The Want of the Heart - R. G. (#Wattys2017)

10: The Boy Who Stood In The Rain

I want to ignore the way I'm feeling. I want to believe that I haven't fallen for Roman. After all, it was one date. I want to believe that I didn't want more than what we were.

He's tried to talk to me for days now. He's even recruited Shelley into trying to get me to talk to him. I sit with her in class, waiting for the bell to ring.

"He wants to talk to you," her phone says.

"Shelley, I don't want to talk to him. He already knows that," I reply, "I'm sorry that he's dragged you into this."

After a few classes, and no interruptions from Roman, I stand at my locker during the lunch break, looking at my phone when I hear footsteps coming towards me and a thud against one of the lockers. "You can't avoid me forever, pretty girl," Roman says to me.

"I happen to think that I'm doing a pretty good job," I reply without looking at him.

"How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?" he asks.

"How many times do I have to tell you to leave me alone?"

"Zoe, I told you I didn't start that rumor--"

"And that's not the problem," I interrupt.

"Then what is the problem?! I can't know what I did if you don't talk to me!"

"Nothing that we haven't already talked about."

He lets out a frustrated sigh. "The other day, you're on my doorstep, practically insisting that I take you out to dinner. You have a good time, you're actually acting like you're into me. Now, all of a sudden, you're back to the way you were before. Why are you ignoring me?!"

"Because maybe I want to!" I exclaim, whipping my head to finally face him. "Did you ever think of that?!"

He scoffs. "Bullshit," he mutters. "You don't want to ignore me. You're making yourself do it."

I laugh and shake my head. "Maybe if you could get your head out of your ass, you could see that the world doesn't actually revolve around you." I slam my locker door shut and get in his face. "I told you; I can't be bought. So, why don't you go try waving your family's fortune under some other girl's nose?"

He clutches my arm. "Do you think I'm just going to give up on you?"

I snarl. "Do you think that if you keep trying that you're just going to get what you want?"

"You think I want sex. You think that's all I want."

"Because--"

"Because of my reputation," he interrupts. "I already told you; people don't know me. You're listening to stories about me just like these people are listening to a fucking rumor spread by some jealous bitch who doesn't actually know what happened the other night."

I force myself out of his grip. "I don't want anything to do with you. I never did," I spit at him. I turn away from Roman and start walking away; only to find that he's continuing to follow me.

"You can't tell me you didn't have feelings for me, Zoe!" he calls out. The hallway is pretty much empty, seeing as the other students are getting their lunch or are hanging out in the courtyard. I'd say I'm lucky they're not here to witness this argument.

I slow to a stop and take a deep breath, Roman still strolling towards me. I slowly turn, crossing my arms and hiding the hurt I feel. "Do you think that every girl you come into contact with is going to fall for you? Are you really trying to go through all of the girls in the senior class before you graduate?" I get up in his face again, poking his chest now, "Are you just so self-centered that you can't accept that someone doesn't have the tolerance to put up with you?"