The Exception

Chapter 24: What To Do

My knee tapped nervously at the table as I ate my yogurt. Ellie had hammered me the entire morning of everything that happened, and truth be told, I myself am shocked. I had successfully managed to avoid Evan, and even blocked his number considering he had tried to call me, and I had a headache.

Ellie passed me a can of Cream Soda. "Helps with Hangovers." She said and shrugged. "Don't ask me how I know."

"Thanks, you're sure your brother isn't coming?" I asked her and she nodded.

"As much as he wants to figure out what's going on with you, he has music practice for the school's sports event...so..." Ellie winked. "You'd be the first girl to ghost him on a date...normally it is the other way round."

"Yeah, I know...it's just," I tapped my hand on the table. "I kinda went on the date because I was curious and honestly expected it to flop."

"And now you're avoiding him, because it went too well?" Ellie answered.

"Kinda," I shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just so confused, Ellie. He's a jerk and a player...how am I supposed to believe he won't treat me differently from all the other girls? He just needs to grow bored."

"Well, at this rate, it might take the next fifty years," Ellie laughed. "Like I've been hammering you, he's been hammering me about you."

I smiled as I took a sip from the fizzy drink.  "Well, I appreciated you having my back."

"Don't sweat," Ellie laughed. "Nothing gives me more pleasure than watching my brother suffer a little...and work for it...I mean, everything is handed to him on a silver platter."

"Except for me..." I said and grinned.

"Exactly," Ellie winked.

"Oooh," I placed my head on the table as another throbbing pain set in. I didn't even have that much to drink for crying out loud, but what I drank was bad enough to make me feel sick, sore, and tired. I'm really going to be the grouch at work today. A shadow fell over the table, and I looked up.

"Now here's headache part two," I murmured. It was Sally hovering at our table. 

"Shove off," Ellie snapped.

"One moment, a little birdie told me you went on a date with Evan last night," Sally spoke softly. I looked up at her.

"You can tell that little birdie to keep her nose out of my business," I responded.

"I'm here to do you a favour..."

"By leaving?" Ellie asked.

Sally completely ignored her as she looked at me. "Evan's just going to leave you as soon as he finds a new girl. And trust me, nothing hurts more than watching him callously toss you aside...and there is nothing you can do about it. You're nothing but his next experiment. So why don't you do us all a favour and leave this city with you criminal daddy? Maybe off a cliff?"

Ellie stood up, but I grabbed her hand and pulled her down. I just looked at Sally. Her words stung, but a part of me could understand where she was coming from. After all, I was the person he flirted with right in front of her. "Just leave, Sally...please..."

"No..." Sally leaned towards me, and I gripped my yogurt tighter. "You are nothing but a brat and a pawn...I guess I will have the pleasure of watching you fall." With that she stood up and left.

I swallowed hard, trying to keep it together. A headache, a sick feeling and now a bully too...but that spark was still inside me. The memories of last night and the butterflies. I briefly thought about Evan kissing me, and realized that I was now in it deep. I really liked this pro-jerk, and now I had no idea what to do.