Survive 2

Chapter Twelve

Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

November 14, 2022.

Andrey Butler's Point Of View.

I was talking to some teammates and was about to join the boys and Ashley, but when I saw her arrive with Bryan, I gave up.

I was happy to see her, she looks beautiful with this new haircut and looks better than she did when I last saw her, which makes me happy, but even though I don't want to, I was upset to see her arrive with Bryan, because... how did he know she was coming back and I, who talk to her mother every day, didn't?

She turns her face and our eyes meet. I think about giving her a smile or waving to her, but for some reason I run out of courage, so I look away.

The boys next to me are talking and I just fly into the conversation, because all my thoughts are on her.

My desire right now is to go there and stay with her, to give her the support I haven't given her, and to ask her all the questions I have to ask at the moment.

She turns her face and stares at me again, but I again look away.

What the fuck is happening to me?

I had in mind that the next time I saw her, I would hug her, kiss her, and apologize for what I did, but I guess that's just going to be in my mind.

"Isn't she your ex?" Carlos asks and I agree as I stare at her. "You still like her, don't you?" and I don't know what to say.

The signal rings and I see the boys walk away from Mad, Ashley and their friend, so I see it as an excuse not to answer the question they asked me.

"I'm going over there to talk to the boys. We will talk later," and I walk away from them before they even answer me.

I am still in love with her, but I don't need to confess this to everyone.

David and Ryan approach me as soon as they see me and we greet each other.

"What's up man? Did you see who's back?" David asks me and I agree.

"And why didn't you come over to stay with us and talk to her? You were so desperate to see her again," Ryan says.

"Did you see who she came back with?" I say and they look at each other, as if they can't believe what they just heard.

"They're friends man," Ryan says and I don't know whether to believe it or not.

I don't want to make the same mistake of distrusting her, but it's hard to believe that at least now they don't have anything, since she disappeared for almost two weeks and even her mother didn't know where she was and now she comes back with him.

"We broke up. I sneered angrily, asking her if she was going to stay with him. Maybe she really did," I say sadly just thinking about the possibility that what I said is true.

"I think he likes her," Ryan opines and David and I stare at him. "But I'm sure she likes someone else. Someone named Andrey."

"I think so too," David comments and I am glad to hear it.

"I think he likes her too. He has already given several signs, but I never asked her to stay away from him, because I knew that I had no right to ask her to do that, and even if I did, she wouldn't stay away," I say, remembering all the times I suspected his attitudes and the fights I had with Mad because of him.

"But it turned out you did worse, because you indirectly accused her of still wanting him, meaning you accused her of being unfaithful to you," Ryan says and I look at him.

"Thanks for reminding me!" I ironize angrily.

"You're welcome," and what's worse is that he doesn't respond in irony.

"I will talk to her later and try to help you, man. But it will only work if you do something too and not just stand by from afar regretting what you did and admiring her," David says and I agree.

"Thanks. I will try to do something too."

"Now let's get to class, if we're not going to be late. Although the teacher isn't coming," and it is only when David says this that I remember that our first class of the day is history.

"He didn't come again?" Ryan asks and I deny it.

"Then go into the room and save a seat for me, please, because I'm going to the bathroom first," and they agree, walking away from me shortly thereafter and I head toward the bathroom.

I go into the bathroom and use it quickly, coming out afterwards and washing my hands, but when I open the door to leave the bathroom, I bump into Bryan, which reminds me of a doubt I have at the moment.

He passes me and enters one of the booths. Since I'm off the clock because Alexander didn't come, I decide to wait until he finishes using the bathroom so that I can talk to him.

"Bryan.." I call out to him as soon as he's out of the booth and he looks at me surprised.

"You decided to talk to me?" He sneers as he walks to the sink and I take a deep breath.

"It's because I want to know how you knew she was coming back."

"Why don't you ask her?"

"Did Mrs. Stone tell you?" I ask ignoring his ignorance, hoping the answer is no, because otherwise I will be upset with my former mother-in-law, and he smiles.

"I'm the one who picked her up." And when he says that, I feel my body shake with anger.

"So you knew where she was all this time?" I ask holding myself back from screaming.

He ignores me and walks toward the bathroom exit, but I stop him from leaving.

"You've always been in love with her, right?" I look him in the eye and he makes no point of denying it. "Are you together?"

"She deserves someone better than you," he just says it and walks out of the bathroom, leaving me here in a way I've never been before.

I feel my eyes water and I angrily deny it. I know I made a mistake, but I don't think I was such a bad boyfriend for her to replace me in a few days.

Now I understand why Mrs. Stone didn't tell me that she was back. She didn't tell me because she didn't want to hurt me.

I know I made mistakes with her, but I also know that I did everything I could to see her happy, so I don't think it's fair that she does this to me, because if they are together, I was right that day and from the moment I said that, I hope that I am wrong.

You know what? I'm done. I got tired of always running after her, of always caring about her, and him always being her first option.

I dry my eyes before the tears that are in them even fall and leave the bathroom, heading for the classroom.

"You took your time Andrey. Did you have a stomachache?" Ryan taunts as soon as I sit down next to them and David laughs. I would laugh at the joke too, but the anger I am feeling about what happened in the bathroom won't allow me to.

"I ran into Bryan and we ended up fighting."

"You were never one to quarrel with anyone. What happened?" David asks surprised and I start to tell them what happened, feeling my anger rise just reliving the moment as I tell it.