Finally Found You

14: Promises

Zane

"Every year, Madeline pranks one of her birthday party guests. And usually it's Casper, Lester, and I who pull off the prank," I didn't know if he noticed the look of disappointment on my face, but I was very disappointed indeed. "It's usually a funny prank; throwing someone in the pool, or putting laxatives in their drink, stuff like that," he continued.

"And let me guess, I was the target this time?" he gave me a sheepish smile and mumbled a barely audible 'Yes'.

Anger was slowly building up inside of me. How could they be so immature? It was such a shitty thing to do to anyone, really.

"What do you mean by 'Usually funny'?"

He didn't speak and his face was blank of any expressions. I couldn't read him and I was very good at reading people. I hated it.

"Gavin, what were you going to do to me?"

"She wanted to tape you to the school's flag pole with only your underwear," he spoke carefully.

His words stung me as if they were ice cold drops of water being dripped into my ears. "But we didn't do it. I couldn't do it" his voice had conflict in it. Like he was struggling with himself. He moved from his seat and sat at the edge of the bed, fumbling with his hands as he averted my gaze. “I couldn’t,”

"I don't suppose your warm-hearted self stopped you from it?" I spat bitterly.

"I know I messed up a lot before, but she was my best friend and the only one who helped me during tough times. I didn't know why she'd pull such a terrible and mean prank, specifically over you when she knew-" he stopped dead like he said something he shouldn't have said.

"She knew what exactly? What difference would it make if it were me or anybody else? Do you not think?!" I yelled at him as anger took full control. I hated it but I was too frustrated.

"Well if I did not think, you would've woken up taped up to a pole in your underwear and not in my bed!" he yelled back and I could see that this was shaping up to a full on screaming contest.

"Gee, thanks for showing mercy and saving me, so now I should call you my hero?" I said sarcastically.

"You're impossible. I didn't mean it like that!" his frustration was starting to frustrate me further.

"Then what did you mean?!"

"Ugh, I was trying to do what's good for once and that's how I get repaid,"

"You shouldn't do good to get repaid. That's a whole different thing,"

He stood up starting to leave the room, "Well it doesn't matter anyway because no matter what I do I'm always wrong." and with that he was gone.

The silence following his departure was overwhelming. He looked hurt. He was hurt. But why am I feeling guilty? They wanted to prank me and I was mad about it. I still was mad even though the prank didn't happen, but who was I mad at more? Him? Madeline? Myself? I dropped back to the pillow and tugged at my hair.

It was weird. I was furious, but I was so distracted by the overwhelming realisation that I was sleeping in my underwear in another boy's bed. The covers, the pillows, the room, it smelt like him.

The same scent that invaded my senses when he pecked me in Art class that day. The same scent belonged to the body that gave me warmth last night. It was slowly unfolding. It hurt to try to remember what happened but it was coming to me slowly.

Gavin hugged me to his body when I was cold in the back seat of the car. It couldn't be  someone else. The scent is all and the same. I was starting to feel even more guilty for yelling at him. I was such a horrible person when I was angry. He not only just saved me from humiliation, but also let me sleep in his own bed instead of throwing me somewhere else or even dropping me at home, which I was thankful he did not because mum would've most definitely killed us then and there.