Love to Hate You

Chapter Five

I’m the first one out the door after a tension filled practice. It was like walking on eggshells. You tried not to say or do anything to anger Justin.

The other boys try to stop me on my way out and I know what they’re expecting. They’re expecting an explanation. I can only imagine being in their shoes, to watch my friends behaviors suddenly become wild and guarded.  The poor boys don’t have the slightest clue about what’s going on. So, I tell them to come with me.

We walk down the street together, following the same path Sean did when he left over an hour ago. At the spot where I think Sean broke off his necklace, my eyes start searching, looking for the broken chain in the grass. When my eyes finally land on the shiny, broken chain reflecting light in the dirt, I stop and pick it up by the guitar pick. The snapped chain dangles from the pick, broken to the point where it cannot so easily be fixed. Sean’s name is on the pick like my name is engraved in mine, except in black instead of silver.

“He won’t want it,” Austin says simply as he plucks the broken thing from my hand.

I roll my eyes, holding in sassy remark. “I know he won’t,” I say as I turn to the group of boys following me, “but I do.”

Austin raises an eyebrow, a sneaky smile appearing at the corner of his lips, and asks, “And, why is that?”

I look at the lot of them and notice that Austin, Alex, and Kris wait for my answer with matching suspicious looks. The kind of suspicious that makes me want to knock them all out in order to wipe the silly smiles off of their faces.

“It’s not like that,” I say defensively and slap my forehead, an obvious blush warming my cheeks, “I’ll explain later, just gives it to me.”

“Why do you want it so bad?” Alex muses as he snatches the necklace from Austin to dangle it temptingly in front of my face.

“Because it serves a purpose in the immediate future and I don’t have the time or the money to replace it.” I answer quickly, resisting the urge to reach out and grab it.

“What is the purpose?” Kris asks, wiggling his eyebrows as he too takes the necklace to taunt me with.

I sigh loudly and frustratedly, running both hands through my already disheveled hair.

“If you’d let us get to our destination then maybe you’ll find out!” I all but scream at them. To be honest, I’m not that patient at the moment. I’m tired, and embarrassed, and sick from everything that’s happened so far today. I want to get this over with so that the secrets can stop and they aren’t letting my day progress past Justin’s house.

The laughter leaves their eyes, sensing my anger. Kris hands the broken necklace back to Austin who pockets it.

“You can have it after we find out, then.”

I suck in my cheeks and clench my jaw, the overwhelming feeling of irritation bubbling inside of me. My eyes shut and I take a deep breath, letting it out loudly before turning on my heel and walking away briskly.

After a couple of seconds, they catch up and follow me the rest of the way to our destination.

~*~

Sean’s front door swings open almost immediately after I’ve knocked. He answers with a bruised, puffy face and a relieved look.

“Thank god you’re okay,” he mutters quickly, pulling me into a tight hug. I rub his back slowly until he pulls away.

“Did he hit you, threaten you—oh, hi guys…” Sean breathes out in a rush, faltering when he notices the band of boys behind me.