𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐲 - 𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘫 𝘢𝘶

22. vampire

1:34 PM

Something about our relationship seems off. EJ and I's.

Why does it feel so forced?

It's also super fast, like we said the L word like two days ago.

We haven't even been dating for a month.

This whole relationship thing feels so rushed. Like, I don't know why? Last boyfriend I was with, it was not that fast. Like it was six months, but still, it wasn't like a rush to complete the relationship, if you know what I mean.

Is that what he was trying to do?

I started having these thoughts last night. My dad just told me about having EJ for dinner today and I just...I just couldn't wrap my head around it.

I'm not even that nervous about it, EJ's a charmer. It's just so fast.

Maybe I need to finally talk to Nini.

2:19 PM

I knocked on the door to her house. I haven't seen Nini since EJ and I started dating. In fact...

I don't think I've focused on anything other than EJ.

The door opened to...

Gina.

Wait, she dated EJ before? Maybe she could help me figure this out.

"Hi, Gina." I smiled. "Um, is Nini here?" I asked.

"Yeah! She's just taking the cookies out of the oven," See? Their relationship doesn't feel forced. Like they're doing actual coupley things. The only thing that makes me feel like we're in a relationship is when we have sex.

Nini smiled at Gina and then her eyes shifted to mine. She looked at me as if I was a stranger. Her smile faded away and looked at the cookies to check if they're undercooked or overcooked.

I stepped inside and took off my converse. I stared at Nini, trying to understand why she was so upset at me. "Nini! Can we talk?"

"No, I don't wanna be your therapy kinda friend, it's crazy! You can't do that to me!" Nini yelled. The only time I've seen her this mad was at the first week of school.

"I wasn't going to-"

"No, but you were. 'Cause that's all I am to you now, huh? When all goes down, Ricky Bowen needs Nini to save him!" She dragged those words in a way that made brain itch like nails on a chalkboard.

"You're so different from when I first met you, and I mean that in a bad way. You used to be so nice, and I thought I had a real friend! I thought I did! But here's what happened. No, I told you!" She paused for a moment, trying to hold her tears back. I was also trying to fight back my urge to cry. "I fucking told you to stay away from EJ! Not because he was a bad person, no! Because he would make you the bad guy! And you fucking fooled me into believing I had a real friend who would actually listen to my words and then instead, he doesn't actually listen. Now look where we are!" Nini looked back at the cookies.

"Nini, I am so sorry for making you feel like that. I-I know I've been a bad friend-"

"The shittiest." Those words stung a bit, but I had to let it go.

"Right, and I was so caught up in my own shit, I didn't even realize how bad of a friend I was being." I admitted. It was all coming to me now. "God, I'm such a train wreck, but like, I know you were trying to warn me about EJ, and I'm starting to think you're right."

Nini wiped her tears away, and looked back at me. "Wait, what do you mean? What happened?" she asked.

"No, but does it matter? I hurt you really badly, and I feel like shit, so you know what we're gonna do? I'm gonna get tickets to the Eras Tour film, and we're gonna watch it tomorrow. After that, we're gonna go for Ice Cream, and then we're gonna go to your house, bake cookies, and watch a Marvel movie." Nini smiled at me. I loved her smile. Not in a romantic way, but seeing her smile just made my whole world light up inside. She was my best friend, and I need to start acting like it.

Nini stepped over to me, and gave me a hug I've been longing for. I exchanged the hug back. "I'm sorry, Neens. I love you so much."

"You don't have to say anything. I love you too." Nini let go of the hug. "We can talk about you and EJ for a minute, because I still wanna be there for you. That's what friends are for, right? And we can eat cookies in the meantime."

"That sounds amazing."

We sat down and started to eat the cookies. "Mm, these are the BEST!" Gina smiled. Nini and I let out a chuckle. "So, what's up with you and EJ? I thought you guys were doing good."

"It started two days ago, when EJ said the L word to me. I mean, I do love him, but it all feels so forced and rushed. Like, yesterday, my dad wanted to meet him. Earlier it was fine, it felt a bit at ease, but I just feel so skeptical." I said truthfully. Gina nodded her head as I said all the information.

"Mhm, I think I've seen this film before, and I didn't like the ending," she recalled the famous Taylor Swift lyrics. "He tends to do that with people. He wants to just get with people and then break up as soon as he can. That's why he's going so fast, because he's not so satisfied. If he told you he loved you, he's lying. He's bad, bad, news."

"Yeah, Ricky, I think you should break up with him. You can find someone better, trust me." she said.

"Yeah, yeah, I should." I gulped. "I just...fuck..." It was now all rushing to me—What if EJ never actually loved me? Has all of it really been a lie?

How does he lie without flinching?

Tears started to well up in my eyes. "Like, fuck! I give him my all like I don't know what I'm doing at this point! I skip class for him, I don't pick up my sister at school for him, I don't even come home! I just go straight to EJ's like what the fuck have I done, oh my god."

I bursted into tears, looking at my friends reactions. Gina wasn't surprised, she knew this was going to happen. Nini also did. I did, but I was so naive to even look at the facts. Nini got up and sat next to me, and wrapped her around around me. "I don't even know what I'm doing here, oh my god."

"Hey, hey, hey. He's a loser. Don't blame yourself. We'll figure out what to do." She spoke to comfort me.

"I just love him so much, I can't let go of him. God! I fucking hate him, oh my god!" I screamed into Nini's shoulders, trying to let all of the pain out.

"Shh, shh," she stroked my curls to comfort me. "We're gonna figure it out, okay?"

I got a notification from my phone. "You don't have to check it-" I grabbed my phone from my pocket. It was him. That famefucker.

elton john caswell 😊😍🥰

hey babyy 😍
im rlly excited to
meet u at dinner 2night!!

yeah haha
cant waitt

r u ok? 😐
u seem upset 🫤

yeah im fine

okay ilyyy

But did you?

I love you too

Little does he know that he's bleeding me dry like a god damn vampire.