Yeah, I Hate You Too, Sweetheart.

Chapter 9 - Laila

  Laila

    I should've been expecting it. So, it really shouldn't have come as a surprise. Of course someone as gorgeous as Justin Richards and someone as beautiful as that girl would invariably find a way to be together. That's the way high school worked, right? And not just high school, I guess - more like the entire universe. If that girl and Justin weren't together, the entire solar system would go out of alignment or something.

       Justin froze the second Maggie pulled him down to her level so she could kiss him. He was immobile for what felt like half a second before he was kissing her back, his hands moving to cradle her face. It looked like he was trying to devour her with that kiss. 

     I felt like an idiot when the room started spinning and I thought was going to start crying. I inconspicuously tried to take deep, calming breaths while my heart started beating wildly. 

   Strike that - I was an idiot. Justin kissing another girl shouldn't have hurt as much as it did.

   "Hey, Nick?" I found myself saying, my voice oddly high-pitched. "You wanna go get a drink or something?"

   "Sure," Nick said, taken aback by my question. "It's a bit hot in here, isn't it?"

   I laughed. It was awkward and at least two octaves higher than normal, but Nick didn't know that. I'd barely even just met the guy. And in all honesty, he was fairly attractive in his own right, too. He was at least a head shorter than Justin, but had tousled blonde hair, pale skin, and bright honey colored eyes. 

   It was definitely my imagination that conjured up a somewhat sympathetic look in Nick's honey eyes as we wove our way through the guests, away from Maggie and Justin - who, might I add, were still locked in a furious embrace. 

  "Maggie's my twin," Nick was saying as we walked along. "So, I do apologize on her behalf."

  "Apologize? For what?" I asked confusedly.

   At least my voice wasn't that off.

   "Maggie always likes putting on a show," Nick said. "And if Justin's around, she can't resist."

  "So, they're dating, right?"

   I tried to keep the bitterness in my tone to a minimal.

Nick snorted out a laugh and shook his head a little. What was that supposed to mean?

   "You'll have to ask Justin, Laila, because I honestly don't know," Nick clarified, his lips pursed. 

I scowled, biting my lower lip. I should've figured that some girl would be Justin's play thing. That jerk.

   "Don't think too little of Justin, though," Nick continued, eyebrows raised. "He's a bit of a jerk, don't get me wrong, but he's a great guy. You just have to catch him on the right day."

   I put on a false look of surprise. "No kidding."

Nick grinned in response, giving me a sort of admiring glance.

  "How long have you known Justin?" he asked, once we had grabbed sodas from a few coolers that were propped up by the double doors towards the back of the house.

  I sipped thoughtfully at my Coke and leaned against the back wall. 

  "Probably since I was four, I think," I answered after a moment.

   Nick whistled, making a horrific grimace. "And you're still sane?"

 I sighed dramatically, putting a hand to my forehead. "It's so hard to be me."