Love Me (The Love Between Us Book 1)

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Two weeks have passed by since the first day of school. And my fear of how students would decide between to like me or hate me, went in favor to hate me. The conversation in second period that day spread like a wildfire throughout the school and judgments were made. There was no point for apologies or explanations that I could have made. Once the golden boys, “Yeah, that’s right. Boys not men,” labeled me as a stuck up b***h who looked down at their football team. Other students didn’t dare go against them.

“You sure you still want to sit with me?” I ask Julia, as we set in the cafeteria eating lunch.

“You ask me that every time we come here for lunch and in the classes we have together. My answer is and will always be yes. I know the real Bree and I could never judge you for what you said that day.” she adds in a smile at the end.

“I know, but I want you to know that I’m sorry before hand. If I hurt your chances at yours and Ford’s future, I would never do that on purpose.”

“Listen this will all blow over in time and be forgotten. Beside it gives Ford enough time to work through this new relationship he’s in with Kylie. When he finally realizes that it just doesn’t work and she not the right woman for him.” I can’t help laugh at her response, but take in her words at the same time and hope she’s right. That this whole mess can be forgotten.

As we head back to our lockers after lunch, Julia begins to inform me about the homecoming activities and game that are to take place next week. Here at White Deer High, homecoming week is a big thing with different events and themes each day leading up to the game that Friday. Which instead of a pep rally that day, a pinning ceremony takes place. The famous pinning ceremony is a tradition, each player from the team ask his choice for a girl to pin our school colors on them. Which is to symbolize the girl giving the boy something of theirs to have before he goes into battle. Nobody in school is allowed to miss it every student is to attend, and with the way the auditorium was packed the one and only time I was able to attend my freshman year. Everyone in town takes this ceremony serious as well.

“Has anyone ask you yet?” I ask Julia, as we head for class, one that I’m thankful we share together because it is also a class where Ford is in as well.

“Yeah Mark, he’s one of the defensive players asked me. Has anyone ask you yet?”

“Your joking right? Have you forgot who I am. To these people I’m enemy number one. They’re probably scared I would curse them and even if that day never happened I don’t think I would make a guys top choice.”

“Why the hell wouldn’t you? Your gorgeous Bree, and let me tell you another thing, basketball is doing your body good. I might need to learn how to play so I can have a body like yours.” just by her saying this brings back a memory of Julia hanging out with me at the gym one night. She had asked me to teach her how to play, ten minutes in and she was asking if we were done yet.

The next two hours classes pass by fast and I’m headed to my seventh period. Which is an open period where I have to TA for a teacher or whoever the counselor chooses for us. I was fortunate to be assigned to the school secretary Donna, who after three days in her office with nothing to do allowed me to head to the gym instead.

The past two weeks I’ve tried to find a different route that could lead me to the side door of the gym that was left unlocked. But I had no luck being able to avoid the one place I didn’t want to have to walk by. On the day Donna released me from boredom was the same day I discovered seventh period was shop class as well. And as I made my way between the back of the shop and the side of the gym I was greeted with five sets of eyes.

Ford was the first to yell out that day, “What’s wrong with you “Basketball Girl”? No one wants to play with you so you have to play by yourself.” which was followed by “No, shes just to stuck up. Thinks shes better than anyone and everyone.” Logan added. Which at that point, I just wanted to raise a certain finger to them but talked myself out of it by not wanting to become that type of person.

When I made my way between the two buildings today I was met with silence for a change. Not wanting to jinx myself I kept my head down and finished my way to the gym door. As I put my hand to the handle a familiar feeling came over me, I looked up and turned to look back, Chase was standing in the open bay door his eyes on me. Instead of playing the same game we had played two years ago and remembering what he said the first day of school, I finish my way into the gym.

I was working through my fifth round of shooting drill when a “I’m sorry” came out of nowhere. I was startled by the voice causing me to shoot wide and the ball rolling towards the owner of the “I’m Sorry”.

“What do you want?”

He picked up the ball which had stopped rolling at his feet before answering me with a sigh, “I’m sorry for what I said to you the first day of school Bree…” Wait a minute he said my name, he said my name that day too. Before he could finish I cut him off, “You knew who I was the first day. You knew that whole time when Ford was talking to me, you knew who I was didn’t you?”.

He gives a another sigh, this one louder than the last one “Yes, I recognized you when you first walked into school.”

“Why didn’t you say anything before it got out of hand the way it did?”

He shrugs his shoulders like it’s his answer to the question, what the hell I was called a b***h, no a stuck up b***h, and he wants to shrug his shoulders.

“Well I guess I should thank you, because since you decided to keep your damn mouth shut and not reveal to your friends who I was before it escalated like it did. Oh, let not stop there you go on to add the rest of the bullshit you decided to say to me, on top of it. And now I’m the most hated girl in this school, Why Chase? Why did you sit there and not tell Ford when he asked who I was? And don’t shrug your shoulders at me this time.” I was furious at this point, everything could have been avoided if he had just spoke up when Ford asked his first question, but no Chase Anderson had to go and be an asshole.

“When you didn’t answer him at first, I thought I wrong who you actually were”

“I didn’t know he was talking to me when he asked Chase. I didn’t consider myself the new girl, but why didn’t you tell him who you thought I was?”

“f**k, your right Bree, I should have said something, and I’m sorry that I didn’t and allowed the situation to get how of control. I’m truly sorry Bree, I f****d up.”

I know he can see the tears forming, but I won’t allow him to see the tears spill out. I start walking towards the hall which leads to the locker rooms, before I can make it so I can unleash my tears.

“BREE!” Chase shouts towards me, turning to face him I feel the first tear escaping down my cheek followed by the others.

“Why did you have to point out those other things to me, to everyone else. That I didn’t matter, that what I did this town doesn’t care?” My voice trembling, as I spoke the last part. And at this point I don’t attempt to stop the tears or hide the hurt that his words he said that day didn’t affect me. Hearing the tremble in my voice Chase strides towards me. When he stands in front of me Chase cups my face and forces my head to tilt back so were both looking each other in the eyes.

“I’ll say it has many times you need me to say it Bree, I’m sorry” he says, as he uses one of his thumbs to wipe a tear away.

“When you said we were a stupid football team, I thought you were judging me, all of us, I didn’t think it through how it would all affect you like it did. I’m not saying what I did was justifiable, I can admit what I did was wrong.”

“I didn’t mean to call your team stupid, I was frustrated and just been called a stuck a up b***h and it came out.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore, we both said things that day we both regret” He says still holding my face in his hands.“It was your eyes” Chase whisper, now I’m the one with a confused look.

“What about my eyes?”

“When you first walked into school, I saw you just standing there taking everything in. I stood near trying to place where I had seen you before, it wasn’t until you turned my way and I saw your eyes that I knew it was really you here. You had finally come back.”

I’m speechless, my mind isn’t forming words to reply or say something back to him after that. I just stand there looking into those blue eyes of his, “is that flecks of gray too”, well at least my mind is starting back up, but my voice hasn’t caught up yet. “Great now I’m pulling a Julia, I’m not suppose to be that type of girl, I don’t allow distractions, Chase is just a distraction I can’t do this.” mind yell to myself, while Chase lets out a laugh. “s**t, did I just say that out loud.” my mind still hasn’t fully came back to full function, so it is possible I just spoke what I was thinking out loud for him to hear.

“You can’t see it, but your eyes say everything your thinking you just have to look close enough. It’s like their telling me the secrets you don’t want others to know.” He says, with all seriousness in his voice. There’s no sign of laughter from him letting me know this isn’t a joke to him.

“Chase” I start to say, but stop when I realize his face is coming closer and his eyes are now locked on my lips. “Oh my god, is he going to kiss me, I’ve never been kissed before, did he see that in my eyes too. Is that why he’s going to kiss me, because he feels sorry for me.” my mind is definitely working now and right now it’s in panic mode.

A door crashing shut in the distance stops Chase from reaching my lips, and a feeling of disappointment passes through me but I push it down. I don’t need this, I

shouldn’t be upset because he didn’t kiss me, I should be happy the kiss didn’t happen.

“Chase are you in here?” Is hollered by a male voice, without looking away from me and letting a small sigh out Chase replies back, “Yeah, I’m in here Carter, I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Were going to be late for practice so hurry up man. I don’t want to run drills for being late.” Carter yells back.

“I’ll see you later Bree.” With one last look of regret Chase turns around and makes is way to Carter.. I wonder which part he regrets, as I turn to make my way to the locker rooms, but before I can take two steps Chase’s voice stops me, “This town should be proud of you Bree, I’m proud of you.” I look over my shoulder to see that he’s already walking away before I can say anything to him.

As I come out of the shower in the locker, I stand in front of the mirror analyzing what happened in the gym “It doesn’t change anything Bree, beside it looks like he regretted the whole almost kissing me thing too.” I tell my reflection, “You have plans, you can’t allow some guy including Chase, to distract you from those plan, your this close to reaching what’s important.” I finish saying to myself.

“Whats up girl, and who are you talking to Bree?” Julia ask, as she walks into the locker room and sits on the bench. “Great, I wonder how much she heard.” I ask my inner self.

“No one, just talking to myself like I sometimes do, just giving myself a pep talk. Lately I’ve been having to do that a lot.” I say, while hoping she doesn’t ask me anything about what she overheard me say.

“I get it Bree, but you know if you need someone to talk to you know you can always come to me. I talk back and give good advice, I would be happy to help put a smile on your face.”

“I know Julia, your a good friend. I’ll try to remember, I just don’t want to be a burden to you either with all my problems.”

“I’m the best friend Bree, and that’s what I’m here for, got it?”

“Yeah, I got it”

“Good, you ready to head home, this school work makes me sleepy and I’m in need of a nap.”

“Yep, I’m ready” and with that we head to Julia’s truck to make our way home.

The drive is mostly silent except when Julia throws in her plans for the weekend and asks what I have planed. When she stops in front of my house she tells me about a party that their having after the football game this Friday and ask if I want to come with her, so I can experience my first party.

“No thanks, I don’t think me and the football team should be in the same room right now. I think we should give it a little bit more time before I attend one of their partie. Besides Kale is coming home and I want to spend time with him before he has to head back to college.”

“Okay, well it was worth a try and maybe you’re right about giving it more time.” After we give our “goodbye’s” and “see you tomorrow” I head into my house to help my mom with dinner and my two little brothers Bentley and Jackson.

“Mom, I’m home” I announce as I put my book bag down by the door.

“Were in the kitchen” when I walk into the kitchen I notice my little brothers are at the table doing their homework, mom stands at the stove stirring something in a pot I already know dad is still out working.

“Need any help” I ask, if I’m honest with myself this is what I missed most when I was gone helping my mom prepare dinner, really it was just being around my family that I missed.

“No sweetie, it’s almost done, how was school today, anything interesting happen?” her question bringing back what happened in the gym and wanting to tell her that I almost had my first kiss is on the tip my tongue, but instead I hold back from speaking about the almost kiss.

“Nope, just a normal day, practice some before heading home.” I explain to her

“Well dinner will be ready in a little bit, so if you want to help your brothers finish up their homework you can”

“Ok” I reply back and take a seat near Bentley who is the youngest out of the two. As I look over what he’s working on my mom tells me about her day and the new shipment of books she just got in. Mom loves to read and is always excited about receiving books for the library.

“Oh, I almost forgot to ask you Bree. Did I need to order a garter for homecoming?”

“Nope” praying she won’t push the subject, but know my mom better than that. So when her next question comes my way I prepare myself for a conversation that will follow after my answer.

“Bree, didn’t anyone ask you to pin them?”

“No mom, I kind of screwed up and didn’t make the best impression on my first day back.”

“What happened Bree, and why am I just finding out about this now?”

After explaining everything about that day and what since has happen to my mom, dinner well forgotten at the moment. And I’m able to find comfort in my moms arms and reassurance students will soon forget and will move on to something new to fuss over.

“Bree, don’t let this keep you from making friends and making great high school memories, once they get to know who you truly are, nothing you said in the past will even matter anymore.” she gives me once last squeeze before releasing me out of the hug and returns back to the forgotten dinner.

“I love you mom”

“I love you too Bree”

I finish the task of helping my brothers with their homework but as I sit there watching Jackson work out a math question I replay the encounter with Chase again. Maybe my mom was right he just wanted to forget about what happened that day and move one. And I need to do the same with the incident in the gym with Chase, forget and move on.