Mister Popular

32.

Christmas break was coming up, and that means I was leaving to New York soon.

I always leave to New York to visit my family there, and I stay with Téa during the two weeks and a half weeks I'm there. I'm leaving tomorrow, but today I skipped school because I forgot to pack earlier.

My hairs up in two pigtails as I fold everything neatly and pack it into my suitcase. I was regretting buying my airplane tickets so early but I always buy them during the summer around this time and the cheapest they had was for yesterday, a day before break actually started.

And I still haven't told Zion that I would be leaving.

I walk over to my closet, looking through the clothes I had to see what I'd bring with me. I let out a scream as arms wrap around my torso a hand cupping my breast and squeezing gently. "Zion!" I look up to see the culprit, he leans down and kisses me.

"Why weren't you answering your phone?" He asks as he slowly lets me go. I walk over to my phone that I left on the dresser that was playing music, I pause it. "It was on silent, I'm sorry."

He looks around, his eyebrows pinching together. "What's all this?" He asks and I put my hands behind my back. "Oh? I-I didn't tell you?" He looks at me his eyes shadowing over. "Tell me what?" He says lowly. "That um, I'm leaving for break...to New York. Tomorrow." He glared at me reaching out to grab me but I jump on my bed.

"I'm sorry! I forgot!" I let out a scream and duck, hiding under my bed. "Zion, we aren't children stop." He grabs my ankle and pulls me out from under the bed.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He snarled, "I'm sorry, I really did forget. My mom reminded me this morning." I told him, the pad of my thumb running across his bottom lip. He pushes me on the bed making me giggle as I bounce. "You're gonna have to make that up to me." I laughed. "Oh really?"

He nods hovering over me.

I laughed, "You're such a teenage boy, Zion." He smirks, his head dipping down and kissing my collarbone. "How long are you gonna be gone?" He asks scooping me up and holding me to his chest. "Two and a half weeks." His face falls. "What." I play with his hands. "Yeah..." He takes in a breath.

"I wanted you to be here so I can ask you something." I look up. "Ask me now." He shakes his head no. "Where are you gonna be staying at?" I kiss his hands.

"Téa's apartment. I have my own room there." I tell him happily. I pout as I see his sad face, I sit up, wrapping my arms around his neck. "I'll be back. We'll have these same holidays next year." I tell him trying to lighten the mood. "And we'll spend them together, every year. I'm gonna miss you though. But I promise, me and you." He looks up at me.

"I love you." My eyes widened, and I sit down, my arms sliding off his shoulders.

"What?" I whisper, looking into his eyes to see if he was joking. We've known each other for months and we've been dating for a month. He stiffens, "I'm in love with you." He says, was that even possible?! He's known me for so little..what if he changes his mind.

"Thank you."

"You said thank you?! You fucking said thank you when he just confessed he loves you?!" Téa yells at me as we drive to the airport. "I was scared! I mean we've just been dating for two months or so." She shakes her head. "But you've known each other for five?" I nod my head, "Clementine! You idiot! He's had these feelings for those months he's known you! Not he just woke up and was like 'well we've been dating for a month let me just say I love her' idiot."

"Ugh, I messed up. I messed up so bad." I say tears spilling. "Has he called?" I shook my head no. "When I said it he just stared at me and then left." I chocked out.

"Clementine, you need to stop being so careful. Sometimes you just have to dive in, even if you get hurt. It's life, what else do you expect. So live it with risks. Who cares about the past we've had." I nod, soon our Uber stops in front of the airport. "So you love him?" Téa said with a smirk. "Yes. So much, it scares me T."

"Thank you." We say and take our luggage.

Zion

I always said what I want and what I mean and I've never regretted it until recently. Did she not love me? Or maybe it was my fault, I'm rushing her into everything so fast. But it was true, I love her and I'm in love with her.

I've never cared for someone the way I care for Clementine. The way she smiles, laughs, dances, her slight shyness. The way she can be so passionate about the things she believes in, the way she pinches herself when she can't believe something.

Or the faces she makes when she's reading something or watching a movie.

The way she looks at me, plays with my hands and traces the freckles on my face. Her soft kisses, everything about her makes me love her more.

I spot who I'm looking for, walking up to them. "Hey," The two girls look up at me with surprise. "Hello?" The leader, Haley says. "I told Clementine I love her and she didn't say it back even though I'm pretty sure she loves me too." It was wishful thinking but I still said it out loud.

Their eyes widened and Haley nods, coughing.

"How'd her face look like?" Tessa asked, "Her eyes where wide and her cheeks were pink." I explain, the painful memory still in the back of my mind.

Haley and Tessa snort, shaking their heads. "She loves you." I narrow my eyes. "How can you be so sure?" Haley smiles. "Has she give you music to listen to?" I nod, "Does she hug you a lot?" I nod. "She hugs everybody." I stare, "Ah, ah, ah. If you pay attention she hugs everyone differently. Does she hug you around your waist?" I shake my head to the side, "Sometimes."

"Exactly, she only does that with friends, plus it's always from the side...except if it was us." Haley said sadly.

"Anyways, she loves you. I'm assuming from that," She says point at the love bites Clementine left on my neck. "She's scared though." Tessa said knowingly. "Miguel screwed her over pretty bad, and would say thing like they're going to have kids, and get married and whatever. He'd threaten her a lot and she really thought he loved her and she loved him. And now I guess that your love comes so naturally it scared her. And she doesn't know if it's real or not."

I knew what to do, "Thanks." They smile and nod their heads. "Tell Clem we miss her please." Haley says and I contemplate. "Maybe." I say smiling walking away.