The Tangent Lines

Chapter 2 - Careful, My Dark Blue Lady

Chapter 2 - Careful, My Dark Blue Lady

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It always shocked me when I realize that I wasn't the only person in the world who thought and felt such strange and awful things.

—John Green

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"Tyler?" My eyes widens, I get on my feet and walk out the bedroom. How could he get my phone number? It's really frightening how creepy this situation is. 

"Yeah, me. Tyler. The one you owe to, remember?" He says in sarcastic tone that makes me palm my face mentally. Crap! Didn't he say it was joking? And now he's going to consider me owing him things?

"How did you get my phone number?" I ask tiredly. I walk to the kitchen counter, fetch a glass and fill it with water. 

"Easy. Jake," he says. Jake, huh? That little traitor! I should've known that this would happen. Jake and Flo will never let me go once they know I got close to a boy. It happens all the time, over and over. And with Tyler, they are definitely going all out to set us up. It's really obvious by the way Jake was so excited at the cafeteria earlier.

"Ouch," I reply, "Then I assumed he just fed me to the crocodile."

"You're surely something else with that dramatic voice, Finley," he chuckles. I decide to ignore whatever he meant by something else. "What do you want, Stratford?" I ask. He won't call unless he needs or wants something, right? Yeah, as if I'm anyone important. I mentally scoff as he states the obvious. 

"Well, remember you owe me," he murmurs in mocking, satisfied tone. I sigh, because somehow, this screams trouble. "I have a party to attend. It's Kody Jackson's party, the swimmer?" 

Kody Jackson's party. I was invited, but I decided not to come. No reasons though. He is generally nice, but he constantly flirts to me (according to Flo, it's hardcore flirting. I'm just the one who's blunt. And unobservant.) so I need to stay away a bit, so I don't send signals or something like that. I don't want to raise his hopes because I don't like him in romantic way. 

"Yeah, I know," I reply disinterestedly. "Come with me," he demands bossily, "So we can talk about the debt." 

What! "No!" I reply undoubtedly, a little too fast for my liking. 

"Just come, you're invited anyway." he sighs, "And you have to be my partner." 

"No, no, no" I chant. Coming to Kody's party is already a disaster, and let alone being Tyler's partner. Everything about Tyler Stratford is really scary. His fame and his charm are really scary. What if everyone thinks I'm his girlfriend? The girls will hate me, the girls will all get mad at the thought of me snatching their high school idol. This is a really bad idea.

"You know what, Chelsea? I took a photo of you when you're sleeping peacefully at infirmary. You drooled!" 

I really want to slap myself but it seems impossible as Gabby is eyeing me from the kitchen. I almost choke on my water, but luckily I didn't. I mentally slap myself then. NO! I never drooled! Never have I ever drooled in my entire life when I sleep!

"I can broadcast the picture and maybe someone can make memes with it. But don't worry, you look cute," he continues threatening me so casually and calmly, which makes me cringe. 

Warm, fuzzy feeling comes to me as he says the word cute. I know it's nothing, but it's enough to make my cheeks red, I am sure. But I don't want to embarrass myself! The Council President voting will start next year and my reputation can't just get ruined by a single meme!