Chapter 27

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height


TYLER

I hate the way she's back to ignoring me. I admittedly liked the change in the past few weeks when she actually talked to me. I realize it's my fault we're not friends but fuck it I already miss her. She managed to slither back into my heart in just a couple of weeks and I both hate and love her more for it.

I lean back in the uncomfortable chair, waiting for the class to fill up. Vivid laughter reaches my ears and I look up just in time to see Nora walking into the room with Evan in tow. She looks back over her shoulder at him and he says something to make her laugh again.

I have to squeeze my fingers into tight fists to not hit something. I hate how he gets her to laugh so easily whereas I just manage to piss her off all the time. I hate being jealous of my best friend but I can't help it. It's so easy for him to talk to her, to be friends with her.

Evan sees me then and I soothe out the frown on my face before he notices. He says something to Nora, who scowls and pointedly looks at everywhere but me before stalking to the other side of the room to her friends.

"She really is pissed at you," he says as he sits down next to me.

"No shit, Sherlock," I growl. "Way to point out the obvious."

He just shrugs and digs out his books. "Sorry."

The teacher comes in then and we both shut up.

I can't help but glance at Nora from the corner of my eye for the duration of the lesson. She looks so beautiful, her hair in its natural curly state and the red lipstick making her lips look delicious. I just want to grab her by the back of her neck and bring her mouth to mine. I want to hear her moan my name as I make come. I want to fuck her senseless and have her lie in my arms after. Shit, I'm a goner.

I'm only woken up from daydreaming when Evan claps his hands next to my ear, hard. "Dude!" I yell, rubbing my ear. "What the hell?"

"Class is over," he's already packing his bag.

Oh. I look around, seeing everybody else already heading for the door. Nora disappears quickly to the mass of people, no doubt wanting to get as fast away from me as possible.

I say bye to Evan and hurry to pre-calc, trying to come up with a way to get Nora to talk to me but she only shows up in class just as the bell rings, making a beeline to the other side of the room from me. I sigh, opening my book and trying to concentrate on what the teacher is explaining up front.

When the class finally ends after what feels like hours, I quickly pack my stuff and almost run to her desk, where she's still putting her things away.

"I'm sorry," I say hurriedly before she can bounce. She keeps her eyes on her belongings, pointedly ignoring me. "Please," I beg her. Never thought I'd do that. "Just talk to me."

She flings her bag on her shoulder and gets up, turning her back to me as she starts heading to the door.

"Nora!" I reach out to stop her but am immediately reminded of the sight of Zane doing the same just a few months ago and let my arm fall. She stops anyway. I'm taking that as a good sign and press on. "I really am sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. I was upset and..."

She turns around so fast that the rest of my words die on my lips. Her eyes are void of any of the warmth they usually hold as she looks at me. "You were upset?" her tone is ice cold. "That's no excuse."

"I know," I hurry to say. "I..."

"I don't care," she rubs her temples, as if her head is hurting. "I just... I don't care, Tyler. You are who you are. You can't change it anymore than I can change myself. I knew who you are and I made the mistake of getting involved anyway. My mistake."

"But—" I want to tell her it wasn't a mistake, but can't. I messed it up, just like she knew I would. Just like I knew I would.

She continues, "And honestly I'm glad you ruined it now instead of down the road. We were going to stop this before college anyway, right?"

"I..." I don't know what to say. I know I said I don't want to go to college tied to one girl but... if that girl was Nora Sanders, I might just make an exception. Not that I can tell her that, not now when she's made it clear she doesn't want me. Not that she ever did, not in the way that matters.

"Exactly," she says and turns around and this time I let her go.

---

She still treats me like air in track, acting as if I don't even exist. I can't help but miss the way we joked around and actually had fun these past few weeks. It was almost like before. Before everything went down to hell.

I miss her. I've missed her all these years but I haven't known how to fix things, how to fix myself. I spent so much time being angry at her and the world. I didn't know how to be her friend again, didn't know if she even wanted to be friends with me again. I was so cold to her, cutting her out like that. I was so sure she hated me. But then she kissed me back. And suddenly I wasn't so sure anymore... But I couldn't very well tell her that in case she rejected me. So I came up with the stupid deal. The deal gave me an excuse to be around her, to kiss her and do all the things I've been dreaming about for a while now, but of course I messed it up.

Now she'll never give me another chance ever again. She hates me now, if she didn't before. I'm so stupid. Her eyes flicker to me and I realize I've been staring at her. She frowns and turns away, making my heart plummet.

"This is just heart-breaking to watch" Evan throws his arms around my shoulders and hands me a water bottle. I take it and take a long gulp, only so that I'm spared having to answer. "She'll forgive you," he confidently says, his eyes fixed on Nora and Olive.

I scoff. Yeah right. If I know something about her, it's that she's just as unforgiving as I am.

"You just gotta keep apologizing and show her that you've changed."

"I haven't, though," I mutter, looking at the ground.

"Well, you made a huge mistake, but at least you regret it," he amends. "Just a few months ago you wouldn't have cared enough and would've just moved on to a new girl."

True. I really am an asshole. "Whatever," I shake his arms off me and head to the starting line. Water break is over.

---

FOUR AND A HALF YEARS AGO

I'm going to tell her. I'm just going to do it. Just say it out loud and hope for the best. What's the worst that could happen? I practically shake as I make my way to her house. I've been in love with her ever since I met her and she doesn't know. I don't think she's ever even considered the possibility. Which is why this might just go to hell. But I can't keep it to myself anymore, not when so many other guys in our class have a crush on her. Eventually she'll go out with one of them and I can't let that happen. I have to tell her how I feel before it's too late. I just hope she feels the same way.

I reach the front door of her family's house and take a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. I  hope her dad doesn't answer. I squeeze my hands into tight fists to control the shaking. I don't think I've ever been this nervous in my life.

Just then the door opens and I look up, ready to face her. But it's not her standing at the doorway staring at me. I take in the tall guy with sandy blond hair and blue eyes.

"Caleb?" my throat is suddenly dry. "What are you doing here?"

He smirks, his eyes gleeful. "You haven't heard? I asked Nora out yesterday. We're just about to leave for our first date."

"What?" I can't seem to be able to form a complete sentence. He... he asked her out?

"We're dating, now," he says, crossing his arms over his chest.

"But..." I open my mouth and close it. "But you know how I feel about her." I can't believe he'd do this to me. He's supposed to be my friend. 

He looks at me with pity. "She would never date you. She likes you as a friend, nothing more. Dude, you're deep in the friend zone."

"But..." I start again, trying to collect my thoughts. "You don't know that."

"Yeah, I do," he looks even more pitying now. "She told me herself."

"She— What?" my brains are a jumbled mess, my chest suddenly feeling like it's constricting in itself.

"Yeah," he nods. "We've talked about it, you know, about your pathetic little crush on her. She knows. It's sad, really, the way you follow her around like a lost little puppy. She's too nice to say anything to you about it, but she finds it a bit annoying, kind of like a little brother always trying to tag along."

So this is what it feels like when your heart is stomped all over. My brains don't seem to be working and my whole body feels numb. "She doesn't... she wouldn't..."

"If she felt the same way about you, why would she be going on a date with me?" he gives me one more of those sympathetic looks. "Dude, it's best if you just get over it. You and her are never going to happen. And I'd appreciate it if you gave us some alone time every once in a while, you know. No need to always be hovering."

"I don't hover," I manage to say even though my throat feels like sandpaper.

"Yeah, you do. It's like you're glued to her side. And it's a tad annoying."

"She's my best friend," I defend myself but wonder if he's right. Is she annoyed by me? Do I really follow her around that much? I know we spend a lot of time together, but it's always been that way. Have I become too suffocating? Am I annoying?

He has a knowing look in his eyes, as if he knows what I'm thinking.

"Hey, who's at the door?" Nora's voice reaches my ears from inside and soon enough she appears at the door.

She's absolutely breathtaking. She's wearing a beautiful red sweater that makes her skin glow and her long dark hair falls freely around her shoulders. She's even put on some mascara and lip gloss, I notice, my mood growing even sourer. She really likes him. I should've known, considering how she's always talking about him and wanting us all to hang out. I just though she considered him a friend. Apparently I was dead wrong.

"Tyler!" she looks surprised. "I didn't know you were coming over. I planned on calling you tonight. Caleb and I—"

"I know," I interrupt and swallow down the lump that has formed in my throat. I really don't want to hear her say the words. "Caleb already filled me in."

"He did?" Nora's eyes flicker to her date and he smiles at her warmly. I can see her melt under those stupid blue eyes and I wish someone would just knock me unconscious already.

"Yeah, it's cool," I try to act nonchalant. "I was just coming by to ask you if you, uh—" I try to come up with a plausible excuse, "—wanted to come to the track with me but I can see you're busy so..."

"Oh," she looks a little uncomfortable. "Yeah, I can't today. But tomorrow?"

"Sure," I nod and start backing down from the door. The sooner I get out of here the better. I force a smile, "You two have fun."

"Yeah, thanks," she blushes a little as Caleb takes her hand in his and intertwines their fingers. I push down the bile that threatens to climbs up my throat.

"See you at school, Ty!" Caleb sends me a smile, which I now know is fake, and I scowl as I turn away. What a back-stabbing asshole.



You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net