The Boy Next Door

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The next morning, I was awoken by Taylor jumping on the bed and screaming some song.

“Dude, stop!” I laughed at her.

This always happened when I spent the night at her house. The first time she did it I went ballistic and pushed her off the bed. After that, I figured she would never do it again, but here we are now.

“Oh come on, you know you love it.” She said as she stuck her tongue out.

“Totally.” I replied sarcastically.

We got dressed and headed to the fields. Today was the last tryouts for Vets. Since I was on the team before, I was a Vet, and I was so happy that today was the last day.

Of course we would have practices almost every day of the week, but they were nothing compared to tryouts. Winter Break was right around the corner anyways. It wasn’t Holiday Break, the one where we get out for Christmas, but it was a week off school, so I didn’t really care what the reason was.

At tryouts, I couldn’t stifle my laughs when a freshman fell while running to first. I automaticity felt bad, but I couldn’t help.

When people fell, I had to laugh. I always felt bad afterwards though. Unlike many other people in my school, I actually had a conscious. I ran over to the poor girl to make sure she was ok. I helped her up and she smiled at me, which I gladly returned. It felt nice to help people.

After tryouts, I went home to write a paper that was due the next day. I had to write about a traumatic experience in my life.

I sighed. Did I really want my private life being shared? No. Did I have to? Yes. I wrote about losing Michael. I refused to go into further detail. I didn’t put a single word in that paper about my parents. It was all about Michael.

The next day in English class, I was prepared to turn in my essay, but I wasn’t expecting that we had to present it. I internally groaned. There was no way in hell that I was going to present it. I could barely hold back my tears when I wrote the damn thing. I knew that if I had to present it, that I would break down.

I went up to my teacher, and I tried to explain my situation, but she didn’t want to hear it. She said that it was good to let my feelings out.

I groaned and sat back down in my seat.

“Now class, we have had a volunteer.” Ms. Marks said.

I laughed. I felt sorry for the poor kid that was set up for public humiliation. It sucked going first.

“Now Miss Lawrence, come on up and present.” Ms. Marks said with a smirk.

My mouth dropped in shock. I didn’t volunteer. Ugh, Ms. Marks was out to get me.

“But I-” I started, but Ms. Marks cut me off.

“We’re waiting.” She interrupted with another smirk.

I sighed. I knew it was inevitable. I stood up in front of the class, and I began reading what I had wrote the previous night. I talked about my life growing up with Michael, and how he was my best friend.

Then I got to the part of the crash. I tried my best to keep the tears from falling down my face, but I felt a few escape. I finished, and I dared to steal a glance at the class. Some kids also had tears in their eyes, including Ms. Marks.

“I’m sorry, if I had known I would have let you slide. I just thought you wanted to get out of the assignment.” She said.

I shook my head. “It’s ok.”

I sat in my seat, and I turned to see Will looking at me. I gave him a small smile, but I knew it didn’t reach my eyes. He gave me a sad look and then another presenter went up.

I listened to the first few, but I stopped when a cheerleader said that her traumatic experience was about a bad haircut. I rolled my eyes. I zoned out until it was Will’s turn. I sat up in my chair to hear him better.

He talked about how hard it was to be uprooted during the school year and leaving his friends behind. He said that he was afraid that he wouldn’t fit in, but now that he is hear, he was glad that he had moved. He said the last part while smiling at me. I blushed a little bit.

At the end of class, Will waited outside the door for me.

“You ok?” he asked worriedly.

I nodded.

“I had a feeling that you would pick that, but you still did great.” He said giving me a reassuring hug.

“Thanks, so did you.” I said while smiling at him. I could feel the blush start to creep across my face again.

“I need to talk to you when we get home, ok” he asked me.

My heart fluttered. Was he going to ask me out, or was he going to tell me something bad? I heard Will calling me away from my thoughts.

“Oh sorry. Yeah, I’ll come over.” I said as I walked to my locker. I only had Social Studies and Math left. I had Math with Will, but he sat way in the back, while I was forced in the front.

Will walked me to Math, and I sat through another boring lecture. School was just too easy for me.

I had always gotten straight A’s, but I never tried. This stuff just came naturally. Of course all my friends hated this about me because when they were studying their butts off, I was watching TV. I guess I had some sort of photographic memory.

I went to my locker and went off to Social Studies. The whole time, I was staring at the clock waiting for the final bell to ring. I wanted to get home quickly, so Will could tell me what he wanted to say. When the bell rang, I shot out of my seat and ran to my locker. I grabbed my stuff, and waited for Will at my Jeep. I saw him walking out of the door, but then someone grabbed his arm.

I looked at the parasite hanging from Will’s arm with a sex-crazed look. It was Amber. I saw her whispering to Will, but he shrugged her off and walked towards me.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the look on her face. Will hopped in the Jeep, and I drove home. I parked the Jeep in the driveway, and climbed out. It was now or never, I guess.