Isla Thatcher has given up everything she has ever loved: her looks, her confidence, and her passion for dance. The day a drunk driver takes her mother is the day her beautiful life turns bleak, and to make it all worse, she gains a personal bully. Ace Huxley, star hockey player and captain, has rigid good looks and he will do anything to pick on Isla Thatcher and remind her that her life is miserable. There has never been a particular reason why, but anyone would find someone as mysterious as her weird. But what happens on the day they are reunited, but only one can recognize the other? Isla has regained her confidence and is ready to take life head-on with everything she has missed, but she never expected she would also be given the chance of a lifetime - to bully the bully!

Chapter 1 One

I have hated the majority of my life I could remember. My mother died in a car accident when I was young, on the day of my 10th birthday. From that day my father had blamed me for her death, all because I had thrown a tantrum over not having ice cream with my cake, so she went to get some and was struck by a drunk driver.

That was the day the horrors of my childhood had begun. My father had become a recluse drunk who lost his job and claimed disability to sit at home and drink. He would have flashbacks of my mother and get into a drunken rage, which usually ended with me as his punching bag and anger release.

I tried several times to tell an adult about it, I showed them the bruises on my legs and arms, but my father was the world's greatest actor. Every time someone had come to the door under the suspicion something was happening to me in the house, he pretended to act like a sober and loving father, which in turn made me look like a liar.

So, I stopped telling people, and I waited for the day I could escape. I used to love dancing, my mother put me in ballet classes at the age of 5 and I fell in love with it, but that had to come to an end. It was nearly impossible to hide the bruises with a leotard on.

I had to give up all the things I loved and had become an entirely different person. It wasn't until my teen years that the drinking and beatings got worse. I was 14 when my father struck me in the face for the first time and left me with a black eye. I turned to heavy make-up and hoodies to hide my face.

This only turned me into the weirdo at school, and no one wanted to go near me. No one except one person.

Ace Huxley. Star captain of the hockey team and my biggest bully throughout high school. He always found me in the halls and made fun of the way I was dressed or the way I acted. He loved to target my heavy make-up and baggy hoodies, taunting me about being fat and ugly, so I tried and hide it. When in truth I had received tons of compliments before I began to hide my face and make myself look hideous.

He was the popular kid, the rich kid, every girl wanted him, and every guy wanted to be him unless they were gay, then they most likely wanted him too. It was infuriating how no one saw the true asshole that he was because I was the only person he blessed with his time of day to bully.

But during the last year of high school, I had found my calling, and my answer to escaping my father's wretched house. He never allowed me to get a job, the one time I did behind his back, he found the money hidden in my mattress and beat me until I confessed to where I had gotten it. I was given a curfew until 8 pm, even on weekends, and I wasn't allowed to go over to friends' houses or have any over, which basically meant I wasn't allowed to have friends.

That didn't mean I wasn't allowed to go out. I soon found that there was an underground club in our small town of Athens, one that hosted a lot of dance competitions. Since most of the contestants had come from the hip-hop style of dance, it was something new and refreshing when I entered with a mix of hip-hop and ballet.

I was winning competition after competition until I finally had enough money to get my own small place at the age of 18 and get the hell out of there. It was the most exhilarating and liberating feeling I had ever felt when I was handed the keys and walked into that empty apartment. I had only enough money to pay the first and last months' rent, and a group of guys from the club had come with me to get everything that was in my room.

But that was only a mattress and a dresser, it was all I was given in that room. But I didn't care, I was free and that was all that mattered. Now, I had the opportunity to go to school for dance, it was the first thing I did while I continued to compete in competitions and saved as much money as I could.

Then had come the disappointment. Rejection after rejection of all the top schools, despite my great grades in high school, I had no experience in dance since I was 12 years old. The only school that was willing to accept me was a private school for all kinds of talent, whether it was arts, sports, media etc., they seemed to have a course for everything.

Although it wasn't quite Julliard, it was better than a community college that would get me a job as a dance teacher at a rundown studio at best. That would barely keep me afloat, I might as well continue with the underground competitions. But I didn't want to be doing that for the rest of my life, I wanted to own my own studio, a glorious and magnificent one.

I wanted to teach all kinds of dance styles and have my own dance club, one that wasn't underground and could be out in the open. I already had a bunch of ideas for us to form dance groups and post on social media to get our name out there and compete in actual competitions, one that came with both wealth and fame.

It took about 6 months for all the bruises and burn marks to completely disappear from my body, I used all types of scarring creams and bruising lotions to get them down as much as possible and since my father had always used an open hand, there was never anything that broke or fractured in my body.

I was finally able to dress how I wanted and no longer had to hide my face, just in time for my first day of school. I made sure to keep my make-up light and wore my chestnut brown hair down in natural wavy curls, then threw on a simple pair of skinny jeans and an olive green tank top. I usually tried to avoid green colours as my eyes were also a light green colour, but an olive tone seemed to accent them nicely.

This was my first day and my first impression. Gone were the days when I suffocated myself in baggy hoodies and caked-on make-up. I could be free and who I wanted to be, a chant I had been telling myself since the day I got my apartment. Now, I was even more free to finally pursue a dance career and nothing was holding me back.

"Incoming!"

I turned and looked down the hallway just in time to see a hacky sac that was flying my way. Thanks to quick dance reflexes, I ducked but managed to catch it and went to throw it back to its owner but stopped cold in my tracks.

Stood in front of me was none other than my biggest nightmare.

Ace Huxley.

View More Comments on App

Other books by Arya Kaunis

Chasing Hearts

Romance

5.0

Maia Beaufort has lived her 17 years on Earth as Han Ma Ri, until the day her mother puts her on a plane and her past is taken away from her by her estranged father, with the promise that she would be able to return home someday. As an already struggling artist, Maia sees no other choice but to take advantage of this opportunity to secure herself the best future she can, until the day she can finally leave her horrid new life behind. Reign Ferrante has tried his best to live a normal life, away from the daunting secrets that plague his every waking hour. Setting up an art shop was his only saving grace of holding onto the one true part of himself and the hopes of leaving his unwanted life behind. But the arrival of a striking girl with a headstrong attitude and a talent too gorgeous to be hidden away might just change his outlook on life. What will happen when these lost souls find each other?

The Perfect Touchdown

Romance

5.0

Meet Rylee Parks. JV Cheerleader, kick-ass bowler - and she is in love with her best friend's brother. Meet Aiden Reed. A varsity Football player, he can drink Ireland under the table and would do anything to protect the friend he sees as a brother. This is Rylee's first year of University and her last year of fawning over a boy who will never look at her the same. But what happens when Aiden is finally woken up to the realization that Rylee won't stay the small and innocent girl she always has been, and his time with her is quickly running out?

The Tsundere Alpha

Werewolf

5.0

Amira Altaha has lived her entire 18 years alongside the natural - and supernatural. In her hometown city of Morrowfalls, it isn't unknown to be working side by side with a furry friend, or scaly, or one that floats. She can't imagine life without this diverse culture, especially not her longtime boyfriend, Isaac Lund. Despite their differences of her being a human and him being a werewolf, it takes one meeting during junior year of high school for them to fall head over heels for each other. Amira understands that one day Isaac might find his mate in someone who isn't her, but he makes his own vow to be with her until the very end. This promise is upheld for five blissful years - until the day Isaac turns 18, and meets Eris Morin, daughter to the Alpha of the Silverhowl Pack - and his new mate. ~ “Is this another attempt at avoiding me?” he asks. Goosebumps rise on her skin as his lower lip subtly brushes against hers while he speaks, his breath warm and sweet on her tongue. “What if it is?” She is surprised at how strong her voice sounds despite how much her chest is trembling. His fingers tighten their grip on her chin and waist, his already dark eyes darkening further. “I’ll say this only once so listen close, sweetheart – there isn’t anywhere in this world you can go where I won’t find you, and as cute as this game of dog and squirrel has been, I am only willing to play for so long. It’s best for you to give up now; I always win.”

You'll also like

When A Marriage Of Convenience Sparks A Dangerous Passion

Andrey Henrichs

5.0

After my family's sinister plots collapsed, they lashed out at me, taking their rage to a violent level. Cornered and desperate, I married Jaxton—the town's most sought-after bachelor—due to an unplanned pregnancy. Love had no part in this marriage; I assumed he married me purely out of responsibility, his heart belonging elsewhere. The moment I chose to let him go and turned to leave, he grabbed me and pinned me down hard. "Jaxton, you promised you'd never touch me!" I snapped, glaring fiercely. His eyes flashed arrogantly as he leaned closer. "You're the one who started this!"

Unspoken Hearts: My Neglected Mute Wife's Escape

Jenn Curlin

3.9

Kallie, a mute who had been ignored by her husband for five years since their wedding, also suffered the loss of her pregnancy due to her cruel mother-in-law. After the divorce, she learned that her ex-husband had quickly gotten engaged to the woman he truly loved. Holding her slightly rounded belly, she realized that he had never really cared for her. Determined, she left him behind, treating him as a stranger. Yet, after she left, he scoured the globe in search of her. When their paths crossed once more, Kallie had already found new happiness. For the first time, he pleaded humbly, "Please don't leave me..." But Kallie's response was firm and dismissive, cutting through any lingering ties. "Get lost!"

The Alpha's Rejected Luna: Mommy Please, Take Daddy Back.

blessingwrite

5.0

"Is it considered betrayal to develop feelings for your best friend's boyfriend? What about when fate intervenes, and he turns out to be your destined mate? You might think it's luck and thank the moon goddess for such a twist of fate. That's what I believed until the love of my life uttered those dreaded words: 'I want a divorce!' As I stared at the pregnancy test in my hands, I realized it was better to keep my secret to myself. My name is Violet, and this is my story."

Tears Of The Moon: A Dance With Lycan Royalty

Ike Gilboa

4.6

Betrayed by her mate and sister on the eve of her wedding, Makenna was handed to the ruthless Lycan Princes as a lover, her indifferent father ignoring her plight. Determined to escape and seek revenge, she captured the interest of the three Lycan princes, who desired her exclusively amid many admirers. This complicated her plans, trapping her and making her a rival to the future Lycan queen. Entwined in jealousy and vindictiveness, could Makenna achieve her vengeance in the intricate dance with the three princes?

Billionaire Ex-wife: I Can't Live Without You

Lewie Parenti

4.8

"Love is blind!" Lucinda abandoned her beautiful and comfortable life because of a man. She married him and slaved off for him for three long years. One day, the scales finally fell off her eyes. She realized that all her efforts were in vain. Her husband, Nathaniel still treated her like shit. All he cared about was his lover. "Enough is enough! I quit wasting my years with an ungrateful man!" Lucinda's heart was shattered into many pieces, but she summoned up the courage to ask for a divorce. The news caused a stir online! A filthy rich young woman recently got divorced? She was a good catch! Countless CEOs and handsome young men immediately swarmed to her like bees to honey! Nathaniel couldn't take it anymore. He held a press conference and begged with teary eyes, "I love you, Lucinda. I can't live without you. Please come back to me." Would Lucinda give him a second chance? Read to find out!

You Are Mine, Omega

AlisTae

4.9

Allison fell in love with Ethan Iversen, the soon-to-be Alpha of the Moonlight Crown pack. She always wanted him to notice her. Meanwhile, Ethan was an arrogant Alpha who thought a weak Omega could not be his companion. Ethan's cousin, Ryan Iversen, who came back from abroad and was the actual heir of the pack, never tried to get the position nor did he show any interest in it. He was a popular playboy Alpha but when he came back to the pack, one thing captured his eyes and that was Allison.

6/F MANULIFE PLACE 348 KWUN TONG ROAD KL

Resources

For Authors Contact Us Tags Completed

Referrals

Law

Conditions of Service Privacy Policy Copyright Complaints

Download App

APP STORE

GOOGLE PLAY

Love, Hate and Hockey Skates

About

Contents