𝐎𝐜𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦 [Christopher & Matthew Sturniolo]

ᴛʀᴇᴇ ʜᴏᴜꜱᴇ

ꜰʟᴀsʜʙᴀᴄᴋ

Sᴇɴɪᴏʀ Yᴇᴀʀ
⁰⁴/₂₃/²⁰²⁰

Paige Withlock

Chris and I walked in slow steps to our neighborhood that was about 20 minutes away from the school, we were silent and although we walked next to each other, the distance between us was like putting two magnets with the same pole together. We were repelling each other. I wanted to talk to him, to thank him for calming me down, but I'm afraid it would sound like something meaningless, and he didn't seem to want to talk to me at all. I feel stupid, because on one hand all I want is for the boy to speak to me, just as I felt comfortable doing with him, but on the other hand I would like to distance myself from Chris, to solve this serious problem. I have never been a person given to emotions, hence never having many boyfriends. Now, how can I move on if I have never allowed myself to feel something like this for someone I was interested in? This was an unusual event; what do I do now? How do you stop liking someone?

Pathetic.

I can't see myself being far from such a definition that fits my condition at this weak circumstance. I need to be more pragmatic and not think about this. That's right, I like Chris, and who cares? If my brain has decided that it likes the boy who stuck gum in my hair in second grade, then it will also have to fend for itself. I didn't ask for any of this, so I shouldn't worry either.

"Are you okay?" he brought me back from my thoughts and I looked at his worried face.

"Why didn't you message me to let me know that you told Nate everything?" I threw the question suddenly, catching him off guard.

"I didn't have time, and he's my best friend, I figured you would know I would tell him" he buried his hands in his pockets and shrugged.

"He's my best friend too, it would have been better if we had told him together" I objected, coolly.

"Believe me, it would not be better if the three of us were together to talk about it" he replied just as quietly.

"Why not?" I looked at him and he gave me a short corner glance, then continued his attention to the path.

"I promise he won't be mad forever" he ignored my question.

"How do you know?" I wondered, remembering the way Nathan looked at me. Disgust. I bet that's what he felt.

"Like I said, he's my best friend, I know him" Chris stated, as if that was a good reason "And he loves you," he added, and this time he stared at me as if trying to make it believable, and although I fully believed it — because I love Nathan as much as he loves me, I also knew that this makes everything even worse.

"I'd rather he hated me, then the disappointment wouldn't be so big," I admitted, and I could see Chris shaking his head negatively as if he didn't agree.

"Um, what happened there? If you don't mind me asking now..." he was being careful, I've never seen him talk like that.

"Just another humiliation in the life of Paige Withlock" I replied vaguely and he just kept quiet "Well, I tried to talk to Nate through notes in the middle of Mr. Vera's class, and in one of the notes Nate admitted to knowing that we..." I bit my cheek meekly and his face was unsettled "Anyway, Mr. Vera took the note and read it to the whole room, and obviously... People were curious, I guess" Chris stopped his steps and I did the same, his eyes flushed and his countenance became stern, the reddish tint had only been seen by me when his cheeks blushed adorably, never on his eyes.

"Paige, he can't do this" I could see the way he gnashed his teeth "I need to go back and talk to him, I-I..." he began to stutter and lose himself in his words taking long strides back to the school and I try to keep up with his fast pace and hold his arm, ceasing his movements.