Letting Go

Chapter Sixteen

Beep

'Wanna go to the Jazz Picnic tonight?'
The message read.

For a moment I thought it was from Spencer, but why would he ask that? It was from Aaron. He and I have been getting better after the day at the lake. Spencer still hasn't spoken or tried to contact me since our last conversation in the parking lot. I shouldn't be surprised but it still hurts thinking about it.

'Sure. Pick me up at 6?' I replied.

'Can't wait' The next message read.

As promised Aaron arrived at exactly 6 O’clock.

"Hey, mom I'm going to the Jazz picnic with some friends. I'll be back later." I told her and she nodded in recognition, obviously not asking any questions seeing as it’s the first time I'm going out with friends since the funeral.

Aaron and I got in his car and drove to Hamilton Park where the concert was being held. I spotted Violet, Liz and Blake sitting near the front.

"Hey" Liz said as we approached them. "Oh, so you guys are back together now?" She asked raising one of her eyebrows as we sat down. Violet elbowed her in her ribs and mouthed to her 'Shut up'.

"No, we're just friends" I said and looked at Aaron for confirmation.

"For now" he added and put his arm around my shoulder.

Our school played second, after Hamilton High who was hosting. Spencer came later on and sat next to Blake not looking in our direction except for when he arrived and threw us a disapproving glare.

"Hey, I'm gonna go to the bathroom." I said to Aaron and got up. "Do you want me to come with?" He asked but I shook my head and took my time walking to the restroom.

I didn't really need the bathroom, I just wanted to get away from that for a while. The tension between us is so thick you could cut it with a butter knife.

I'm still unsure of my feelings for Spencer. On the one hand we have California, the best seven days of my life but then there's the whole funeral situation. He treated me like dirt at the funeral. He didn't look at me once and when I hugged him he didn't even move to return the hug.

On the way to the bathroom a hand wrapped around my wrist pulling me to the side.

"Spencer? What the hell?" I asked annoyed.

"I told you to stay away from him." He said pinning me to the wall.

"Why? He isn't using anymore." I defended. The way he was pinning me to the wall I thought he was gonna kiss me, but he didn't.

"Oh yeah? Did he tell you that? The same guy who told you he would never lie to you just before you caught him snorting cocaine?" I nodded.

"Why are you so stubborn? The last time you didn't listen to me, do you remember what happened?" I nodded once again pushing away the memory of Aaron sitting at the table filled with cocaine and Spencer and Blake bursting into the room with wide eyes.

"Well don't come crying to me when he turns out to be a fraud." With that comment he left.

'Don't come crying to me when he turns out to be a fraud. Don't come crying to me when he turns out to be a fraud' his words kept replaying in my head. Aaron wouldn't lie about something like that. He's been nothing but good to me ever since the day at the lake.

When I returned to my friends, Spencer was nowhere to be seen.

"He left." Blake said softly to me when he noticed me looking around. I shrugged my shoulders pretending not to care.