Maybe, Maybe Not

🌹CHAPTER 25🌹

Ding,dong.
"Stephanie,can you get door!" Aunt Em yelled from the kitchen.

" No,mom! I'm taking a pic. I have to update my IG!" Stephanie heeled back.

" That wasn't a question,young lady.

After a couple of minutes, someone knocked on my door," Best friend checking innnn..."Merida steps in bearing gifts.

" Best friend, I'm pregnant." I say.

" By who", she says seriously but I see the mischief twinkling in her eyes.

I pretend to contemplate," Either Michael or Peter." I grin and glance at her.

" If it's Michael,go jump off a bridge. You can't take my man."

" I'll never,cross my heart and hope to die." I reply.

" You better. By if you happen to get pregnant, I'm hereeeee." She sings. " That brings us to the topic at hand. I'd like to know why the hell you decided to yeet outta school. West was all panicked and searching for you. What happened?"

I look everywhere but Mintrude's face. I never knew my ceiling was this pretty.

" Girl," she snaps her fingers in front of my face," you better spill, I didn't bring chocolate for nothing."

I remain silent, munching on chocolate.

" Let's play 20 questions." Erimintrude says, I can hear the exasperation in her voice.

" Nah."

" Truth or dare?"

" Nah. Let's watch a movie or something." Erimintrude picks a chickflick.

" Today I saw West." I blurt out. " Okay...", Erimintrude furrows her brows.

" He was entangled with Merida." This gets her attention. " Entangled how?"

" They were making out,kinda." Maybe I'm just blowing it all out of proportion.

"Erimintrude jumps up," I always knew that girl was and is a conniving witch. I'll strangle her when I see her."

Supportive bestie,check.

She then turns to me," I've got this straight,but what has this got to do with you." Here comes the hard part.

" I dunno." I shrug. " It just made me mad. Like for real, if he liked her, he would have told me right? I thought we were friends."

" Let me understand this, you're mad-"

" No, sad." I cut in.

Erimintrude continues,"You're sad because you found -"

" Caught."

"-caught West making out with Merida in school and you come home to sulk."

I pout," You make me sound unreasonable when you put it like that."

"You are being unreasonable." Erimintrude says. " Do you like him?"

I swallow nervously and try to buy time," Like who?"

" West , obviously." If I tell Erimintrude, I might have as well as told Peter and West and Peter are bestfriends. Gosh,this is a mess but I need outside help.

" I like West." I confess in a small voice.

" Say it louder,i can't hear you!" Erimintrude yells.

"I like West, dammit!" I yell back. " But guess what he doesn't like me,he wants a model. So... there!"

" Well we're not sure he likes her,so hold your horses." Erimintrude points out.

" He does," I grumble.

Mintrude starts to pick up all our empty chocolate wrappers," I get where you're coming from and we'll find out soon enough but we'll talk about this tomorrow."

" I thought you would be staying over?" I ask.

" Momma wants me to pass by the grocery store to pick up some things for dinner."

I see her to the front door and waves as she drives away.

_______________

I rush to Calculus again after successfully avoiding West. I've been doing this continuously for the past 2 days and it's getting kinda tiring.

It's hard to not miss his presence, he's so bubbly. I'm almost at the door-

"Lyly."

I stop in my tracks. I know West has an intimidating voice but he has never used it on me until today. I can feel him coming closer and goosebumps start to rise. I should just slip into the class. It's just here.

My legs refuse to move as though glued to the floor. He stops right in front of me and tucks an errant curl behind my ears making my breath hitch. His familiar heady scent of apples and earth envelope me making me light headed. God, I've missed him.

" Are you avoiding me?" His voice is so soft and vulnerable. "If you no longer want me, I promise I'll stay away. I don't want you to be uncomfortable. But why? Is it because of Merida?" I flinch at the mention of her name.

He holds my face between his hands and our eyes meet. I desperately try to blink my tears away but a traitorous tear escapes. West wipes it away and rests his head on my shoulder." I'm so sorry." After a few moments," I'm tired of being alone. I can handle others leaving me but not you. I don't think I can survive you leaving me."

" That day with Merida," West continues, " was never ever supposed to happen. She wanted to talk but we had to avoid the hall monitors and the Janitor's closet was close. I had no idea that she would try that. I'm so sorry you saw that. Please believe me."

" West", I clear my throat," you don't have to explain anything to me."

" I do. You're the one constant person in my life and I'll be damned if I lose you."

God, if he continues this way how am I supposed to get over him?

" I'll like to tell you about Merida and I's history. Would you like to meet me at Dior's or we should take things slow?" West asks.

" Dior's is fine. After school?"

"After school." He confirms. West starts to leave for class, flashing one last smile before disappearing behind the corner. I return the smile but if falls off when he's out of sight.

I don't know what will happen between is but one thing I'm definitely sure of is that i think I'm falling in love with West and I can't live without him.

And that scares me more than anything in this world.