|| Three and Half Years Ago ||
I made sure my lips are forming a warm smile before I opened the door.
"Hello!" I greeted our guest stepping aside. "Please, come in."
Mrs and Mr Ryder, who grinned widely at me and I avoided acknowledging his son's form behind them.
"Hello, darling. How are you?" Julia kissed my cheeks. "How is it that you getting beautier each time I see you?"
A blush creeped up my neck.
"Please, Mrs Ryder. You're way too kind."
"Just Julia, darling."
"Yeah," Logan Ryder, kissed me as well and they entered heading towards the kitchen. I didn't dare to look at Brett but I could feel the burning from his eyes on me as I closed the door and swiftly followed his parents. "My wife is right," Mr Ryder's telling my mum who was closing the oven. "Shame to say but you'll soon be overshaded, Tania."
"Soon?" she laughed. "She's already far prettier than I am. Just the other day my co-worker's son brought her flowers, red to match with the cast. You know, to make her feel better. He was so sweet-"
"Mum."I grimaced and they all laughed. Everyone but one person whose gaze I still refusing to meet. My anxiety grew as I thought in all the ways he would embarrassed me later for this.
"She still shy as always, as you can see."
I played with the hem of my dress.
My mother had forced me to wear this soft pink dress, sleeveless and cut above my knees. It hugged my waist and even thought it's not a cloth I'm confortable with, my parents thought it look great on me. Guess if we had rich guests I couldn't show up with my jeans. Yeah, the red cast matched perfectly this pale pink.
That was irony, by the way.
Now with everyone's gaze on me I felt exposed as ever and shifted unconfourtable. Luckly my mother changed the focus.
"Brett, honey. How about you? You're getting really tall, aren't you?"
From the corner of my eye I saw him shrugging.
"I guess."
"We heard you've became titular in the school's team." my father patted his shoulder stepping inside the kitchen to lean in the counter next where my mother was. "Really impressive."
They keep a smooth talk, involving me to polite answers and soon enough the dinner was ready and we moved to the small salon we owned and that we've spent the last hours making it look majestuous. The Ryder's were such a nice couple. I really would had enjoyed they stayed here as always if it wasn't for the current situation I had going on with his son.
Ever since that fatidic brithday party that ended in the hospital nothing's been the same between us. It's not only that he was distancing himself anymore, it's that it didn't even feel like he was the same person. He was bitter and sassier. He'd been trying to talk ever since that but considering how our last chat ended I'd been avoiding him like a plague... which didn't suit him well.
It would be dozen times less tense if his siblings were here. But Rose never come anymore ever since she started college and David was too busy with soccer and his exams to attend all of them. So, nop, Brett and me were on our own since most of the time our parents get caught in their own world.
Great.
That must be why most of the time I spent it with my gaze glue to the plate where I even began fiddling with my food in order to keep avoiding the burning pressure of his stare on me. And if at any moment my strenght faltered, the cast was a good reminder of why I wasn't speaking to him.
My parents along with everyone bought that it was unintentional. By the time they came to the backyard I was too messed up with cries and pain to properly explain what happen, and with Brett apologizing continiously they thought it did was an accident. When I recovered enough to think straight I didn't find it in me to point at him. They wouldn't believe it. And what if it angered him again? First had been my arm, but what if I keep pushing my luck?
I shivered just at the thought of it so I keep quiet and hope he'd ignored me form now on.
Turns out he didn't.
And now we were sitting across from each other as out parents keep on like everything was just fine.
The dessert time came and I was more than happy to offer go get them. Anything to escape that abrazing tension.
"I'll help." Brett get up as well.
"N-no, it's fine-" this basically went directly against the purpose of me going get it, but my mother was there to obliviously cut my excuse.
"Thank you Brett, she could really used some help with that arm."
With all their stares on us, I could only lowered my face and moved to the kitchen if I didn't want to make a scene... which judging by my mother's pursed brows, she DIDN'T want me to do one.
Juggling I managed to get the cake out the fridge just usuing my good arm, but wasn't so skillful after that and if it wasn't for Brett taking it ninja-likely it would had certainly be smacked on the floor by now.
"I got it." he grumbled putting the plate on the counter and I muttered a low thank you before proceeding to unwrap it and made it look beautiful on the plate my mother had prepared for it. "Here, let me help."
"I can."
"Lys." I could sense the frustration. "This is getting ridiculous. You won't even look at me?"
I don't think so.
I reached out to grab suggar glass from the right shelf but there he was blocking the way.
"Alyson." he hissed. It was all written in his face he was restricting himself from using a much louder tone of voice. "Stop this."
I gulped, feeling my stomach jumping in all kinda ways inside me. "Stop what?"
"You know what."
"I don't." I grabbed the pot and took one step backards, putting space between us. "Can you take the plate please?"
And without waiting for him to answer I turned and made my way out there, hearing him swearing behind me.
"Oh, it looks wonderful, Tania." Julia smiled as I took my seat again, oblivious at Brett's form behind me as he put the dessert in the middle of the table.
"Hope it tastes alike."
"I bet it does."
They keep congratulating the yummy dessert and how appealing it looked but I found it hard to focus on they smooth talk. I only managed to when I was directly brought back into the conversation.
"-How come you didn't tell us, Alyson?"
"Uh?"
"About Jade's party." mom kindly reminded and my guts became a tight nod.
True, Jade was throwing a pool party today but I wasn't invited nor that I wanted to go. Jade been just as distant as Brett. Ignoring my calls ever since the accident and giving me weird looks on the hallways. I also heard some nasty rumors she'd supposedly been spreading and as much as I want to pretend she hadn't... I could only deny the obvious for so long.
Her lost hurt but at the same time I would cope with her impassiveness over Brett's harsh ways anyday, but still...
"Aren't you going, sweetie?"
"Mm-"
"It's been a while since we heard from her." proceed my mother cheerfully. "Are you guys mad or something?"
What was I supposed to say to that? With Brett right there? In my state my eyes met his blue ones for the first time since they arrived and my heart skirted. "I-I don't think so..."
"Perfect then. Brett is about to go, why don't you two head it off from here? I'm sure it be fun."
Never in my life had I heard such a bad idea, but I was in no position to deny without exposing everything. Which would indoubtably lead to a Ryder's vs White's war. Which might end in them getting mad at each other. Not talking again. Endind a long time friendship over our misunderstood. Was I to do something to that?
The answer was clear when I read the excitement and love my parents held for this family, the same love I myself held. I couldn't.
Okay, I would go to this stupid party, what could go wrong, uh? Worst case I'd get lonely and leave early. Big deal.
Little did I know it would be way, way worst than that.
|| Present ||
My eyes felt swollen and heavy from all the crying the previous night when I knocked the door softly. No one answered and I frowed, checking the time my phone. 3:58 pm. It was the time we'd accorded. Two minutes earlier, true, but they must be there, right?
I knocked again, waited and was about to knock once more time, frustrated now, when the door opened just before my fist connected with the wood, stopping inches away from a human chest. My cheeks warmed when I met Connor's annoyed/murderous glare.
"Oh, h-hi. I'm sorry. I was supposed to meet with your sister and she wasn't opening... How are you? I was just-" I took in his baggy jeans, only protected with a dark hoody despites the freezing weather and my eyes fell to he skateboard stuck under his arm. "Are you going to skate? Oh, I didn't know you like to. Where do you usually go?"
To my surprise, he didn't remove his glare but his jaw jumped. "It's hard to find a decent place."
"Oh," the shock of him actually answering got me dazed for a second. Connor usually ignored me or cut me. "You're so right. All them are full of kids or too damaged to use. I skate as well, do you know? Yeah, but I used roller shoes... either way, I usually go to the old church." I had no idea why I was sharing that with him. To be more likeble to him, I guess? He rose one brow lightly and my stomach clenched in nerves. "I-I mean, I know it's in ruins and all but that kinda keep people away and the back is a cement yard with 'obstacles'..."
"Cool."
And went to pass me without another word but something ocurried me and I stopped him before he walked away. "J-just don't tell your friends about it, o-or it'll stop being cool."
The hem of his lips twisted in the darkest and tiniest half smirk I'd ever seen. "What friends?" But didn't gave me a chance to respond and threw the skate to the floor, getting up and rolling away just like that.
"Alyson?" I turned towards the door again and found Norah there, helding it opened with her hip as she eyed me cuiously. I immediately noticed something was off with her. She was smiling and all but something in her eyes was tained with sadness. Just like her brother a minute ago she rose one brow. "Was he an idiot?"
"What? No." I was quick to recover from the baffledment and shook my head. "He was... surprisingly not mean?"
Norah let out a short chuckle, wrapping her dressing gown tighter around her frame and stepping aside so I could get in. "Yeah, he get less bitter from time to time." once inside I heard fain agitated voices talking fast. Their parents. Arguing. Like they'd been doing dayly for too long according to Norah. She didn't comment on it while closing the door and it was evident in her face she didn't want me to either. So I didn't and instead followed her up her room, as usual the bright pink walls were pretty distracting. I flopped down on the ottoman as she let herself melt on the mattress that bounced under her weight and rested on her elbows to look at me. "So?"
I knew what she was asking but my stomach tightened in a hard knot at the mere thought of it, last night anxiety clenching me from inside, so instead of responding I tried gaining time. "Where's Macy? Didn't we all agree to met here?"
Norah's smile faltered and the sourness in her eyes pronunced. "Oh, yeah." she diverted her gaze and I could only frown. Last night they seemed to be pretty close and all until I left. "She may or may not be... mad at me?"
"What?" she bit her lip and shrugged, which only rose my curiosity. "Did something happen after I left?"
"Well..." Norah, unsure. That was a first. She ran a hand throught her messy pink mane and let out a frustrated sigh when realized I wasn't letting it slid aside. "I may or may not had kiss her?"
"WHAT?!"
"Shh." she shushed me glancing the door, like making sure no one would suddenly barged in uninvited. "More like an attempt. It may or may not had ended with a dodge from the other part. And then it may or may not-"
"Would you stop the 'may or may not'?" I rolled my eyes dragging the ottoman closer and leaning towards her eager to know more. "We both know it's a 'it totally happen'." she shrugged, trying to cling on the playfulness but it was obvious it bothered her more than she was ready to show. I couldn't believe it. "So, you guys did hit it out last night. You... like her?"
"Of course I like her!" she surprised me saying, her brows knitting together as she looked at me again. "I thought I've made it pretty clear. I thought she knew it too but then she pulled away and say... Uh!" she covered her face with her arms and leaned back on the bed, muttering unintelligible things agaisnt her sleaves. "She hates me now, Alyson."
"Oh, no no no." I too her arms and pulled her uper body back into a sitting position. Only then I noticed her eyes were swollen and red, like she'd just or was ready to cry. My heart clenched at the sight. "Of course Macy doesn't hate you, Nors. How could you even think that?"
"It's what always happens! Same old story. In my previous school I too started to date this guy and you know how that ended."
"Kyle?" I tried to remember what she'd told me about him.
"Of course Kyle! That stupid shit head." she whined and laid on her back again, dragging the pillow over her head so her voice came out muffled. "They all treat me like a joke. I'm fun to be around, but then I get too much and no one want to deal with me further than that!"
Oh, dear Lord.
"You're making absolutely no sense." I climbed on the bed next to her and pulled away the pillow, metting her pouting expression and those puppy eyes that looked up at me. "I'll deal with you any day."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Even tho I'm annoying and eccentric?"
"Oh, please." I giggled. "That what make you you. And people who love you must accept that amazing quirky part of you. We're happy to have someone so especial in out lives."
"Especial?" her lips morphed upwards as she let my words sink in. "I am, ain't I? Damn right. I'm motherfucking especial!"
"See?"
Her eyes sparkled. "You people should be at your knees begging me for attention."
Wait what? "Norah-"
"On your knees, mortal!"
"You overtake it there."
"Mh." her lips pursed. "It sounded better in my head... well." she shrugged this in way a better mood than previously and I giggled again when she threw her arms around me and squeezed. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it." I hugged her back and pulled away, relief that now she was in a better emotional phase already. "So," I cleared my throat and sent her a half smirk. "You guys did almost kiss?"
"Uh, yeah." she slid her hands throught her hair with a short sad laugh. "I must had misunderstood the whole thing. I was so sure we both were on the same page..."
"What happen?" I asked carefully.
"Well... after you left we have so much fun and Macy was so pretty, Alyson, so much... it all was going perfect, and the music and everything... I just thought it was bound to happen so I went to kiss her but Macy pull away and say she must go. She was so freaked out all the sudden... and uncomfortable... Damn, I made her so uncomfortable! And half an hour ago she sent me this text." she tossed me her phone and whined. "I don't think she's comming today."
I looked down at the screen.
MACY-BU: I'm sorry for last night. We both had drink a bit too much and werent thinking straight. Let's just forget it, okay? I wouldn't want our friendship to get ruined over it <3
"Uh," Norah stole my attention once more with her grumble. "I never meant for it to end like this mess!"
"Don't overthink it." I mumbled letting the phone down on the mattress and laying beside my friend. "She'll come around eventually." Especially since it's pretty obvious she's into you as well.
She hummed, not that sure, but then turned to her side so we were face to face and sent me a malicious smirk. "Now let's talk about you." my stomach twisted. Shit, that was what I was dreading. "What happen last night?"
I had to suppress a shiver at the memory of Noel. Of his hands, his mouth... all over me. "Nothing."
"Oh, you won't fool me, miss, 'cause this, "she pointed the tender spot in my neck and I immediatelly shuddered. "Is a hickey."
"No." I covered it with my hair as she grinned.
"It so is, Alyson. Now spill your guts. Was it Lover Boy?"
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Hey! here goes another chapter!! What are your thought on it? I'll try to update soon but since I'm ending my exams I'n not quite sure when will I be able to. In my profile there are a couple more stories, tho, so make sure to check them, I'll really appreciate it!<3
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