Term two was over but I was still having nightmares about it. Figuratively and literally. A lot of them had to do with Dobberman and Nook but the worst ones involved Loyal Wilson. After our break-up, it was hard attending Jackheights and seeing him everywhere. I should have learned my lesson after my first boyfriend. Don't date guys who go to the same school as you. Some days it seemed like Loyal wanted nothing to do with me and other days, I would catch him stealing glances. It wasn't like I broke up with him because I stopped liking him, or because he wasn't a good boyfriend. Loyal had a lot of love to give but he also had a lot to learn. He needed time to grow and change as a person on his own. I couldn't be his clutch. It wouldn't be healthy. It would just turn into a toxic relationship full of lies and deceit.
Zander's fangirls gave me a hard time towards the end of the school year too. It wasn't just about how I beat him at basketball anymore or how I intervened in his fight with Dobberman. No. After rumors of my short-lived romance with Loyal surfaced, the fangirls were convinced that my real target was Zander and Khaleel. They thought I couldn't make up my mind about which rooftop loser I wanted, so I was shooting my shot with all of them. Their stupidity motivated them to test my patience with verbal abuse. I wasn't a pushover. I retaliated with comebacks but I never used my fists. Hitting girls who were weaker than me wasn't something I wanted on my conscience.
Loyal saw the fangirls trying to bully me once. It looked like he was about to rush over and help fend them off but Khaleel was faster and more aggressive. He pulled me aside and stared the hyenas down. He was like a fierce lion, ready to protect his cub. I turned to find Loyal standing down the hall; staring at me for an uncomfortable moment. My ex-boyfriend's world was close to crashing and only a handful of people knew why. I didn't have it in me to pry into his life but I couldn't stop myself from stressing about it. Did he already serve his parents with the lawsuit? Were they trying to reason with him or had they abandoned him? Did Loyal have a place to crash? Was he eating alright? Was he taking care of himself?
He approached me on the last day of school and apologized for how things ended between us. He thanked me for not running into Khaleel's arms right after we broke up. It was awkward to hear because at the time, the delinquent had been insisting on becoming my boyfriend. I didn't take anything he said seriously though. I couldn't with how things ended with Loyal.
"Are you really not returning to Jackhieghts next term?" It was all I could think to ask my ex.
"I don't think I am," he told me. I could tell by his sad expression that his plans were moving forward. "The thought of never seeing you again is a bit upsetting, to be honest."
"You don't have to carry a torch for someone who broke up with you," I said softly.
"For someone who claims to never lie, I withheld a lot of truth from you. That's on me. It's on me and it eats me up every single day."
I couldn't forget those words. I knew Loyal was trouble the moment I met him but I felt bad for trying to sabotage his plans after the rooftop losers saved me from that house. I got soft because I was busy falling for his looks, his voice and his touch. I was so busy in fact, that I completely forgot about my initial instincts, my initial impression and what that meant. Loyal Wilson was not ready to change, not for love anyway.