"You fooled me from the start
when you let me start to love you"
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Monday was a drag, as to be expected.
Imogen decided to have a sick day and Chase had to 'care for her', leaving me all alone in the torture house. I went to first and second period, pretended to listen, pretended to do the work, but when third period came around, I was conflicted.
Usually Axel skipped the class, but knowing him he would probably there, waiting to confront my sudden off behavior.
I guessed that was the reason I was ignoring him, I didn't want him to drill me on why I was acting so different. I refused to admit that it bothered me when I saw him with that girl.
I wasn't jealous, I just wasn't particularly pleased with the outcome and potentially didn't like his choice of interest that night.
She didn't seem .. right for him.
So with all of that in mind, I decided to skip third period, walking to the very back of the school. There was a vacant janitors closet at the end of the last hall, with a ladder inside that led to the rooftop. Only a couple of students knew about it, but only the stoners and delinquents were allowed up there. It was their sort of 'unspoken rule'.
Otherwise if someone did, they'd get their ass kicked.
But I couldn't care less.
I checked behind me to make sure no one was looking before quickly opening the door, walking in and shutting it quietly. I dropped my bag on the floor before climbing up the ladder, pushing open the latch to the roof. I hoisted myself up, shutting the latch behind me, a bunch of deep laughter startling me.
I spun around to see Dean and Archer being the source, Dean having a cigarette in his mouth. There were a group of stoners down further, smoking out of a bong, which oddly wasn't the weirdest thing I'd ever seen.
"Well well well, look what the cat dragged in." Dean smirked, obviously taking notice of my appearance.
I rolled my eyes as I walked over to them.
"Come to forget about the world for a little bit?" Archer teased, as I sat down next to him, my legs dangling over the ledge.
"Actually, yes."
Dean looked over at me, both of his oddly perfectly arched eyebrows raised. "Penny for your thoughts?"
I snorted, pulling my jacket tighter around me. "If you did that, I'd be on the first plane out of here."
Dean chuckled as he stood up from his spot. "I'm gonna see if the stoners want an extra member of their rotation."
I laughed watching him walk to the other end of the roof, silently hoping the stoners would laugh at him and send him away. But Dean was pretty intimidating, always getting what he wanted.
"What's going on in that pretty little head of yours, Blackwood?" Archer questioned, nudging my shoulder softly, bringing me back to reality.
"You wouldn't want to know." I assured him, looking out over the surprisingly nice view of Lakewood.
"I've got nothing better to do." He replied with a shrug, making me look at him skeptically. "Go on, enlighten me."
I sighed, running a hand through my hair, looking up at the sky.
"So there's this guy." I started, watching as Archer nodded, his eyebrows furrowed and lips pressed together in a line as he listened intently. "And I don't have feelings for him, truly, but sometimes he makes me think that I could. But then he manages to get under my skin unlike anyone else and ruins it. He makes me feel things that I hate and there's no off button. I just wish there fucking was one."
Wow.
I felt slightly better, like one of the many weights was lifted off my chest.
Maybe you need a therapist.
"But if there was an off button, would you really want to use it?" Archer questioned, unexpectedly sounding interested.
"Of course."
Archer shook his head disapprovingly. "I don't believe you."
"Why wouldn't you?" I scoffed, making him chuckle.
"In the short time I've known you, Blackwood, I can easily tell when you're lying. Your eyes get slightly wider as you talk and your left eyebrow arches. Every time that's happened you've lied, so I'm sticking with my theory."
"Not true." I mumbled, looking back out at the town.
"I believe that if this guy really did have an off button, you'd find comfort from it, knowing you'd have the ability to turn it off and on as you please. But that's not realistic and that's what scares you. You can't control him." Archer spoke, making my jaw drop. "This guy is unpredictable and you'd much rather know what's going to happen before it happens, and with him, you can't. So you fear what you don't know and being hurt, and you especially fear the possibility of you cracking and actually falling for whomever this guy may be."
Though what Archer was saying was unexpected and most likely true, my ego couldn't agree with nor handle that.
"What're you a psychology major or something?" I snorted, shaking my head.
"Should be." Archer smirked. "But in other words, you're just a control freak."
"Screw you." I laughed, pushing him away.
"You're one tough girl Blackwood, you know that?"
I chuckled, knocking my shoulder against his.
"I try."
***
I ended up skipping fourth period and lunch as well, wondering how I didn't get caught. My bigger problem was facing Axel in last period. I couldn't afford to miss a chemistry and neither could he, only leaving the inevitable to happen.
I walked into the class to see him already there, making me let out a breath before walking over to my seat. His face looked tense, like he was mad. Completely ignoring my presence, he remained looking forward, making me grow confused.
I couldn't tell if he was seriously that mad that I had been avoiding him or if I was being self centered and he was mad about something that didn't involve me.
All of class we stayed silent, mostly because we were doing silent independent work, but that never stopped us from talking before.
When the bell rang dismissing us, he shot out of his seat faster than Imogen runs to the door when the pizza man arrives, making me run after him.
"Axel hey! Wait!" I yelled after him, grabbing his arm.
"What?" He bit aggressively, almost making me flinch.
"What's your problem?" I asked, feeling confused.
He laughed coldly, shaking his head. "You. You're my problem. You go around avoiding me and then I catch you flirting with Archer? First it was Dean and now it's him? Sorry I don't have anymore friends to pass along to you."
My mouth dropped and I felt my heart pump rapidly, anger flowing through my veins like lava down a volcano.
I'm about to explode.
"I've never flirted with Dean nor Archer, and it's stupid that you think I'd do that." I scoffed, looking at him in shock. "More importantly, you have no room to talk about that! Every fucking party we go to there's some new girl all over you. But that's just how you operate, isn't it Axel?"
"What I do is none of your fucking business. Who I'm with is none of your fucking business. When are you going to realize that?"
Oh he can't be serious.
"So then who I 'flirt' with should be none of your
fucking business!" I exclaimed. "This whole friends thing isn't going to work out. I knew it wouldn't last."
Axel laughed coldly, making my heart drop.
"Funny, I was thinking the same thing." He retorted harshly, ripping away from me before walking out the doors, leaving me alone and hurt.
Just like I knew he would.
***