Oil & Water

By Aria Peyton

Jenna Landon hates high school. As the victim of bullying in every school she's gone to, it's not where she wants to be. Ever.

Brendon Tate used to be one of the bullies until someone else's stupidity landed him in hospital. Now, the tables are turned, and his former friends are the ones who torment him.

When their paths cross during Jenna's first week, their bond is instant but still tentative. Just as their friendship is blooming, Tate's past comes back to shake things up.

***previously in Scars to Your Beautiful anthology***

• Language: English
• Publisher: Aria Peyton
• Release date: Nov 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393604013

Book preview

OIL

&

Water

Also by Aria Peyton

Paranormal

Coal Creek Shifters

#1 – Entrusted

#2 – Encumbered

#2.5 – Enslaved

Short Stories

Christmas Wishes

Cat (website only)

Anthologies

You Never Know – Unintentional: International, Hot Tree Publishing (discontinued)

Encroaching – Sproutlings, Hunter Press

Hell’s Match – Witching Hour: Vices & Virtues,

Oil & Water – Scars to Your Beautiful

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OIL

&

Water

ARIA PEYTON

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OIL & Water

Copyright © 2017, Aria Peyton

Published by Aria Peyton, November 2019

First Published in Scars to Your Beautiful anthology, May 2018

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or shared in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including but not limited to digital copying, file sharing, audio recording, email, and printing without permission in writing from the author. Except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For permission requests, email the author at [e-mail]

Oil & Water is a work of fiction and the names, characters, events, businesses, places and dialogue found within the story are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner, and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, either living or deceased, is completely coincidental.

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.  This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people.  If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient.  If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your retailer and purchase your own copy.  Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Cover: Midnight Rainbow Designs

Cover images: Deposit Photos

Formatting: Midnight Rainbow Designs

Table of Contents

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday – four weeks later

Thursday

Friday

Two Months Later

Upcoming Titles

About the author

Monday

JEN

Jeering catches my attention as I walk tentatively through the halls of yet another school. I’ve been here for a few months now but it’s still a maze of corridors and rooms I’m not used to. The mocking voices get louder as I find the room I’m looking for, and my hand is resting on the handle, ready to turn it, when the resounding crack of flesh on flesh echoes through the mostly empty space.

Instinct has me running from the room I’m meant to be going into toward the increasing battery of a human being. This sound is all-too familiar. Having been to so many schools has given me an insight I often wished I was oblivious to. My bag slides off my shoulder into my waiting hand as I skid around the corner, arm already cocking back, ready to deliver a blow to whoever is smacking the stuffing out of another student.

A wall of backs faces me, meaning they don’t see me approaching until it’s too late. My bag, heavy with school books, connects with the closest male to me, knocking him sideways. I pivot with the momentum of the swing, catching the domino effect as they topple into one another, and I stifle a chuckle that creeps up through the anger. One by one they turn and glare at me, taking their attention off the person on the floor, still being smacked around by the boy they were protecting from view.

But I can see now. See the bloodied state of other boy lying prone on the linoleum. His arms are raised, protecting his face from the flurry of blows raining down on him. An animalistic screech leaves my lips as my body thaws and begins to move again. I charge through the fallen defence line and shove the attacker with all my might.

Luckily, the force knocks him sideways and across the floor a short distance. But it hasn’t stopped the damage already done to the boy on the cold floor. He curls himself into a ball, his arms not moving from where they protect his head. His body is shaking and when I kneel down beside him, he shies away from the contact. This kid has been hurt more than once and his instincts are what he’s running on now.

Instead of touching him, I sit on the floor near him and lower my voice. Hey, talk to me please. I can see you’re not okay, so I won’t ask that but is there something I can do to help you? As I’m speaking in gentle tones to him, the ruckus around us picks up. The burly boys I knocked aside have regrouped and are milling around again. Their stance is menacing to say the least, but I’ve taken on bigger boys than these before and won. I won’t let them intimidate me or the boy on the floor.

I stand to face them, keeping the injured boy at my back and the group of bullies to my front.

You wanna go again, arseholes? Come on then, I’ll take ya!

They reel back in shock when they hear my voice, see my long red hair hanging over one shoulder in a plait.

But... you’re a girl! one of them manages to splutter. How did you...?

I stand up even straighter, pulling myself to my full 5’2 height. Yeah, I took you all down. Shall I do it again?"

Embarrassment floods their faces and it’s almost comical watching the shade of red flush through a whole group simultaneously. The shock of seeing that a girl has bested them this time has them standing still long enough for a teacher to be called and for reinforcements to be on their way. I relax internally as I hear voices of authority coming down the hall behind the bullies.

A teacher appears and takes in the situation. All right, you lot. What the hell is going on? He looks around as no one speaks, his eyes landing on me last. Ah, Miss Landon, I see you’re settling in nicely. The look he sends me borders on approval, but I know it’s not him I’ll be explaining myself to. I’m hoping I don’t get in a shit tonne of trouble for defending someone.

I was helping... um... I motion behind me