BFs: Bestfriend or Boyfriend?

12. Simple as That

now playing: Taylor Swift - Ours. So, sorry for this being a nonrealistic thing for a guy to do....blame T.Swift (:

Chapter 12

            I don’t even know what to think. What to say. I’m sitting here alone. I’ve spent the past day and night up, just thinking of how she left. She loved him. But was that love strong enough to move from friendship to relationship?

            The question itched at me, but I didn’t know where to scratch it so it’d go away. It was still itching when I went to school on Monday, and seeing Jules sitting there with her little group as if nothing had happened over the weekend. I’m sure she told them. How did they act like this is normal behavior?

            I don’t get mad easily. I get mad when people lie. And this was all just a big lie. I looked over again to see them laughing loudly, and try to calm down as others looked. I closed my locker with a slam, and walked over to them.

            “Hey Jack, waddup?” Dustin looked up at me. He was next to Jeremy who had a cast on his shoulder. Jeremy was also part of their group. He had to get surgery the week after school started because of a football game he had played, where his shoulder was dislocated and broken. Jules had told me when I asked where he had been. I know that she wasn’t as close with him then the others, I’m not too sure why, and I decided not to ask when she abruptly changed the subject off of him. This was probably his first day back, about a month after school had started. 

            Jeremy looked up at me also. He had deep hazel eyes that were highlighted with the same color of his honey blonde hair. He was in good shape, the same as any football player. He probably wasn’t caught up on all the drama because of his surgery. He looked extremely confused as to why I was standing there.

            “Nothing really.” I answered dully. Jules got up from where she was sitting, Tony’s eyes following her as she made her way over and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I stood there motionless watching as Tony’s eyes met with mine. I could feel Jeremy looking back and forth between us, while the others looked away, already used to/not wanting to be in the awkwardness.

            I took her hand and led her down the hallway. I needed to talk to her about the other day. We walked over towards the cafeteria. I let go of her thin hand, and walked beside her, letting my pace slow down. She took a deep breath and we walked into the cafeteria and found an empty table. I sat across from her rather than next to.

            She made it hard to stay made. Her face was soft, and matched her light pink tank top that she matched with dark denim jeans and brown sandals.

            “You okay?” She looked calmly at me.

            ”Yeah, just…” I tried to find a nice way to put it. “Are we still, you know, together? I was thinking about the other day at my house, and from what I think you said, you are in love with Tony.”

            She was silent at first. Her curls fell in front of her face as she looked down. “Sometimes, Jack, people fall in love with each other, but are not meant to be. I’ve been friends with Tony for too long. I can’t screw it up.” She said determinedly to herself. The she looked up. “The time of which we could have been in a real relationship has passed. Now we have too much to lose.”

            She looked like she knew exactly what to say. She had planned it all out.

            “This is why I need a huge favor from you.” Wonderful. What now? She wants to have side hookups with him? She continued. “I need you to not tell anyone about Tony and my relationship.” She winced at the end, but then looked into my eyes.

            “Why?”

            She took a deep breath, obviously that was not the answer she wanted. “Because you’re the only person who knows. And I- well we- would get in a lot of trouble from the people we kept it from.”

            For some reason, I got mad at this. She’s trying to figure out a way that she and him get out of the mess they made, Scott free. “Jules, so I’m supposed to just forget that you guys had something? You do realize that gives him the chance to do whatever he wants with you without getting shit for it.”

            “Jack, I’m just asking you to do this for me. I don’t want to be the girl who’s easy.”

            “Well, you stopped doing that with him right?”

            “Yeah,” she said as she looked down again. Convincing.

            “Jules I’m serious here. If you’re going to do things with him, I don’t want to be your boyfriend, the afterthought. I’ll confirm the rumors if that happened.” Where is this assertiveness coming from? Man.

            “I told you before, I wouldn’t cheat on you.” She firmly said, looking me in the eye. The bell rang, but we both sat there, still staring at each other. Finally, she broke it off by getting up, and saying she’ll see me later.

            I understood what she wanted. I knew I shouldn’t be mad about it. But I was. I didn’t want their relationship to go on because they think that they could get away with it. I got up from the bench and walked to Sociology.

            The day droned on slowly, especially because I couldn’t stop thinking about what happened between us. Just a few weeks ago, I would do anything for this girl, and now I’m getting…protective? Is that the right word? It’s kind of ridiculous, but true. She was my girlfriend, and I didn’t want her to forget it.

            I need to stop this. I told myself on my way to English. It was silly to think that she would have him on the side. She isn’t a mean girl. And who knows if they really are as close as they were before. So when I saw her sit down in front of me, I smiled and told her alright. She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and said thank you while sitting down.

            All I need to do was get through English. Then I had study hall, and could just relax. Even during class I could relax, because we were giving presentations of the books we read independently, and I already went. So I leaned back in my chair and drew on papers.

            The class was almost done when Mr. Adams called Tony up to go as the last person. He jogged up there, as I started to put my papers away, wanting to get out of here as soon as I could. Tony was a great talker, and got the class’s attention all most immediately as he started out a joke about serial killers, which was what his reading was about.

            I half listened, as I was also watching the clock trying to count the seconds so I knew when the minute would turn. 55…56…5- damn, off by three seconds.

            “I would recommend this book to anyone who likes serial killers, and psychology. Thanks.” Tony concluded. The class started to clap, and pack the rest of their stuff away, but Tony didn’t move from behind the podium. Barely anyone noticed, besides Jules and I. I tried to get a good look at her, to see what he was going to do. Something wasn’t right. Her eyes were wide, and she was shaking her head no in quick motions.

            “I would also like to say,” he loudly announced. The class fell silent again. “I would like to simply add that I love Jules more than just a friend. Thanks.” And with that, he smiled and walked back to his seat as if he just said his name was Tony.