Talia Hearts Who?!

Chapter 7

“So then I just started freaking out and punching all over his chest,” I concluded, the feeling of guilt stronger than ever now that I was retelling the whole thing to Keira. 

Keira frowned. She was lying down beside me on her huge bed and flicking through the pages of a magazine as she listened, chipped nail polish shining in the dimmed light of her bedroom. “Seems to me like you completely broke down. Any idea why?” she asked idly, examining a novel use for broken hair clips. 

I shrugged. “I don’t really know. A combination of things, I think. Like, I’m still quite upset about the mall incident.”

Keira looked up at me and grinned slyly. “You mean when he tripped you up or when he almost kissed you?” 

I thought about it. Keira was kidding, wanting me to admit that I’d wanted to kiss him too, before she interrupted, but I was being serious. Was I mad that he’d tried to kiss me? It wasn’t as though I’d been completely innocent. But that wasn’t my heart or my head, that was just my hormones going all crazy at the idea of kissing a pretty hot guy. He was taking advantage of my body’s betrayal, and that was so typical of a popular boy who got everything and everyone he wanted that it definitely made me angry.

“Both, actually.” I eventually replied. Keira raised an eyebrow questioningly, so I elaborated. “I mean, obviously tripping me up made me mad, and then he made me spill juice and wrecked my clothes again, so that didn’t help. Not that I don’t love borrowing and then keeping your clothes, but I’d rather not be humiliated in order to get them.” I grinned - as soon as I’d come upstairs, Keira had forced me into a pair of her super-tight jeans and a cute t-shirt that was too big for her but perfect for me. I hadn’t seen what I looked like yet, but it made me feel good to be in something new for once. 

“Anyway, the reason the almost-kiss made me mad was that it wasn’t like I wanted it to happen.” I tried to explain, causing Keira to roll her eyes.

“From where I was standing, you looked pretty keen on it.” Keira muttered, as I jabbed her with my elbow. 

“Shush. That was just my hormones, and he was taking advantage of them. My brain and my heart didn’t want the kiss to happen at all, they knew full well that I’d regret it before it was even over.” I finished explaining, as Keira hid her face in the magazine. 

“Right, I forgot you hate the poor guy’s guts,” said Keira, the accompanying eye-roll coming across in her tone of voice. 

“He is not some poor guy, Keira! I get that he’s your brother, and you’re obligated to stick up for him, but surely you can at least admit that he’s got some very player-ish tendencies?!” I shouted, getting really frustrated. I mean, I had been trying to get the idea that her brother wasn’t the perfect catch through to Keira for months now, but either she just wasn’t getting it, or she had a reason for playing dumb. 

“Oh, since when were you the expert on my brother, hmm?” asked Keira, throwing the magazine on the ground and standing up, hands on hips. 

I stood up too, facing her but bending my head to meet her eyes - I was taller than her by a long way, but for some reason, her fierce red hair and personality always made her seem bigger to me. But this was something I was passionate about, something that had caused me a lot of pain in the past, and I wasn’t about to let Keira’s opinion trample my own into submission. 

“Oh, I don’t know, since you started ignoring his behavior? Honestly Keira, how have you not noticed that parade of girls that have been traipsing in and out of Drew’s bedroom since we were twelve?!” Keira didn’t even flinch as I yelled in her face, raising my arms in exasperation. 

“Parade of girls? Is that really what you think? Have you ever actually seen one of these girls, Talia? All those times you’ve been to my house, has Drew ever had one single girl over?” replied Keira, taking a step towards me. 

I thought about it for a second or two. It was true, I hadn’t ever met one of the girls Drew had had over. The thing was, although I was assuming a little bit, John had actually told me about the girls, during one of the few conversations we’d had. Plus, for years before he graduated I’d seen Drew at school positively drowning under the weight of so many groupies, all clamoring for his attention. It was disgusting, but he had clearly enjoyed it. 

“Okay, so I haven’t personally seen one, but I know they exist. I mean, just look at the way they draped themselves all over Drew at school! They probably still do it now he’s at college, and latch onto him at parties until he uses them and dumps them!” 

Keira frowned a little. “The way that girls act around Drew isn’t his fault, you know-” I scoffed, but Keira continued. “Maybe he encourages them a little, but so would anyone getting constant, attractive attention. I’m more interested in how you can be so assured that the girls Drew’s been sleeping with are more than just the usual rumors.”

I looked down, joining in the frowning. I didn’t particularly want to out John as my source, his being close to Drew and all. But, I supposed, for the sake of winning the argument… 

“John told me, alright?! He rang me up a few nights ago, and then again last night, and we were talking and he mentioned Drew and I started ranting and then he joined in and…” I trailed off, already feeling guilty. Sure, Keira probably wouldn’t want to hurt Drew, but I knew that she put honesty above all else. She’d definitely tell Drew about what John had said.

Keira sank down onto the bed, suddenly looking small and sad. “You’re going to have to leave Talia. I’m not mad at you, not really, but I just don’t think I can trust myself not to say something to you that I’ll regret.” 

I nodded, grabbing my bag and walked out of the room, not looking back once until I was safely down the street, about to turn around the corner. I could see two figures, black against the grey of Drew’s bedroom. They looked like they were kissing. 

Ooop, suspense >:D Not really, but I quite liked making Keira argue with Talia, mostly because of some super-top-secret-inside-information that I have ;) Comments, and votes, but especially comments are greatly appreciated, let me know what you think!