It was April, I had two months left of high school, prom was next month and I was actually going to ask Lauren to prom this year. I'd gotten into MIT, Lauren was going to Harvard, we weren't going to be separated after high school, everything was going perfectly. For the first time in a long time, things were crystal clear and looking up for the future. Absolutely nothing could go wrong.
Until I stabbed my best friend in the back.
Not literally of course.
It happened The was the Friday the thirteenth, the second week of April. I've heard all the rumors about this day being cursed but I've never believed them.
I do now.
---
The bell rang, and I leaped out of my seat and ran down the hall in pursuit of my locker. Sixth period was finally finished the day was over, marking the start of my weekend! I passed by Troy and Ruth who were making out by his locker, their one year anniversary was coming up and over the last few weeks, they'd been getting a lot more physical.
Now Marcus, Lauren and I couldn't help but tease them. They were both acting very out of character and I'm pretty sure everyone else in our group didn't like their sudden change.
I walked by Marcus' locker, "hey man, where are you off to?" I gave him a high five.
"Hey Luke, gotta get home, mom caught me sneaking out last weekend to see Mara Griffin, I'm grounded outside of school, it sucks."
"Well don't sneak out, that's the simple solution." I gave him a smart remark.
"Dude, trouble is my middle name and Mara is hot volleyball player, and a half blood and she can't resist me. We both have so much in common. Gotta stick to my A-game." Marcus answered with a dumb grin on his face.
"She's a half blood? Oh, that's right, she's an Ares daughter. Well, have fun at home, I'm meeting up with Lauren after school, you know she hates to be late." I smiled thinking of the look on Lauren's face as I came over to her a few minutes late. I could see the glint of a smile in her eyes hidden well behind an annoyed look. I would say something witty and she would fight the smile tugging at her cute, little lips but she would give in and laugh. Then I'd lace my fingers through hers and kiss her.
"Luke...Earth to Luke...get out of Lauren land." Marcus waved his hand in front of my face.
I shook my head, startled from my daze. "Oh, sorry Marcus, I uh, gotta go. Shoot me a text when you get bored." I gave him another fist bump.
"I'll text you the second I get home, just swear to me that you two won't become—" Marcus turned towards Troy and Ruth kissing aggressively down the hall, "that." Marcus shuddered.
"I can promise you that won't happen, that's something they should do behind closed doors." I gagged.
"Thank the gods you haven't changed, see you later man." Marcus patted my shoulder and strutted confidently down the hallway. I turned towards my locker and my pulse accelerated thinking about Lauren. I though about her sweet smile and the rosemary mint scent of her wild, curly brown hair. Those beautiful green and brown eyes holding mine. I was grinning like a lovesick idiot but I didn't care. I was happy and I still couldn't believe I was finally dating Lauren Winters. I loved everything about her, anything she did made me happy, just thinking about her made me giddy inside.
I opened my red locker door, placed my textbooks and notebooks neatly inside before slamming it shut. As I turned towards the direction of Lauren's locker, a girl was blocking my view, and this girl wasn't Lauren or Ruth. "Hi Lukey," the girl's voice was high pitched.
I closed my eyes, hoping this was a vision and that Andrea would go away, I opened them and unfortunately she was still there. "You're still here," I sighed.
"And so are you, sweet cheeks." Andrea narrowed her eyes seductively. I backed away from her but she inched closer to me. I've never wanted to disappear more n my entire life before now.
"This is my locker, technically you're not supposed to be here. Only my friends and my girlfriend is supposed to be here." I annunciated the word 'girlfriend.'
"When are you going to accept the fact that we were made for each other?" Andrea pouted like a puppy dog.
I clapped my hand onto my forehead, "Andrea...you and I have nothing in common, you hate my friends and I hate yours. We have none of the same interests, and we are both going on completely different paths in a month. And, I've said this about a million times, I'm not interested in you. Now please get out of my way so I can spend the afternoon with my girlfriend." I stressed that word again.
"But sometimes, soulmates have nothing in common, just the love they feel for each other." Andrea pressed herself against me and walked her fingers up my chest. Her eyes scanned me hungrily, this was probably the most uncomfortable I've ever felt.
"Andrea, I don't love you. I never will, I love Lauren and only Lauren. Please leave me alone." I tried to push her out of the way but she refused to budge.
"What does Lauren have that I don't. I mean, let's compare Lauren and me. Who's prettier? Obviously me, who's popular? Again, me. Who's got a better sense of style? I mean is that even a question, it's me. And look at you, you're the sexiest, hottest guy in school. It only makes sense that the sexiest girl and the sexiest boy date, fall in love and eventually get married. And Lauren, Lauren has books. She'll always be alone, she just sees you as a friend. What you two have isn't real, it's just a high school romance, it'll never be anything more than that." Andrea's voice was pitchy and she twirled her hair feigning nervousness like Lauren does. I knew she was trying to trigger a reaction from me to agree with her but it wasn't going to work.
"No Andrea, you have a high school crush. We've never had anything real even before Lauren and I started dating. And for your information Lauren is way prettier, has better friends than you and is way sexier than you'll ever be. Now if you excuse me I'm late for a date." I shoved her to the side but Andrea was too quick. She blocked my path and the world was dark, I felt something on my lips and something rough and wet trying to pry them open. I felt Andrea's hands snatch mine and force them onto her waist, I kept my mouth shut, I kept trying to lean and move away but I was trapped between my locker and a psychopath.
"I KNEW IT!" A voice cracked like glass from down the hall. Andrea stopped kissing me and was breathing hard. I let out a long terrified breath as my eyes found Lauren balling fists and her cheeks were bright red as she stood in defeat down the hall.
"Lauren this isn't what it looks like—"
Lauren stomped towards us, she cut me off, "oh, so Andrea wasn't kissing you, and you weren't kissing her back. You weren't touching her and you weren't moving around because you liked it. Yeah, sure. I think it's exactly what it looks like Luke Jackson, I knew a part of you always liked her!" Lauren's voice tried to sound bold and angry but I could hear the tears and way her voice cracked even from thirty feet away.
"Lauren, listen, Andrea—"
"Don't Lauren listen to me you jackass! I knew this...us was a bad idea from the start and I should've said no the second time. Go and be happy with that...skank! I thought I knew you better than this." Lauren turned around and bolted toward as the front entrance.
"Lauren!" I bellowed, but Andrea took my arm.
"Lukey, now we can be together, just like we've both always wanted." Andrea puckered her lips but I slapped her across the face. "What the hell?!" Andrea covered her right cheek with her hand.
"You've ruined everything!" I snarled as I took off after the only person I really cared about in my life.
---
Lauren had just reached the front doors, I sprinted as fast as I could and caught her arm, squeezing it as tightly as I could as she thrashed and yelled at me. "Let go of me Luke Jackson!" She demanded, giving me a cold, hard, blazing look in her eyes.
"No!" I raised my voice, Lauren stopped thrashing but she was growling like an animal.
"What in Hades was that back there? You know I've never liked her, not one atom in my body likes that horrible woman. You know that, please hear me out. I'll tell you what really happened—"
"I don't want to hear it, Andrea kissed you and you didn't stop her, I've seen enough. I don't want your sob story, I just want you to leave me alone. I knew I should've listened to my mom's warnings about you but I didn't! I should've listened to my head like always but now everything's ruined. We were a disaster waiting to happen Luke, and my mom was wrong about your fatal flaw, protectiveness. Your flaw is how unfaithful you are to others. I see the way other girls look at you but you never seem to care. You talk to Andrea more now, and now you're kissing other girls. Who else have you kissed huh? Just leave me alone Luke!" Lauren looked at me like I was some kind monster that she wanted to slaughter out of fury and anger. But I couldn't stay calm anymore, before I could control myself I let my anger get the best of me.
"Fatal flaw? Fatal flaw! I didn't kiss Andrea, she kissed me. I never kissed her back, not one part of me wanted to. I've never kissed any one else except you because I love you and I care about you. And I don't care about how other girls look at me cause I only care about the way you look at me. You're my best friend Lauren, the only person I've ever trusted more than my family. And you know something Lauren? I thought I could change your fatal flaw, but no, it's impossible. You can't trust anyone, you're so afraid to let people in because you're afraid you'll get hurt. You've pushed away everyone who's wanted to get close to you. You've pushed away your friends on the debate team, you've pushed away Troy, Marcus and Ruth. And you pushed me away, I know I'm your best friend, so I'm the person you should trust the most. But I guess you can't even trust your best friend, you're afraid to be loved Lauren. You're afraid to be wanted because you don't know what it feels like, I thought I could change that. I thought I teach you how to trust one person, and what it feels like to be wanted. But...I guess I can't even do that."
Lauren took a step back, tears filled her eyes but she answered with rage, "trusting people has never gotten anyone anywhere. Even their best friends, and the ones they love the most can stab them in the back. I've done just fine on my own and I'll always be fine on my own, I don't need Ruth, or Troy, or Marcus, or the debate team. And I especially don't need you. I should've said no, mom was right, she warned me that if we changed what we had it would result in an catastrophic disaster. I never should've wanted to change us."
"I know you did, I could see it everyday in your eyes, you were glad we changed. Nothing was ever awkward between us after we started dating. Without us changing, your test point average wouldn't have increased by two percent. Without us changing our friends would be different. Without us changing, you never would've gotten into Harvard Law...and you know it Lauren." That last part came out harsher than I'd intended it to be. But after I realized what I'd just done, I let the tears fall down my cheeks. "Lauren, I didn't mean that, I'm—"
"Don't talk to me, don't call me. Don't take me to school and don't ever speak to me again. We're through Luke Jackson, through being whatever we were, and through being friends. I don't ever want to speak to you ever again." Lauren snarled, she whipped around and stomped off to the bus stop.
I stood there with my mouth hanging open, what had I just done? I'd just ruined everything. I wanted to run after her, I wanted to tell her I was sorry but I couldn't move, I was frozen like a statue. I couldn't speak, I couldn't move, I could hardly breathe. I just stood there watching Lauren stand impatiently at the bus stop and never look back.
I kicked the dirt and screamed in Greek. I'd just hurt the only person I've ever cared for, I'd just pushed away my best friend, ruined our entire friendship and my life.
A/N: ok... not gonna lie I felt like Satan writing this chapter but as we know, all couples have a big break-up.