The music played exceptionally loud in my ear as I placed the cigarette to my lips and took a pull from it. The smoke filtered through my nose and my mouth as I exhaled and looked out across the vast back yard of my father's house. I had spent the majority of my time in my room with my headphones in. Only a day had passed, but I already felt odd. Odd about my father. Odd about my stepmom. And odd about my extra 'friendly' neighbor.
I took a drag from the cigarette one last time before I put it out and set the butt on the ledge of the porch. I stood up and brushed the back of my pants before turning around and almost running directly into my father. I stumbled back and then stopped glaring at him slightly annoyed.
Rolling my eyes I pull my ear buds from my ear. "Yeah?" I ask my voice clear with irritation.
"Nothing. I was just checking on you," he says. Suddenly the air thickens with tension and an awkward silence overlaps us. We stood there statuesque and facing one another until finally I sighed.
"Look, I understand I'll be here for a while, but this whole communicating with one another thing doesn't have to happen right now. I wanted to try to get to know you, but I just realized I don't think I'm ready to."
"Are you saying you want to go back home?" he asked his voice dropping in disappointment.
Going back home meant going to my life, going back to Kayla and probably never talking to my father again. All of those things seemed appealing to me at the moment, but despite the anger –that hit me out of nowhere- I wanted to try, eventually.
"No, I'm saying I need time, I guess."
"Good. I'm happy you're here son."
"Yeah. Whatever. "
"You start school tomorrow," he tells me and I don't respond. "You smoke cigarettes?" He narrowed his eyes watching me.
"Yeah. Occasionally."
"You're only sixteen, Landon. You shouldn't be smoking. How the hell do you buy cigarettes?"
"Look at you." I chuckled amused and annoyed by his supposedly fatherly concern.
"Landon." He stopped heaving a breath of what seemed like frustration. "I'll see you at Dinner." With one last look he turned away from me and fled back into the house. Lugubriously I turn away and sigh heavily. The sun looked as though it was preparing to set. I braced my hands on the porch's ledge in front of me and glared out at the setting sun.
"Hey there," a voice said from the side of the house. I push myself away from the ledge and turn in the direction that the voice came from.
Standing beside the steps that led up to the porch was Samantha. When she saw me look in her direction a smile spread across her face.
"Landon, right?"
"Yeah," I say cocking a brow.
"Can I come up?"
"Uhhh," I stammered unsure of what I should do. I glance around the porch area before I nod slightly. It was probably a bad idea to even involve myself with this girl.
She smirked and climbed up the stairs to where I was. When she was face to face with me I noticed her appearance. She was wearing a very revealing swimming suit. I frowned in disapproval and then turned away. I glanced at her.
"Uh, did you want Annie?"
"Nope." When she said it she deliberately popped the P and took a seat in one of the chairs on the porch. "I came to see my new hot neighbor." Her eyes began to glow with a very familiar glint and I shook my head.
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but I have a girlfriend back in Georgia," I tell her. Immediately my mind goes to Kayla and I smile.
"A girlfriend, eh?" She sits up in the seat and smiles slyly. "What does she look like?"
"Amazing. Beautiful. Wonderful."
"You must really adore this girl."
"She's the best thing to happen to me in a while."
"Sounds like you love her."
"Love, "I snort. "Love is a strong word. I mean I like her, but we're a little too young to know what love is."
"Landon, you're one of those guys."
"What?"
"You're going to end up breaking her heart. She's going to fall in love with you and you're just going to end up hurting her."
"I would never hurt Kayla."
"Well, Landon you either admit to yourself that you're in love her or you break up with her."
"Right so you can have me?" I smirk.
"That wouldn't be such a bad idea, but seriously Landon, I'm not trying to persuade you to be with me, but I know guys like you. I've dated guys like you. I just don't want some poor girl heartbroken over a guy too afraid to admit to himself that he might be falling in love with her."
"I'm pretty sure Kayla doesn't love me. I like her, I really like her, but I don't think we're in love."
"What are you afraid of Landon?"
"Maybe it's time for you to go Samantha," I say irritably.
"I'm sorry I upset you that wasn't my intentions."
"I know what your intentions were, just please leave." With that said I turned completely around and headed towards the back door. "And do me a favor stop hitting on me."
I opened the door and went inside.
***
Kayla's POV
"I wonder what Landon's doing," I mumble as Alyssa and I walked to our first class. First day back to school and the only thing I could think about was Landon.
"Who knows," Alyssa grumbles disinterested. I knew that I had been going on and on about Landon ever since he left and I felt bad for it. I missed him, but I knew how annoying I was being.
"Sorry Lys," I apologize as we walked into the doorway of our first class.
She sighed and turned around to look at me. "Don't apologize. I've been a real bitch lately. So what were you saying?"
"What's got you down?" I took my usual seat and waited as she took hers.
"Nothing. I don't want to talk about it."
"That bad?"
"That bad. Now when was the last time you talked to Landon?"
"This morning."
"Kayla," Alyssa reprimanded with a look of annoyance.
"What?"
"Do you love him?"
I took a deep breath and then smiled, "I think I do."
Alyssa squealed unexpectedly and then grabbed me, brining me in for a hug. "Oh my gosh no wonder. Does he know? Does he love you back?"
"No I haven't told him, but I will today. I'm so nervous."
"This is epic. Landon and Kayla in love. That's such a strange thing to think about seeing that you two used to absolutely hate each other."
"Yeah it's weird to think about."
Alyssa opened her mouth to say something else, but before she could our teacher walked through the doors and the bell rang indicating that it was time to start class.
"Pss." I ignored the sound and listened as the chemistry teacher told us three interesting facts about himself. "Pss." This time I glanced around only to stop on Hunter who was smiling at me.
"Hey," he says.
"...Hi," I reply confused.
"Where's Landon?"
"He...went to North Carolina for the semester."
"You guys still together?"
"Yeah."
"Can I talk to you after class?"
"About what?"
"Just meet me after class." He turned back forward before I could reply. For the rest of the class I continuously glanced at Hunter wondering to myself what he could possibly want. I came up with several theories but probably my most accurate theory was he was trying to steal me away from Landon while Landon was in North Carolina.
The bell rung and everyone got up preparing to go to their next class. Hunter stopped beside my desk and smiled down at me.
"So can I walk you to class?"
"I don't think Landon would approve."
"Landon's not here."
"Still I don't think it's a really good idea."
"Okay, well Kayla I was wondering if we could be friends."
"Friends? Just friends?"
"Yes, unless you want to be more. I think you're a nice person and I just want to be friends."
"Sure, Hunter, but you can't try anything."
"Scout's honor." He lifted his hands innocently and then walked away with a silly grin on his face. I was suspicious of his motives, but decided not to think too hard about it. It was no way I was going to get too close to Hunter with Landon's jealousy problem and Hunter's crush on me.
I grabbed my bag and left the classroom. On my way to my second class I thought hard and long about the idea of telling Landon I was in love with him. I was sure it was going to surprise him, but I just knew he was going to feel the same. He must.
***
"Hello," he answered in a slightly sleepy tone. Although he obviously sounded tired I could hear the delight in his voice. "Hey baby."
"Hey my fucking cinnamon apple," I reply with a giggle. I turn on my back and stare up at the ceiling as he laughed at me.
"You gotta stop scrolling down twitter before you get on the phone with me."
"You don't want to be my cinnamon apple?" I pout teasingly.
"Of course I do. How was the first day back to school?"
"It was...nice. Hunter wants to be friends with me."
"Fuck no."
"Landon, I know how you feel about him, I won't be friends with him. His intentions seem well though."
"He waits until I move to North Carolina to ask you to be friends, his fucking intentions are to fuck you."
"Landon," I scowl.
"I'm just telling the truth Kayla. We both know what he fucking wants. Don't be fucking stupid."
"Stupid? Landon did you just call me fucking stupid."
"No, I didn't. I'm sorry Kayla."
"I don't know Landon..."
"I really didn't mean it like that. I wish I was there. I just really can't trust him. I think this guy is seriously bad news."
"Okay, I'm not questioning that. " I bit my bottom lip and closed my eyes. "How was school for you?"
"Got hit on all day, but I told them that I have a beautiful girlfriend waiting for me back home."
"Aww how sweet."
"Yeah, Samantha is in like all my –"
"Who's Samantha?" I ask titling my head and narrowing my eyes.
"She lives next door to my dad. She has a little crush on me. She's kind of delusional."
"Why is she delusional?"
"She came over yesterday and started talking to me about not breaking your heart as if she's met you."
"Why would you break my heart? Did you give her the impression of a heart breaker?"
"No, I told her I had an amazing, terrific girlfriend."
"Okay... maybe she's just trying to break us up."
"That won't happen. She seems to believe you're in love with me. We're way too young to know what love is."
I stopped listening to him as the words flowed from his mouth. Way too young to know what love is? "Landon wait what?" I stammered hoarsely.
"What? Did I say something wrong?"
"Yes, you did. Landon, age is nothin' but a number. I understand what love is. I fucking love you," I exclaim sitting up in distress.
There was silence on the other end of the receiver. I could hear my heart thumping harshly against the inside of my chest as I waited for him to say something. "Landon I love you, "I whispered and continued to wait as tears slid down my face. "Say you love me."
"Kayla," he muttered softly. "She was right."
"Landon –"
"I'm such a fucking idiot. I'm sorry Kayla."
"What the fuck Landon? Are you fucking kidding me?"
"Kayla –"
"No let me fucking finish you stupid piece of shit. You told me to trust you with my fucking heart, you actually got mad at me and now you expect me to just take your apology after you just fucking broke my heart. I understand if you don't love me, but to use a bullshit line like that –"
"Kayla, I like you. I was falling for you –"
"And where does falling go Landon?" I was angry. I was fucking furious. "Were you falling in like with me?"
"I don't know, but my feelings are genuine."
"No, Landon. Fuck you. "
We were both silent as I tried to calm down and he probably thought over what just happened. "What does this mean?"
"I don't know what the fuck it means."
"Kayla –"
"Let's break up. If we break up now then you can go fuck all those girls that are fawning over you and I can have some sort of peace. At least I know you're not cheating."
"Kayla I told you I wasn't going to cheat on you."
"And before I would've probably believed you, but now I just don't know Landon."
"Kayla this is stupid. You don't love me. We're sixteen for fucksake."
"I know, but even if this isn't real, it still hurts like it is."
"I never wanted to hurt you."
"But you did. You hurt me and I'm trying to let it go, but Landon I love you and I can't be with someone who doesn't love me back."
"Kayla."
"I'm going to hang up now."
"Kayla –"
I ended the call and dropped my phone to the bed beside me. I turned around and buried my face in my pillow. What just happened?
Hint: The B word is Break Up.