nerd.

dix-huit

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Arielle Evans 

I stumble back, my heart pounding as if it has just been stabbed.

"What...what the hell are you talking about?" I ask shakily. His eyes brim with tears and he tries to come near me, but I take a few steps backwards, pressing my back against the farthest wall from him.

"Arielle...I'm..I'm..sorry." Mason stutters, wiping at the corners of his eyes.

"No. No, no, you're not. You are explaining all of this to me, right here, right now." I demand, my voice still shaky.

"Arielle, I...Okay, look. Ashley has been my best friend since we were legit like five years old, and I guess that's why we ended up dating. We have history, but nothing else. The other day when you saw us kissing, I felt literally nothing. But when I kiss you, I always, always feel fireworks without fail. There, I said it." Mason says. I take a minute to process his words, letting them all sink into my brain. "I don't want Ashley. I want you."

"Make up your damn mind! Sometimes you want the populars, sometimes you want me, sometimes you want Ashley, and half the time you don't even know what you want! So just make up your mind!" I scream, tugging at my hair furiously.

"You, damn it! I choose you, Arielle!" Mason yells, silencing me.

"If you choose me," I say finally. "It can't be this back and forth nonsense. If you pick me, you pick me, there's no going back and forth between me and Ashley. Okay?"

"Okay." he replies quietly. We stand there in silence, staring into each other's eyes. "Can I..can I call her?" he asks, his voice cracking. I nod curtly, wanting at least that moment of being alone. He disappears out the treehouse and a few rings down, sitting on one and dialing her number. Thoughts race through my mind as I lean back against the wall, slowly sinking to the ground.

-Mason-

My heart thumps a million miles a minute as I press Speed Dial #1, knowing that she wouldn't be able to hold the position of #1 any more. I hold the phone up to my ear with shaking hands and wait for her to answer.

"Hello?" She says, her voice soft and gentle.

"Hey, Ash." I say, willing my voice not to crack.

"Hey, Mason!" she chirps sweetly.

"Ash, I..I have something to..to tell you." My voice wobbles as I speak, and my subconscious shouts at me to man up.

"Sure, babe. What's up?" She replies kindly.

"Um..y..you know Ar..Arielle, right?" I start.

"Yeah, the one who gets bullied. Poor girl. She's really sweet if you get to know her." Ashley interrupts.

"Yeah. So about her..um...she has a cold." I blurt, mentally kicking myself for not having the guts to tell her.

"Okay...? And how does this affect me?" Ashley asks.

"Um...it doesn't, really. I just.. I wanted to tell you in case I catch it and I'm not at school." I lie swiftly.

"Okay then. Well, I have to go, I'll talk to you later, babe." She says, sounding extremely confused.

"Bye. I love you." My voice shakes as I say the words.

"Love you too." With that, she hangs up. Guilt eats away at my stomach as I hold up the phone to my ear, pretending to be talking in case Arielle happens to look. I end up going back into the treehouse, in spite of the brick of guilt in my stomach. Arielle looks up at me, pain flashing in her eyes. I look away quickly, the emotion in her eyes tearing me apart.

"Did you tell her?" she asks softly.

"Yes." I lie, not wanting to hurt her any more than I already have.

"Thank you." she replies quietly, looking down at her bitten cuticles. I don't know how to respond, so I stay silent, trying not to focus on the horrible sinking feeling in my stomach.

-Arielle-

Mason just gave up Ashley for me. He just gave up his everything for me. I saw right through him when he told me the only reason he was with Ashley was because of their history. There is no way in hell that could be true. I've seen the way they look at each other. The love, and the passion they hold in their eyes. Now, don't get me wrong. I would love love love, more than anything, to be with Mason. I just don't know if its worth tearing apart a perfect, healthy relationship for.

"Arielle." Mason's soft, gentle voice pulls me away from my thoughts, and I look up to see him sitting down across from me.

"Yeah?"

"Are we together now, or...?" he asks, his lips curving up at the corners. A grin takes on my face and I crawl up next to him, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Hell yes."

*

"You sure like your cotton candy." Mason smirks as I stuff the last bit of the sugary pink fluff in my mouth.

"Nah, I'm just hungry." I reply sarcastically, tossing the wrapper in a nearby trash can. Mason laughs, taking my hand in his as we continue our stroll around the amusement park. The sun's light is slowly fading into reddish-pink streaks painted across the sky.

"One last ride, and then we'll go?" Mason suggests. I nod in response and we make our way to the last machine that we haven't been on. The Ferris wheel. Mason hands the guy at the front booth two tickets, and he opens the gate for us. Another man, a little bit older-looking and a lot more grumpier than the first, helps us into one of the little carriages and slams the door once we enter, securing us inside. The wheel starts to spin minutes later, and I watch the people and the rides become smaller and smaller as we make our way up to the top. Mason squeezes my hand gently, making me giggle. He stares into the mirror opposite of us, his eyebrows knitting together in concentration.

"What?" I ask, finally tearing my eyes away from the window.

"We look cute together." Mason says seriously. His lips don't even curve up in a smile as he says it, making me crack up in laughter.

"What?" Mason asks.

"You just said that so seriously!" I manage in between laughs.

"So?"

"Nothing, it just makes me love you even more than I already do."