You can Bet on Me

Part 26 ~ Jealousy

Maddison
Later on, after school, I was about to leave when a guy with shaggy, soft brown hair and the warmest chocolate-brown eyes stopped me.
"Hi, uh, you probably don't know me, but I'm Jake," he said, a hint of nervousness in his voice as he continued to speak. "I'm in the same English class as you, and uh, um—could I, like, talk to you for a moment?"
"Sure," I said as I followed him outside to the courtyard. There was no one there, since people jumped at the chance to escape school and get home or to a party as soon as the tiring day was over.
"So, what's up?" I asked, turning to him with the sweetest smile I could muster. He blushed slightly and suddenly blurted, "I like you will you please go out with me?"
I was taken aback. My smile faltered, but I quickly regained it. "I'm sorry, what?" I asked, refusing to believe that someone liked me, the big-time nerd of Liberty Academy.
"I like you," he breathed. "I've been too scared to approach you, and when you got together with—uh, Michael, I felt that I had lost my chance, but that made me realise that I should have asked you out earlier. Um, now that I've heard you two had broken up, I decided to take my chance."
I had hardly met the guy. He was a complete stranger to me, and yet he was asking me out. Sure, I had seen him in English, and he had registered into my brain as 'human', but I had never really bothered to get to know boys much since most just mocked me for being nerdy. My heart warmed at the thought that someone liked me, and when Jake looked up at me, the look in his eyes struck me. His eyes looked the same as Michael's did when he looked at me, and that reminded me of all my heartbreak. Was I really ready to move on, especially with a guy I didn't really know?
"So, uh, what's your answer?" Jake asked, nervousness hinting in his voice. I didn't know. I looked at Jake and found myself thinking how cute and sweet and nervous he was, but something just didn't... click. I remembered how I had felt around Michael – comfortable, warm, and like I could tell him everything. As much as Jake seemed like a nice, caring, considerate guy that would make a great boyfriend, I didn't feel the same. I didn't feel about him how I felt about Michael, and I think that it was the thing that hit me the hardest. I wanted someone who I loved like how I loved Michael, and even though I was certain that was impossible, I still wanted it so badly.
"I-I'm so sorry," I said, and Jake's eyes dulled. "I... don't feel the same." Guilt built up inside me, seeing Jake's sad, defeated expression. He looked up at me again, a weak smile on his face.
"At least I tried," he murmured as he quickly walked away. I felt terrible for breaking someone's heart, but a fake relationship built on feelings I didn't have for him would never work. Especially not when I wasn't yet over Michael.
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Michael
A guy. Maddison. He looked at her with this look in his eyes that just made my blood boil – he was blushing like crazy and Maddison seemed oblivious to what he was going to do next – confess. I hated that I had no right to step in, that I had no right to stop him, and the jealously made me go crazy. Maddison just affected me that much, and even though we were certainly over, I still felt strongly for her. Strongly enough that even if she would be able to one day move on, I wouldn't. I was too far away to hear what they were saying, but I was certain that it was a confession. I could see their mouths moving and suddenly, the guy's eyes darkened.
I was almost smug – that look said only one thing: rejection. My heart shone with pride as he literally scurried away after casting Maddison one last sad smile, but it stopped beating all together when Maddison turned around to look at him go and then caught my eye. She hesitated. Maddison held my gaze for half a heartbeat before her eyes flamed and she marched straight over to me.
"What, are you a stalker?" she snapped.
"No," I replied far too quickly.
"Then why are you here?" she asked, fury yet a look of pain and sadness and guilt in her eyes. Guilt – she felt guilty about rejecting that guy. Of course Maddison, a sweet, lovable girl, would feel guilty for rejecting a guy. Before I could think, I had swept her up into my arms in a hug, and her body stiffened. I barely registered that I had done it before Maddison pushed me away.
"What are you doing? You've broken me – don't think you can go about giving me hugs," she hissed coldly, but a look of longingness and emotion glinting in her eyes.
"You needed it," I replied softly, my voice sounding so tender that it even surprised myself.
"Not from you I don't," Maddison took a step back from me. "Can't you see I'm trying to put myself back together again? Why won't you let me?"
"Because maybe I'm not over you myself," I replied, my heart cracking. Maddison's eyes widened and her lip quivered. She then clenched her jaw and gave me one last hard, cold look before storming away.
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