One Direction disappointed me on so many levels yesterday. But thankfully, Taylor Swift is making up for that.
But who's there to listen to my tragic story....please ignore my stupid self and continue the chapter...
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Rainbows? No.
Unicorns? No.
Skittles? No.
Dragons? No, not this one too.
"Isn't this section only for kids?" Someone says. I look up from the shelves and see Ashley staring down at me.
"What do you want?" I get up on my feet and cross my arms over my chest. There was a time when her presence would make me delighted, but that's all history now. Even having her within a five feet radius around me makes me suffocate, reminds me of the time when I was alone, lost, helpless, and instead of saving me from my own misery, she along with my other two best friends wrecked my life.
Ashley takes a step back and smiles at me cheerfully. I saw you roaming around the kids' corner."
Oh right, that. I finally made some time for buying those stickers for my survival theory. I already broke so many of the rules in the last one week, I can't risk more. Because breaking rules are like a crack. Once you start breaking them, you keep breaking them, and nobody, not even your own insists, can stop you.
I'm just hoping that marking them will prevent me from making the same mistake again.
And Walmart is just across the street from Starbucks. So while Derek is buying our beverages, I came here to buy those stickers.
But I don't need Ashley to know that information.
"And you decided to come over and ask me when I produced this kid?" I ask her.
Instead of getting mad, Ashley chuckles. "We all know you out of all of us will never grow up."
My cheeks burn, maybe in embarrassment, maybe in anger, I can't tell. "But that's not what you said then."
Her eyes widen for a moment and as she turns red too. "Can we just forget that time-"
"It's a bit too late to start over again," I wave a hand. "On the second thought, there was never a good time for starting over. And to be honest, I'm grateful. Grateful that you made me the center of the joke. Without that, I wouldn't have been the person I am now. Good work. Keep doing it."
An annoyed look passes her face but she quickly masks it.
"Look, I'm not here to talk about the past," she continues. "I wanted to thank you and your friends for publishing that article about Cora. It was about time someone should show her her limits."
Is it some kind of test? Did Cora send her to check whether I'm the one who published that article or not?
"I don't know what limits you're talking about, but I've told this to everyone and I'm going to repeat it to you too, none of us has a hand in publishing it," I tell her.
"You-"
"Seriously Ashley? What is it?" I ask, getting annoyed. "Why are you suddenly so nice to me? Or even talking to me in the first place?"
She doesn't reply.
I sigh and pick a few packets of stickers randomly. "If Ashton believes that we're not doing it, then why is it so hard for you to believe?"
"I-"
"Whatever, I'm out," I turn around but Natasha blocks my way. Seriously, what's up with them today?
"I agree with Ashley," Natasha says. "We all know you hate Cora, especially after what she has done with you. And everyone knows what a whore she is. Everyone hates her. But no one was brave enough to stand up against her until you did today."
"I don't hate her," I say. "I just despise her as much as I despise you two."
"But you know it was Cora who made fun of you. Not us. And she was doing that for a while. I thought you noticed," Natasha says.
"Yeah," Ashley says. "You had it coming."
"Kiara, we still want you back," Natasha says. "All of us fell apart when you left us."
And that was the last string. "You want me back?" I bark a burst of laughter. Maybe if I rip their heads off, no one will notice, right?
Well no, not here. There are cameras all around.
"Cora was bad, but you two," I point a finger at them. "You guys were worse."
They gasp. "But-"
"Yes, Cora used to humiliate me in front of everyone, but did you guys ever stand up for me? No, you took her side, so don't try to prove yourselves innocent now." My lips wobbled, and I pressed them together, not in front of them. "In fact, if I don't recall it wrong, you enjoyed it as much as she did. Maybe more than her. And what're you doing here with me when you should've been with Cora? Isn't that what friends are supposed to do? Be there when a friend needs them?"
They stare at me dumbly.
A chuckle skips my mouth. "Of course you don't know that," I shake my head. "Anyway, nice chat but have more important things to do than standing here gossiping with you two about your friend behind her back."
I walk past them to the counter with my stickers. The cashier gives me a weird look but then makes my bill anyway.
I don't look back for once as I get out of the store and cross the road. A strong aroma of chocolate and coffee hits my nose as I open the door of Starbucks. I instantly forget everything that happened a while ago.
Derek waves a hand at me from a booth beside the window.
I smile when I see him and make my way through the aisles.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting," I apologize and slip inside the booth.
Derek waves a hand. "I ordered your favorite Frappuccino," he informs me and puts his phone back in his pocket. "Though I'm not sure if it's still cold enough."
"It doesn't matter," I assure him. "The important thing is that you're here."
Derek wanted to make up for being absent physically and mentally last one week. I told him it was fine, I knew his new responsibility isn't going easy on him. But he still insisted on it and brought me to my favorite place in the town, Starbucks. I mean have you tried their Frappuccino?
"How's it going?" I ask, referring to the football team, they're not easy to deal with.
"Don't make me start on it. Those freshmen are loads of work. And the first match is next week. Owen is still bummed about Ashton," he sighs. "But I'll work everything out."
I put my hands on his. "I know you will."
Derek smiles at me. "Thanks, I know you would understand," he says. "So what about you? How're things with the Ashton and Cora fiasco?"
I shrug. "Till now we're out of the hook," I tell him. "But I'm not sure what's coming for us in the future."
Derek squeezes my hands. "Don't worry, you'll work it out, it'll all pay off once you'll get accepted in a college."
"I hope so," I try to smile.
"How's it going with your grades?"
Derek presses farther. "Hope the fiasco isn't distracting your schoolwork?"
"Of course not, what do you take me as?"
Derek kisses my cheek. "That's my girl." Then he starts talking about football and his classes, as we share only one class. I try my best to keep the smile on my face and listen to him.
I like Derek, I really do, but he's not that fun of a person.
All he can think about is college and football. As if nothing else exists. Like I don't exist.
Sometimes I think he dates me because of my flawless record, not because he-
Stop it! Derek isn't like that. He likes me. He said that himself the day he asked me out. I'm just stressed over college applications and the whole ongoing fiasco.
Yes, Derek loves me. I know he does. Even though never said it aloud-
Stop it right now!
Great, now I'm talking to myself. I hit my head.
"Everything alright?" Derek asks.
I give him a sheepish smile. "All peachy."
Later, Derek drops me at my house. I find my car parked in front of our house without a scratch on it.
"Looks like Miles passed it well this time," Derek grins and looks at me.
It was Derek's idea in the first place. He wanted to spend time with me after school because he was free this afternoon. But the problem was my car, it needed someone to drive it home. And Kat too.
And because Grace rides in her own car, Derek told me to give Miles my keys. He was the closest person.
I refused to give my baby to him at first since he lost the keys to his car after he almost got himself killed with it last year. His parents swore that they won't give him his car back until he's twenty-one and passes the driving test again.
But then Derek convinced me anyway.
"Yeah, I can see," I tell him. "But that doesn't mean I'll let him drive my baby ever again."
Derek chuckles. I look outside the car and my eyes widen at the sight. An Aston Martin is parked right behind my car. And there's only one person in the whole damn town who can own such a flashy car.
I look over at Derek. He hasn't noticed it yet. Even though he never tries to control my life, I don't believe he'll be thrilled to know that Ashton is in my house right now and it's not the first time.
"That's my cue to go," I say, hoping to go out as soon as possible.
"Not gonna invite me in?" Derek grins.
I chuckle nervously. "Well...how about tomorrow?"
I hope I don't sound nervous. Relief washes over me when Derek throws back his head laughing. "Chill, I was just kidding," he says. "I've to go and meet the boys in an hour anyway."
Well, that's a relief. I try to join his laughter. But my eyes keep going back to the car. Thankfully, Derek doesn't notice it. He leans over and kisses me.
"See you tomorrow," he mumbles with a last peck on the cheek.
"See you," I say and get out and watch him drive away.
I release a deep breath once his car is out of sight and walk inside. I'm going to kill Ashton.
And Kat too, for letting him in when she's home alone.
"Kiara, you're back," Kat says. "How did it go with Derek?" She gives a mocking smile.
Kat never liked Derek to begin with. Don't ask me why. She just keeps hoping that whenever we go out alone, we're gonna fight and then break up afterward.
"Fine and we haven't broken up if that's what you were looking for."
Kat blushes. "You know he's no good."
She's the one to say. "Which boy is?" I shrug. "Anyway, where's Ashton? I saw his car outside. Did he try anything on you?"
Kat rolls her eyes. "Kiara we talked about this before. He's not interested in me as I'm not in him. He sees me as his little sister. Today he and his friends threatened all the boys who approached me, the whole damn day!" She exclaims. "Something with 'don't try to fuck my lil sister'. As if one big sister isn't enough."
I smile. So Ashton took my words seriously.
"So where's the guy in the question?"
"Upstairs, in your room." I gasp. How can she let him in my room when I'm not home? "With your other friends," Kat completes.
"Other friends?"
"Go see for yourself, and take this with you too," she shoves the tray of cookies in my hands and turns away. "I'm going to the pool."
I keep thinking about who these friends are. Did he bring Nyako and Owen with him too? Or are they someone I don't know?
All my questions get answered once I open the door of my room.
"What the hell guys?" I yell and put the tray on my desk safely. They all stop doing whatever they were doing previously to look at me.
But my glare is directed to the boy who's laying on my bed with his shoes on. He doesn't even bother himself with looking at me as he continues reading November 9, the book which is currently missing from my bookshelf.
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