Chapter 20
I picked at my food unwillingly. I had tried my best but still I had ended up hurting Zack in the end. Mostly it was my fault because at the first place I shouldn’t have kissed him. I was unaware of the people around me as I was lost deep in my world. Zack along with Chas had been my best friends and what did I give Zack in return…heartbreak…way to go Tee. I wish there was some way I could undo the kiss I had with Zack that night. I had no right to rip his heart into pieces like that. He had every right to be mad at me. I am sure he would have understood if I had explained him before that I thought of him as a friend and nothing more. But being a fool I had led him on. A decent human being like him did not deserve this. He had been nothing but sweet to me by giving me a ride every morning to school and making me comfortable on the first day of school.
I missed having Zack by my side while he cracking jokes on Chas. I gulped down some cold water trying to wash away the dryness in my throat but even after that my throat felt dry. Zack had told me everything about himself and his family but I had told him nothing but lies. I felt as if I had used him. He was such a happy go lucky type of person who was always ready to help anyone and I had crushed him.
Why did I fall for the arrogant player instead of the sweet and sensitive guy? Could I get over my feelings for Blaze and fall in love with Zack? Because Zack was the one who deserved to get a girl he liked. I mean what is there not to like in Zack? Any girl would kill to have him as a boyfriend. And Blaze on the other hand…well…he was the guy every girl hated to love and loved to hate. Could I leave Blaze alone and go for a nice serious relationship with Zack.
I got my answer when Blaze touched my arm. The feeling of being electrocuted was still there. I was hopelessly falling for Blaze.
“It not your fault Tee,” Blaze said trying to calm me down as my friends stared at us looking up from their food trays. Lunch had never been so gloomy at least for me. For others it was a bit shocking…to watch Blaze being so attentive to one girl. Cruz and Stacy had their mouths hanging wide open while Chas was trying to conceal her surprised expression.
“It is…and I have to make this right…” I said sadly plunging my plastic fork into the pasta.
“We will both make this right. I just like to see you so down,” Blaze said earning a few more surprised looks from our table.
To be truthful, I was astonished too. Blaze was acting like he really liked me in front of everyone? That is definitely not what players do.
Rule #10: Never accept or reciprocate your love (fake) for the person you are playing with in public.
This is an unbreakable rule followed by all players. This is done so that other girls/boys are unaware of the fact that the player is interested in a particular girl. That way the player is free to play around with other girls or boys. And right now Blaze was blatantly breaking this rule.
Blaze (shocking me even further) wrapped one of his arms around me and said lovingly, “We will talk to Zack together…I am sure he would understand.”
After coming out of my shock I mumbled, “I got myself in this mess. So, I will deal with it on my own.”
“I gotta go,” Stacy said making a face and ran off.
“Why does she run away like that every time?” Chas said curiously, “I’m going after her this time.”
“I’ll come too,” I said getting up from my chair. It was a little mysterious to us why Stacy dashed off frequently just after we all had eaten. She did it during the trip and she did it every single time when we were in school. “I’ll be back,” I couldn’t help smiling back at Blaze before leaving.
Was I really falling for Blaze? From a hardcore player could he change into a guy who wants to get into a serious relationship? What if this was just a game for him?
“Something is wrong with Stacy and I am going to find it out,” Chas grumbled as we followed Stacy.
Stacy wasn’t aware of the fact that we were following her as we were a few feet away from her. She was walking towards the girl’s washroom. It was strange why did she have to rush to the washroom after every meal? We waited for a few seconds after Stacy had gone in the washroom and then walked in behind her.
“Great…where is she now?” Chas whispered to me.
I shrugged. Chas’ question was answered by a barfing sound that came from a washroom cubicle. My eyes went wide with shock. Stacy was….
“Why did you just do that?” Chas demanded as Stacy flung the door of her cubicle open.
“Did what?” Stacy looked a little frightened.
“Puke in there…why Stacy?” I asked her gently.
“Uh….I was not feeling well,” Stacy said unconvincingly.
“No way Jose, you are not getting away with that. I noticed that you had puked right after eating during the camping trip as well,” Chas shook her head hard.
“I-I—ah…” Stacy was at a loss for words.
“Just say it,” Chas said firmly.
“Say what?” Stacy asked trembling.
“That you are pregnant,” Chas said taking in deep breath. But then she broke down, “Oh my God…You are barely 17…your mum will kill you…Mrs. Harrison has always been so uptight….Obviously she will throw you out of the house. Then where will you go? Is the baby’s father ready to accept the responsibility? Why didn’t you use protection?”
“CHAS SHUT UP!” Stacy shouted as I broke into giggles, “And my mother is not UPTIGHT!”
“Huh?” Chas’ was stumped.
“I am not pregnant,” Stacy sighed.
“It’s just that….I—I ummm puke out whatever I eat as I want to lose some weight,” Stacy grimaced.
“That doesn’t make any sense…” Chas argued.
“You have Bulimia,” I sighed.
I had never thought of Stacy as a kind of girl who was low on self confidence. In fact she seemed like a girl whom the whole high school girls looked up at. Sure she acted like a dumb blond and only Chas, Zack and I knew that she wasn’t that dumb in reality; still she was pretty. She was also not snobbish like most of the high school girls I had met. Maybe she did have image issues as she tried to act dumb most of the times. I had never thought much about that act she had put on but now as I thought of it, it might have been due to her low self esteem.
“Bul- what?” Chas asked confused.
“That is an eating disorder Chas…in which a person eats and then pukes it all out,” I explained.
“What is the use of eating then?” Chas asked even more confused.
I ignored Chas and looked at Stacy, “You don’t need to do this Stacy…you are already so skinny and you seriously look like you need to put on some weight.”
Stacy indeed looked pale and rail slim. Earlier I had thought that was due to Stacy’s fast metabolism but now I knew the real reason. The foundation she had used to cover the deep purple shadows under her eyes had been washed away.
“You would say that,” she said pointing at my body, “You are perfect and have curves that girls would die for.”
“This is not healthy Stacy…you can fall really sick due to this—“ I was cut off by Stacy.
“Even Cruz said that my butt looks big,” Stacy said grimly.
“Your BUTT IS PERFECT,” Chas cried out annoyed, “And Cruz needs to get his eyes checked.”
“That ass told you that?” I asked amazed. I had always thought that Cruz was a nice guy but I guess that assumption of mine was wrong.
Stacy nodded and broke into a sob, “I need to be alone,” and walked out of the washroom.
“I don’t believe what just happened,” Chas seethed, “Cruz is going to have his face re-arranged.
***
“I promise you her butt will not look big now! You creep!” Chas punched Cruz hard on his face, “You want a piece of me ol’ guy?”
“Chas!” I was trying to pull Chas away from a scared Cruz. No doubt he deserved that punch but I didn’t want Chas to get in trouble because of that jerk. And from where I could see she had already given him a black eye. The area around his eye had a light bluish tinge to it bit I was sure by tomorrow morning it would turn into a lovely purplish- greenish colour.
“Come on, there is no use talking to this guy,” I told Chas as she hyperventilated glaring at Cruz threateningly. Cruz, off course was sprawled across the floor cowering from her.
“My fists will talk to him,” she spat at him.
“Let’s go,” I dragged Chas along with me.
We both were quiet for the rest of the journey to our class because we thinking about Stacy. It was sad that how at times guys drove girls to do such things. Stacy, no doubt was way better than Cruz but one negative word from Cruz had drove her to Bulimia. Why is it so that we girls harm ourselves so that the guys get what they want? If a boy tells a girl that she is fat she stops eating and eventually gets an eating disorder. And if a boy says that a girl’s nose is weird she gets a nose job done. It is disgusting how guys hurt girls so deeply. And these wounds only result in low self esteem and disorders.
I had to talk to Stacy about this or she could really get sick. But would she listen to me? I couldn’t tell her mom about this; no, that wouldn’t have helped Stacy at all. And what kind of friend I would be if I did that. Who could talk to Stacy about this? Did I know someone who was actually cared about people and could talk sense into the desired person?
Well, there was this one boy I knew but he was mad at me for breaking his heart. Zack had to listen to me this time…as this was about Stacy.
***
I looked all over for Zack after school finished but failed to find him anywhere. I even asked my friends if they had seen him anywhere but no one had seen him after the history class. Did Zack cut school due to me? It was time now; I had to set things right.
“Hey Tee,” a sexy voice called out.
I looked behind only to find Blaze standing behind me. It was annoying how he made my heart beat so fast even now. He stood there in his enticing polo shirt and casual khaki pants. Man, he did look completely edible.
“Hi,” I tried to control myself from blushing as he came near me and started to kiss like there was no tomorrow. Right there in the school for the second time in a row. That’s when I realized, I had Blaze hooked.
Author’s note- What do you think of this chapter? And girls don’t you think that the part where I mentioned that girls hurt themselves at times due to stupid guys completely true? Have you ever been hurt like that? Have you ever done what Stacy is doing? OMG I just wrote the 20th chapter...this book had come a long way hasn't it? I know some of you think that Blaze and Tee are hooking up too soon but don't worry there will be a lot of drama and trouble between them.
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