Stalker

Chapter 14- Smoke

Maria

Foot ball is the most boring sport in history.

Lauren was super into the game, cheering and clapping whenever Evan got some action on the field. I on the other hand was waiting for my moment. Once the game began Aiden took a seat towards the very back of the bleachers, surely watching me.

Halftime rolled around and as much as I wanted to watch the cheerleaders, I knew it was a good time to get up without Lauren being suspicious or upset that I missed the game.

"Hey Laur i'm going to go to the bathroom." I said, standing up from the cold metal bleachers. "Do you want a soda or anything?"

"I'm okay." Lauren looked up at me, frowing. "Do you want me to come with you?"

I shook my head, tugging my dress down my thighs a little bit, as it had rolled up while I was seated. "That's okay, i'll be quick. Plus you need to save our seats."

Lauren let me go after that, watching the cheerleaders and saying she would record for me if the game started before I was back. I easily made my way out of the bleachers and down onto the ground, slipping around the back of the bleachers to get to the parking lot.

It was cold and goosebumps were covering my skin, a slight nausea rising in my stomach. What if Aiden wasn't following me?

I walked into the dark parking lot, the sounds from the field now muffled in the background. Sitting towards the back of the parking lot in the bed of a pick-up truck were about four guys, smoke wafting from their lips.

I made my way towards them, arms crossed against my chest to fight the cold. They didn't even notice me, laughing together as they continued to get high.

Once I was about five feet away, one of them actually noticed me. He had his hair pulled back by a backwards hat, wearing a flannel on top of a grey hoodie paired with some jeans. They were all dressed vaguely similar with long hair and jeans.

"You comin to snitch on us or what?" The guy said, his friends now looking at me.

I looked into his eyes, trying to display a confident expression. "I want to smoke."

The four of them began to laugh, the one who was previously speaking now blowing smoke into my face. "You're funny."

I resisted the urge to cough, hating the smell. "I'll pay."

One of the other guys who was sitting down smiled at me, holding what looked like a cigarette in his hand. "Sit on my lap and I'll let you smoke as much as you want pretty."

I began to panick, thinking Aiden would be here by now. But clearly..

"She's good." A deep voice came from behind me, a warm hand pressing against my lower back. "I'll take some though."

I turned my head to see Aiden staring at the guys in the truck, not bothering to look at me. "What are you doing?"

"Bad idea sweetheart." Aiden said, his voice soft. He was looking down at me, his hand now moving to my waist.

"I want to." I said, scowling. The name reminded me of the night of homecoming, I had a memory of someone calling me that but I wasn't sure who.

"Are you stupid?" His voice was harsh now, jaw tight and his eyes dark.

"No?" I used both of my hands to push hard on Aiden's arm, trying to force him away. He hardly moved, which made me all the more infuriated. "Go away Aiden."

The guys in the truck began to laugh again, one getting up to walk towards me. He lifted his arm and put it around my shoulders, grinning up at Aiden. "Man it's all good, i'll take good care of her."

I felt kind of sick, wanting to vomit at the strong weed smell. But it didn't last long, Aiden was coming towards him, and he was backing up fast.

I stepped in between the two as quickly as I could, glaring at Aiden. "Stop it, you can't just fight eveyone. I'm fine."

Aiden didn't look at me but he didn't keep pushing, surely aware he would over power me. "I won't touch him if you walk away and go back to the game."

"Fine."

Aiden relaxed slightly and I was able to walk away, hearing Aiden's footsteps behind me as he followed me.

I got about halfway back to the field when I stopped, turning around and looking at Aiden. "Why are you following me?"

Aiden looked down at me, glaring. "Becuase you're an idiot."

"You think no one has ever smoked before? I wanted to try it." That was the furthest thing from the truth, but Aiden didn't need to know that.

"Then do it but not with them, why would you want that?" Aiden said, seeming awfully angry.

"What does it matter to you!?" I was yelling at this point, arms at my sides. "stop following me! Stop dragging me along and being nice then shutting me out! You are so infuriating!"

I wanted to punch him, slap him even. But all I could do was stand there and yell as if I was frozen in place.

"I'm trying to help you Maria!" He yelled, his voice loud. My eyes began to water, my throat feeling as thought a million knives were stabbing that. "God, why can't you see that!? I watched a dumb girl walk into a dark parking lot and try to get high, you expect me to not try and step in!?"

"ITS MY LIFE!!" I screamed at him, the situation escalating to a place I hadn't planned on. "Stop following me! You've been doing it all year and it's driving me crazy! You're the biggest asshole I know and you just can't seem to leave me alone!!"

Aiden didn't say anything in return, simply staring at me. His face actually held emotion for once, even slightly. And then it disappeared, his face blank. That made me even more mad.

"You know what," My voice broke, hands in fists. "why don't you just go fuck Amanda and forget about me. I can take care of myself."

I didn't bother to wait for his reply before I went back to the bleachers, sitting down next to Lauren and pretending to be interested in the game. I didn't see Aiden come back, but I didn't expect to. I didn't know how things got so out of hand earlier but I wasn't proud, I knew I wasn't being fair.

But I was tired of feeling watched, feeling like Aiden was finally coming around and then being so horribly wrong. It was a messed up friendship, and I was tired of it.

I went straight to my room when I got home, knowing I would beat myself up for the rest of the night.

It wasn't just what I said, but the way Aiden looked at me. For once he showed emotion, and it looked like I had just stabbed him in the heart.