Chapter 16: Mistakes
Listen to the song Smoke and Fire by Sabrina Carpenter.
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It's what's on the inside that counts.
-- Anonymous.
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"I've had enough of this! How is running good for me? Isn't it enough that I'm a cheerleader?" I asked Winston, who made me run around the neighborhood to strengthen my immune system apparently.
"You talk a lot, that's exactly how you loose your breath, less talk more exercise" he said as he jogged down the street.
"I hate you!" I shouted as I walked instead of jogging.
"Fine, we're almost there! Come on lazy" he called out making me hate him more.
After reaching my doorstep I let out a huff as I sat on the porch.
"Come on! You can catch a small bite before we continue" he said helping me back up to my feet.
"I'm not doing anymore running if that's what you're indicating!" I said giving him a death glare.
"You are a cranky pants, but no we're going to the next part of our routine after you catch a bite" he said chuckling.
"And what could the next part of our routine be?" I asked still a little breathless.
"Wait and find out" he said as he flipped his blonde hair off his eyes.
"I hate you so much you know that right?" I asked.
"I know" he said smiling brightly.
Getting back inside the house I walked to the kitchen and took out a bottle of water and chugged it down at the speed of light, yes that's how tired I was.
"Slow down, you might choke" Winston called out pulling the bottle away from me.
"Maybe I want to, that way I won't have to bear with whatever you have planned for me" I said grabbing the bottle back from his hands.
The close proximity made me step away and blink hard as I turned around and walked upstairs. He was right behind me.
"Let me go get something, go to your room" he ordered.
"What makes you think I'll listen to you? You're not my father!" I said angrily.
"Just go to your room Raven" he said rolling his eyes.
As usual I obeyed, cause in my head the only two equations were,
One, obey him and the lesser time he stayed or
Two, piss him off so bad he gets sick of you and decides to quit.
I walked over to my room where I fell flat on the bed, but that happiness was short lived as I felt something fall onto my lap.
"How's reading a book supposed to heal me?" I asked Winston rolling my eyes at the book he placed in my lap.
"That's what you figure out" he said winking at me.
It actually annoyed me that he could tolerate me, I was being as stubborn as possible and it wasn't working. I hoped to scare him away but he just happened to get closer.
"You didn't let me go to school! So that I could read a book? A book? I could've gone to school and read Shakespeare" I asked annoyed as I sat on my bed.
"No I didn't let you go to school cause you're mom said that you're not allowed out of the house till you're completely alright!" he said taking the book back into his own hands.
"I'm fine! Now can I go?" I asked.
"You're not fine! Raven I got up in the night to go to the washroom and I could literally hear you cry in your sleep! You kept screaming about how you had enough of everything that was going on in your life" he said and looking at his eyes made my heart prick, cause he was right.
I hardly slept last night, I kept getting the dream again and again. I thought I'd learnt to control it but I was wrong.
"Raven I'm trying to help you, by pushing me away, you're hurting yourself more" he whispered sincerity written all over his face.
I didn't say a word, I let the silence take over my room. There was no way I was going to break down in front of him.
"The Keeper's Tattoo by Gill Arbuthnott," he spoke up showing me the book with the sleek blue cover.
"Is it a good book?" I asked quietly.
"Pretty good" he said smiling and taking a seat next to me.
"What is about?" I asked.
"It's about a girl, who jumped into situations unequipped but she always fought her way through" he said as I pulled my blanket over me and stared at his blue eyes examine the book in his hands.
"You remind me of her, only you're still not completely sure of yourself. In the book, this girl she basically tries to uncover the mystery of her past, her tribe, her family and it gets to a point where she realises that she would do anything to find out about what happened to her family. That kind of feeling is toxic, you would do anything to make sure everyone else feels good, everyone gets what they deserve" he said and for the first time I wasn't just blankly staring, I was listening.
"A year back if you met me, you wouldn't say any of this about me" I said swallowing the lump in my troath, "A year back I was a complete bitch, I hated anyone who made me feel inferior to them so I made sure their lives were miserable. Then life hit me in the face, and I was feeling worse than inferior" I said cracking a bit as I pulled my legs together in my hands.
"You're a strong girl, I'm sure of it" he whispered moving up closer to me.
Without thinking straight I moved closer to him and I crashed my lips on his. Just as I was bracing myself for the rejection he kissed me back.
"This isn't right" he whispered as he continued to kiss me.
"I know" I said latching my fingers into his blonde hair. But neither of us took the initiative of stopping.
All of a sudden the house bell rang bringing both of us back to our senses and pulling away I stood up.
"I'm-I'm going to get that" I said awkwardly.
"Yeah, I'm going to be in my room" he said equally awkward.
I run downstairs and open the front door only to be greeted by a bear hug.
"I'm sorry, I really am! If I knew you were sick I would have called earlier! I wanted to call you so bad but I thought you would be angry with me! I'm so sorry Rave!" Cara spoke as she continued to hug me.
"It's fine! I'm so happy you're not mad at me!" I said hugging her back.
"How come you're here! And how did you know I was sick?" I asked confused.
"Ryan told me you had a headache and couldn't make it to school!" she said in an obvious tone.
"And how are you out of school?" I asked.
"I-I cut" she said in barely a whisper.
"You, Cara Williams cut class?" I asked suprised.
"Don't be so surprised! I told Mark and Ryan to go get us some food in the meantime I've been dying to tell you about how my date went!" she squealed pulling me with her as I closed the door.
"I'm dying to know!" I said smiling brightly.
I took her to the living room where she sat on the couch and I sat next to her.
"So I met him at the Sitcom Theatre where we were supposed to watch a movie. He was like ten minutes late so I thought he bailed on my sorry ass and as you know it was pouring so I was going to go back to my car.
"And believe it or not I saw him running in the rain with a bouquet of flowers and I wasn't sure at first if that was how dates went. At least in the movies and books that's exactly how it goes!" she said blushing.
"That's so cute! My first date was a complete and utter flop! We went to the Reecvile Carnival and Dallas was just way too-"
"Scared of the rides?" she asked completing my story.
"Yeah" I answered laughing.
"Anyways... We went for the movie and we talked more than watched the movie. He was on the soccer team in his old school-" she kept on ranting.
"Old school?" I asked surprised.
"Yeah, he's in college now, a freshman" she said blushing.
"Oooo someone's into older guys!" I said pointing at her.
"Piss off!" she said and I swear she was pink. "And by the end of the date I asked him if he wanted to come with me for homecoming?" she said and I stared at her dumbfounded.
"And?" I asked.
"And he said, 'isn't that what boyfriends do? Take their girlfriends for dances and dates!'. I mean we just went out once! And he called me his girlfriend!" she said squealing.
"Damn Cara! You got one hell of a guy!" I said squealing with her.
"Yea! It's so different, it's not like me at all!" she said smiling brightly.
"Well you deserve the best!" I noted smiling brightly.
The bell rang again, "It's probably Ryan and Mark, I'll get it!" Cara announced and walked out of the living room.
"I brought food!" Mark hollered as he entered the room with a pizza box.
"Great!" I said standing up as Mark put the box down and brought me into a bear hug.
"I missed you?!!!" he said laughing a little.
"Thanks, but as you know I've been holed up" I said.
"I'm sorry, I tried to call but it went straight to voicemail so I was pretty sure you didn't have your phone" he said. "How's he treating you?" he asked sympathetically.
"He's tolerant and that's all I can say" I said blushing a little as I replayed the episode with Winston that happened a while ago.
"Who's tolerant?" Cara asked as she entered with Ryan next to her.
"Umm... My cousin. He's upstairs" I lied smoothly, or so I thought. I watched as Ryan raised his eyebrow.
"Does he want to join us?" Cara asked as she opened the box of pizza.
"No!" I said with a little too much effort. Cara and Ryan stared at me like I just grew a second head while Mark tried to smother down his laughter.
"I mean he's probably busy!" I said nonchalantly.
"So you guys want to watch a movie?" Ryan asked bringing into view the few CDs he brought over.
"Sure!" Cara said as she ate her first slice of pizza. "This is so exciting! I skipped class and I'm eating pizza in the middle of the day! I'm a badass in the making! Raven you're rubbing off on me!" she whined.
"Honey, I'm not done with you!" I said laughing.
"I call dibs on the sofa!" Mark announced as he pounced on the sofa.
I sat next to Cara on the rug while Ryan sat on the sofa right above me. After settling down I put the movie in and five minutes into the crime scene I heard someone shuffling down the stairs.
"Ummm.. Raven?" I heard Winston call.
"Yea?" I asked as he came into view.
"I'm going to go catch a bite. Umm.. I thought- I'd just let you know" he said and I could tell he was nervous as his Adam's apple bobbed up.
"Yes, that's good. I'll see-see you later?" I asked equally nervous as I watched the blue eyed boy walk out.
"That isn't your cousin" Ryan stated.
"That's not true" I said angrily.
"Guys! I don't care if he's her cousin or if he's her boyfriend! I hate being interrupted during a movie so stop!" Mark said giving both of us a death glare as I felt Ryan tense up a bit.
Taking a slice of pizza I stuffed my mouth with it as I reeled through my thoughts again and again.
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Sorry for the delay peeps! I have exams going on and I'm trying my best to crash in writing time.
But for now this is it!!!!