The Best Kind of Betrayal

Chapter 3

We're standing in the hallway in front of the clubroom. There are students passing, their gazes understandably curious since I've got Logan sort of cornered up against the wall, standing as close to him as necessary to prevent Logan from running away. Which definitely does look tempting to him, considering he's eyeing me with a half intimidated, half mad expression.

"Since when are you a member of this event crew?" I ask and my voice sound way more accusing than I intended.

It still feels so very weird, since Logan's favorite topics are himself, himself and more importantly himself, and I surely would've remembered him stating he's doing any extra-curricular work besides skateboarding and lazing around. Especially considering he's been doing all the talking in our relationship since the day we met.

"What's your problem?" Logan says and crosses his arms all defensive, "I really need the extra credits, okay? Skateboarding eats up a lot of my schedule, so I had to attend extracurricular stuff for all the classes I'm missing."

He sounds annoyed, like he really doesn't get why I'm so surprised, but also a little uncomfortable. It doesn't sit well with the uneasy feeling in my stomach. Logan of course is keen on confirming that feeling, taking a step away from the wall and staring at me with an apologetic expression.

"June," he says really slowly, "This is, um, actually a great opportunity for us to talk. Which I really want to do."

"Yeah? Definitely didn't look like it."

Logan looks vaguely embarrassed.

"Um. I guess so. Anyway – you, uh, surely noticed that things aren't going well between us ever since summer break ended, right?"

Considering it's the first day of school and things were perfectly fine just last weekend, no, I didn't. I have no idea why Logan's talking like we've been in a clinch at least for a whole month, but the uneasy feeling gets really, really bad and I somehow know exactly where this is going. Covering my ears and running away is such a tempting idea, but instead I take a single step back and gesture him go to go on.

"I mean," Logan pauses again and coughs awkwardly, "What I'm trying to say is – maybe we should end this? It's just, whatever this was between us isn't going to work on the long run anyway, you know?"

I blink and wait for him to add something more, but Logan only makes a weird gesture with his hands and apparently, that's it. That's the way Logan Hayman breaks up with me. In a hallway, with a vague as hell explanation and a smile that looks completely unbothered. Amazing.

I don't smile back. Instead, I give his backpack a kick with the heel of my shoe.

"It wasn't that serious anyway, was it?" Logan continues his blabbers, "We got along well, we had fun, but this whole relationship thing – I guess none of us planned to really continue it during senior year, right? After all, dating over summer is just ..."

He trails off, waving his hands again in a way that apparently tells me summer is summer and Grease is not real. I feel like someone punched me and I want to throw up. In Logan's face.

"Thank you for telling me," I say finally, "I guess I'll, uh, see you around?"

It's all I can manage without losing face, since my throat feels incredibly tight and my knees start shaking.

"June," Logan says and puts on this puppy-eyes expression I can't even look at, "I'm really only breaking up with you because I want us to be friends, you know that right? This is not going to end with us never talking again, okay?"

"Um," I say slowly, "You know what? I really don't think so."

I'm proud of myself, proud for not crying (yet) and sounding mostly unaffected. I know it's not going to last, so I quickly throw my hair back, turn around as rapidly as my shoes allow and stalk away before Logan can say another word. Not like he seems to try it.