It's Friday and Colton and I are going to a movie later. After school I hung out at his place and we ate dinner. Then he helped me get everything from his apartment so I could go and stay somewhere else. I'm not going home. I know that. I end up driving to the hospital. I can talk to Auntie, or I can probably convince Victoria to let me stay with her and Mason.
I haven't been able to stop thinking about Bryce. I don't know what it means for me and Colton. I feel guilty for what I've done, how I've been acting with Bryce, but the guilt isn't stopping me. I just...I don't know what it means.
Colton.
Prom is in three weeks. I have this bad feeling that I won't be going with Colton. I don't think we're going to make it.
I keep thinking about gym, flashing back to Bryce being in top of me. "Because sweetheart... the things I would do to you." Oh, God. I have no control when I'm around Bryce. Fuck, I need to get him out of my head.
I grab my backpack and two duffel bags and walk into the hospital, heading for my locker. There aren't any interns in the locker room to ask me questions. I could just stay with Auntie but I can't, at least not now. I think I need to be by myself. After I shove all of my stuff into the locker I sit down on a bench and let my head fall into my hands.
I sigh and look at my watch. I should probably leave soon. I stand up and walk over to the sink. I pull my hair into a high ponytail, adjusting my bangs. I stare at my reflection. My piercing blue eyes stare back at me, they look striking with my ebony hair and greyish-blue cami. I debate putting on lipgloss and end up with chapstick. I'm not sure why I care so much about my appearance.
I shake my head as I grab my phone and earbuds and my backpack, walking out of the locker room to my car. I turn on the radio and my mind drifts to Bryce, like it does all too often these days.
Ten minutes later I'm walking into the entrance of the movie theater. I scan the room and don't see Colton, so I pull out my phone.
Hey, where are you? I text.
sry. running late. u can go in without me.
Are you sure?
yeah, i'll see u later.
I shake my head and buy a ticket for the movie we're seeing. It's some action one, similar to James Bond or something. Colton was the one that wanted to see it. After I get my ticket I get a stuff from concessions: a large slushie, small popcorn with extra butter and a pack of Trolli Sour Worms.
I dangle the candy between my lips and find my way into theater 13. I walk to the up the stairs to the back row that's tucked into the corner. I smirk when I see a guy and girl almost doing it. There's three open seats next to them. I roll my eyes and make my way over to the open seats.
I'm about to tell them to let me through but for some reason I stop. The guy stops what he's doing with the chick at the same time that I freeze. He pulls away, looking up, and his eyes meet mine.
Oh, God no.
It's Bryce. I'm not sure what to do. He straightens up when he sees me and pushes the chick off of him. Fuck, I can't let him know that he's affecting me. I roll my eyes and walk towards the seat that I want.
I can't say anything to him without looking like a retard because of the candy that I have between my lips. I try to get past him, but he grabs my hip and takes the candy from my mouth.
"Where might you be going?" he asks.
"I was just trying to get to my seat, Bryce," I tell him. He shrugs and puts the candy in his lap, right by his junk. The girl next to him coughs. I look at her for the first time. Generic features, maybe a decent rack. There's nothing remarkable about her. "Can I have my candy back?" He shakes his head. I sigh and set my popcorn and soda down by the girl's feet.
"You seeing the movie by yourself?" Bryce asks.
"Does it matter?" I say. "Colton's coming. He should be here soon. Please just give me the fucking candy back and go back to impregnating this girl."
"Hey! What the hell?" she says, narrowing her eyes and pursing her lips.
"Oh, I'm sorry! Go back to impregnating this guy." She looks like she wants to kill me and I can't help but have a shit-eating grin on my face. Bryce laughs.
"I don't know what your problem is but-" she starts.
"I don't care. Save it for later," I say, looking at her. She looks like she's gonna smack me. Scrawny bitch wouldn't be able to hurt me.
God, what has Bryce done to me? I've always had a mouth on me, but normally I run it around arrogant teenage guys that are jackasses. I roll my eyes and shake my head. I just need to get my candy and get back to my seat.
"Seriously, Bryce, give me my candy before I hurt you," I tell him. His eyes light up and his hand tightens on my hip. My mind clouds slightly as his pinkie brushes one of the holes in my jeans.
"What was that, sweetheart?" Bryce asks.
"Give me my candy back." My voice is hesitant.
"If you want it," Bryce says slowly. "Then take it."
I can't stop myself as my hand brushes his knee and moves slowly up to where the candy is. Bryce's breathing is more rapid, less even. My fingers run along his thigh and then right as I'm about to grab the candy, he jerks forward and my hand slides up. He gasps and it's almost like he's pained. But, I guess that'd make sense since my hand's practically cupping his dick.
I'm looking into his eyes and I know I should be moving or doing something, but I'm stuck. I can't move. Bryce isn't moving either. We're lost in the moment, savoring each other's touch, trying to remember why this is wrong when it feels so right.
I don't even notice when the girl stands up. She slams into me so hard that I fall right into Bryce.
"I'm getting a diet soda," she says. Her voice is unattractively nasal. I can't really focus on her because I'm sprawled on Bryce. My arms are braced on the chair on either side of his head. My face is barely two inches away and he has one hand on my thigh and the other on my waist. He shifts, pulling my legs apart so his thighs are in between them.
I don't know what I'm doing and I can't seem to stop. He moves his hands so the one that was on my leg is now on my back and his other hand is cupping the back of my neck.
"What are we doing?" I whisper to him. His amber eyes are lustful and drenched with desire and passion.
"What we want." It's partially true I do want this. But I want more. I want him kissing me, I want him to touch me and I want it now.
"What about Colton?" I ask.
"Fuck Colton," Bryce says. He moves his face closer to mine and the hand on my back nudges me closer to him.
"What about the girl you were with?" I shouldn't be doing this. Colton could be here any second. Anyone could see us, we're in a movie theater.
"She doesn't mean anything," Bryce tells me. I scoot forward so I'm closer to him. His mouth is a breath away from mine. The lights flick off and the movie starts but I don't really notice it.
There's barely enough light for me to see Bryce. I can see that there's no trace of his usual arrogance or amusement. Just as I'm about to kiss him I hear someone calling softly, "Andy, where are you? Shit, oops! I'm sorry! Andy?"
It's Colton. I jump off of Bryce so fast I almost fall. I try to scoot over so there's a couple of seats in between us, but Bryce reaches out and grabs my thigh and I'm helpless. I grab my soda and shove it into the cup holder. Eventually Colton finds his way to where we are and sits down next to me. He smells like strong perfume. Maybe Alex sprayed some on him? It doesn't matter.
"Hey," I say. "Look at who I bumped into."
"Oh, hey, man. What are you doing here?" Colton says. Bryce shrugs.
"The girl I was with should be coming back soon," Bryce says. His hand moves to touch my leg. He does it under the arm rest, so Colton can't see. I grab the popcorn and eat a little bit. Bryce takes a handful.
"Get your own popcorn," I whisper. He rolls his eyes and grabs another handful. I bite my lip so I don't say something. I tap Colton on the shoulder and offer him the popcorn, which he takes.
The girl Bryce was with comes back with a lot more makeup than she initially had on. I roll my eyes. "Get out of my seat, bitch," she says.
"Fuck off," I say. I can't say that I really care that she called me a bitch. I do care that she's blocking my view of the movie. Bryce sighs softly.
"Madison, just sit next to Colton," Bryce says.
"No, I want to sit next to you." She throws a dirty look my way. People are starting to notice our little spectacle. I go to stand up, but Bryce grabs my arm and pulls me back down.
"Andy's not moving," Bryce says. "Just sit down."
She makes an irritated noise, but sits next to Colton. Bryce's fingers find my leg again and I don't say anything. I'm not entirely sure why I'm fighting my attraction to him. I go to grab my candy but I realize that it's still on Bryce's lap. I tap his arm and gesture to the candy, but he grins evilly at me. I shake my head and focus on the movie.
At some point, Colton and that girl start talking. I try not let it bother me, but he's smiling and leaning closer to her. She smiles and puts her hand on his arm and he doesn't do anything except keep flirting.
My mind drifts back to what Bryce said at the dance. "I've noticed how you don't care that he's flirting with that mom. And during gym? He's always hitting on girls and it never seems to bother you."
He's right. Bryce is right. Colton's usually hitting on girls or flirting with them. Oh, God. I'm going to do something I shouldn't do to Colton. I probably shouldn't be mad at him, I mean, I've been doing plenty of stuff with Bryce. But what Colton's doing seems worse.
I just don't think I can deal with Colton anymore.
I look at him and the girl again, this time he has his hand on her leg and I'm done. I'm done with Colton and I'm sick of his shit. I won't be treated like this.
I stand up and walk out of the theater. I don't say anything to Colton or Bryce, I just walk away.