As I walked through my 1st period's classroom door, I already felt Lauren's eyes on me. I had ignored her for the rest of Saturday and for all of Sunday.
Sure, I felt bad. But she wasn't what I was looking for. She wasn't who I wanted.
As the teacher began her lecture, Lauren continued to stare at me. I was trying so hard not to look over and make contact. She was fine as hell and I felt like I was doing Viola wrong by flirting with her.
After what seemed to be like the longest class of my life, the bell finally rang. I picked up my book bag and hurried to the door as quickly as I could, trying to avoid Lauren.
Sadly, I didn't move fast enough and I now had to face her beautiful, sad face standing right in front of me just outside the classroom.
"Um, hey." I said, looking around.
"What's going on with you?" She asked me, concern in her eyes.
"Nothing." I said, catching sight of Dylan and Jess watching us. I so badly wanted to run over to them and us all head to our 2nd period, but I knew Lauren wasn't going to let me get away so easily.
"No. It's something. You've even been ignoring my texts. You've been acting weird, you won't even look at me." She said quietly.
Along with Jess and Dylan, I caught sight of Ms. Roman as well. All three were watching us and I didn't know what to do. I was feeling pressured to say something, anything, but I didn't know what.
"It's not like your my girlfriend." I said a little too harshly.
"So what am I then?" She asked me loudly, causing me to step back.
"I don't know, okay? I told you I just wanted to have fun so why are you up my ass all of a sudden?" I replied defensively.
"Oh, so I was just a game for you right?" She yelled, hurt in her voice.
Jess and Dylan were leaning against the lockers, watching us. And Viola was just standing there in the middle of the hallway, acting like she was looking over something on her clipboard but she wasn't.
I didn't want Lauren to think I never liked her, or that I had used her, but I told her that I wasn't looking for anything serious.
At least not with her.
I grabbed her hands and looked down at them, "No."
I watched Viola's eyes fly up as well, she must think that I was trying to flirt. She needed to understand that I was just trying to let the girl off gently.
"Get to class, ladies." She said, staring straight at me. "Dylan, Jess, you two as well."
"I'll call you." I said as I walked off, relieved that Viola jumped in, but also worried on what she thought my intentions with Lauren were.
I know she heard the whole thing, but would she let Lauren's words get to her head? I hope she didn't think that she was just a game to me as well, because that wasn't the case for neither girls.
As I sat down at my desk, hearing my two friends "oooh" at me as I approached them.
"Shut it." I mumbled as I slumped into my chair.
"Lauren seemed pretty pissed." Jess said, slight aggravation in her voice.
"Yeah, it was kind of funny." Dylan replied.
"How was that funny?" Jess said, glaring at Dylan. "Lauren is our friend too, you know? It's not funny that one of our other friends played her and broke her heart."
"I did not?" I stepped in, defending myself.
"Okay so let's get this right. You were planning on being her girlfriend when you were fucking her then?"
"No." I answered.
"Then you played her." Jess said matter-of-factly.
"Ivy told Lauren from the start that she wasn't looking for anything serious, Jessica." Dylan said.
I looked at her with thankful eyes, happy to know she was on my side. Something told me that there was more to it, though. Something had obviously happened between Jess and Dylan.
"Just like how you apparently told me that too, right?" Jess spat at Dylan.
Oh, so that's what happened. I thought to myself.
That seemed to shut Dylan up, because she crossed her arms and leaned back into her chair, suddenly paying attention to the teacher's lesson.
"That was a little harsh." I whispered to Jess, causing her to roll her eyes.
"More like not harsh enough." She whispered back, I had obviously just made her more angry.
The rest of the class we all sat in silence and I was grateful for a few reasons when the bell rang sending us to 3rd period.
I was happy to get the hell out of that classroom, the tension between my two friends was suffocating. Lunch is just going to be worse, because Lauren will be at the table along with us.
I was looking forward to art, so Dylan could fill me in on everything that happened.
As Dylan and I reached the bottom of the steps, my heart jumped a bit when Viola immediately smiled right at me.
"Good afternoon." I said with a smirk as I passed her.
"You look great today, Ms. Roman." Dylan said as she walked along side me, earning an elbow to the ribs once we got inside the classroom.
As we sat down, I knew we had a few minutes until the bell rang. "Spill." I said.
"What do you mean?" Dylan tried to ask causally, but failed when her voice squeaked.
"You know what I mean." I said back, eyeing her.
She let out a frustrated sigh, "Jess wanted to become official. I wanted to too, but I don't want to ruin what we have. I like where it's at right now. With relationships come heart break, drama, jealousy, possessiveness. Right now, I'm free. I can do whatever, whoever, wherever I want."
I nodded my head, allowing her to continue.
"So I told her that I did too, but I meant what I said when I told her that I was just trying to have fun when we first started messing around. She claimed that I never said that, but I know I did. So now she's all mad at me, because she admitted her true feelings for me and she thinks I blew her off." She finished.
"I completely understand what you mean." I said to Dylan.
"Yeah I wish Jess would." She mumbled as the bell rang and Viola walked to the front of the classroom.
"I have your graded tests from last week to give back to you all today. Some of you did great, others, not so much." Viola said.
She continued as she began passing out tests, "I know some of you don't take art very seriously, but that doesn't mean it's not important. Your grade in my class still effects whether or not you graduate. So for the rest of the week I'm allowing students to come in during lunch and try to improve their grade. I highly advise all of you to advantage of this opportunity, it could really help some of you." She finished.
The class began to mumble amongst each other and eventually, she made her way to my desk. I wasn't worried about my grade, because she hadn't looked at me throughout her whole speech.
"Well done." She whispered to me and winked. I took my paper from her fingers and looked down at it. A smile spread across my face as I took notice of a huge A+ in red sharpie, along with a blue sticky note on the back of the packet saying, "You are amazing."
It was a big test and was a big part of our grade, so I was extremely proud of myself for doing so well and I knew she was too.
For the rest of the class we went over the most missed answers and I started to zone out. She looked so pretty today and sometimes she would glance up at me, sending a smile my way, and I would just sit here like a dumbass smiling and blushing back.
Dylan knew what was going on between us, without me really needing to tell her anything. Out of Lauren, Jess, and Dylan, Dylan was definitely the one I got closest to.
I loved everything about her and I'm so glad that we became best friends, it was like she understood me completely yet she knew nothing about me.
I also started to think about how many kids did as well as I did. Were there a lot? Was I the only one? I wonder who all is going to her classroom for lunch. It was obvious that I had done well, so I wouldn't be going.
I couldn't help but feel jealously, because obviously every student who could, would take advantage of it. I heard the whispers about her in the hall ways, I saw the looks that not only guys, but girls would give her as well.
Hell, even Dylan sends compliments her way on the daily. I wonder who all was obsessed with her the way I am, or who all she gives her attention to.
I don't want to say that it was easy for me to get with her, but it wasn't very hard. Was she like that with everybody? Or did we just have some type of immediate connection?
The bell rang a while later, bumming me out that I had zoned out the whole class.
As Dylan and I made our way to the cafeteria, we passed Lauren. She didn't say anything to me, she just looked me in the eyes, then looked away like she didn't know who I was and continued down the hall.
I was kind of grateful that she didn't say anything, because I didn't know what to say. I just guessed that she was skipping the rest of the school day, pissed at me.
All of lunch was pretty awkward considering the drama between Jess and Dylan and I guess, between Jess and I. Usually Lauren and Jess were able to team up, but since Lauren isn't here, Jess can't walk all over Dylan.
~~~~~
"Hey, Walter." I called as I unlocked the back of the store and walked in.
I waited a few minutes for a reply, but never got one. I slowly walked back to his office and opened his door, seeing a note he had left for me.
"Had to leave early. Lock up before you leave. Thanks -Walter" I read.
I sighed, hoping that he was okay and wasn't sick again. I went to the back and started unloading boxes per usual.
Today had honestly been a long day, filled with more bullshit than usual.
Business was pretty steady, so I sighed when I walked to the back of the store, just to hear the bell ring again.
I slowly made my way back up front, my feet dragging from how sore they have been from working so much.
As I caught sight of her, all my stress went away. Viola was standing at the door, looking straight at me with a big smile.
"Hey." She said seductively without even trying.
"Hey." I replied with a smile as I wrapped one of my arms around her waist and pulled her into me. "Miss me or something?"
She felt a little tense at my touch, but she played it off, "Yes, actually."
She leaned in and kissed me, but something was off. I didn't really know what it was, but I figured that I would find out eventually.
As I started to kiss down her neck, she gently pushed me off of her. "I just wanted to stop by and say hi."
"Oh." I said, a little disappointed that she didn't want to have any fun.
She played with her light brown hair for a second and then looked up at me, "Yeah, um. I guess I'm gonna go. See you tomorrow?" She asked.
"Yeah, I guess so." I said, looking at her confused. Something was definitely up.
She kissed me on the cheek and squeezed my hand, making me miss her already. She blew a kiss my way as she walked out the door, just confusing me farther.
Once 9pm hit, I was exhausted and ready to go home. I locked up the doors and started the walk towards my apartment.
It was pretty dark outside, so I started to internally freak out when some white jeep pulled up slowly next to me.
I kept walking, refusing to pay attention. Until I heard her call my name.
"Lauren?" I asked, giving her a shocked look as I glanced over at her.
"Get in. It's sketchy out there." She said with a smile.
I smiled to myself, as I walked over to the passenger side and let myself in. "You didn't have to give me a ride." I said.
"Sure I did, we're still friends after all." She replied. The way she said it, didn't sound genuine at all. It threw me off track, because it really didn't sound like her in the slightest bit.
"Um, right." I said, looking at the window. "Turn left."
She giggled, "Ivy, do you really think I don't know how to get to your place? We've had some pretty good times in there. How could I forget?"
Talking about it made me feel a little awkward because I was confused of her intentions. Was she talking like this to make me feel bad? Was she setting me up some how? Something was up and I didn't really want to know what.
One minute she's ignoring me in the hallway, then giving me a ride and calling me her friend, and now talking about "good times" if you know what I mean.
After about 10 minutes, she pulled into my apartment lot.
"Thanks." I said, ready to get out.
"Ivy, can we talk for a minute?" She asked me.
How could I say no? She just gave me a ride after I accidentally broke her heart. It's the least I could do.
"Sure." I said with a smile, "What's up?"
"Why did you start acting different?" She asked me. "Is there someone else?"
I sighed, already aggravated. Why does it matter if there's someone else? I just worked all damn day and she's stopping me from going into my apartment and passing out just to pry into my personal life?
"It's really none of your business if there's someone else. We weren't together, Lauren. It was just a fling, you and I both know that. Why are you acting like it was more?" I said.
"Because it was more than that to me." She said quietly.
Not in the mood to give a pity party, I replied, "Well it wasn't to me. We had an agreement, it's not my fault that you caught feelings." It came out really harsh and cruel, but she needed to hear it.
"Did you ever even fucking like me?" She yelled, turning her body towards me as she sat in the drivers seat.
"Yes." I said calmly, which caused her eyes to spread wide.
"How dare you? You're sitting here lying to my face?" She asked, looking extremely offended.
"I'm not lying, Lauren." I said, "There was a point when I truly did like you, but that still doesn't mean I wanted a relationship with you."
"You liked me?" She asked, slight happiness shining through her voice. Great.
"I did, yes." I agreed.
Suddenly, she threw herself on top of me and started kissing me. It all caught me off guard, that I didn't know what the hell was happening at first.
I saw a streak of her blonde hair and then her blue eyes were super close to mine, and then I felt her familiar lips against me.
She was so gorgeous that it was hard not to kiss her back. I wrapped one hand around and squeezed her ass as my other hand went into her blonde hair.
Stop, I told myself, You're leading her on.
I quickly pushed her off of me, "What the hell are you doing?"
"Don't act like you didn't like it, Ivy. You kissed me back. You're hands are awful explorative today." She said with a smile.
I shouldn't have let myself get carried away, I shouldn't have kissed her back even though it was only for a second. Her hopes are now way high up and she thinks she still has a chance.
I need to cut things off, I scolded myself, do it for Viola.
"I only kissed you, because you're hot." I said. It was meant as a low blow, to make her hate me and show her I don't like her. Instead, she took it as a compliment.
Her face started blushing as she said, "Well thank you."
"Not like that, Lauren. It means that I don't really like you. It means that I'm attracted to your body, not your personality. We're finished and I don't know what I was thinking by kissing you back." I said.
"You're so awful." She said to me as she pushed me against her passenger door.
"Get out!" She yelled at me as I pulled the door handle.
"You're a player!" She continued to yell at me, "You're just like everyone else!"
Before I walked into my apartment building's door, I turned around. She was still yelling things at me, obviously heated. She was really pissing me off though, so I yelled her name one last time, "Hey, Lauren!"
She stopped yelling for a second and looked at me, "What?"
I didn't answer. I just slowly raised my right hand in the air and gave her the middle finger. As she started yelling some more, I laughed at myself and ran up the stairs, up to my door.
Crazy bitch, I thought to myself as I put my key in the knob.
As I let myself in, I went straight to my room and laid down in my queen sized bed. The exhaustion had fully set in as I climbed the steps, so I passed out quickly, ready to dream away this god awful day.
~~~~~
Two updates in one day to make up for the wait! Don't forget to check out my new story, "After Her Heart" (published today) and make sure you like, comment, and vote!
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