One In A Million

Chapter 3

What? They didn't kiss. We were best friends. Best friends don't kiss. We weren't, they weren't. You don't. They're not supposed to be kissing.

I had expected to be greeted with worry, maybe, I had been lost for the last two hours, after all, but this?

I snatched out my cell and dialed Jax. I watched them continue to suck each other's faces off for another second or two, though we all heard the phone ringing, and then, finally, finally, he dug into his pocket, glanced at the I.D and then answered cheerfully.

"Hey, Jay? Where'd you run off to?" He asked.

"I got lost," I said flatly. "You guys ate yet?" I narrowed my eyes.

"Oh, um, yeah. We just finished and we're paying the tab now.." He trailed off.

I hung up and stepped around the corner into their sight.

"Liar," I spat and arched my eyebrows.

"Jay!" They both exclaimed, surprised.

"Yeah, I'm alive, thanks for asking. I'm really sorry to have called and interrupted your make out session," my voice broke, ruining my sarcasm.

"You--" Jax began.
"Saw you guys sucking face, yeah," I interrupted.
"Jay," Wayla began.
"Don't," I cut her off. "Just take me home."

I stomped to the backseat car door and yanked on the handle meaningfully.

Unlock the door.

Jax recovered first and lightly touched Wayla's shoulder. She blinked and walked to the driver's side to unlock the doors. We all got in and silence was our only greeting. Without a word, she cranked the car and drove towards home.

It was the longest car ride of my life.

They chattered off and on, but they didn't try to involve me and I didn't try to be involved. I was pissed and now that I thought about it, it wasn't just because of them.

First, I thought, Johnson. He was definitely already an issue to handle. He was this random dude that I literally just ran into and made out with. What are these feelings? I barely even knew him. And yet, I did know him somehow. Like there was a pull on my heart or something. I felt like.. A stretched rubber band. But what was I being drawn to? Him? Great. Gah. Next subject.

Second, I thought, Wayla and Jax. My best friends. They liked.... Each other? The thought made me think of all kinds of thoughts which made me think of all kinds of other thoughts. Like, why Wayla? She was stunningly beautiful in every way, but for a sliver of a moment, I wondered why Jax had never had nay romantic feelings for me. Lord knows I didn't have any for him, though, it was just mere curiosity. Maybe I had noticed that they felt... More for each other, but I never thought much about it, and they obviously hasn't said anything to me either. I mean, Jax always hugged us both, but hadn't I noticed the slight linger of Wayla or the flush in their cheeks they sometimes had when they came over together?

I shook my head, like that would clear my thoughts any time soon. I sighed. Wayla glanced up an we met eyes in the rear view mirror. I arched an eyebrow.

Yes?

Her cheekbones reddened and she looked away and cleared her throat.

And finally- finally- she pulled into my driveway and turned off her car. We all sat for a moment.

"You could have told me," I said quietly.

"We-" Jax began.

"Can you just... Not?" I said sharply. "It's been a long night, okay? I got lost and almost kidnapped. I'm kind of, but not really, sort of, maybe in love with this stranger that I may or may not have met already. I almost got killed in an alley and I came back expecting worry, maybe, but nooooo, what do I find? I find my best friends swapping tongues, lying to me, and ignoring my phone calls!" My voice had risen an octave. "I don't know if you guys just suddenly didn't trust me anymore..." I was on the verge of bursting into tears, so I stopped to breathe.

I took a deep breath and got out of the car without exchanging pleasantries. I slammed the door on their sheepish and surprised faces and stomped to my porch, jammed the keys into the lock, and-- remembering that my parents were asleep-- quietly closed the door and trudged upstairs.

When I got to my room, I headed straight for the bathroom to look at myself. So much had changed for me tonight... Had I, too?

I felt like I hadn't ever really looked at myself. My dark wavy hair was disheveled. My coffee brown eyes were slightly bulged and eccentric looking as they roamed my face. I was as pale as a sheet of paper--- well, as pale as a mixed person can get. I made eye contact with myself in the mirror.

I felt very numb suddenly. But I was numb with this sense of increasing dread, like something bad was about to occur and I knew of its arrival, but I was still weary of it.

And then I burst into tears.

Gut-wrenching, body-raking, violent sobs that hurt my throat when I tried to hold them in to breathe. My whole body shook with the toll and confusion of tonight. It was supposed to be a normal day. I wrapped my arms around myself, as if to physically hold myself together.

I sat down on my cold, just cleaned bathroom floor and laid my head against the wall. Then I cried until my eyes were dry.

And boy, were they dry.

I reached into my pocket to check the time on my phone.

Empty.

Shit. I had lost my phone. Could this night get any worse? Never mind, I take that back. Of course it could get worse. The question was how.

My phone could either be in Jax's car, the restaurant parking lot, or the alley where I left.. Johnson. I would text Jax, but one, I didn't want to talk to him just yet, and two, I didn't have a phone to text on! I would hate to drive all the way back to the restaurant for nothing, even if I did lose it there, it's probably ran over by now.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

I sighed and coaxed my legs into a standing position. Slowly- slowly- I grabbed a towel, ran it under cold water, and then carefully wiped my face in an attempt to calm myself.

This whole night had been a roller coaster. Currently, my plate was full to the max, but that was always my problem: it was full. All I had to do was get organized.

"Fail to prepare, prepare to fail," I quoted sourly.