The girl with the bad reputation

Chapter 28

"HE WALKED SO CASUALLY DOWN THE STAIRS. THERE STOOD NATHAN LOCKWOOD. THE SCHOOLS NERD IN SWEATPANTS AND A TIGHT T-SHIRT." Aubrey looked stunned and her eyes found mine searching for anything that could lead to a clue.
There was a silence for some solid minutes before she'd spoke up "I mean it makes sense. Kaden's father's last name is Lockwood and his mother's last name is Matthews. So, Kaden got the mother's last name where Nathan got the fathers.".
When she had put the thing in perspective it would actually make sense. It would also make sense why people at school had never heard of him before.
I told her about the froyo store and the sunflower field. I told her about our near kiss in his room and they kissed in the kitchen. I told her about the magical kiss at the sunflower field.
How that kiss convinced me I was falling for the boy.
And I told her about our kiss goodbye. The kiss felt like the end of our adventure.
Aubrey's eyes found mine and she told me at least I experienced heaven once. I chuckled.
Yeah, I did.
I wanted to cut off the bet. But could I? If this thing between Kaden and I was ending. Why would I lose?
We had discussed my eventful day a bit more afterward.
After a while, Aubrey begged me to finish 'to all the boys I ever loved' at my place. I fell asleep while she watched it.
My dreams contained one person, Kaden.. I'm scared I might have fallen in love.

The following days Aubrey and I met up with the guys and went to school. Whenever we saw each other he would glance another way that would make my heartbreak slightly more. I hadn't been mistaken, he did say goodbye. I hadn't seen Marcus either. When we had entered the lunch hall people had sat around their table and Kaden sat with Melissa. Something inside me made me angry. I was furious. I had him and now I lost him.
Every time I went to approach him he walked away.
That's when I decided to stop caring. I had a bet to win. He was a small detour on my victory.
I went towards Nathan that day. I held my pride and I wouldn't let it get hurt over a guy.
I had asked Nathan to study with me for an upcoming exam. He looked at me confused that day. I understood why. Not long ago did I stand in his house with his brother, happiness all over me.
But those days were over. He agreed but asked if something happened which I shook my head off.
"Some people just don't work together."
We had met up the following day looking at some of the chemistry the teacher had given us to prepare for. We went over it for several hours, before I glanced at him. I had so many questions that concerned him. He wasn't nerdy at all, why would he upkeep the reputation. He had a lovely personality and we had actually had a few laughs throughout our study session.
"So you just have to figure this out before you solve it. That way you'll gain more points" he said. His primary focus was on our exam, while my thoughts were every other place than that.
My thoughts contained him, they contained Kaden.
Something about this seemed weird. It didn't feel right. This wasn't me. I couldn't take advantage of him. That wasn't the person I was. I wanted to cut off the bet.
After we had studied I thought of kissing Nathan. But the thought didn't leave me excited like it did with Kaden. The thought felt boring, it felt worthless.
He went home and I stayed up actually studying for the exam. I hadn't focused on a word he told me. I fell asleep with my books that day.
But those who followed didn't matter. Because he was distant and he ran every time a confrontation was about to happen.
I wanted to run after him. I wanted to go to Marcus and tell the girls surrounding him to fuck off. But whenever I got near him he looked sad and turned to walk the opposite way.
I didn't understand what was happening and it was breaking my heart even more every day. I had no understanding of why we said our last goodbye.
But somehow it felt like it was supposed to happen.
You weren't supposed to avoid it. You couldn't avoid it.
And that's what hurts. Even though I wanted to forget about him I couldn't. Caleb had been furious. He hated me hurting, but I told him the goodbye had been mutual. He and I had both said goodbye. Both of us had an understanding of what it meant.
But Caleb didn't care, he told me he was a douche. He wanted to ruin him. That's when I had to inform Caleb that it would be a bad idea.
Two weeks had passed since our last kiss and the day we said goodbye. Two weeks where my feelings haven't disappeared even a little bit. I wished for them to just be gone from one day to the other.