Learning to Love

Chapter 8

~Day of the event~

Lainey is on her way over for us to get ready for this event we have to go to. Dallas is picking Aaron up then we are meeting him over at his house. I am not excited about this event at all, after the call I got the other day I haven't been on my phone let alone spoken to much of anyone. I went to school and work but other than that I haven't gone anywhere or seen anyone.

I walked out of my room and saw Dad sitting on the couch with his coffee and the newspaper, "Since when do you read the newspaper?" He looked up and smiled at me. 

"Rebecca brought it over yesterday, she said there was an article about you and Dallas." I gave him a confused look. "It's nothing too bad, it just talks about how his fans are surprised he is dating you." I frowned. "Sweetie, he likes you. That is all that should matter, not what the rest of the world thinks." I nod. If only that were true.

Dallas and I haven't really spoken since the kiss. We don't see each other anymore after school, nor do we talk during school. He puts on the act during school but after that we are just strangers. I took a deep breath and shook the thought from my head as the door opened. I saw Lainey holding a dress bag, she smiled at me closing the door behind her. 

"When are you guys leaving?" I looked at the time on my phone then back up at Lainey.

"Dallas said to be at his house by four o'clock." It is only one now so we have time. Dad nodded and we walked back into my room. Lainey hung her dress next to mine on the door, we both laid back on the bed and sighed.

"What happened with you and Dallas?" I look over at her and raise my eyebrow. "You guys don't speak to each other, I know something happened plus you don't leave this house unless it is school and work. Which is normal but normally you tell me what is going on." I frown and look back up at the ceiling. 

"It's all fake. That's what I keep telling myself, but everything seems so complicated." She gave me a confused look, "The night of the storm he brought me home, but when we were still at his house he had a panic attack and he didn't know it. He told me not to worry about it so then I dropped it but I brought it up again. I started rambling and he kissed me, cutting me off mid-sentence." Lainey leaned up on her elbows and I sighed. "Neither one of us pulled away. Neither one of us wanted to move. At least that's what it felt like. Now everything is so confusing. I can't convince myself that it's fake now, I can't shake the feeling that there is something more but I refuse to believe that it could be anything more than stupid hormones." I hugged a breath and she smiled at me.

"You believe what you want to. I am just going to tell you what I think." I nod and frown, "I think you both are trying to hide the truth from yourselves because you are so focused on this fake relationship that you are missing the joy of an actual one. You both should sit down and just talk, don't think of it as anything to do with the relationship, just think of it as a conversation." I shake my head.

"No, I can't do that. Every time we try to have a conversation it turns into the two of us getting mad or something." she frowned and sat up all the way.

"Just try okay?" I let out a small sigh and nod. "Now, how about we start on my bed head?" I chuckle and nod. I grab her the extra hairbrush I keep when she is here and she starts to brush her hair as I walk out of the room to grab us some food. 

I walk back into the room with two bowls of cereal and we sit on my bed and eat them while she tells me about the past few dates her and Aaron have gone on. "Has he asked you to be official yet?" She frowns and shakes her head. "Has he mentioned it? Like has he called you his girlfriend? Have you met his parents?" She shook her head again.