The story of our 'Never Intended Love'

7. Paperballs and Confrontations

It has been few days since the party. Few days since I spend time fooling in the pool with Hardin. Few days since the boys have been hanging out with us in school. Few days since rumours have spread about us dating the boys. And few days since April and Brandy have been acting strangely to me.

"Miss Monroe, would you like to share your precious thoughts with us rather than paying attention to my class?" Mrs. Walter, our Spanish teacher scolded me after gaining my attention.

"I would like to pay attention." I smiled sheepishly at her and pretended to write on my blank notebook.

"Más te vale. (You better) " She said glaring at me.

"Si, señora walter. (Yes, Mrs. Walter)" I replied her in Spanish knowing well enough till now when to change languages with her.

I was paying attention to Mrs. Walter not wanting to get a scolding again when a paper ball landed on my notebook. I turned my head and looked around to see everyone either busy with their own work or chatting with their partners.

I went back to my work. Not after a few seconds a paper ball came again. I gritted my teeth and opened the paper. It was blank. I rolled my eyes and stored it in my bag to throw it away later. I tried peeking here and there to see if someone throws a paper ball again. And as expected it came, but again I could suspect no one.

Paper balls kept coming my way continuously but I decided to keep my calm and ignore it. The paper balls decorated my table and overflowed my bag. I was getting really pissed off. If the person who did this comes in front of me, I'll slap some sense in them.

"Señorita Monroe, si no le gusta mi clase, por favor váyase. No hagas bolas de papel en mi clase, es mejor si las haces en detención. Sal ahora mismo! (Miss Monroe, if you don't like my class, please leave. Don't make paper balls in my class, it's better if you make them in detention. Get out right now)" Mrs. Walter screamed at me with so much anger as if I killed her cat.

"Please Mrs. Walter, I swear it wasn't my fault this time." I stood up and begged her, forgetting about the damned language.

She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by a voice from behind me.

"Excuse me Mrs. Walter, the paper balls were all my doing, please spare her." I turned around to Hardin's voice who sat two seats away from me.

"Very well, now both of you can enjoy making origami in detention!" If she was angry before, she was raging now.

"Sorry Mrs. Walter." I sighed and sat back at my seat, sulking. Now I'll strangle Hardin to death in detention if I'll be still alive there that is.

The rest of the class ends up without any paper balls and I leave the class before anybody can even get up.

I walk speedily to my locker when I feel a tug on my arm. I turn around to see Hardin slightly pouting and scratching his head with the other hand.

I shake my arm off his grasp and turn to him. "What?" I snap at him, trying to hold my anger at bay.

"I am sorry. I didn't know she would make such a fuss about the prank. I swear it was not my intention to get you in detention." He talks so fast I take a moment to understand what he said.

It's true that Mrs. Walter overreacted. I think she really hates me and even my face pisses her off. Maybe he didn't really know he would land us in detention.

"It's alright. I think she just hates me. Nevermind, you got us in trouble now you have to make sure I'm alive through it." I poke my finger at his chest, staring straight in his eyes.

He holds my index finger and grins at me. "I'll be at your service, don't worry." I laugh at his silliness.

Removing my finger away from him I make my way towards our spot for lunch.

"Where are you going?" Hardin asks and I stop in my tracks.

"To my friends." I shrug at him, and wait for his response.

"You all don't eat at the cafeteria?" He asks having a puzzled expression. His eyebrows are scrunched up together making a v between them and his eyes look smaller. His lips are in the same cute little pout.

He snaps a finger at me and I realise I've been looking at him for too long. Clearing my throat I reply to him with a no and move before he can speak anything.

God! Did I just that Hardin Miller looked cute!? I must be crazy.

Shaking my head I reach my friends and take a seat. April is busy staring at her phone while Bree half chewing half dozing. This is a very unusual scene, April and Bree not arguing and acting normal.

I shouldn't say my friends aren't normal but I know very well that we are anything but normal so when my two friends stop being weird and get normal it's a big issue. It's just like Lays finally giving us more chips than air, or designers making clothes that are actually wearable and not only for fashion shows. So, I have to solve it.

I throw my bag at the ground making a loud sound and I get their attention. And they go again back to whatever they were doing. Ok, that's enough.

"Speak up. You both are acting strange and I'm done with it." I say to them hoping they would confess whatever it is that's bothering them.

"Nothing's strange." April sighs and glances at Bree before looking up at me.

Bree doesn't even say anything and avoids my eyes.

"No! This is strange! You are April and Brandy. You both quarrel with each other, you both love each other. We are best friends for god's sake! We don't treat each other like strangers but here you both are doing exactly that." I was breathing hard by the time I was finished. I was so glad we decided to sit out and away from everyone because confronting them wouldn't have been easy otherwise.

April's eyes soften a bit and Bree finally looks at me. I wait for them to respond but they still stay silent. I'm not gonna give up though. Today everything's going back to normal, our normal.

"Look I know I've not been the bestest friend for you both for a year or so but you two were! Heck! You two even came along with me in this unknown place without any hesitation. So please, please let me be there for you now. This time let me be your best friend. Don't push me away. I'm here for you both!" I didn't know I was crying until I felt Bree stroke my cheek and salt entered my mouth.

I looked at them through blurred vision when they both came forward and hugged me tight. I held them tighter, embracing them.

"Mom called me a few days ago telling me that she missed me and now that Ian is out for college she feels lonely." Bree sniffles near my ear. I could hear my heart crack into pieces. My parents aren't physically here anymore so I miss them but they... They didn't have to miss their parents because of me. They still have a chance at being happy with their parents, making memories with them, loving them. But I took it away from them.

"I'm so sorry Bree. If you wanna return I'll talk to uncle John. I promise I'm going to be fine here you both don't have to worry about me. You can- " I'm cut off mid sentence by Brandy.

"That's the reason I didn't want to tell you that. It was my and April's choice to be here with you George. At one point of time we need to learn living without our parents care, know about the outside world. It doesn't mean that everytime I miss them I run back to them. No, it's gonna take time but we'll be fine. It's not your fault George, please know that." It's after a long time since Brandy spoke to me so seriously. I just nod at her. Realising April being silent for all this time I turn to her.

She bites her lips and her eyes show that she's contemplating whether to tell me or not. I raise my eyebrows at her and wipe under my eyes.

There's a moment of silence before April speaks again.

"I kissed Parker at the party." April confesses and bites on her lips harder.

"What!?" Brandy and I speak at the same time. To say I was shocked would be a lie, I expected something off the tracks but this was a totally different path.