Surviving the Aces (#Wattys2018)

Meet Quintin...again

I stared at Gregg in shock. "Yo-You're leaving?" I repeated in shock.

He laid down and sighed loudly. "I got a job." He muttered.

"A job." I scoffed in disbelief.

"Yeah. I'm co-starring in a new movie." He informed me rolling over to look at me.

"And when were you going to tell me about this?!" I exclaimed.

"Now." He answered sitting up. "I just received the call. And you shouldn't be so angry, you know what I do." He retorted.

I looked away from him. "That doesn't make it any easier." I replied in anger. "How long will you be gone?"

"It's a movie Dakota." He spoke to me as if I were a child which angered me even more.

"How. Long will you be gone?" I pressed.

"A year, maybe longer." He finally said looking away from me.

I got up from the bed. "A year." I shook my head. "You expect me to wait for you for a year?"

He shook his head. "No. I don't expect you to wait for me at all. I'm breaking up with you." He said matter-of-factly.

I gaped at him in horror. "No you're not." I retorted. "Because I'm breaking up with you."

"Wow. That's pathetic." He said crossing his arms and glaring at me. "And to think I really liked you." He said shaking his head at me.

I fought back the urge to cry. "Yeah. Same." I said walking to my door. "You can see yourself out. And have fun with your movie, I promise not to watch it." I told him harshly tears brimming my eyes.

He smirked at me. "Yeah. Have a nice life." He said before stepping out the door.

It wasn't until I slammed the door and slid to the floor, that I cried. I was now even more alone than I started. I glared at the wall. We had only been seeing each other for three weeks. I didn't love him or anything, I was just upset that my first relationship had gone so horribly.

"Dakota. Why'd you slam your door?" A voice asked.

I unlocked it and allowed Quintin to come inside. He sat on the floor next to me. "You okay?"

"We broke up." I said.

When Quintin didn't answer I gave him an accusatory look. "You knew about the movie."

He shrugged. "I didn't think you would break up." He replied.

I laid my head back. "You could have warned me."

"But I didn't." He replied smirking.

I shoved his shoulder playfully. He grinned at me and laid his head on my shoulder. "Hey. You're amazing. Don't worry about Gregg. You can do better."

"Than a superstar?" I questioned.

"Definitely." He assured me. I believed him too.

I smiled. "It's okay. I don't miss him that much." I confessed.

"Hey, you want some good food?" He asked me. "I think you need a distraction."

I shrugged. "Should I get dressed?" I asked.

"Probably. You look like a bum." He told me. I rolled my eyes, glad that he was comfortable enough to be brutally honest around me.

"Where are we going anyways?" I asked stepping towards my closet.

"I want you to meet someone." Quintin responded. "You'll see."

"Dude. That didn't answer my question at all." I retorted grabbing a towel to take a shower.

"Goodbye." He said stepping out the door.

I rolled my eyes, once again, and went to take a shower.

-:¥:-

"Where are you fools going?" Jace asked Quintin as we skipped down the stairs.

"Out." Quintin replied vaguely.

Jace narrowed his eyes at him. "Yeah. I got that part. I guess I have to join you and chaperone."

"Dakotas seventeen." Quintin pointed out.

Jace wouldn't even look at me. "Where's Gregg anyways? Did he get tired of his Squib?" He taunted. We were at the door by now.

My heart tightened at Jaces words. Quintin looked at me and I shrugged walking out the door.

It took a while for him to join me outside so I guessed he was telling Jace about Gregg leaving. I sighed and laid my head on my window.

The car started and I looked over at Quintin. He was smirking at me.

"What?" I asked annoyed.

He shook his head chuckling to himself.
I decided not to let him get to me, I turned on the radio and changed it to the pop station.

"You don't like country?" He asked in disbelief.

"Apparently." I replied. "Are you going to tell me where we're going?" I demanded. "This isn't a date so I don't want to be surprised."

Quintin turned and stared at me in shock, then burst into laughter. "You...think..." he was trying to catch his breath as he guffawed. "I would...take you...on a date?" He said in disbelief.

I punched his arm. "The feelings mutual little boy." I informed him.

He scoffed. "I'm sixteen."

I ignored his statement. "I'm turning eighteen, and girls mature faster than guys so that would be like babysitting."

"That's the most absur-"

"Plus," I interrupted. "I am definitely dateable."

He snorted. "You sound like Jace."

I fell silent, I felt Quintin looking at me but ignored it.

"What's going on beyond you two anyways?" He asked.

I glared out my window. "Has your brother ever been diagnosed with bipolar disorder?" I asked.

Quintin burst into laughter as he turned into a parking lot. I didn't unbuckle my seatbelt. "I'm serious." I said crossing my arms. "One minute he's really sweet, the next minute he's...degrading me." I confessed.

Quintin chuckled. "You wanna know why?" He asked me smirking.

I gave him a stupid look. "No Quintin, I would like to live the rest of my life across the hall from a deep dark mystery, then I can write a super realistic novel on it that will become an award winning movie." I told him.

He gave me a weird look. "Well, if that's what you want." He said shrugging. He opened the door. "Now. Get. Out. There's someone I want you to meet."