Splinters: Part One

Part One | 16

"And then I was with Zech in seventh and eighth grade."

And goodness, that practically made my blood boil. Even though it probably shouldn't have been a shock, I was still surprised. Of all people, it had to be the two I had biggest problems with. It all made sense. Zech giving her to me. He wasn't lying. They really had been together.

"Why?" I spat. "Why them?"

Collie jerked her head towards me. "What?"

"Andrew?" I grimaced.

She shook her head. "It was barely a relationship. The only thing we did was kiss."

It was a punch to the stomach, thinking of Andrew kissing Collie. If he was her first boyfriend, then-

"So Andrew was your first kiss?"

Collie hesitated on answering, but she did anyway. "Um, yeah."

Her hand squeezed mine as I carried on. "Why'd you two break up?"

"Zech came along."

As much as I was appreciating her honesty and all, I was beginning to really wish I hadn't asked, but if I didn't, I'd still be in so much confusion and curiosity. But maybe that was the better option. If she was more than just a girl to me and I was more than just a boy to her, we have to be honest, don't we? Isn't a relationship structured on that kind of stuff?

"So you just ditched Andrew for Zech?"

"That's so not what it was like, Brayden," Collie said, an edge to her voice.

I knew I'd hit a nerve with my choice of words and I felt bad honestly, but I was upset. I hated the idea of Collie with those two boys. She deserved so much better.

Collie took a deep breath. "Andrew and Zech were really good friends back then. Andrew had his eyes on someone else I think and I liked Zech and Zech liked me. Andrew was fine with it."

"What about Zech?"

"Zech's a completely different story."

I didn't care. I wanted to know. "How?"

"He was-" she sighed. "He was just always so clingy! He freaked out whenever I even glanced at someone else and he was so into me that it got annoying sometimes. After eighth grade, I just wanted to end it. I didn't want a boyfriend anymore. So in Freshman year, I broke up with him."

"But he's not over you."

"I think he is," she admitted. "He just acts like he isn't."

I didn't believe her words for a second. Was she blind? Zech was trying to get me away from her second by second, minute by minute, and day by day.

"I like you way more than I liked them, though, Brayden."

In a second, she managed to take away my anger in a single sentence. I wasn't mad at her per say, I was mad at what taste she had, but how could I help it? I am also one of the boys she likes so she has some good taste, right? Besides, I had no right to be upset. She didn't know I was coming. I didn't even know I was coming.

"They mean nothing compared to you," she said. "They're just friends now. Well, Andrew is. Zech's just a part of the group."

I was quiet for the longest time. She rest her head on my shoulder again. I was nervous to ask her before and now that she's come out with everything regarding her ex boyfriends, I knew this is what she so desperately wanted from the beginning.

"Collie?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you, um..."

She slowly sat up again, turning her head as she looked into my eyes. Hers were so beautiful that I almost forgot what I was asking.