The Golden Boy

Excuses

It's been four days, since I last talked with chase. Four days, since I stopped sitting at lunch with my friends. I always made up excuses like I had pending homework, an assignment to research for and yesterday I just disappeared without any explanation to anyone.

And today on the fourth day, I was going to do the same but, found myself sitting with Caly and her cheerleader friends at the outside sitting area, instead.

I couldn't say whether it was good or bad because, if my friends got a whiff about this they will no doubt, believe that I was ignoring and purposefully ditching them.

Which I actually was. But not really them.

I was avoiding him.

"Simon hasn't been returning my calls. Is he gonna breakup with me?" Crissy—or Cassy, I didn't remember—mumbled, picking her salad, despondently.

Caly sighed. "He was never with you in the first place, Kristy." Oh, Kristy. It was close, though.

An other girl, piped in, too. "Yeah, I mean this summer he hooked up with three different girl and last week I saw him kissing grace. Go figure." She rolled her eyes and the two other girls murmured their agreements.

I was so ready for the bell to ring because, f**k. All these girls have been talking about is boys, cheating, handbags and nail paint colors. "Fiona, are you dating someone?" The girl who ratted the Simon guy asked me. The whole table focused on me but Caly had the most intense expression, like lips pursed and forehead crinkled in concentration and all.

"Nope. I'm not. Wouldn't think of it. Why did you ask?" I raised my eyebrow.

Caly sighed like a deflated balloon and the girl who asked me, pouted. "Well, this is a bit sad. Look, I think you're hot and you deserve someone who could make you feel good for it. Hey!" Her face suddenly lit up. "There's this guy I know. I can talk to him if you—"

"Um—no—I think.." I tried to interrupt but,

"Back off, Stace." Caly did the job with a glare. "She isn't asking, right? So let her be, please." She shot a smile towards me and hesitantly, I returned the action.

Finally, the bell rang overhead and we all stood up with our empty trays in our hands and went inside. I was turning to head to my dreaded next class with him when when Caly called. "Hey, Fiona, do you think we can go shopping this weekend? The other girls won't be there, I know they annoy you." She offered a small smile.

"Oh. That would have been great but, I think… I'll have to pass. I've got a… test on Monday, so…" I lied straight through my teeth, silently thanking sweet baby Jesus that she wasn't in any of my classes.

Her face dimmed but she nodded her head and left, too.

The next period went with me sitting in the back, as per usual, since lately and Chase trying to look back at me every five f*****g minutes as subtly as a flying brick could be. Half of my notes were only unintelligible scribble and doodles, courtesy of a distractive handsome i***t.

The other two periods after that, I told the girls that I was feeling sick and that's why I skipped lunch. But, with the look they were giving me I knew that they were catching up on my sloppy excuses. And it made me feel more guilty than I already was.

Bree had yet again to go to her after school meeting so, I was treading alone in the lively swarm of high schoolers when someone called me from behind. I sighed. Well, it's better that it wasn't Chase.

Ashton jogged towards me, pushing other students out of his way and earning nasty ass glares in return. "Hey! You walk fast." He said with an over enthusiastic smile, falling in step with me.

"Gotta keep my pace, Jettison. The world doesn't wait for no one." I replied giving him a side over.

"Well, not the world but someone could be waiting for you. Or you could wait for someone. Or you don't have to be waiting at all…" I shot him a look that screamed 'what s**t are you actually throwing up?' and he immediately shut his trap. "Okay—um…sorry."

"Just tell me what you're here for." I scowled. "Every time you chase me in these hallways like this, there is always some ulterior move behind it." The end of my spine tingling after I realised the word I've said.

He put his hand on his chest with a hurt expression. "You make me sound like a selfish, douche friend. And don't you dare tell me that I actually am. Because I'm not."

"Oh? Then tell me, why you only approach me when you have something to ask for? Why not other times?" I challenged crossing my arms.

"Because you are never there." He shrugged. "You don't come to lunch with us. You don't hang out with us on weekends. When am I supposed to find those 'other times'? So, automatically, I have to chase you like this, when in need."

It took me a minute to wholly process what he had said and the outcome was same as the first it had impressioned. I was never there, for anyone.

And it was affecting my relationship with my friends. And because of what? A mistake I've drunkenly commited. The realisation was a hard nasty skap to the face but, I had to accept that it had to stop. Now.

"Okay, now tell me." I grumbled and resumed walking.

"Well, taking our past conversations as example, I won't waste your time and come straight to the point." Good. "I'm actually here to talk you about Bea. Bea and me, actually." This made me stop again. This time on the stairs just outside the main entrance.

"Why do you call her Bea, by the way?" I frowned.

"Eh. Because my middle name is Beau and her name is Bree and it's a close to Bea so, Beau-Bea it sounds cute. Like a couple goal type thing, you get it?" He smiled like a dork in love which made my throat tight to swallow.

Jesus. I think I preferred him more like he was before. Atleast, I had excuses to punch him then.

"Okay. So, what about Bree?" I asked instead.

"Oh, right." He cleared his throat. "She thinks you are ignoring her because of me. And it's hurting her. So, I am here trying to make peace with you, so you could accept our relationship—not that you're his mom—and Bree will be happy again." He smiled and I frowned.

So, she has mistaken my avoidance for this. This mess, is trashing the place more than it should and now I know that I'm the only one who could make it stop.

"Listen, Ashton. I am not holding any grudges with you—well, maybe I am but, it shouldn't matter. I don't have any problem with you two being together, okay? I was just…busy?" He scowled at my reasoning. "Just don't fret about me, please. And I'll talk to her myself. You just concentrate on keeping her happy because if you fail, I've been waiting long kicking you in the balls, you know?" I smiled and hoped that I sounded as dangerous as I actually am.

But, it didn't affect him a bit, as he smiled proudly and hiked his bag pack up on his shoulder. "That is what I'm best at, Ona. So, now that everything is resolved I have my soon-to-be girlfriend to pick up. Bye, gorgeous!" He called and disappear in the maze of hallways to find Bree somewhere in there.

"Bye." I mumbled and made my way to where my car was parked. But I paused in my tracks because there was someone leaning on the doors of my car.

Chase Peter Hartford.

But this time I didn't run to the opposite end of the world, I took a deep breath and walked to where he was.

Because this time, I was going to clean the mess I've made. Solving matters with others wasn't enough. Differences with Chase mattered the most and today, I was going to fix them.

And this time, no excuses.