Chapter Eighteen:
"Um...I meant uh." He scratched the back of his head nervously. "I gotta go." He darted out of my room.
"Wait!" I got in front of him which caused him to make an abrupt stop. He looked at me confused for a little. It was so sudden. His body relaxed a bit as he slowed down. He looked at me as though he was urging me to say something.
"What is it?" He whispered.
I glanced at his face but I was too embarrassed to say anything after what he had just said. I mean, could I really compete with her?
"Um. Nevermind." I rubbed the back of neck, looking at the floor. I stepped to the side so he could walk past me out of my room.
When he left, I closed the door and fell back on my bed and released a loud sigh. This day couldn't have gotten any worse.
•
"Why are you so glum?" Bonnie asked as she sat next to me.
"Im not glum, why would I be glum?" I shrugged lazily, not even looking at her.
"Because you've been acting like a snail all day. And you didn't even reply to me with an 'lol' when I sent you a gif of that kitten jumping on that lady's back. You just said 'yeah', so please tell me who's ass do I have to kick for making you so glum." Bonnie got serious.
"Skylor told me that he loved Cassie yesterday." I stopped stirring my mac and cheese and looked at her.
"Oh." She pouted. "Sweetie I'm so sorry." She hugged me. "He doesn't even deserve a dime piece like yourself."
"I guess you're right."
"Sky, are you okay?" Brett looked at me with sincerity in his eyes.
"Yes, I'm fine." I faked a smile.
•
After lunch I was at my locker getting a book for my next class. I closed it and turned around but was immediately met with someone's chest.
"Oh! I'm sorry." I panicked a little.
"You're the reason why my cousin is hurt." Some random guy hissed.
"What?" I shook my head.
"You. The guy from Valley who you lied on? Now he can't play in the State championship because you lied on him and got him jumped!" The boy snapped.
"I don't know what you're talking about." I pushed past him.
But he grabbed my wrist. "You framed him and everyone is gonna know what type of person you really are."
He let me go and I quickly walked off. Everything had been falling apart lately. I could feel tears surface in my eyes but I tried my best to wipe them and cover it up. I could feel all the tears trying to escape so I went to the room Jason and Crawford first locked me in.
The room was empty. I dropped my backpack on the floor and slid down against the wall. Tears began falling down my face. I can be very sensitive sometimes.
A couple of minutes into my sap time, someone walked in.
"Oh sh-!" Chase grabbed his heart. "You scared me." He glanced at me for a second until he saw how red and puffy my eyes were. "What happened?" He squatted in front of me and held my shoulder.
I sniffled a little and shook my head. "Nothing, it's just. It's been a long day."
"Did someone hurt you?" He asked.
That made me think back to what that guy said. And I started tearing up a little and held my face in the palms of my hands. "I'm fine. You know what, I'm just gonna leave." I wiped my eyes and got up, grabbing my backpack.
"Hey did you leave my stuff in here-" Skylor stopped in his tracks when he saw us. "What's wrong with you?"
I ignored and just wanted to leave, I held my backpack but Chase took it out of my hands and looked at me carefully. "What happened?" He asked.
"It's nothing." I shrugged, trying to get my book bag. He held it higher in his hand.
"We can do this all day." He still looked at me serious.
"Just some idiot guy I ran into the hall. But it's nothing." I wiped another tear.
"Who was it?" Chase asked.
"I don't know who it was." I honestly didn't know this guy. I just remembered what he was wearing. "He was wearing a lacrosse hoodie."
"What number was on it?" Chase asked again.
"Twelve." I shrugged.
Skylor and Chase both looked at eachother. "Daniel." They both said simultaneously.
"Follow." Skylor nodded in his direction.
Me and Chase both followed him until we reached the gym. "That him?" Skylor asked.
I nodded.
"Yo, Daniel." Skylor called.
Daniel looked a little flushed once he saw Chase and Skylor and me walking towards him. This was so embarrassing. It felt like I couldn't fight my own battle.
"Y-yeah?" Daniel stuttered.
"I hear you've been giving my girl here a rough time. That true?" Skylor leaned against the gym wall.
"No, I didn't do anything to her." He replied.
Skylor gave him a pointed look. "Try again."
"Fine. We had a little chat."
"Damn Daniel." Skylor shook his head.
"What." Daniel's eyes widened.
"Don't worry, I'm not gonna touch you." Skylor raised both his hands.
Daniel relaxed his shoulders a little.
"But she is." Skylor glanced at me.
"What?" Daniel and I said at the same time.
"Ivy, I know that there's something in you that wants to hit this guy for whatever he said right? He made you cry remember?" Skylor said.
"I remember." I nodded.
Chase stood behind him so he wouldn't leave.
And after a couple of seconds of contemplating, I walked towards Daniel and looked him dead in the eyes. "I'm not going to hit you." I assured him. "I just want an apology."
His eyes softened a little bit. He didn't expect that.
Chase spoke up. "Are you sure? We can take this dude out, it's not a problem."
I shook my head. "No, I'm not like that."
I averted my attention back to Daniel. "So?"
He gave me a slight nod. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I was just upset and angry. I shouldn't have taken it out on you like that." He apologized.
I nodded and gave him a signal to leave before the boys did anything else.
It was silent for a little while until Chase spoke up. "I'll see you around I got to go." He gave me one of those guy nods which I reciprocated. I turned back towards Skylor.
There was an awkward silence between us. I didn't know what to say really. But i'm glad he decided to speak up.
"Ivy, look I didn't mean to say what I said at your house. I didn't mean to weird you out." Skylor said.
"I get it. You and Cassie are a thing now. It's not like I'm getting my feelings twisted over this." I said sarcastically.
He didn't say anything for awhile. I turned on my heel to leave, but he gently grabbed my arm and pulled my back to him.
"Look, you want to know the truth? Fine. I like you. Ever since I first saw you at lunch, I knew that there was something about you. You're pretty and nice and I like being around you. But when Cassie showed up, all those old feelings came along right with it. I don't mean to make you feel like a victim, I'm just a guy who doesn't know what the hell he wants. I try to distance myself from you but every time I do, we get drawn together for some reason and I can't help but say something to you. I'm trying all I can not to like you and I don't want to like you because I tell myself I love Cassie. But it's something different about you. But I don't want to figure it out because I'm too damn stubborn to."
"If that's what you want, then fine." I looked at him deeply.
"What?" He asked dubiously.
"If you feel like Cassie is the one for you, I'll help you out. I won't ever talk to you again. I won't even look your way. If that's what makes it easier for you." I explained.
Call me crazy or what you want, but I couldn't take this anymore. I couldn't take him always being around me and we end up having 'a moment' when he clearly has a girlfriend who he claims to love. Maybe cutting all ties with him will make it easier for both me and him.
He looked stunned at my response. He pondered for a little. "Sounds good." He glanced at me then the floor.
"Good."
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