We'll Be A Memory

We'll Be A Memory- Ch. 14

I slammed my locker shut, rolling my eyes.

“You’re freaking weird.”

---------------------------------------------------

I was suddenly self-conscience of all the looks and whispers throughout the spacious cafeteria. It was weird, because even though we had broken up, we weren’t exactly popular. Sure, we had our group of friends, but it was weird that everyone knew about it. Granted, we didn’t have a huge school either.

As we walked to an empty table, a sophomore walked past us, whispering to her chunky, black-haired friend.

“Dude, it’s her. That’s the chick whose boyfriend cheated on her.”

I whipped my head around to look at her as she passed by us.

“Phoebe, what did she just say?”

Her green eyes darted around the busy cafeteria, scouting a table. Her eyebrows were furrowed, and there was a worried expression on her face.

“Uhm, Lex? Now would be an excellent timr to put that newly developed talent to use. Just ignore everyone.”

I stopped walking and stood rooted to the spot, annoyed.

“Phoebe, what the hell is going on? Just tell me, dammit.”

Her eyes softened, and she dropped her head down.

“Alright Lex.... If you want me to tell you right here, I guess I can.”

She glanced up at me, seeing if I wanted to take our conversation to the hall. I raised my eyebrows, prompting her to talk.

“Well, there’s talk of what… happened, between you two. Everyone’s saying that Jonah cheated on you.”

I rolled my eyes.

“That’s absolutely ridiculous. How would everyone know what happened in our relationship, except for me? People aren’t happy ‘til they’re spreading rumors.”

I started walking to the table, however Phoebe wasn’t following. I was about five feet away from her when she spoke again.

“Lex… Jonah confirmed it himself. This morning, actually.”

I stopped walking, confused. None of this made sense. He would never do that. I mean, Jonah could be an ass, and do a lot of things, but cheating wasn’t one of them.

I whirled around on my heels.

“Phoebe, that’s a lie. He didn’t cheat on me.”

But her sad gaze gave it all away. When she finally looked up at me, her eyes were sad and shiny.

I felt like I was going to vomit. I looked around, not believing what was going on. It felt like my earth was crumbling, yet everyone else looked normal. Girls were leaning on their elbows, gossiping with their friends about their summer, while the guys were talking about the hot girls they shared classes with. How could everyone else’s life be so normal when mine was falling apart?

I looked back at Phoebe, who was walking toward me. She looked worried.

“Lex, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I just…”

The doors to the cafeteria behind her had just opened. My eyes flew to him as he walked in. I didn’t even have to look for him, my eyes just found him.

Jonah.

I felt like I was either going to throw up or have a heart attack. My eyes met him, and his startling blue eyes held my gaze.

“I have to leave.” I mumbled before turning on my heels.

I rushed out to the front of the school, forcing myself not to sprint. I sat on one of the benches outside, making myself take deep breaths.

How did everyone know but me? How was I the last person to find out about how my relationship ended? I felt like I had just been punched in the stomach. I didn’t realize I was crying until the fat drops fell onto my jeans, leaving dark splotches.

My hands were in fists, clutching on my jeans. I grit my teeth, attempting to pull myself together. I hated myself for having this kind of reaction over a guy, but it was hard when you gave him everything and he threw it all away. I felt like Taylor Swift.

“There you are! Are you okay?”

Phoebe came barreling out the doors of the school, her hair flying everywhere.

“Do you think I’m fucking okay? How would you feel if you were in my situation?”

She stopped in her tracks, shock written all over her face.

“Well damn.”

I slumped over, feeling horrible.

“I’m sorry Phebes…. But to answer you, I feel awful.”

I took a shaky breath, still attempting to calm myself. Seconds later I felt her arms around me as she pulled me in for a hug.

I sobbed into her shoulder, letting it all out.

“How could he do this to me? Why? I was nothing but loyal.”

I felt as if someone had literally ripped my heart out.

 When you’re being raised, no one ever tells you what to expect with dating. Sure, they say it’s hard, but no one ever really says how hard. I felt like within the past week, I’ve lost the love of my life, and my best friend. I didn’t even know how to handle it. It was as if I had been pulled down into a freezing cold ocean, and with each day, I was being pulled deeper and deeper until I was finally drowning. I wish I knew what to do, but I was barely managing getting by on a day-to-day basis.

I sat up, wiping my eyes. I had to know who he had replaced me with.

“Did anyone say with who, you know, he...?” My sentenced trailed off into the air, open-ended.

Her green eyes stared into my amber ones, communicating something that she didn’t want to say out loud. Why are you torturing yourself by asking these questions?

“Tell me.”

She let out a breath that she must have been holding in.

“Listen, no one knows who she is, but Jake Dwyer saw them last night at the Pier. I guess he and some friends were at the carnival, and as they were walking along the boardwalk they saw them at the edge of the sand, near the shore.”

I guess that was semi-consoling. I mean, she could have been someone I knew, and that would have been yet another awful situation to deal with. But that raised a new question: Who was she, and how had he met her?

All of a sudden, it clicked. It was like I had been trying to force the last puzzle piece into the slot,  and it wasn’t fitting. All I had to do was flip it around for it to slide into place.

“The cruise.”

She stared at me, confused.

“What?”

I let out a shaky sigh, raking my fingers through my hair.

“Remember when I told you how when he came to my house, he got all weird when I brought up the topic of the cruise? I guess this is why. I guess he was cheating on me then….”

I felt bile rise up in the back of my throat, and I clenched my teeth so I wouldn’t get sick.

“I have to go. I’ll call you later.”

I climbed into my bug, slamming the door shut, clenching the steering wheel. This was the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life, and I wasn’t even 20 yet.

The pain of being replaced was nothing like I’d ever felt before.