My Lovely Jerk {Completed}

Chapter - 14

A knock on my door sounded. “Are you ready?” Bryson asked in a tone that was laced with irritation.

The funny thing was before he even questioned me on if I was ready, I knew he was growing irritated at how long I was taking for I could hear him tapping his foot on the floor outside my door, clearly showing lack of patience.

“One second,” I replied as I tried for the millionth time to put my blond hair up in a Chinese Hair Bun. Frustration was coursing through me before my hair decided it wanted to finally cooperate. Sighing in happiness, I looked myself over in the mirror. I was still wearing the same jeans and shirt Bryson gave me at the hospital, which got me slightly upset at that thought because I needed some new clothes, desperately. Guess it was a good thing we are about to go to my parent's house.

“I will never understand what takes girls so long to get ready,” Bryson declared right as I left my room.

Looking over my shoulder, I glared at him as I was walking into the living room. Deciding not to reply to his comment, I let him go in front of me. Staying about three feet behind him, I followed Bryson out of the apartment.

It was a warm night with hard breeze, which wasn't something I was corking an eyebrow about because after the movie Bryson turned on the weather channel and it said that a cold front was coming in. I knew a good bit about weather thanks to a teacher I had last year -- or shall I say, thanks to a teacher I had six years ago -- Mrs. Pillar, that was her name if I remember correctly. She was my history teacher and every day we would watch some of morning news followed by the weather report. I’ve no idea why, but the weather report always spiked my interest and I paid attention to every word the news archer said. So, in return, when Bryson and I watched the weather on T.V this afternoon and I heard of a cold front that was moving in, I knew that it would be a breezy night and possible chances of scattered showers. Of course, I wasn’t certain on if it was predicted to rain because Bryson turned off the news right before they showed the next 24-hour forecast.

“Did you bring the umbrella, like I told you too?” I asked Bryson as we got buckled in his car. I knew, without even asking that he didn’t bring it. After all if he had brought it that would mean that he listened to me and as shown when I asked Bryson to take out the garbage (after lunch and the movie), he doesn’t like listening to me. Another example of his disobedience was when I instructed him to stay out of the bathroom while I washed my face. But, no, that darn boy had to squeeze in and comb his hair and apply some of the most mouthwatering cologne ever made --- speaking of which, I should totally steal his cologne when we get back because I love it due to the fact it smells like vanilla and coconuts ... Anyways that point is, it is becoming more and more evident that Bryson doesn’t really listen to me, which I’m tempted to teach him a lesson about ... but that would mean I would have to turn into what Randall calls -- called -- the ‘Evil Elle’ (I think it is self-explanatory what happens when I turn into ‘Evil Elle’)

Bryson didn’t respond to my question, instead he asked for the address to my house. “1287 North Apple Street,” I replied and then looked over at the passenger window. We suddenly drove by a park that I couldn’t help but smile at. It was the same park Randall and I use to go play at every third Saturday of the month when our moms would get together and take us there to play while they chatted away.

Sinking in my seat, I wondered about what has Mrs. Ryan (Randall’s mom) been up too. That thought soon suppressed to the back of my mind when a much more daunting thought crossed my mind, the mere fact that I couldn’t ask Randall about my his mom ... because he was dead.

I started to have guilt course through me for I’d completely and utterly forgotten that Randall was dead and I’ll no longer see him. I’ve done nothing to honor his death ... In fact I have dishonored his death, in a sense, by letting myself forget about him periodically over the past few days. He should always be on my mind. I should be grieving more than I have been...

However, something came over me -- realization that I have not been forgetting his death but forcing myself to forget because the mere fact that he is dead and will no longer walk in a room, with a huge smile and arms open until he reaches me and embraces me in a hug, saddens me to no end.

Leaning my head against the cool glass passenger window, I closed my watering eyes.

Five Years Earlier: 2008

 "Why did you invite her here? She is not my friend, Randall! Neither are you by the way you’ve been acting-” I shouted at the top of my lungs not caring if the teary eyed girl in the corner of my room heard me.

Randall, my best friend, or so I thought cut me off. “Why are you being so mean, Elle? Can’t you see that kids at school do not like her because she is a new girl? Why can’t you be nicer? She is scared of our classmates and becoming scared of you! You’re not acting like the Elle I know! You are acting heartless.” His words stung me like a thousand bees stings.

With nothing but anger, I pushed Randall as hard as I could. He stumbled a little before falling backwards. Landing on the floor with ‘ thud ’ he stared up at me with shock planted on his face.

“You are the one that is being mean, Randall! We made a pinkie promise!” I yelled at him with tears streaming down my face.

Randall got up from the floor and dusted off the back of his pants. He and I knew that his jeans weren’t dusty but his actions were meant to show that what I did to him didn’t faze him one bit. Walking over to Kat, who was crying by my bookcase, Randall engulfed her in a hug. “She is just upset,” I heard Randall tell the girl that was evidently driving a wedge in between the two of us.

“I’m not upset, I’m livid Randall! I was in the hospital for three days! You didn’t show up once! I come home and am ordered not to attend school for a week because I have been dizzy due to my head injuries. You don’t come over and see me, not even once! All you do is call me, never stop by and tell me how things are going at school or just plain stop by and visit me. Instead, I go to school and find you and her all buddy-buddy and you walking around ignoring me! Then, after a week of avoiding me you have the nerve to come here, with her!” By now my fist were balled up and I was pissed off to no end.

Randall let go of Kat and started to walk out of my room without even giving me a second glance. He stopped at the doorway. “Come on Kat, we can go back to my place,” with that he left the room.

Kat lingered in the corner of my room, not moving. Her green eyes looked over in my direction and I saw that she was still crying.

“Why are you crying? Is it because I called you a bad name! I’m sorry I did that but I did mean what I said, I hate you. You had no right to turn him against me and try to replace me! He was my friend before he was yours.”

Kat sniffed a couple times before wiping her eyes. It was clear that my words really did hurt her but she was trying to get over it with every passing second. “I wasn’t trying to turn Randall against you, I would never do that.  No, I was helping him get over what happened with the treehouse ... Randall took it personal -- your injury. He thinks if he tried talking you out of it more that you might not have gone down the ladder when you did, in return you wouldn’t have gotten the twelve stitches in your head and the dizzy spells that will last for who knows how long ... Randall thinks he should have manned up and faced your brother ... he blames himself for what happened to you ... He has been ignoring you because he can’t look at you without thinking he caused you to be hospitalized ... I talked him into coming here today in order to talk to you ... but I see now that I was not welcomed...” Kat wiped her wet face once more before walking over in the direction of my door.

“Is it true ... what you just said? Randall feels guilty and that is why he was ignoring me, until you got him into coming here?”

Kat paused right where Randall did in the doorway. “I’ve no reason to lie to you, Elle. For the record, I can never replace you in the friendship you two share. I’ll make sure he gets home safely and never talk to him again, only if you do one thing.”

Looking at her with slight curiosity I asked: “What is it?”

“Forgive him, Elle. Forgive him for ignoring you and not coming to visit. He wanted too, more then you can ever imagine. So, forgive Randall and become back friends with him. Once you do that, you will never see me hanging with Randall and I will forever, and a day, leave you alone...” Without waiting for me to respond Kat walked out of my room.