Dares with the Boy Who Doesn't Care

Chapter Twenty-Eight(Rose POV)

I confessed to Jamie.

It was crazy and stupid, but I just had to get it off of my chest! I wanted to drop the heavy weight of secrets, place it in a box and seal it. I didn't necessarily expect for something to jump back out at me, but even that would've been good closure. It sure would've been better than his actual response, or lack thereof.

Nonetheless, I'm still glad I did it. Things were slowly became unbearable, it was only a matter of time.

I could no longer look into his eyes, feeling something completely different from what he was feeling. I could no longer hold in everything while wondering if he knew that what he was doing, was lighting a match inside of me.

Speaking of lighting a match, I'm currently doing a chemistry assignment about physical and chemical changes. It's for a girl who I only know as Lavia Oglethorpe. I don't have any classes with her but somehow she found out about me and now wants me to deliver this to her along with four other assignments tomorrow during lunch. After finishing these five I have three for the captain of our soccer team and two for a girl that used to bully me before I became popular by association.

Oddly, I always do my homework last. Even if that means pulling all-nighters, or even carrying my work load over into the next day and finally finishing, merely, seconds before it's due. There's just something I love about putting myself last and being on such a tough time crunch that I barely even have time to blink. Even the voice in my head is making fun of me now

Right after I finish typing the last sentence and prepare to send it to my email so that I can print it out at the library later, I hear a heavy knock on the door. I'm tempted to ignore it because me plus not paying any bills in over two months equals an angry landlord.

I get up with shaky knees and no clue in the world as to whether I'm going to answer the door or run into my room and pretend not to be home. My left foot inches closer to the door and my right foot follows shortly after. The rise and fall of my chest becomes more prominent with each step that I take.

"Hello!?" I hear Cameron yell.

My leisurely stroll breaks out into a sprint as I race towards the door. Luckily, my house is so tiny, it doesn't take me long to get there. Looking through the peep hole, I see Mark and Leo who are standing on opposite sides of Cameron. He appears to be staring directly at me and holding, food! It takes everything in me not to rip the door off of its hinges.

"Hello?" I say with a mix of surprise and happiness.

"Hey, Rose!"

"What's up?"

Cameron, Leo then Mark all walk past me. After feeling semi-rejected enough and as soon as I see Noah I reach out to hug him, but before I can he picks me up and squeezes me with the warmth of a freshly microwaved TV dinner. Maybe I'm hungry, nonetheless, I laugh and smile at how dramatic he is. I just saw him a day ago, but with Noah, even that can be too long.

When he puts me down I notice the lackluster expression that decorates his face and realize that my happiness was one sided. Wow, just like my feelings for Jamie- who strangely enough isn't even here.

"Where is Jamie?" Maybe he had too much secondhand embarrassment for me to come here again.

I wait for a response but all of the guys are too busy either staring at or helping set up the food.

Noah is actually starting to mirror the absent boy right now. It's as if Jamie's, ghost-like and lifeless side has been soaked up into his best friend's body.

"Are you okay?" I ask as he almost walks past me before I grab the hem of his sleeve. "You look so...sad."

I'm freaking out on the inside for several reasons. One, all but one of the guys are in my home right now. Two, Noah looks like a depressed and distressed puppy, and three Jamie is gone! A storm of pessimism is brewing inside of me and I'm desperately waiting for someone to throw a little bit of sunshine my way.