This Means War (The Virgin Wars Contest)

Chapter Eleven

Nothing could compare to the aroma of the coffee shop. It was strong, yet subtle, and strangely comforting. The person seated in front of me was not at all a coffee shop, hell, if anything he was the polar opposite. He made me scared, worried, anxious, alien - but I think that was why I liked it so much.

Alex wasn't like the other guys I had tried my luck with, he was unique if you'd call it that. He made me go tongue-tied and stupid, he made butterflies inhabit my insides, he even made my knees go weak and my body shiver when he touched me or kissed me. It was like I had hand-picked him out of a catalog or something! No flaws to be seen or reconciled, everything seemed about damn near perfect. 

But nothing is ever as simple as it insinuates.

It was understandable that Nichole was still falling over herself every time he'd come and see me, but never in a million years could I have pictured her like this. Her clear blue eyes were filled with hatred - more so than Lindsey's had ever dreamed. She was so jealous that she had actually tried sabotaging our date!

Wearing too much makeup, and way too little of a top, she slid into my side booth. "Hey, Brooke! Fancy seeing you here," she exclaimed as she gave me a small hug.

As she did so, Alex took it upon himself to stare directly at her boobs. I mean, with the help of that push-up bra, it's no wonder they were all but popping out of her tight purple blouse! "What're you guys doing here," she wondered innocently.

Alex's head snapped up. "Oh, we were just grabbing a drink. Would you like me to get you something, uh...?" His voice trailed off.

"Nichole," she answered. "And yes, thank you!" Turning to face me she pretended to try whispering, but it was loud. Very loud. "I thought you said he was an asshole?! You're definition and mine must be two completely different things, because he's super sweet!" Alex narrowed his eyes as I squeezed the bridge of my nose.

"Well," he started. "It's glad to know that somebody talks good about me." Giving me a peeved glance, he added, "Brooke." And in the moment as he stormed away, I couldn't help but think how Cole would have believed me not to bad-mouth him.

Nichole smiled smugly. "You can do so much better than that." Sh-She just mimicked me! What I told her when I saved her ass, she repeated it! "Well, maybe you can't." That little...! I didn't even want to finish that sentence because it wouldn't have been pretty. And then, I did something I'd never thought possible...I beat the shit out of her.

It began with me throwing myself at her, causing us to tumble onto the floor with me on top of her. She was squealing and apologizing, but I ignored her and continued slapping, shouting, and ripping anything and everything imaginable. "Brooke, stop it! I'm sorry, please," she begged out as I yanked on her hair.

"Fuck you, you vapid, lying, manipulative, bitch!" As I slapped her some more, I was suddenly begin lifted up in the air. Clawing at the air, I struggled to get free as Nichole cried in fear.

"Brooke, that's enough!" But instead of being Alex who spoke harshly, it was Cole's voice who filled my ears. I instantly froze. No, no, no, no, no! Please tell me it isn't him! "That's enough," he whispered softly as he set me down. 

Alex was just watching me, Nichole's coffee in his hands, when he turned away from me and made a beeline straight for her. Even while Cole's presence loomed over me, I couldn't help but feel betrayed. "Talk about manipulative," Nichole stated darkly, her orbs darting between both Alex and Cole.

"What's she talking about," Cole questioned painstakingly.

She's talking about the bet, I wanted to reply. But I couldn't.

"Brooke," he started again, his tone sounding more concerned - more hurt. "What does she mean?" Standing directly in front of me, he stared into my eyes pleading for me to tell him the truth. If I told him the truth, he'd leave me. "Please."

My heart dropped like a glass. It fell quickly, smashed to the floor with so much force that it just completely shattered - causing everything around it nothing but cuts and pain. Feeling the fictitious shards stinging at my eyes, I pushed Cole aside and sprinted out the door. "Brooke!" I heard him call out to me, but all I could do was keep running.

It was the only thing I was good at. 

*

So, now I'm alone. No friends, no family, nobody. And let me tell you, it feels like being on fire.

You can't breathe properly. You can't stop the burns from inflicting anything but pain throughout your body. You can't even put it out - no matter how many tears you cry. All you can do is sit there and take it.

A part of me wishes I was still little, maybe then 'Stop, Drop, and Roll' would've worked. But now I was just so...hopeless. Just like when dad used to come looking for me after another late night at the bar. Except now, no one would care if I was alive or dead. Hell, half of them would probably enjoy reading my obituary...I know I would.

Right now, you're probably asking yourself things like: Did Cole drop it and fall in love with you? Do you finally go home and see that your father is a changed man? Are you and Nichole reunited? Does Alex come back and rescue you? Well, none of that happened.

After everything that happened, I snuck into Nichole's and took all of my stuff back. Then, I texted 'Goodbye' to everyone in my contacts and smashed my phone to itty-bitty pieces. With that, I bought a trip on a bus or three, and now reside in one of those cheapy motels that barely has half a star.

Maybe everyone thought I was dead, and maybe that was for the best. I couldn't go home now. As I glanced around the small room I had paid barely twenty bucks for, I felt myself beginning to cry. Why was I crying, I am so sick of crying! Curling into the fetal position on the twin-sized bed, crying seemed to be the most logical thing to do in my situation. There was nothing else I could do.

With shaky arms, I grabbed the remote for the old television waiting in the corner and flicked it on. I just kept searching for nothing inparticular. And then I saw a girl, just like me, sobbing her heart out. Sure, it was in black and white, but I watched it anyways.

The girl had locked herself in a room as a person pounded on the door. She just cried and cried when she suddenly screamed, "leave me alone!"

But instead of listening, the door busted down and a handsome man emerged. Cole, I couldn't help but think.

She stared at him, dewy-eyed, as he responded. "I'd never leave you alone." And then she ran to him. He held her and hushed her and then they shared a hug followed by a kiss. "I love you," he divulged to her.

"I love you too, darling." They kissed some more as my bottom lip quivered, more tears following.

The man picked her up bridal-style and asked her one question. "Marry me?" She answered him with another passionate kiss.

I changed the channel quickly and the news was awaiting me. They were discussing Amber Alerts, and when nothing about me showed up,  just sort of gave up. Like I said before, nobody cared if I was alive or dead. Not my "supposed" best friends, or the guy who'd taken it all from me...or even the man I thought I was in love with. I guess I was just being naive for thinking he'd ever feel the same.

Why was he even at the coffee shop, anyways? It was almost as if everyone had planned on ruining my life. It was like clockwork, perfectly timed. I wish I had the answers to the questions I kept begetting, but I just didn't.

And as I laid on that dingy mattress, in that abominable room, at that depressing motel...I waited for that perfect man to come crashing through the door to confess his undying love for me where I'd agree and be carried off into the sunset.

Oh, how I wish that could become a reality. But, you see in reality, nothing is ever as simple as it insinuates.