Yeah, I Hate You Too, Sweetheart.

Chapter 10 - Justin

Crossing my arms, I leaned against the counter beside Nick, still watching her with an interested eye.

"Well, are you having a good time, at least?" I tried again, trying to keep the bitterness out of my voice.

Laila's smile widened as she glanced over at Avery, Nick, and the guys.

"Yeah, you could say it's been a pretty interesting night so far," she finally said.

My stomach dropped.

"Turns out, Laila's got quite a bit of info on you when you were younger," Marshall cut in, a growing smirk on his face.

I rolled my eyes, giving Marshall a withering look. Trust Laila to go out of her way and embarrass the crap out of me.

"Did she tell you about the time I strung her up from a tree, or what?" I demanded, glaring over at Laila.

She smiled back sweetly, giving me a little wave with her fingers.

"Yeah," Avery laughed, clutching her can of soda. "She mentioned that. And about how you stole her Tickle Me Elmo doll and held it for ransom."

"I did?" I said confusedly, my face blank.

Laila gave me a punch on the shoulder, scowling. "Uh, yeah, you did. You made me give you all of my Halloween candy or you wouldn't give me back the Elmo doll."

"Oh!" I exclaimed in realization. "Now I remember. I only did that because you chased me around my front yard with a tennis racket."

Everyone in the vacinity burst out laughing, staring at Laila and me with incredulous expressions. I didn't blame them. We could be pretty humorous if we wanted to...and if we weren't fighting.

"And you sprayed orange soda all over me at my sixth birthday party," Laila added as an afterthought. "That was by far one of the worst days of my life."

"I'm sorry, Laila."

Laila stared at me with a shocked look on her face, tightening her grip on her soda.

"What?" she said slowly.

Avery, Nick, and the guys fell silent, watching the two of us with blank or guarded looks on their faces. That only made me all the more nervous.

"I said I'm sorry," I repeated, not meeting her eye. "I was a jerk to you when we were younger and you didn't deserve it. You still don't."

Laila's mouth opened slightly, her sea-blue eyes widening, like she didn't even know what to say or think. I didn't either.

What the hell was going on with me tonight?

"Justin, I - " Laila started to say, but then trailed off, unsure.

"Just forget it."

I needed to get out of there, and fast. Before I could make an even more complete idiot of myself and say something twice as stupid. I had no idea where all of these sudden memories and thoughts were coming from, but I didn't like it. They were making me admit things that I'd long since sworn to forget.

The outcome of this whole endeavor couldn't be good at all.

Before anyone could say anything else, I left the kitchen, moving with long, purposeful strides. Where I was going I didn't know. I just knew that I needed some fresh air and space to think. My thoughts were so muddled and beyond confused that I didn't even know what to do.

Occasionally jabbing people in the ribs to get them to move, I managed to fight my way out of the house, outside and onto the back porch, were not as many people were taking up post at. I plopped myself down on the back row of steps, leaning forward on my knees, my head in my hands. My face felt hot and my stomach was still twisting in knots and it was quite possible that I could start puking literally out of nowhere.