High School Mayhem

~~~63~~~

Chapter 62: So Close
~Travis~

I awaken from my sleep by a knocking at my window. Half asleep, I notice the sounds of rain outside and shrug it off. It's probably raining hard or the wind blew hard and a tree branch knocked on my window.

But then it happens again, in a pattern.

Two separate knocks. Pause. Three rapid knocks. Pause. Two hard knocks.

Zerenity?

It has to be, we made that knock up when we had a tree house and we used that knock as the password. <<I dun care if it's basic, I'm not good at creating secret passcodes>>

I walk over to the window and open it to reveal Zerenity standing on a ladder in the rain. "Hey." She croaks. Her eyes were puffy like she'd been crying, her hair was obviously wet from the rain, and her pajamas were soaked.

I quickly grab a towel to wrap her in as I help her through my window. "Zerenity, what happened?"

Tears fall down her cheek as she sits on the floor. "G-Gene and I broke up."

"What? What happened?" I sit next to her as I hug her to comfort her.

"I don't know... he just said he 'doesn't think it's really working out' and walked off. What did I do wrong?"

"You? You did nothing wrong."

"Obviously I did! No one just breaks up with someone for no reason."

"Jerks do and Gene is a jerk."

She shakes her head. "No... it's my fault, maybe I didn't hang out with him enough or maybe he didn't like my hairstyle, I was trying something new with it or maybe my voice is too high, maybe I'm too short, maybe I talk a lot, maybe my eyes are weird."

"Zerenity, stop." I inhale sharply after feeling actual pain hearing her talk about herself like that. "One, you always went to hang out with him, he could've come to you sometimes. Two, your hairstyle was really pretty, if he didn't like it, he's an idiot. Three, you voice isn't too high, it's like... angel's sing when I hear it. Four, you're not short, you're fun sized. And finally, five, your eyes are beautiful."

"Thanks, Travis but I know you're only saying that because you're my best friend and you want me to be happy but I can't be. Even fake smiling isn't working anymore, I've practiced in the mirror for so long before I came over." She pulls her knees up to her chest. "I just wish I knew what I did wrong, I wish I knew what was wrong with me."

"There's nothing wrong with you, there's something wrong with him. If he can't see how amazing you are, then it's his loss. You'll find someone better."

"Who?" She turns to look at me. "Who would date me? No one likes me in that way."

I look away from her and my heartbeat begins to quicken. "I-I'm sure someone does."

She sighs and I feel her eyes look away from me. "If they like me then why haven't they told me?" <<Does anyone know where that's from? I think a girl was crying or something and she said that line.. I have no clue where it's from though.>>

That hit me hard, how could I possibly tell her? Besides, she may think I'm just saying it to make her feel better. "M-Maybe they're afraid of how you'll react."

"Afraid? Why? I'm not a bad person, right?" She looks at me again.

I turn to her. "Of course not!"

"Then what could they be scared of?"

"Rejection..." She tilts her head at me. "I-I'm guessing."

"Oh." She sighs.

"The point is there is someone out there who likes you. Forget about Gene."

"But I can't." Zerenity lays her head on my shoulder as tears stream down her cheeks. "I thought he really liked me..."

"He just made you think so... he didn't deserve you."

"No... I didn't deserve him."

"He's the jerk, he doesn't deserve anyone."

"I don't deserve anyone."

"Zerenity, stop..."

"I can't stop. I really messed this up."

"You didn't do anything--"

"Exactly, I didn't do anything, that's why he broke up with me. I never did any of the things he really wanted to do."

"Did he do any of the things you really wanted to do?"

"No..." She sits up.

"You did more for him then he did for you."

"I still think it's my fault." She sighs wiping her eyes.

"Why?"

"Because everything is always my fault."

"Where'd you get that idea?"

"When I think about bad things that happened... It always comes back to something I did."

"Of course it can be interpreted that way, but it's not." I assure her.

"It is. I know it is, okay? Everything points to me and it's true. My punishment this time is being forever alone."

"Forever alone? I think that's too far, what about in the future? And-And... What about the guy who likes you?" I ramble.

"The guy who likes me? I don't even know who he is." She looks at me questionably. "Do you know who he is?"

"I-- Um... I... N-No, no, I don't." I turn away from her chickening out. I could have said yes and told her when I was ready.

"Oh..." Her voice gets softer. "Is there really anyone then?" She sounds so down about it.

"Okay! There is!" I blurt and she turns to me, excitement in her eyes. "I-It's me," I say quickly.

Her eyes widen. "Y-You? You like me?" She stares at me. "You like like me?"

My heart pounds faster as we stare at each other while she waits for my answer. And... I chicken out again. "D-Did I say me? I meant to say--" Quick, what kind of sounds the word me-- "Gene." Oh great.

"Gene? B-But he broke up with me." She sulks. "Unless he was joking?" She starts smiling and she hops off the ground. "He was joking!"

"Uh," I stare at the smile on her face, "y-yeah..."

"I gotta go talk to him right now!" She giggles and makes her way my window.

"Wait! I'll talk to him first," I need to get him to go along with just for a while, just until I can tell her the truth, "as your best friend, I must yell at him for making you cry."

"Okay... But don't be too harsh, it was just a joke after all." She beams and climbs out of the window.

I flop onto my bed and sigh. Why can't I tell her? I was so close...