Chapter 18: Real feelings
1524 Words
"You look beautiful." Brett says.
"Thanks." Angelica replied.
"Uh..-"
"Brett, just stop." Angelica put her hand up.
"So... Mallory, am I expecting an answer from you tonight?" He asks.
"Oh, my dear foster brother, the answer's no. She's my date." Angelica answered. "But you can be our driver."
"I thought you were going with Donavan."
"That black haired guy? The f**k? No." She responded. "But you know that blonde chick? She really wants to go with you but you don't realize it."
"What blonde chick?" He asks.
I just laughed and we made our way to Brett's car.
Angelica rolled her eyes and huffed.
"He's so blind." I commented.
"I am so mad at him right now." She says.
"Let's go, ladies." Brett said.
We got to our school.
"Go find your boo." Angelica whispers.
"What boo?" I ask.
She unlinked her arms from mines and held onto my shoulders.
"Jay." She mouthed.
"Why?" I mouthed back.
"Is mouthing words a new girl code for you two?" Brett asks.
"Not right now." Angelica said to him.
"Alright, if you need me, I'll be with my buds."
"Oh, we won't need you," Angelica says. "but I'll need you."
With that, she winked at him and he left.
'I still get jealous.'
"Oh my god! I love this song!" Angelica squealed. "Let's go dance!"
"No-"
She dragged me to the dance floor and started dancing.
"Dance." She said.
"I can't dance." I told her.
She sigh. "Oh, come on, Mallory. Everybody dance. You just don't want to."
"It's not that. I can't dance. I don't know how." I said.
"Well, the song's already over."
'So one last time, I need to be, the one who takes you home'
"I love this song!" She squealed.
"People are slow dancing." I tell her.
"You need a guy!"
"What do you mean-"
"Can I take her?" Somebody asks behind me.
"Yes!" Angelica answered.
"What are you-"
Angelica turned me around and I saw that it was Jayden.
"Replay the song." Jayden told the DJ.
"Got it!" The DJ said.
He grabbed my hand and put it on his shoulders.
He put his hands on my waist.
"What are you doing?" I ask him.
"Dancing," he replied. "with you."
"Why?"
"Because I want to."
"But I don't-"
"We already started." He cut me off.
I took my hands off his shoulders.
"I'm leaving." I told him.
He grabbed my arm.
"Mallory." He says.
"Jayden, let me go." I said. "Please."
"Can I at least get a chance to talk to you?" He ask.
I took a look at him. "No."
"Why not, Mallory?"
"Because-"
I felt being pulled and Jayden's grip from my arm released.
"She doesn't want to talk to you." Brett growled at him.
"Move away, Updaring." Jayden said to him.
"Willings, I recommend you to leave her alone."
"I'm afraid I can't do that." He said. "Did you know I failed English and Math?"
"That isn't our concern." Brett said.
"Mallory, I need to talk to you." He begged me.
"If it's about our relationship, then I don't want to hear it." I told him.
Everybody's eyes was on us.
"It isn't." I could tell he was lying.
"Fine." I knew he was lying. But I really wanted to hear what he had to say.
"Mallory." Brett said.
"It's fine, Brett." I told him. "I got this."
Jayden and I left the gym and went out in the hallway.
"I know you probably know that this isn't about me failing English and Math." He started. "But that was the only way. I know you care about me and for me."
"Jay-"
"But I really need to use this opportunity to talk to you." He said. "I'm sorry."
"But our relationship-"
"We don't have a relationship." I cut him off.
"This tutoring. You haven't tutored me for 2 weeks, Mallory."
"I was busy." I lied.
"Don't lie to my face."
"Jayden, I admit that I do care for your grades." I told him. "But you're at fault for not studying on your own."
"I've tutored you for months!" I said.
I can't believe I tutored him for months. It felt like 5 days.
"This isn't what I wanted to talk about."
"I can't talk to you about that other thing."
"Other thing?" He ask. "What do you call us?"
"What do I call us?" I repeated his question. "I'm just your tutor. That's all. Nothing else."
"We were dating-"
"Not even a whole day, Jayden. I don't consider that a relationship." I cut him off.
"But that was my only relationship." He told me. "With a real girl."
He stepped closer. "With real feelings."
"What do you mean by real feelings?" I ask.
"You know exactly what I mean," he says. "I could not stop thinking about you. I've dreamt about you."
"Huh, that's weird." I said. "Because I dreamt about you too."
"What does this mean?"
"Maybe it's false."
"Seriously, Mallory. I'm tired of this."
"You're tired?" I ask. "I'm the tired one. I'm tired of you bringing the past up. You avoid talking to me."
"I avoided talking to you? You were the one avoiding me!" He yelled. "You wouldn't answer any of my calls either! I decided to give you some space to think about us."
"There is no us!" I yelled at him. "Stop speaking this! It's nonsense!"
He grabbed my wrists.
"Mallory, tell me you hate me then." He said. "Tell me you hate me. I'll leave you alone if you do. Make me forget you. Make me stop having feelings for you."
I wanted to tell him. But I don't hate him. I just have as much feelings as he have for me. But I wanted more time to think. To think, all of this.
"Well, Mallory?" He was waiting for what I was gonna say.
"Brett and I kissed." I told him. And that wasn't a lie.
He released my wrists.
"Did you like it?" He ask. I could tell he was upset.
"Yes." I lied. I didn't like it. I didn't feel anything.
"You lied to me." I heard somebody said.
I turned around and saw Angelica
"Angelica.." I said. "I'm sor-"
"You lied to me!" She cried. "You said you didn't like it!"
She ran.
"Angelica!" I called her name.
I turned around and slapped Jayden.
"I hate you." I told him.
I turned around and ran to Angelica.
I found Angelica in the parking lot.
"Angel-"
"Don't talk to me." She said. "I don't want to talk to you."
"I-"
"You lied to me. I trusted you!" She yelled. "You know why I moved here?"
"Angel-"
"Because my best friend did the same thing! She had s*x with the same guy that I had s*x with. She told on me. And you're exactly like her!" She told me.
"We aren't the same, Angelica. I'm not like that."
"Don't lie to me!"
"Angelica, please, just let me explain."
"I'm tired of this! You knew I liked him! Yet, you just had to lie to my face that you didn't like it."
"I really didn't, Angelica. I just-"
"I'm sorry." She says.
"What do you mean you're sorry?" I ask. "I'm sorry."
"No, I'm overreacting. Of course you like him. You knew him longer than me. You must have."
"I don't. I only see him as a brother."
"A brother?" Somebody asks behind us.
Angelica and I both turned around. It was Brett.
"I did so much." He said. "Yet you only saw me as brother? I protected you."
"Brett, I'm sorry." I told him.
"Brett-"
"No, Angelica. I know how you feel towards me." He told her. "I know exactly how you feel."
"How do I feel then?" She cried.
"I'm sorry. I only see you as a sister." He said to her.
"It's exactly the same, Brett!" She yelled. "Mallory only sees you as a brother! It's the same as how you see me!"
"I can accept that." He said.
"You can?" We both ask.
"Yes." He replied. "I'm not going to force you or talk you into it."
"Brett!" Angelica yelled. "You're saying that I can't accept it?"
"I know you can, Angelica." He told her. "You'll have to try. I'm trying."
"You knew it from the start?" I ask him.
"Yes, I can tell that you like Jayden, a lot. You've tutored him for months. You must've felt something for him as he did to you."
"Don't deny it." Jayden says.
I saw him walking towards us.
"I have real feelings for you, Mallory." He told me. "I can prove it to you."
"I'm not ready." I told him.
"Don't force it on her." Brett told him.
"I'm not going to. You take your time, Mallory." He said. "I gave you 2 weeks already. But I can give you more. Just tell me when you're ready. I'm always ready to tell you."
"It's not that easy, Jayden." I said.
"I know it's not. That's why I'm giving you time. I don't want to force it on you. I don't. I'll wait for you. I always will."
- Writer
