Chapter 47: Bold

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Becca

Sitting in my last period class, I was completely certain that time had actually begun to slow down - like someone took the earth and gave it a sleeping pill, making it rotate even slower around the sun.

Hurry up! I wanted to yell at the clock. For the past hour, I had been impatiently tapping my foot on the floor and not paying any attention to a single word Mr. Wright was saying. My mind was stuck on Brett like he was quicksand and I was getting dragged under.

After school today, the Bears would be playing their first game of the championship and I would be sitting in the stands, watching and waiting. Too many days without Brett have passed and I was growing tired of pretending that I was fine without him. Truth was, I'm not fine. The only time I'm remotely fine is when Brett is by my side. I was done taking him for granted.

This time apart from Brett allowed me to realize how lucky I am to have him, fighting for me and loving me in ways no one had ever done before. Sure, we had our ups and downs throughout the months, he hurt me just as I hurt him, but a relationship is never perfect. But with Brett, the good always outweighed the bad. Always.

Out of habit, I reached for my phone, wanting to listen one more time to the message Brett left me last night - the message I listened to about a hundred and one times this morning when I first noticed it on my phone.

"Hey, Becs, it's me. I'm sorry for being an asshole, I just... Can you come to my game tomorrow night? Give me a chance to make things right between us?" He paused. "I love you."

As soon as I heard it, I had typed in Brett's number to call him back, but hung up before the phone began to ring, deciding that surprising him at the game tonight would be perfect; I want him to look up into the stands and see me sitting there, cheering for him. I didn't want to miss the look on his face when he did.

Finally, an eternity later, the bell rang and I ran out of that classroom like a rocket being launched to the moon. Class was done, school was over, and it was nearly time for the football game.

Arriving at my locker, I quickly put my books inside and slung my bag around my shoulder, eager to get the hell out of here. Shutting the locker, I saw Jenny approaching me from the side of my eye, cheerleader skirt and hair bouncing in sync. I was so happy that not even the menacing scowl on her face could damper my good mood.

"Hey Jen!" I greeted her, smiling brightly as she stopped beside my locker and stared down at me, her arms crossed firmly over her chest. "Excited for the game tonight?" Okay, I was pushing it and feeling a bit bolder than normal. But seeing the look of shock on her face was making me even happier than I already was.

Reuniting with Brett and pissing of Jenny? Consider that a double win.

She arched one perfectly plucked eyebrow and looked at me as if I lost my mind which, debatably, is possible. "Brett will be at the game tonight. Right?" She asked, sighing loudly like speaking to me was draining all of her energy.

I ignored her bored demeanour and smiled kindly. "Of course. He would never let his team down." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

Her ruby red lips stretched into a broad grin, her face lighting up. "Perfect!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "I miss seeing his sexy face at school," she finished, licking her lips slowly.

Now, I actually did roll my eyes. This girl has no shame.

"Do you ever get tired, Jen?"

"Tired of what?" She asked innocently, watching me with wide eyes and a wicked grin.

"Tired of going after a guy who is in love with me?" I clarified, batting my eyes at her.

Jenny's eyes narrowed into slits as her hand snaked out and latched onto my arm, nails digging into my skin. I bit down on the side of my cheek to stop myself from wincing at the pain. I wouldn't give her the satisfaction.

"Listen to me, you stupid little -" Her voice was dripping venom but I cut her off before she could say another word.

"No, Jenny. Listen to me. Brett doesn't want you. He. Doesn't. Want. You." I emphasized each word, making sure she got the point. I ripped my arm out of her grasp, her handing dropping limply to her side.

"And what, it's you that he wants? Boring Becca who has never even had a boyfriend before?" She spat, throwing her head back and laughing hysterically.

"Brett is my boyfriend. And that's pretty ironic coming from a girl whose entire past is hookups. You've never had a boyfriend." I fired back, placing my hands on my hips.

Jenny's eyes blazed and she took a step towards me. I could see the crowd gathering around us from the side, but I never took my eyes off of hers. She opened her mouth to speak but I bet her to it.

"I don't think you're a bad person, Jen. I think under all this fake and bitchy glamour, there's a decent person. Even your own brother told me this isn't who you truly are." Her eyes widened at the mention of her brother as her nostrils flared. "It's sad that you hide behind all this. One day high school will be done and you won't be able to rule the real world. With your attitude, people will chew you up and spit you out."

"You don't know anything about me!" she yelled, her face red in anger. I was sure if there wasn't a crowd around us, she would have hit me. I had never seen so much hatred in someone's eyes.

"No one does because you never give people the chance to." I grabbed my bag strap that slid down my shoulder and lifted it up, securing it in place. "There's a few months left of senior year. If I were you, I would spend it trying to heal some of the scars you've made. Maybe there's still hope for you."

And with that, I spun around and walked down the hallway while people stared at me with their mouths open, completely dumbfounded.

I ran down the stairs and pushed open the door, stepping into the sunshine and smiling at the warmth hitting my skin.

Walking through the school parking lot, I stopped suddenly as reality hit me and my eyes went wide. I just told off Jenny McHenry. What the hell have I done!?

I glanced back towards the school quickly, expecting to see a mob of angry students running at with me torches and pitchforks held high, Jenny as their leader. But what I did see was students filing out of the doors, making their way to their cars and talking happily on their phones.

The world seemed to go on as usual, my outburst back in the hallway not even causing a ripple. I felt oddly disappointed. Shrugging, I held my head high and crossed the street, taking the same path home that I had been walking for four years. Yet, today, I felt like a brand new person.

* * *

That night, I walked out of my bedroom with Brett's jersey on and a smile plastered to my face. Cassie was on her way to pick me up and drive us to the football game. Just the thought of seeing Brett again was making butterflies flap like crazy in my stomach, nerves and excitement completely taking over.

"Someone's energetic tonight," my mother joked, watching me from her seat at the table as I bustled around the kitchen with a spring in my step, pouring myself a bowl of cereal since I was too nervous to eat anything else.

"Not energetic, just happy," I corrected. My mother frowned at me from behind her coffee mug as I spoke with my mouth full of food. I laughed, swallowing quickly and taking a seat in front of her.

"Is this about Brett?"

"Maybe," I replied, lifting another spoonful of cereal into my mouth.

"Are you two back together now?"

I raised my hand into the air and held up my index finger. "We never broke up," I clarified.

Ever since my mother returned from her business trip last week, she had been pestering me about Brett and inviting him over for dinner. Without going into detail, I informed her that we were taking a bit of a "break" which nearly crushed her heart.

"Let me rephrase that," my mother rolled her eyes, gently placing her mug on the table and watching me carefully. "Are you two speaking again?"

I thought about that for a moment. Technically, we haven't spoken yet but he did leave me a voicemail...

"Yes, we're speaking." I decided that was the truth and told my mom, her face immediately lighting up. Now it was my turn to roll my eyes.

"Oh Becca!" She gushed, as if I just announced the arrival of my first born child. "I am so happy, love! You've been moping around for days -"

"I was not moping!"

"- but look at you now! Smiling, laughing." Her tone turned serious and she reached out, grabbing my hand. "I was worried about you, dear."

I smiled at my mom reassuringly. "I'm fine, Mom. Really." I braced myself for her reaction to my next sentence. "I'm going to his game tonight. Cassie will be here soon to drive -"

She squealed and I literally had to cover my ears to stop my brain from exploding.

"Mom!" I yelled, laughing at her reaction. With a mother this dramatic and loud, it was a mystery how I had ended up being the exact opposite. "Please, do not make a big deal out of this." I wasn't even entirely sure how tonight would play out. After the night was over, then it would be time for her to celebrate.

My mother dramatically placed her hand over her heart and took a deep breath, fanning her face with her hand. "How am I not supposed to make a big deal, Becca? My daughter is in love! This is the day all mother's dream of."

"I'm already regretting telling you this."

"Oh, hush." She rolled her eyes at me and took a sip of her coffee. "I want that boy over at this house next week for dinner. You hear me?"

"We'll see, Mom." Right on cue, my phone vibrated. It was Cassie, letting me know that she was outside waiting. "That's Cass," I declared, standing up and walking over to put my bowl in the sink before I left. When I turned around, my mother was standing with her arms outstretched. I smiled and walked into them, welcoming my mother's embrace.

She smelt like floral perfume, the familiar scent that I always associated with her. I breathed in, smiling to myself. No matter what changed in my life, my mother was a constant, always here to offer her support and love, no matter how crazy it may be sometimes. After a moment, she unwrapped herself from me and held my face in her hands. Staring into my mother's crystal blue eyes, I could see the happiness behind them.

"Did you tell Brett that you love him?" She asked me softly, raising both her eyebrows.

I shook my head slowly. "I'm telling him tonight, Mom."

"Good. You have to tell people how you feel, Becca. Actions may speak louder than words, but that doesn't mean words aren't important. People want to hear they're loved just as much as they want to feel it. Understand?"

I thought about my mother's words for a moment then nodded, remembering the warmth that filled me when Brett first told me he loved me. That feeling was better than any kiss he could give me and I longed to experience it again. "I understand, Mom."

Walking to the table, I picked up my phone and placed it in the pocket of my jeans. My hands were shaking and one glance at my mother told me that she noticed it too. She walked towards me and held both my hands in hers.

"Don't be nervous, dear. That boy loves you, I knew it from the very first second I saw him in our doorway." My mother gently placed her hand on my cheek and smiled at me, her eyes sad - the kind of sadness that belongs to a mother who's getting ready to let her only child go. "The world is right outside, Becca. All you need to do is open the door."

I fought back the tears and hugged my mother to me once more, tighter this time - the woman who had given me everything, who had been strong so many years when she had every reason to fall apart. She was my rock. She was the woman I aspired to be someday.

I told my mother that I loved her and then I took a deep breath to steady my racing heart. Walking into the hallway I opened the door as she instructed and walked through it - out into the open world.

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As badly as I wanted to jump into the fun stuff, I feel like this little chapter was necessary. It shows a new side of Becca and how she is slowly overcoming her inner demons one by one. Were you guys surprised when she told off Jenny? Let me know! The much awaited chapter should be next, I'll see where the words take me! xo

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