Never Fall

10) $ting

"If you were human, if you were who I assumed you were, you wouldn't have done this.." - $ting by The Neighbourhood

Chapter 10

I glanced at myself one last time in the mirror, I was wearing a casual outfit for school, a black tank top, short shorts with dock martins and a flannel shirt wrapped around my waist.

After grabbing my bookbag, I ran downstairs and saw jesse eating a poptart at the table. He didn't even look at me when I walked in. I sighed and got myself a pop tart from the box, then I sat across from jesse at the dining table.

"Hey." I said to him, he barely glanced at me but gave a little nod in my direction to acknowledge my presence. "So .. Er .. The neighbourhood --

"Why are you talking to me?" He asked, cutting me off. He didn't say it in a rude way, He said it like he was genuinely confused. I shrugged, "What do you mean?"

He rolled his eyes, "You're so f*cking confusing I swear!" He snapped, I could see him getting angry as he got out of his chair and threw his remaining pop tart in the trash can. This dude was seriously bipolar.

I sighed and followed him outside to his car, when I got inside he didn't say a word, he just started the car and began to drive. That's how it was the whole car ride, and the silence was killing me.

"This is the end, hold your breath and count to ten.." I hummed, drumming my polished finger tips against the dashboard. He glared at me in the rear view mirror. "At the sky fall, when it crumbles..." I sang, getting louder.

"Can you stop!?" He snapped, I rolled my eyes. "I'm just singing." I mumbled, he didn't say anything. Honestly, I'd rather him be yelling at me then stop talking to me all together. "Jesse.." I whined, he didn't answer me.

"Jesse, why aren't you talking to me..?" I asked, his jaw hardened but he still didn't say anything. "You know what, forget it, I don't even care anymore." I snapped, crossing my arms. He glared at me, then snapped his head towards me when we were at a red light.

"I'm just doing what you told me to do! I'm giving you space Ariana! God, what the f*ck do you want from me?!" He cried. I flinched, he was right. I did ask for space, "But that doesn't mean never talk to me." I responded. He narrowed his eyes at me

"So tell me Ariana, what does it mean?"

I blinked, "I -- I don't know, okay? I was just mad so I said whatever, I wasn't exactly thinking it through. But I'm okay now, so can we go just back to being normal?" I asked, looking at him. He just stared at the rode ahead. Then he said quietly; "I hardly know what normal is for us anymore."

I looked down at my nails, sighing. "Neither do I, okay? You're confusing too." I whispered. He glared at me. "I'm confusing? You're the one wants to do this thing, whatever it is, then calls it and off wants to do it again all the time. Then you say you need space but you get mad when I give it to you!" He cried, exasperated. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Yeah, but you're no different! You say we're friends, then we're not, then we are again. And -- and sometimes you act like you really like me! Then you turn around and we're back to being nothing! I have no idea what any of this even means!" I yelled. He didn't say a word, he just stood looking ahead, I realized we were approaching school.

"Then .. maybe we should just call this whole thing off." He told me, emotion void of his voice. I didn't know what to say, "I -- I didn't mean --"

"I know Ariana, but obviously we're both starting to care way too much, that can't happen." He cut me off, parking in front of the school.

"Why can't it happen?" I asked softly, not meeting his eyes. I don't know what came over me when I said that, it's like .. I finally realized that I was growing feelings for Jesse, and I wanted to do something about it.