked her arm through mine.

“Oh look, Granger’s carer is with him again.” Jack Brooks, my main enemy, sniggered as he stomped past, knocking my bag off my shoulder as he did. “Ever want a real man, come look me up.” He winked at Stacey. “My mum said it was important to do charity work.”

I hated the fact that I couldn’t stick up for my girlfriend. The last time I’d tried, they’d held me down, stripped me of my trousers and pants, and tied me to a lamppost outside school by my own belt. I didn’t know what Stacey saw in me.

“Stacey—” I began, but I saw her mouth twist in annoyance.

“Noah, you are the kindest soul I ever met, and I love you. I don’t want anyone else. It’s their fault they can’t see what I see, and it’s my gain. It's their loss and that’s because they are losers.”

I smiled a half-hearted smile. “I love you too, Stacey. You are the strongest person I’ve ever met, and the most talented, with the voice of an angel. And one day you’ll get your place in the limelight, I’m sure.”

Stacey squeezed my arm with hers. “One day, Noah, we'll show them. We’ll be the ones on top and they’ll have a house in Loserville. Together we are invincible.” She kissed my cheek. “Now come on, I might even let you feel my boobs.”

Now my smile became genuinely wider.

Maybe I could turn things around? I had one more year at this damn school and then college beckoned. Perhaps I could reinvent myself?

Truth was, I wasn’t sure I’d survive another year.

Funnily enough, I didn’t.

Stacey

I couldn't say it was a surprise to have bumped into my ex. I'd known it would happen sooner rather than later. Appeared it was sooner. The Para-not-normals were extremely talented, and let's be clear, I was talking about musically here. But so were my band, The Seven Sisters. I'd fully expected both our bands to advance beyond the first rounds, but bumping into him just outside the building on the very first audition day had taken me a little by surprise. My prayers had been to not see him until we'd hopefully got through to the live finals. And