A/N: here's another! i've also updated the playlist and took some songs out/added some new ones in, so go check that out :)
HOW SHE ACKNOWLEDGES HER MISTAKES
I have never been the picture-perfect, flawless, gorgeous teenage girl. I have, however, been the flawed, slightly lost looking teenage girl.
At home, mom and dad assume I have it all together. I can't blame my dad for his assumption because he is barely home – he's always out of town for work. Like now, he's currently in New York. And he'll be home for a few days next week, but then he flies out to California. But mom, well, she's always home. She should know better than to assume I know what I'm doing.
Spoiler alert: I don't know what I'm doing.
Especially not right now. I have no freaking idea what I'm doing right now. I know that I'm insane for doing it. That much, I know. But what exactly I am doing? No clue. None whatsoever.
I'm rambling. I'm nervous, okay? Sue me.
I left therapy half-an-hour ago, and headed straight back to school for the football game tonight. Taylor said she would meet me here, so that's who I'm currently looking for. I'm standing around aimlessly in the parking lot, looking for my best friend.
You wouldn't believe who happened to walk up.
I swear, God hates me. Or maybe he desperately wants me to find someone, so I'll stop asking him to kill me. Whichever one it is, I desperately want God to shoot me down right now.
Come on, make some random lightning strike hit me. Or maybe a sink hole. Earthquake? Freak accident? Something?
Nope, nothing.
Granted, things wouldn't be this bad if I hadn't happened to park right beside his truck. Like I said: God hates me.
"Oh, hey."
I look up from my phone, trying to be nonchalant about the fact that Micah is standing right next to me and acting like we're old friends. Is he not mad that I straight up ignored him for two weeks? I would be pissed if that happened to me. Why isn't he mad?
He's so confusing.
"Hey," I reply casually, going back to the game on my phone. I lean back against the hood of my car, feeling the heat from the engine radiate through my shirt.
He walks around to the passenger side of his truck, opening the door and rummaging around inside a bag. "Are you here to watch the game?"
"Nah, just here because I can. The sunset looks really pretty from this spot," I smirk, glancing up from my phone.
I hear him chuckle, and I get to watch his shoulders shake as he does. I kinda miss seeing that.
"You're funny," He comments, apparently not finding what he was looking for because he shuts his truck door with nothing in his hands. He leans against the door, crossing his arms over his chest comfortably. "So, seriously. What's up?"
I shrug, clicking my phone off and sliding it into my back pocket. "M'singin' the national anthem tonight," I explain. "I'm waitin' for a friend right now, though."
"Ohh," He nods. "So when we hear the anthem, I'll know that's you singin'."
My face drops. I rarely tell anyone when I'm going to be singing it because it makes me uncomfortable when people bombard me with questions about it.
"Y-Yeah," I mumble. "I guess you will."
"I won't tell anyone," He shrugs. "If you don't want people to know."
I chuckle quietly, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "It's weird," I try to explain, but it really is weird to explain to someone that you don't like attention. Most performers feed off of it. But for me, it really only runs me down.
"S'fine," He says, making me look up at him with furrowed brows. Okay, he's really confusing me now.
"You're weird," I blurt, but don't feel bad for it. It makes him smile. "Most people would tease me about not wanting others to know."
He shrugs, a grin tugging at his lips. "I'm not most people."
I roll my eyes, "God, you're gonna make this sound like a chick flick, aren't you?"
His face splits into a full blown grin at that, and I hate to admit that it makes me smile, too. His happiness is contagious.
Damn him.
"It's what I do best," He replies cheekily, then sighs. "I wish I could stay and talk, but Coach is gonna send out a search party for me if I don't get back in there."
I shake my head, feeling weird that he wishes he could stay and talk. To me. Of all people, me. Weird.
"Don't worry about it," I wave him off. "Good luck."
"Thanks," He murmurs, smiling softly. "I'll see you around?"
"Yeah," I grin, nodding. "You will. And I'll try not to ignore you, this time," I pause to laugh. "Sorry about that, by the way."
This time he waves me off, "Don't worry about it. It was confusing, but kinda enlightening. So thanks for it."
I raise an eyebrow, "You're thanking me for ignoring you?"
He pauses to think over the question before he nods. "Yeah, I guess I am. See you around, Piper."
"See you around, Micah."
We wave goodbye to one another, and I try desperately to ignore the butterflies swarming in my stomach. But they aren't just there. They're in my chest, in a weird cluster that makes it feel like my heart might explode.
I think it's crazy that I could be that comfortable around him, after ignoring him for two weeks because I was scared.
I sigh happily and lean back against my car, watching him disappear back inside the school.
He's a weird boy. Really weird.
+++
"What's got you all cheery?" Taylor comments, eyeing me suspiciously.
She's already suspicious because I brought my glasses with me into the bleachers. I hardly ever do that. Hell, I hardly ever stay at the game after I sing, but Taylor and I are trying to go to every game this season. Home game, that is. We haven't decided yet if we want to go to some of the away-games.
"Nothing," I shrug, but then I know I'll have to spill the beans to her eventually, so I do now. Better now than later, honestly.
Besides, I still feel like my chest is going to explode. I talked to a boy. A boy! On my own, too. I haven't done that in years.
"Okay, fine," I sigh, putting my glasses on the top of my head. I turn so I'm facing her, grabbing her arm to ground myself. "I talked to Micah."
"Shut up!" She nearly screams. "You're serious?" I nod. "Well, don't just sit there! I need details, woman, details!"
So I give her details. How I was waiting patiently for her slow ass to arrive, and I accidentally parked next to Micah's truck (she says it was fate, I say I accidentally parked next to his truck) and he happened to come down there while I was waiting. I told her about how we talked randomly, and I made him laugh, and how confusing he was being.
By the end of it, I thought Taylor was going to explode instead of me.
"Hm," Taylor hums happily, resting her chin in her hand. "You know what I think?"
I nearly groan. "What d'you think, Tay?"
"I think he likes you," She whispers, excitement clear in her voice.
I swallow thickly, shaking my head. I laugh nervously, brushing it off. "Probably not, but thanks for the thought."
Taylor sighs sadly, pursing her lips. "I know this is weird for you, but it's not bad, y'know?"
"Yeah," I shrug, pausing. "I guess it can't be that bad." But it still scares me.