High School Mayhem

~~~~103~~~~

Chapter 103: The Cycle Continues
~Travis~

Okay, Travis. You decided this was the best idea, you can't chicken out now as you're creepily standing in front of the guy's door.

I take a deep breath and get ready to know on the door when it opens. Gene stops and stares at me wide-eyed. "What are you doing here?!"

"Uh, you see..." I turn away from him, this is awkward. I seem like an actual stalker. "I lost your phone number so I asked Dante for your address." I explain.

"Why didn't you just ask for my number again?"

I turn to him and my mouth drop opens. I scratch my head as I say, "Good point."

"That still doesn't explain why you're here." He crosses his arms and leans against the doorframe. He sighs, "This is about me breaking up with Zerenity again, isn't it?"

"Yeah." I nod.

"Look, I don't have time to keep playing this 'I break up with her, she cries to you, you come to me, you ask me to get back together with her' game. I tried making it work and she ignored me, end of story. Now leave." He tries to get past me but I stand my ground.

"Do you at least know why she was ignoring you?"

"For college. Move." He glares at me.

His glare is a little scary but I try to ignore it. "It wasn't just you she stopped talking to." I rush on. He continues to glare at me but he stops trying to get past me. "She distanced herself from literally everyone, even her own family."

"...So?"

"So... that's just how important college is to her. She's, no joke, been talking about going to the best college in world since she was in second grade." I explain. "That's just how determined she is, she's just putting the extra work in a little bit late."

Gene groans. "Are you done?"

"Not if you aren't persuaded to get back together with her."

"You know... you're weird. You'd think you'd be jumping for joy when she and I break up because that'd mean you have a bit more of a chance, right? Yet here you are, asking me to date her again."

I think I'm a bit strange for doing this too. "... ... ...I guess I'd just rather see her happy. It pains me to say it but... if you make her happy then you two should be together." I sigh before instantly glaring at him. "So stop breaking up with her before--"

"Before what?" He fold his arms.

"Tch." I roll my eyes. "Look, I know you like her too no matter how much you hide it. One simple misunderstanding shouldn't break you two up."

"I don't need a lecture from you." He dashes past me.

I shout after him, "She's going to try to talk to you on Monday! Don't ignore her!"

"Keep talking to me and I'll get a restraining order!" He shouts before getting in his car and driving off.

This is hopeless, isn't it?

~Monday~

"Travis! Travis! Travis!" Zerenity runs over to me and plops into a seat. "Guess what?!"

I chuckle at her excitement and raise an eyebrow. "What?"

"This morning, I was on my way to talk to Gene but called me and told he wanted to meet up and talk! And when we met up, he apologized and we got back together!" She giggles. My grin fades slightly but the small smile left on my face remains from just seeing her happy again. "Isn't this great?!"

"Yeah. Really great! Congrats, again." I nod.

"He really did just need time to calm down, and he actually calmed down because he asked me first!"

"I know, I never thought that'd happen."

"Me neither!" She excites before clearing her throat to calm down a bit. "So... is everything okay with you and Aubrey? Did she just need time to calm down too?"

"I haven't heard from her." I shrug.

"What? Really?" She looks down and sighs before rubbing my back thinking I'm upset about it. "It's okay, Travvy. Everything will just fine in the end. Like, um, did you get any new love letters?"

"Everyday."

"Wow, you're really popular." She gasps and stop sympathetically rubbing my back. "I want to read one."

"Sure." I open my backpack and pull one out and hand it to her.

She clears her throat again and gives herself a 'sophisticated' voice. "Dear Man Of My Dreams, hi. I really like you. I also want to date you. I know you and Zerenity are just friends so I won't get mad like your last girlfriend did. You're really hot, especially shirtless. I've seen a couple of your swim meets before. How does someone like you not evaporate the water? From... A girl who's too afraid to write her name for fear that you'll reject her. I will wait under the bleachers for you every day until you love me though." Zerenity's eyes widen. "Wha-- How many days has it been?"

"I don't know, I only get the notes out of my locker every Friday and it doesn't have a date on it." I explain.

"Wait, didn't you and Aubrey break up Friday after school?" She tilts her head to the side. "How does she know she got mad?"

"Oh, she must mean when I was with Stacy then." It's the only thing that makes sense.

"Stacy got mad too?" Zerenity gasps. "I'm ruining your chances for a girlfriend..."

"If they can't recognize that we're best friends, I don't want to be with them anyway." I smile at her.

"Yeah!" She cheers. "But, you should meet the who wrote this note though. Who knows how long she's been trying to see you."

"Oh, I guess you're right."

And so... the cycle continues.