Behind

Chapter 61

I called my school to check me in, obviously pretending to be my mother, and they bought it. Then I changed the channel to some movie on ABC Family, but it didn't matter. We both ended up falling asleep anyway.

We woke up about two hours later feeling considerably rested but Taylor's stomach was making sounds like a dying whale. 

"Damn I'm starving."

I laughed and looked at him. "I didn't notice."

"Let's get food," he said as he jumped up and ruffled his fingers through his hair. He looked like a mess. A hot mess.

Why am I even thinking like this toward him? This is Taylor Caniff. Class A asshole. 

But at the same time, it was a new Taylor that I'd never gotten to meet before. Maybe this was the real Taylor that no one really gets to be accustomed with because they can't get past his douchebag facade.

I followed him to his car and the same teen girls were waiting in the lobby. I can't believe a month or so ago I was one of them. I wouldn't pay a cent to see these dufuses now. 

We were almost to the car when a taller teen that looked my age or maybe a year older with long blonde hair stood between the car and the two of us.

She looked at me and smiled. "How's Nash, huh?"

I crinkled my eyebrows and looked at her with an overwhelming attitude. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," she flipped her hair. Totally a basic white girl. "You are, or were, dating Nash, and then you're seen with Shawn, and now you're sneaking around with Taylor. Getting around is cool I guess, but I wonder what Nash thinks about it."

I gritted my teeth and Taylor pulled my arm past her and into the car. "Get in now," he mumbled.

"Maybe I want to say something to the-" I struggled, but Taylor overpowered me and shoved me into the car. He slammed the door and ran around to his side.

"What the hell was that?" I asked firmly.

"Fans are fucking nuts and jealous. You have to get used to it."

"They can't just confront us like that."

"Well they do. And they just did."

I turned to stare out of the window and chewed on my lip. I noticed the blonde waving with a snotty look on her face.

If looks could kill, I'd be arrested in an instant.

***

I felt sick after that incident, so Taylor took me right home. School had ended fifteen minutes ago, so it was safe to go home without suspicion now.

"Thanks for today Taylor. I appreciate it."

Taylor smirked and looked at me. 

"I mean I guess." I added.

He laughed and I opened the door to get out.

"If you ever want to play this badass game again, let me know. There are many more scenarios up my sleeve." 

I wasn't sure exactly what he meant, but I smiled and nodded. "I might just like that."

I walked inside and no one was downstairs to pester me. Thank God.

I trudged up to my room and opened my door to see Nash laying on the bed. 

"Glad to see you showed up," Nash spoke as he sat up. "I mean, you didn't bother to show up for school."

"I called myself in, so it's a legal absence." I tossed my bag to the side. "Don't get your panties in a twist."

It was silent and Nash stared at the ground. "Look at yourself."

"What?"

"Who even are you?"

"Who am I?" I pointed at him. "Who are you?"

"If you're seriously mad because I tattled on you for your own safety, you don't know how much I care about you." He stood up. "Maybe it just doesn't even matter anymore."

"What are you talking about, of course it mat-"

"Yeah? Does it? Because seeing pictures of you going to hangout with Taylor in his room makes me the happiest guy alive. The girl I like is sneaking around with one of my friends." He didn't look at me this whole time. "And you know, in this business, any wrong move or careless decision could get you killed and I don't-" He didn't finish.

I stood there suddenly feeling useless. I didn't know what to say or how to react. I felt like an ass.

"Fame changes people, Teal."

He shook his head and walked out of my room. 

I didn't move; I continued to stand there. I felt tears bead up in my eyes and I looked down at myself. I've turned into some snotty monster. I'm ruining my life as we speak.

If I knew one thing was for sure, it was that I was not going to let the guy that just walked out of my bedroom door walk out of my life. 

I ran down the stairs and caught Nash as he opened the front door. 

I grabbed his arm and pulled him back into the house. "Nash."

He turned to look at me, obviously unamused but also a little surprised. 

"I'm a stupid teenage girl, okay? I make dumb mistakes and I push people away and I do things that I regret five seconds later."

I was panting and panicing by now.

"But I can't let you be one of those regrets or one of those people that I push away." My voice lowered a little. "You're too important to me."

He looked at me, but only at my shoulder area, obviously avoiding my face. I saw a faint smile, but he continued to turn and go out of the door. 

A tear slipped down my face and he slipped out of my grip. "Nash.."

"I'm going to my car," he looked me in the eyes. "I'm grabbing my phone charger so we can watch some Netflix. I mean if that's okay with you."

I let out an enormous sigh of relief and smiled. "I'd like that a lot."

I watched him walk to his car through the front window and found myself smiling like an idiot. It took me this long to realize what really made me happy and who truly deserved a place in my life. These good influences seemed evil for all this time because they were distracting me from my newfound destructive habits that I thought were leading me in the right direction. 

I knew I had to have a long talk with my family later, but I had one obstacle tackled already and that seemed to be enough for the time being. 

Nash slipped in the grass and fell, and he caught my eye. We both started laughing and I ran out to give him a hand. He pulled me into a hug, that I knew I didn't deserve, and I hugged him back. It astonished me how fast my mindset on my life had changed.

Miracles do happen. Or maybe life just gives you miracles in the form of people.