OKAY YOU GUYS I'M FREAKING OUT HUHU I FORGOT THAT I ACTUALLY PUT A DATE ON LAINE'S BIRTHDAY AND UGH IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE IN JANUARY AND THE SETTING IN HERE IS LIKE FEB ALREADY T.T IMMA EDIT CHAPTER 19 (someday when I'm not layzeh anymore) T.T I'M SORRY T.T #growingoldproblems
And and. Warning: this chapter is gonna be long.
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THREE DAYS LATER (MONDAY)
"So are you gonna tell me the thing last time or nah?"
Lunch time. With Cassidy.
"Cass, I'm sorry. It's just that I don't want you to worry."
"I am worrying already. Now tell me."
Sometimes I wish for Dana's wrong timings. I don't want Cass to know the thing. I'm afraid she'll march up to Britt and get furious in front of her.
But I also don't want to lie and keep secrets from my best friend.
"Okay," we're sitting in front of each other on the usual place in the cafeteria, by the way. We're both not in the mood to eat. And the others, Tique and the boys? Are missing. We don't know where to find them.
"So I ran into Britt." I began. More like she ran into my locker. Whatever. "And we kinda had this talk."
"What talk? Tell me all about it. Don't leave any freaking detail."
I rolled my eyes and continued speaking, "So yeah we had this talk. She was nice for the first three seconds, but one thing led to another and she told me stuff that was... Unpleasant to the ears."
She slammed her hand on the table. "Just get on with it for Pete's sake Laine."
"Fine fine!" I held my hands up. "She told me that I should break up with Will. She threatened me into doing something to IM5 or to you and Tique."
"What?!" Cass is obviously mad right now. "She told you that? All this time I thought she was nice! Bitch!"
"Hey, don't call her names!" I shushed her before anyone would notice us. You know, Britt's obviously someone here in the school.
"What? She deserves the title! Wait 'til Will hears about this." I held her arm to stop her, "Stop it, please. This will be over. Let's just hope that Britt will stop. Just, don't tell Will, please."
Cassidy looked at me and sighed. "I can't help you all by myself, Laine. If you wait for a second strike, she won't stop. She won't stop until she gets what she wants. We must put an end to this while things are not getting worse yet." She stared behind me, as if thinking of something.
"No, please. I don't want him to worry. He's graduating this year, he has so many other things to worry about. The band, his studies, I don't want to add to the load. I can handle Britt's words. I don't want to be selfish right now." I looked down. I hate feeling helpless.
"So you think you're not being selfish right now?"
Someone with a very familiar voice spoke behind me. I slowly turned around with fear and true enough, Will's there. Along with the others.
"H-how long have you been there?" I asked, trying my best to sound normal.
But of course I failed.
"Long enough to hear everything." Will said. He sighed, and turned to the side.
"Uhm... Maybe we should uh move to another table and let them talk alone yep that's right c'mon Cassidy let's move!" Tique dragged Cass off her seat and walked away to look for another table. The four boys followed them.
Will sat beside me. I flinched a little. "We were talking for the whole weekend and we got snacks together this morning break, but you didn't tell me anything about that encounter with Britt. When are you planning to tell me?"
I looked away from his piercing brown pools. Now mixed emotions are attacking me. Fear, guilt and worry.
"Answer me, Laine. Your silence won't stop me from asking." This is the first time I heard him talk this serious.
"I... Just don't want you to worry." I managed to tell him.
"And you think I'm not worrying now? I know Britt. The moment you told me that she wants to hang out with you, I knew something was up. Starting then, I was worried and all I wanted was to protect you. You could've told me that she came to you last Friday. It won't change a thing, I am still worried for your sake. I know what she can do." He tried turning my head to look at him but I just looked down.
"Stop worrying, then. I know how to handle this."
"You do?" He started knocking on the table. One indication that he's irritated. "You weren't even able to defend yourself back there! Now she thinks you're weak!"
"I'm okay, Will. I swear--"
"Damn it!" He pounded on the table, a little hard I could say. "Aren't you my girlfriend? Just shut up and let me protect you!"
**
The day went by normally, and by normally I meant going all by myself. And Dana pissing me off.
Okay, Cassidy's a little mad at me, and so is Will. I'm really sad about it because after the talk we had earlier, he just took me with him in search for the others. And when we found them, Cass already got me some food. Will sat with a distance from me, and we haven't talked since then.
Dana took me home, he said he wants to make sure that I won't run into Britt again.
"Try talking to Will now. You know him, if ever he got mad, it won't last." Dana said once he pulled over to our house.
"I will. I'm just guilty and feeling super sorry for making him feel like that." We went out of the car. It was the band car, by the way.
"You should be. Stupid," he said, like it was the most normal thing in the world. Rude! I rolled my eyes at him.
"Oh, Dana! What brought you here? Come in, I have some snacks inside!"
Mom suddenly appeared like she teleported from nowhere. Dana just chuckled and gladly accepted mom's offer.
"So, Dana? How's Joni and Dana?" Mom asked as soon as we were inside. She placed a bowl of fries on the center table.
"You mean how's mom and dad or how's mom and me?" Dana asked nonchalantly.
I smacked him on the head. "Ow, Laine! I was joking! Y'know? For a girl you sure can hit hard." He shook his head. "And they're fine, Elsa. Mom just got a cold but she's well now."
"That's good, that's good." Mom nodded. "So... Can you spill some beans to me about Laine? If she's not telling me something."
"Mom!" I whined. I glared at Dana. Don't you dare tell her something about Britt, you monkey.
"Oh! Will asked her to prom last week." Dana said, stuffing his mouth with fries.
"Really? Aww that's cute! So you're going out with the boy you like, baby?" Mom told me. I just closed my eyes and shook my head. Unbelievable. Hopeless.
"Actually he's her boyfriend now."
"Dana!" I shouted at his declaration. I punched and smacked and pushed and shook the hell out of him.
In short, I murdered him. You can put me behind bars now.
"Laine Laine Laine Laine stop! Hey!" He pushed me away with more force. "Why'd you do that!"
"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that!
"Elsa?" He turned to my mom, "I'll go ahead before this witch kills me." He stood up.
Of course I wasn't going to let him go just like that. So I tripped him when he walked past me.
He snickered before finally going out of our house. "Can't you see how annoying he is?!" I told my mom. She responded with a smug look on her face.
"Oh no... Mom no... Don't believe Dana."
"Honey, I'm not mad. As long as you're aware of your limitations, everything's fine with me. And I think Will's a good boy, so I don't have much to worry about." She smiled at me.
"Mom..." I whined. This is so awkward!
"Laine. You're sixteen. It's normal to fall in love. Just don't fall that hard, okay? Priorities. Studies first." She stood up and rubbed my head. "Invite him. Your dad would like to meet him," she told me in a teasing voice, with emphasis on the word dad.
"But he already met him!"
"He didn't know he was your boyfriend. Now I'm sure they want to have some guy talk." Mom teasingly smiled at me before going to do her own business.
I shook my head. If I get a chance, I will literally murder you, Dana.
**
So I've finally decided to call Will to apologize. But I'm just too dumb, because I don't know what to say.
I've been trying to construct a speech in my head for the past hour but I just sat on my bed because I got nothing. I want to get this fixed right now but I have a loss for words.
After several ticks of the second hand, my phone vibrated. I picked it up to see Will's name.
He's calling! What do I do?
Answer it, stupid.
I know but... What will I say? Eh, I am so bad at this!
Dammit! Whatever.
"H-hi?"
"Hey. About earlier--"
"I am sorry, Wiiiiill. Don't be mad at me anymore. I should've told you that I got a problem, and I shouldn't have let you worry that much. I'm so sorry, Will. Forgive me pleeeeaaase." I lied on my bed and closed my eyes tightly though he can't see me.
"Hey hey... Calm down. It's okay. I sorry too. Just... Please, I want you to tell me everything from now on, okay? I don't want you getting hurt."
"I will. I promise. And hey." Should I tell him about what mom told me?
"Hmm?"
"Dana kinda told mom about us."
He sighed before answering, "I need to go there, don't I?"
"She... Wants you to."
Will chuckled. "Okay then. And mom wants to see you too."
"O-kay we'll get to that. One at a time please?"
"Okay. So when?"
"Maybe when you're not that busy anymore. I know about finals and band stuff so... Take it easy." Because they still have to be a band on prom night.
"Thanks. Uh... How about prom night? I'm gonna pick you up anyway. Maybe I'll go there an hour or so earlier."
Hm... That's a good plan. At least it won't take long. "Okay. Okay. Can we talk about the 'me-going-to-your-place' thingy tomorrow? I'm kinda tired and I wanna sleep."
"Of course. Text?"
"Sure."
"Good night. I love you, Laine. Always remember that."
Wait, what? "G-goodnight, Will. Y-you too."
**