Chapter Forty: Stitches
I couldn't believe my life was becoming worse than daily soap operas with addition of drama being added every singly day.
Kim was pregnant and they had decided to keep the baby which was enormously huge responsibility for teens. Then Evan told me he couldn't be with me just because I was rich and he wasn't! Because according to him we lived in two fucking different worlds!
Who was he to decide that?!!
And now my bestfriend was dating my foe, who I'd hated most of my life because she had always tried to put me down through her dirty tricks and strategies.
Just for instance, I was in ninth grade and I had a huge crush on a guy in my class. Almost everyone knew—except the guy. Aria knew about it too. You wouldn't believe what she did. She made him her boyfriend and kissed him in front of me!
Can you imagine how it feels to see your crush being kissed by your rival—and especially when you know she's just using him to make you jealous??
How could I even see her as Justin's girlfriend?
The bell rang, pulling me out of my daze, indicating the start of the lunch. I might just skip it for two reasons; first, I didn't want to see one person who had given up on us without trying, and had simply said, it won't work.
Second, because of Justin's girlfriend who took every fill of my happiness growing up and I could say, she was partly the reason I never had a boyfriend.
I was getting jaded doing all the work alone in the gym by myself because everyone was out there having lunch.
I saw the set of black speakers placed at the far end of the gym and I smiled when something popped up in my head. Something I used to do when I was little.
I made my way toward them and pulled out my Iphone. I attached the cord with my phone and flickered the switch on. The red light turned on bringing a playful smile on my lips.
Dance. I used to do it in my room whenever I was done with my homework and had nothing to do. I'd feel lonely and sad and dancing always put a smile on my face.
I never took classes or anything, just learned from Tv or youtube. It was just something which helped me put myself in better mood.
I scrolled down my playlist and halted at,
The Stitches by Shawn Mendes.
I thought that I'd been hurt before
But no one's ever left me quite this sore
Your words cut deeper than a knife
Now I need someone to breathe me back to life
Got a feeling that I'm going under
But I know that I'll make it out alive
If I quit calling you my lover
Move on...
I flipped twice on my toes before stretching them out and gyrating around the whole gym like a mad dancer. I untied my ponytail, letting my hair breathe. I did a twirl on my toes, stretching my hands out as if I was trying to reach Evan's walking away figure.
I let myself feel free because there was no one to witness or judge me. I swayed my butt chuckling to myself along with the lyrics and opened my arms horizontally. I sprinted all through the gym. My heart trying to jump out of my chest. Because it hurt.
"Just like a moth drawn to a flame
Oh, you lured me in, I couldn't sense the pain
Your bitter heart cold to the touch
Now I'm gonna reap what I sow
I'm left seeing red on my own"
I did a little of ballet moves on my toes as I had removed—thrown away my shoes and then twirled around.
"Got a feeling that I'm going under
But I know that I'll make it out alive
If I quit calling you my lover
Move on...
You watch me bleeding until I can't breathe
Shaking, falling onto my knees
And now that I'm without your kisses
I'll be needing stitches
Tripping over myself,
I'm aching, begging you to come help
And now that I'm without your kisses
I'll be needing stitches."
I sang—yelled on top of my lungs and laughed at my own kinda depressing but funny state.
I circled around and then some more and some more and then bumped into the wall.
"Ouch...." I yelped after getting hit on my head and nose, into the stupid wall, which came out of nowhere. I should've twirled around with eyes open.
"Preparing for the dance already?" A voice made me stumble back, as I looked up meeting the pools of browns, amusing down at me.
Shit!
Oh, it wasn't a wall. It was Nobody.
Yeah... I'm back to calling him Nobody. Suits him huh!
I crouched down, putting my hands on my knees, trying to suck good share of air in my burning lungs. My chest was deeply heaving. Or perhaps it was him who I wanted to see to finally breathe.
Cheesy much? I know...
"You okay?" He touched my shoulder and I flinched away because his touch was like an electricity flux into my body.
Instead, I raised my thumb at him letting him know I was fine.
Once I was okay, I straightened up and smiled at him.
It isn't his fault if he doesn't feel the same for me, now is it?
"I thought I would bring you something to eat, you know... you didn't even come to lunch. But, you seem pretty okay dancing all alone." Okay... I liked him better when he ignored me.
I turned around and found my shoes and hair tie, which I left somewhere on the floor.
I turned off the speakers and unattached my phone, dropping it back in my bag. I flopped my ponytail over my shoulder and smiled at him.
"You didn't have to do this. I already ate." I lied and looked away, praying he wouldn't hear my betraying stomach growling right at this moment, just at the mention of food. I hadn't eaten since yesterday's ice cream.
"Don't lie to me. I saw you didn't even had your early coffee, assumed you forgot breakfast too." How could he do that!!! How...
Anger surged through my veins, "How do you know that I didn't drink my early coffee or that I skipped my breakfast?"
Staring at me while holding a tray which had a cup of coffee and a sandwich with some fries, he slowly smiled.
"I said I assumed."
Damn him!
Why the hell am I being rude to him? He's just being a FRIEND!
I turned my head back up at him and he was kneeling, starting to already pump the air in the remaining balloons.
"Thanks." I ran a hand down the length of my hair because they were all messy and tangled up.
I swept off the beads of sweat which formed on my forehead and knelt opposite to him, beside him was highly dangerous. Because, then it would've been challenging for me to keep my hands to myself.
"So, how's Ky?"
He replied without missing a beat. "He's fine. I'm bringing him over this weakened and if you want you can come. It's his birthday." A tiny stretch of his lips let me bathe in the warm feeling of his smile. "And he likes you." Why don't you? It's almost at the tip of my tongue but I swallowed it back.
"I didn't know what kind of sandwich you liked and they only had avocado one so—"
I snorted which sounded weird and all wrong and then he was staring at me, baffled probably because of what he saw on my face.
Anger. I felt it running through me, in my veins. "Uh... Just wondering, why are you being this nice to me?! I mean... no... you know what?" I knew I was already in deep and rambling but I just couldn't stop, "We are not friends! WE WERE NEVER EVER FRIENDS!!! So just stop pretending Shit." Shit!! I shouldn't have said that. Or any of that for matter.
He glared at me before giving me his ole famous hatred look, his face blank and jaw ticking, and before I could even blink he stood up and hoisted his bag up on his shoulder.
His glare was a heavy weight on my shoulders.
"I-I—" And I tried, naively. But he just left.
"Well done..." I smacked myself and smashed my head in between my knees, cursing myself. I was the one who said it was okay to be friends last night. Jesus! He must think I was crazy.
For the first time he talked to me beautifully, smiled at me, brought me lunch, and what I did? Ugggghhhh!
On top of that.... he'd opened up to me. Completely. Told me everything about him and excepted me as something in his life. Wasn't that what I wanted from the start?
He was someone I wanted to help. And I would help once I give him the needed money. And that was all I wanted.
But then it wouldn't be true. Because somewhere along those lines I fell for him. Hard.
And I so deserved to be kicked in the ass right now!
"Hey..." I looked up and saw Kim and Soph hurrying inside along with all my decorating team members.
While all others parted their ways towards their directed work, both of my best friends knelt beside me, curiosity and concern glistening in their eyes.
"I just saw Evan stomping his way out of the hallway. Did something happen?"
Tears prickled at the back of my eyes. "Me happened. He brought this," I pointed at the coffee and the avocado sandwich, "for me and then invited me over for his brother's birthday and I... I asked why he was being this nice to me!!! And that's not all... I yelled at him that we are not friends and never were. God... what is wrong with me?!"
Kim smacked her forehead then smacked my shoulder.
I winced, glaring at her. But, she only glared back.
"I can't accept the fact that he just gave up on us before even trying. He's judging me for being rich!" I pressed the heels of my hand to my eyes and tried not to cry in front of everyone. I knew most of them were listening in. And this time, I didn't give two shits!
I sighed. "I'm s-sorry... but, I don't think I can be friends with him, after all we had been through. After... we kissed that way. Twice." Tears made their way out, wetting my cheeks in a blink of an eye.
"Hey..." Soph hugged me and then Kim did too.
"It's gonna be fine. Just give him some time."
"Yeah, she's right." Soph chimed in. Smiling, she said, "Why don't you guys come to my house later? We haven't really hanged lately. I miss us. I'd already invited Justin and Martin."
Pulling away from them, I sniffed and nodded. But, then raised a brow at her, "No... Aria won't be coming near us. She'll be in her own room. I promise you, Elle."
I relaxed and nodded, taking a breath. We didn't hang at Soph's place a lot. Sole reason being... Aria.
Did I mention Aria and Sophie are twins? Like unidentical, totally world's apart twins?
Oh, yes they are. And Soph hates her even more than I do. Aria had always tried to take what was hers.
"But, I might get late. There's this small get together with Simpsons at my house."
Soph nodded while Kim bumped down on her butt from her kneeling position, eyes popping out.
"What? What am I missing here?" Soph didn't know why Kim--and earlier I had reacted the way we reacted on hearing Simpson's name. It was because she came in my life when Josh Simpson had left. And we just never happened to ever talk about him.
"Will Josh be there?"
I nodded my head at Kim and she choked on my sandwich.
Oh, good. Because that was my sandwich!
"Who's Josh and what is it about?!" Sophie yelled, losing it—her serene patience.
Before I could narrate her the tale of infamous Josh Simpson, Kim barged in, "He's the guy who used to endlessly bully Elle when they were little. He even performed dangerous pranks on her, which once put her health in serious condition." I so didn't want to remember that god awful night.
Soph's jaw fell open and I forced it shut.
I nodded at her when her chocolate eyes trailed to me in slow-mo.
She sighed. "How are you going to deal with him tonight?" She grabbed my arm, concerned.
"I have no idea..." I shrugged. It was true. I. Had. No. Idea.
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