Desolate Me

What Makes You Stay?

I felt like I was going to throw up. Literally. I stared at her, wide eyed.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I heard you right.”

It was true. I swear a buzzing popped up in my ears the second she opened her mouth to talk. The problem was I could read lips and I knew exactly what it was she said.

That made her smile even bigger.

“Oh you are so innocent it reminds me of a Disney movie.”

“Cass…come on.”

Peter tried to pull me away but I was pretty much frozen where I was. Of course, the girl standing in front of me was more than happy to watch the drama unfolding in front of her eyes.

“Cass…” Peter said.

I finally shifted my focus from the neon sign for slutdom in front to me to Peter. He didn’t like the look on my face and stopped tugging on my arm, completely ignoring Ami as she remained standing there.

“Cass, don’t over think it. Just…come on so we can talk.

“She’s…” I frowned, trying to wrap my mind around another truth. “Amber Frost.” I looked back at her and she was just smiling.

“Cass…” He touched my face and gently moved it so I was staring at him. “Let’s talk before the bell rings, ok?”

“Sure,” I squeaked.

Oh I was overreacting. I had to be. I let him take me outside, and down the steps so we could have a little privacy in one of the corners. Most people usually made out in the nooks and crannies of the school, me? Yeah, I was left listening to him explain…her.

“She’s Amber Frost?”

The statement was pretty stupid but it was the only one I was forming at the moment. He nodded, keeping me completely focused on him at the moment instead of noticing all of our classmates who were left outside staring at us.

“She’s staying with you?”

“It wasn’t my idea. My mother and hers used to be friends before they moved. They were in book club together or something.”

“What did she mean you were with her last night?”

“We talked, that’s all. I swear.”

“About what?”

“How she was, how I was, you.”

“Me? You told her about me?”

“Of course I told her about you. We’re dating and I had to put it out there before I even considered talking to her alone.”

“Then why did she make it sound like something more happened?”

“She does that. She’s just trying to get under your skin, Cass. Come on, you know me better than that.”

He rubbed my cheek with his thumb. But there was something off about what he was saying and how he was feeling. His eyes were swirling with worry and the actual emotion was making me more nauseous.

“What’s going on, Peter?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why are you feeling…”

“Oh come on,” an annoying voice said from above us. “Just tell her already.”

“Shut up, Ami.” I tried to look up at her but Peter held my head in place. “Cass…”

“We did more than talk about you.” I heard her heels click down the stone steps. “We talked about us too, of course.”

“Peter…”