50 Things I Hate About You (COMPLETED)

I Hate That When I Have Your Attention It Makes Me Happy

"Earth to Rory!"

A dark hand shot in front of me and grasped my jaw, jerking it to the left so I was staring into my best friend's concerned eyes. His red hat had nearly fallen from his head, hanging askew on his buzzed head, and with ninja like reflexes, his free hand shot up and fixed it, eyes not leaving me once.

"Are you okay? You've been disassociating all week."

I raised my head a fraction, happy that the brim of my own hat had knocked a few strands of my bangs free so they were curtaining my eyes and he couldn't get a good look into them.

"I'm just tired, Mike."

"I think it's more than that." he said, dropping his hand and leaning over the showcase. "I'm your best friend, Rory. You know you can tell me anything."

Except I couldn't. This wasn't my story or business to tell.

School had been one blurred montage of essays all week, as my attention had been on Sir Sleeps A Lot in every class-except he looked like he hadn't slept a wink in weeks. For a boy who'd always done his part in ensuring he looked as if he'd just stepped out of a Calvin Klein underwear ad, he had let himself go. His hair had been a greasy mess, eyes bloodshot, heavy hooded, and squinting at the board and teachers as they moved about around the classroom. Even his lips, once full and showcasing a stupidly perfect smile were chapped, bloodied, and bitten raw. It wasn't just Onyx's appearance that'd had me so lost in thought all week, but his mother, my Godmother, who had needed to be helped from the car and into her house by my mother Wednesday night.

"Is it Ty?" Mike tried again, snapping his finger to draw my attention back to him. "Did he do or say something?"

It wasn't Ty-hell, he was the last thing on my mind if I were being honest with myself. We'd texted a few times throughout the week and he always walked me to my classes between periods, but I'd hardly acknowledged his existence. Just as I couldn't tell my best friend, I wasn't going to say a word about my concern for the Hayes to the one guy who'd throw a party if Onyx lost anything and everything important to him.

"What's going on, Rory?" Mike asked. "Ang and I are worried. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I assured him, this time with a warning in my voice as I walked around the counter to join him. "I'm good, Mike. Stop worrying. Tell me about what's been up with Levi."

He hesitated, looking as though he'd much rather continue to poke and pry until I snapped. Luckily, his mother had raised a smart boy and he nodded and started talking about how his last couple dates had gone with his boyfriend. I wasn't proud of it, but I didn't hear a word he said. The moment he started to stare in a loving daze at the entrance, I propped my chin on my hand and stared off into the blue sky outside the window-and found my thoughts wandering right back to where they had all week.

To the boy with the ocean blue eyes.

*

Michael had just sped off into the night when I glanced to the Hayes. I could see Olivia seated at the end of her table, her dainty hand wrapped around a coffee mug, eyes trailing something behind her-probably Onyx. Against my better judgement I climbed the stairs and knocked gently on the door. I rocked back and forth on my feet until Onyx opened the door-as much of a mess as he had been at school this morning. If anything, he looked worse and smelt about as bad as he looked.

"What do you want, Aurora?"

Hearing my real name out of his mouth snapped me back into reality and I brushed passed him and into the house. He muttered incoherently under his breath as he shut the door and I set my purse down on the kitchen table before lowering myself into the chair beside Olivia.