The Switch

chapter 15

Emory

Wednesday Morning, when Aria and I got off the bus, Bentley came running up, with a huge grin on her face. She always seemed happy to see us, and for some reason it almost always put me in a good mood, like her happiness was infectious. Unfortunately it wasn't infectious, and this wasn't one of those times it put me in a good mood. In fact, seeing it today made me feel even worse.  I promised Aria I wouldn't be friends with her and I had to follow through with that promise, no matter how much it was going to hurt.

"Hey, isn't it a beautiful morning?" She walked with almost a hop in her step today, like most mornings really.

"Yep, anyway, can't talk bye," I was going to tell her that we couldn't be friends, but I Chickened out once again. I had attempted to tell her every day since Thursday, but just couldn't bring my self to do it. Instead I made up an excuse as to why I couldn't talk to her and then would  rush off somewhere else. This morning it was to meet Will in the spot we all meet at in the mornings.

"Hey Em, how's your morning going?" He smiles at me, and normally that would cause butterflies to flare up in my stomach, but today I was too distracted.

I chew on my lip stressfully, I was going  to have to tell Bentley soon, "it's fine."

He nods, "mhm, and there's nothing bothering you?"

I shake my head, "mm nope, completely fine." I give him a small fake smile, and he accepts my answer. 

The look of concern leaves his face and he changes the subject. "Alright, so when you see Cody next he's going to suggest that we go to A party this weekend, tell him you have plans because-"

"I do have plans," I cut him off.

"Really?" I don't know why he seems so surprised.

"Yeah I'm going home to New River for the weekend, part of the custody agreement with my parents and aunt, one weekend a month." I explain and he nods, as if he was now remembering.

"Thought for a second maybe you had a hot date or something." He jokes and I blush a bit.

Shaking my head, "yeah, no." I laugh a bit, talking to him makes it easy to forget my problems with Aria, and having to tell Bentley we can't be friends. "So why don't you want to go to a party with Cody?"

He groans, "he always promises to be the designated driver and then always gets wasted, and he's not even a fun drunk, and last time he threw up all over my mom's car."

I laugh, "I can see why you'd find that annoying." He smiles, and I swear that his eyes twinkle when he does, as well as the dimple on his left cheek, always makes an appearance at the slightest twitch of his lips.
I get distracted watching him for a second, and I don't even realize I've just been staring at him until I hear my name being called.

"Em!" Arielle says and I jump slightly, surprised to see her.

"Um, yeah sorry, what?" I try to remember how long she's been standing there.

"I said your name like five times, the bell rang." My eyes widen, how long had I been staring at him?

"Oh, um, yeah, I guess I'll see you guys later." I then quickly turn around to head to my class. As I do I hear them laugh and I get this pit feeling in my stomach that they were laughing at me. I had just been staring at will like a creep for who knows how long.