Sapphire's P.O.V
Three days, is how long I've gone without a word from Joshua and a peep out of Blake. It was odd and partly unsettling. I felt as if something was going on, something I didn't know about. I kept trying to get a hold of Joshua but he wasn’t replying to any of my text or calls. When Friday - today - hit I wondered if we were still on for tonight.
Sitting down at the lunch table I pulled out my phone for the hundredth time. Entering in the four-digit password, I immediately went to my text messages. Looking over my messages between Joshua and me, I scrolled down to see if he had replied to any of my thirty-five texts. Sighing, I saw that he hadn’t. Part of me started to slowly debate if I should text and ask if we are still on for tonight. Finally gathering up the courage to do so I sent him a brief text.
Me: Are we still on for tonight?
Not seconds later he replied in the shortest text he has ever sent me.
Joshua: Yea
My heart jumped at the fact that he had texted me back but I was also upset. He had replied, meaning he got my other messages, but just choose not to reply.
Me: Is something wrong? I feel like you have been avoiding me...
Staring at the dimly lit screen of my cell phone, I waited for his reply.
Suddenly Alicia came out from behind me and grabbed my phone. I knew from the past that is was her attempt to get my attention, but now was not the best time to keep my cell captive. With an open of her mouth, Alicia started to talk about tonight as everyone sat down. All while she was yacking on and on I was trying not to get mad and yank my phone from her hand. I stared at Alicia's hand that was clasping my phone. By the time I heard her speak to me I had already planned out one hundred different ways to get my cell away from her. More than half my plans involved her being out cold on the floor when I was done.
“I think we should eat around seven,” Alicia stated. "Agreed Sapphire?” She asked as she tucked my turquoise cased phone into her yellow skinny jeans. Sticking her tongue out at me, Alicia waited for me to reply.
“Sound good to us,” Linx said as he placed his arm on the back of Carmen’s chair.
“No can do for me,” I answered as my lips touched the cool can of my Dr. Pepper. Taking a huge sip, I knew everyone was looking at me. They wanted to know why seven o’clock wouldn’t work ... but thing is I wasn’t willing to tell them -- Linx -- that the guy I’m ‘dating’ has a son and I was planning on going trick or treating with them before it got too late. Exhaling I wondered if that was even still happening...
“Why does that not work for you?” Linx asked as he looked at me with curious eyes.
I nibbled on the inside of my cheek. I couldn’t lie ... they would see my nose curl and I’d be caught and forced to face the truth ... My mind started to come up with ways I can respond to them without fully lying. The seconds ticked on and I felt everyone train their eyes directly on me, waiting for my reply. “Joshua needs to get home before seven,” I honestly stated.
Silence among our table lingered for a few elongated seconds before Linx asked a simple question I knew was bound to spill out of his mouth. “Why?”
That my friend is the million dollar question, which I wasn’t going to answer just yet. Wringing my hands under the table, I opened my chapped lips. “Well, his mother wants him home,” so she can join us in going trick or treating with Noah and us.
“Mother? I thought the dude was like twenty-six, please tell me he doesn’t still live with his mom!” Alicia exclaimed as she went slightly wide eye.
“Twenty-six?!” Linx’s voice boomed as he let what Alicia said sink in.
I shook my head violently trying to calm him down. “No, no, Linx, he is not twenty-six! He is ... twenty-four,” I proclaimed.
Linx, with his free hand face palmed himself, “as if that is any better.” By his tone I realized it was bettter because he has calmed down a little.
Rolling my eyes I took a bite of a baby carrot I had before glancing around the lunch room. I tried to spot Blake. He had been absent for the past three days, part of me hoped that the reason he wasn’t in Art class today was because he had skipped that class. But, as my brown eyes danced around the crowded room, I began to realize that was not the case.
“He is not here,” Carmen whispered in my ear as if she knew what I was looking for.
My eyes flickered to her and I gave a smile that clearly didn’t reach my eyes. “He who?” I naively asked Carmen.
A small grin found her face. “Oh, Sapphire, we all notice. Your still in love him ... Blake,” she clarified.
“All?” I questioned.
Carmen motioned to everyone at the table. They all were smiling and talking among each other while I sat there staring at them. A moment of fell over me where everything around me fell silent, I could see all my friends’ mouth move and their bodies shake with laughter, but it was still quiet as my eyes gazed over each of them. A sudden twist of happiness ran through my veins.
I was going to get over Blake, Joshua was going to help, and so were they. Even if it wasn’t intentional, they will be there for me, like always.
****
“Oh, Sapphire, what about this?!” Olivia asked me as she pulled a red, sexy devil costume out from the rack.
My face felt heated as I tried not to fall embarrassed by her picking such a revealing costume. “Ummm, I already told you Mrs. Lupinello, I have a costume.” I replied to her as I turned to a rack next to me. My cold hands touched a random costume. A soft velvet fabric entangled with my fingers. Looking down I saw I was grasping a blue velvet costume, not even bothering to see what the costume was of, I let the fabric slip from my fingers. Holding in a shiver, I gave Olivia a smile as I tried to make her think I liked this Halloween store she dragged me too. Fact was, I hated it. The place smelled like corn candy, which I also dislike. As for the walls, they were black with huge, fake, orange and black spiders plastering the walls. My eyes casted down on the ground to find that it was white laminated tile, the kind that lines my school halls. Sighing, I put on a happy face ... but in my mind I was screaming 'get me out of here'.
I thought when Olivia invited me shopping we were going to some boutique in the mall. Never in a million years did I think she would take me to some Halloween store that made me want to hurl with every step.
“Oh, well darn ... I just wanted to get you something special for tonight,” Mrs. Lupinello stated with a twinkle in her eye.
I straightened up and realized what she was hinting it. She was trying to dress me sexy for Joshua so we would have sex. Mentally face palming myself I shook my head. “You-You don’t need to do that,” because it’s not happening, I wanted to say.
Olivia winked at me, “okay ... whatever you say...”
Sighing I brushed my fingertips along another rack of random costumes. “Hey, Mrs. Lupinello, has Joshua been asking weird lately?” I asked her.
Looking up and over at me she placed a hanger back on the metal clothing pole. “I was going to asked you the same question. The darn boy hasn’t allowed me to come over to the house in the past three days. I called his work and he has been taking off too. I was thinking you and him were ... well, hitting it off.”
Trying not to choke on my own saliva as her words register in my mind. “Oh, no, I have been wrapped up in school and family ... stuff,” I lied. “But, it is just that I have tried calling and talking to him but he seems to be avoiding me.”
Olivia sighed ... “well don’t worry about it. That is what I've been trying not to do. Plus, you are going to see him tonight; maybe you can ask him what's going on with him.”
“Maybe when he drops Noah off at your house tonight you can talk to him too. We can compare notes,” I suggested.
A sudden unreadable expression etched out on Mrs. Lupinello’s face. “I-I am not watching Noah tonight...”
“Well ... then who is?”
Suddenly the lights in the place dimmed down and neon laser lights started to shoot randomly from around the place. Fog slowly crept on the floors. “Welcome to Hey-o-ween Store, where we have all your Halloween needs! Muhahaha!” A voice boomed on a sound system.
“You want to get out of here?” Olivia asked right before the band, Black Sabbath, began to blast over the speakers. Covering her ears she began to walk out of the store, not waiting for my reply.
Grinning at the fact we were finally leaving, I followed her. When we got in the car, she sighed. “I’m sorry for taking you to the God awful place! I hope you do forgive me!” Mrs. Lupinello asked as she started her car and drove away.
Chuckling slightly I shook my head, “all is forgiven, if you promise never to take me back there.”
“I cross my fingers, hope to die,” Olivia joked. “So, how about we go to Galton Accessories and More?”
Smiling I agreed, “now you are speaking my language.”
“And maybe while we are there we can talk about Joshua.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.”
***
You guys are fudging awesome! I received over 68 comments! Just seeing that made me write like a mad woman! Hahaha! You all are super duper awesome! Thanks!
On another note, we only have about 15 more chapter to go! Yay!!!!
Oh, and make sure you read my message to fans on my message board! Your opinion could change the story! LOOK AT MY MESSAGE BOARD! (: