Worth The Fight ✓

Chapter Thirty Five

During the road, I do my best not to answer him much.

"You look...fine," he says awkwardly.

"Yeah."

Glancing at me for a second, he darts his eyes on the road again. "We are going to have fun."

"Hmm."

He sighs, letting it go. I am glad he doesn't expect me to talk because I don't feel like it. Thoughts don't leave my side this evening and I feel anxious every second we get closer to school. I am not ready to face him. I felt like I was while at home but right now, the last thing I need to see his foreign-looking eyes. It's like a home once had been mine is now sold.

He stops when we are there. I can see, from a distance, the party place and all those white decorations. Also, a pile of people hanging out together. I don't notice Richard open my door and extend his hand at me. I don't protest, taking it and getting out of the car. Once I set foot on the ground, I take a deep breath.

I hope I look good enough tonight.

Folding my arm with his, we start walking towards the crowd. As we get close enough to distinguish people's face, my eyes start to search for a specific one. I see Stella at the table of snacks and drinks, and she lifts her gaze and grins when she sees me-until her eyes slide to my side and notice her enemy. Then, she looks down, minding her own business again.

"He is not here," Richard leans and whispers. "Yet."

I look at him suspiciously. "You sure he's coming?"

"Yes," he says firmly and I decide to trust him with that.

He smiles at familiar people and I really want to stay alone for a while so I use the opportunity to get rid of him. "I'll have a drink," I say, and leave without he can say anything. He sighs and heads to his friends' table while I walk and pour myself a drink. Stella looks at me, and then behind, at Richard.

"You came," she starts off, taking a sip of her non-alcoholic drink. "With him."

I shrug, and take a mouthful sip as well. I am not in the mood to explain myself - not even to myself. I look around to see Calvin but he's not come yet. People seem content, drinks in hand and laughters-I wonder how they can look so happy while I struggle to feign a smile. They don't feel my pain, as I don't feel their happiness. "Is Calvin coming?"

"Dunno," she says.

"I thought he might come with you."

She looks at me and sighs. "We haven't been in good terms with him," she says finally. "After I told him he should make it up with you."

I turn at her and frown. This is something I don't expect from Stella. "You told him that?"

She shrugs, looking ahead. "I am really guilty, Jack," she explains. "And I wanted to do something to fix that."

I completely understand where she is coming from. Guilt is one of the worst feelings in the world, that I have learnt lately. You do things to make it go away but if you're in too deep, it never leaves you alone. And I, unlike her, have been at the bottom for sometime now. We just stay like that, still and gazing around, until I break the silence again. Not because I'm so fond of Stella or the conversation but to keep myself sane until Calvin shows up. "Did you like Lauren?"

"She's a nice girl," she says. "We have met a couple of times after that, she introduced me to her friends as well."

"Nice."

"Yeah." She smiles. "Thank you, Jack. You stood up for me, and that is one of the reasons why I wanted to fix your relationship with Calvin other than the guilt. You love each other, and I hate to see it going to waste."