Behind

Chapter 31

I was sent to the infirmary of the hotel and they put my nose back together and bandaged it up. I'd be lying if I said that getting my nose set back into its correct position wasn't one of the most painful things I've had to endure.

After being cleaned up, I went back to the gym. People were just finishing up the next lesson; yoga.

I thought yoga was a pretty peculiar topic for a gang's training, but I didn't protest. 

Shawn motioned me over to him quietly and I copied the motion they were doing at the moment. It was called the downward dog, also known as fly your butt sky high into the air and breathe deeply.

As we brought our behinds back to ground level, Bart stood up. "I think that's enough for one day." I rolled my eyes considering I participated in half of a movement and we were done.

"You're dismissed." Kendra smiled at the group. Bart immediately made a bee line to my standing spot.

"How are you feeling?" Bart eyed my nose skeptically. "You sure everything's okay?"

I nodded. "I'm fine, really." 

He smiled warmly at me. "You're an ace, you know that Chambers?" 

I nodded my head. When people used my last name it gave me a strong sense of pride, unless it was my mom lecturing me. I smiled at Bart as he walked away.

Shawn moved quickly towards me and glanced at my nose. "If you need anything, and I mean anything, text me or call me. I have to go to a dental appointment and I have ten minutes to get there."

I pushed him in the direction of the door. "Hurry up then." 

He smiled playfully at me and slid his shoes on.

"See ya." He yelled from the door. I lifted my hand weightlessly into the air to make a sort of half-effort wave.

I took my phone out of my pocket and mindlessly checked the time; a regular habit that I could never avoid. It was almost eight o'clock and I was pooped beyond belief. A broken nose tends to whip the adrenaline right out of you.

I walked towards the shoe area and stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Nash leaned up against the wall, talking with Kelly. He wasn't facing me, so he couldn't see my glare.

I licked my lips and tried not to stare, but I couldn't help it. 

Kelly giggled loudly and Nash laughed too. The talk was quiet, and Nash was doing all of it. He's never talked to her before, but suddenly he feels the urge to now? 

It's not that I don't like Kelly- of course I love Kelly. She's one of my closest friends, but I don't want her falling into his trap that he's trying to put over on her.

Irritated and without thinking, I cleared my throat loudly. Kelly and Nash both looked at me. Kelly looked hesitant, as if she had better leave. Nash, on the other hand, walked to the opposite side of Kelly so he was facing me and her back was to my view.

I watched closely as Nash said something quietly to her face. In one swift movement, he took her chin in his hand and leaned in. I couldn't take it. I walked out of the room angrily and stomped to the vending machines. 

I swiped a tear angrily from my face and leaned against the cool metal. I didn't think a guy could take such a toll on my emotions, more or less a guy I hadn't even known personally for a month. 

I also didn't know that a guy that always seemed so nice could turn out to be such a douche. I was crying harder right now, and I felt my heartbeat pump forcefully through my pained nose.

This is why my mom had always warned me about boys since I was a little girl. I thought it was mindless and useless advice she had always given me at random intervals, but now it all fit together.

I reached in my pocket and pulled out a wrinkly ten dollar bill. I think chocolate could serve as a decent friend right now. I smoothed the dollar out with my fingers and then smoothed it out again against the corner of the vending machine. Delicately, I slid the bill into the machine. 

I scanned the sugars the machine had to offer and considered some Reeses cups. As I took what else I wanted into consideration, I couldn't help but realize that the only thing that could make me happy right now would be, oddly enough, Nash. 

Regardless of how mad I was at him, I still wanted to talk to him and just screw around with him. Being with him made me happy for some ridiculous reason. Part of that ridiculous reason might as well be due to the fact that I've always wanted a guy to take the male place in my life to fulfill my dad's past spot. Nick never could manage to do that but somehow, as much as I didn't want to admit it, Nash made me happy in a totally different perspective. 

I knew I was dumb for feeling that way, or I'm just overreacting about this whole situation. Maybe it might be for the best if I just get him out of my life.

D2 was the code for the Reeses cups. I pressed my finger up to D and slowly moved it to 2. Before my finger had reached the 2 I felt a tap on my shoulder. 

I whipped around. My tears had already started sticking to my face from crying. I felt my face stretch the drying patches of wetness as I faked a smile. "Hey." I said to Kelly.

"Hey," She smiled weakly. Quickly she grabbed my upper arm. "You were crying. No no, Teal." She brought me into a hug and I stood there awkwardly for a moment before I gained the strength to lift an arm lightly around her back. 

She pulled away and looked at me. "If it's about what you saw in there, it's definitely not what you think."

"I know." I lied. I looked to the left of the room to try to avoid tears again. 

Kelly took a deep breath and looked at the floor. "But.."

"But?" I quickly asked, my voice irritatingly strained. "But what?" 

"He tried to- he just-"

"He kissed you." I interrupted. The words stung.

She brought her vision up to the wall behind me. "No."

I scrunched my eyebrows. "No?"

"No," she looked behind her as if to make sure no one else was coming. "He, well, he tried to. But before he could get close enough, he stopped."

I stood there, letting her words fall heavily onto my chest.

"As if I'd let him anyways," She continued. "I heard the door shut and I figured that's when you had left. All during practice he had talked me into the fact that you two weren't a thing." 

I clenched my fists. She kept talking.

"But I told him I didn't like him, I liked someone else." Her eyes grew greyer and she shuffled her feet. "Even if that someone is currently in a coma.." Painfully, she seemed to escape her thoughts and she snapped her head back up. "Anyways, he pulled away and said that he really liked someone else, too. He's awfully confusing, but we both know who he was talking about."

I smiled innocently and Kelly turned on her heels to leave. "I love you girl, I couldn't do that to you."

I waved to her as she left to the lobby.

I pressed the 2 on the machine and couldn't help to continue smiling to myself. The Reeses cups fell to the hard metal inside of the machine and I reached through the slot to get it. Eagerly I opened the package and bit into the smooth chocolate covered peanut butter. 

Maybe Nash actually had better morals than I had thought.