TWELVE

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

< : > : Chapter Twelve : < : >

Phoenix | Other people

Scooting my plate over making it hit my water glass Prichett placed his phone screen down on the table. I could feel his eyes on the side of my face as I stared at his cell. For the past twenty-five days he had been telling me that I was messing up things with Harlow. He was right and I knew that but things were better this way more so for myself than her.

Harlow was also right too. I'm a guy who lets his feelings be known. If I like you then I'll tell you. If I don't then I'll tell you and walk away. Maybe I was just too straight forward with her. Yes, I like her. No, we've never met but today I can say we've at least video chatted once even if it wasn't a success.

"Derman, you have to call her back."

"Call her back on what Prichett?"

"Stop acting dumb. You can use my phone as I've told you a millions times before."

"I don't think she'll answer me now. You seen the way she rushed to get off the phone."

"You sat there gaping like a fish out of water. I would have hung up on your ugly face too."

Shaking my head I looked at the phone wanting to call the number I knew by heart even though it wasn't my aunt's anymore but what the hell would I say anyway? Sorry I didn't call you because I don't want to just be friends with you. Even though we've have never met in person, I feel a deep connection to you and I think you're stunning and I want to see where this goes even though I live thousands of miles away. Are you into long distance relationships?

See how ridiculous that sounds?

I was only giving her the space she asked for with maybe a few extra days - well weeks, for myself. Maybe if her and Prichett would look at it from my point of view they would see that I was pulling back to save myself. I had been putting my feelings out there waiting for Harlow to hop on board but she's still hesitant. I completely understood and I had no plans to go back to Indiana. How fair would it be to either one of us?

Being so far away made the cut off easier since all I had to do was refrain from calling her. Didn't mean that it hurt any less.

"Every day that passes makes her hate you even more."

"Wow. Thanks Prichett."

"I'm not about to sugar coat it for you Derman."

"You don't think I've sat in my bunk hating myself for not calling her? You don't think I miss her voice and hearing about her day? Prichett, this is stupid. All of this is stupid. I'm a few steps pass crushing on Harlow." I shook my head. "I really like this girl. A girl that I've talked to for almost two months and only video called once. She's right, it doesn't make any sense. So I'm stopping myself from moving any faster."

"There's nothing you can do until you go back to Indiana that will promote you from being her guy friend -"

"I don't want to be anything more than her guy friend." I lied.

"Since when?"

"Since I looked up the fucking distance between California and Indiana! It's not fair to her and it would be torture to a relationship."

"So be just settle for being her friend you fucking wuss."

"I'm not a wuss."

"You are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"And you're childish."

Prichett shrugged his shoulders taking a drink from his cup. "Yeah, well at least I'll be sleeping peacefully tonight while you're up thinking about how much Harlow is cursing your name."

"I'll sleep the same undisturbed way I've been sleeping these past twenty-five days."

"Keeping track?" He smirked taking another drink.

"No. I've just been counting down the days to my freedom and not talking to her just so happened to make its way into my list of random things to count." Giving his whatever scoff I told him how I was serious. "I've counted how many times you've been looking up houses back in Indiana. Eighty-eight times in the past three weeks."

"Buying a house takes time, of course I'm going to look it up often."

"I've also counted how many times you've looked up that one girl on your Instagram page. What's her name -"

"Alright, you can shut up now."

"My point exactly."

"Your point is stupid and you should just call her and say sorry. Just be her friend until you can actually do something about it."

"When I get out?"

He sadly shrugged. "If it takes that long then yeah. You don't have much of a choice Derman."

Nodding my head I exhaled knowing that he was right. I missed talking to Harlow. She was funny even early in the morning and that was only one of the awesome things about her.

I wasn't prepared for Dylan to turn the camera to her face. I didn't have a chance to look myself over any kind of way to be more presentable. She was beautiful just like her pictures. I loved her hair the most aside from her eyes. So brown and beautiful.

"I should call her."

"You should call her."

"I'll call her right now."

"The phone hasn't moved."

"I can't call her."

"What the - why the hell not?"

"What if she's busy? What if she's actually waiting for my call just to ignore it on purpose?"

"You don't think she has a right to ignore you?"

"I mean she does but -"

"Then you just have to deal with her ignoring you. Call her now and if she answers then apologize. If she doesn't answer then leave a message and call her tomorrow." He knocked shoulders with me. "Come on Derman. Man up and call her."

"Fine." Picking up his cell I dialed the number listening to it ring over and over until it went to voicemail. Ending the call I lowered the phone trying not to show my disappointment. "Voicemail."

"She might not know that it was you calling. You've never called from my phone before so call one more time and leave a message if she doesn't answer."

"Okay." Listening to it ring again my heart pounded in my chest faster and faster until her voicemail picked up again making my heart drop a little again. "Hey Harlow . . . it's me . . . um, Nick - Phoenix. I'm sorry that I haven't called you after the three days were up. I wanted to . . . I really wanted to but I had to put more space between us because I'm . . . I shouldn't be telling you this over a voicemail so please call me back when you get this. We only have a few more hours on land before we have to be back on ship . . . I'll talk to you later. Bye." I hung up tossing the phone on the table. "Now we wait?"

Prichett nodded. "Now we wait."

< : > : < : > : < : >

A/N: Patience my dear readers . . . what you're waiting for will come sooner rather than later, I promise.

Now we wait ;)

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net