This Could Get Ugly / Conrad Fisher

Back to the Days (Another?)

Five months prior:

Please take me back. I'm sorry.

I continued to reread those six words over and over. It's so funny to me how an entire day, week, month can be affected by a simple sentence. A few simple words could be anyone's downfall.

Jason had started texting me a few weeks earlier. I could not tell when it started, however, they were consistent. I felt that my heart would break a little more each time I read them. Besides the sadness, I felt anger towards the coward. He couldn't even look me in the eye when we passed in the hallway. And yet, I was still getting these continuous messages of half assed regret and words that he 'never got the chance to say.'

He had made me a fool in front of the whole school. My ordeal had gone viral among the socialite student body. The school newspaper ate it up with a stunning front cover issue (well, that was off of my bucket list now) of the senior who got this dumb, impressionable junior girl to like him. Needless to say, I was embarrassed but after a month, with school winding up for finals, people's minds were less occupied on mine. The spotlight had changed to another person for the week.

It had felt like my whole life was falling apart for me while my peers around me sued me for entertainment. It surprised me to find just how much my life was affected and how quickly people moved on from it while I was left to pick up what was broken. Moved onto the next person, while I was still stranded.

I felt for the other people in a way I never had before. Life was complicated, people didn't understand the full story. However, I can't deny the fact that I was relieved when other people were taking the heat instead of me. It was selfish but I know that some people, especially with who I went to school with, loved to live in that light. They supported the 'all press is good press' theory. I supported the 'I only like the camera on me when I'm perfect' theory.

The doorbell rang and I barely glanced up from my phone before Cara yelled that she would get it. For such a sophisticated household, we still all took turns answering the door.

"Lina, get down here!" Cara called up a few minutes later. "A strange dude is here, asking for you."

Furrowing my eyebrows I strode downstairs to make sure everything was alright and exhaled in relief once my eyes met Jeremiah's blue ones.

"Don't do that Care, you had me worried for a second there." I lightly punched her arm.

"Oh, so you do know this person." She looked at him suspiciously. Cara loved to intimidate people she didn't know. Something about the way they act under pressure was very entertaining to her.

"Hi, I'm Jeremiah," he smiled and reached out to her for a handshake.

She slapped his hand away comically as he stood there confused on if that actually just happened. I was ready to die of embarrassment.

"Don't worry about her. She's just kidding," I laugh awkwardly.

"I'm Cara. Little sister of Lina. And who are you to her?"

"This is the guy who helped me the night." I widen my eyes so she understands.

"Oh, its the knight in shining armor. I see." She nods her approval.

"The what?" Jere looks to me, confused.

"Never mind that." I take his hand, ignoring the sparks that shoot up my arm, and force him up the stairs to my room. "We're going to hand out. Thanks Cara."