Just Seventeen

Chapter Four

Sometimes I forget the difference between love and hate cause they are both so similar that you could think that you love someone but in all actuality you hate them but you would never know because they are so similar. I hate him so much that I cannot hate him because hate and love are so similar that they often get tangled up in each other. I would destroy myself for this boy, strip myself to the bone limb by limb if that means he will love me because even if I have nothing I will have the accomplishments of him loving me. I've never been good at social cues, I never have and I don't think ever will. That is one of the main reasons that I never had many friends, I would never know if someone was sad or happy or excited and I couldn't read the room if it wasn't very apparent, which; in most cases, it wasn't. I've always been the weird kid, I've never had many friends. Of course I've always had friends but never many, and I never had good luck with friends either.

I'm not gonna get all dressed up to watch shitty rom-coms and go to Dave & Busters. I put on a dress with strawberries on it and a jean jacket and a bit of makeup. I hear my phone ring and expect it to be Leo saying he's here but it is not. Oliver is calling me, I obviously answer.

"Oliver? What's going on? '' I hear heavy breathing on the other end of the phone.

"Me and Naomi got in a fight over the stupidest thing, she said that I'm really close to you and that you're in love with me and I'm blind if I can't see it and that it was disturbing you being attached to me." That. Was certainly not the phone call I was expecting, was it really that obvious?

"Um, how do you want me to respond to that Ollie?"Just as I say that I hear a knock at the door and this time I know it is Leo.

"I don't know, I just thought you would find it stupid. Because it is, you? In love with me? Us as a couple would be a disaster waiting to happen." Oh. "I'm just saying she's crazy for thinking you're in love with me because you're obviously not."

He keeps going on about how we wouldn't be a good couple and that Naomi is crazy, he keeps on breaking my heart even further. I hear another knock at the door and I snap out of it.

"Yeah, listen I need to go. I'm doing something but I will call you when I get home"

"Where are you going?" His tone of voice isn't as easy going as it was a minute before.

"Somewhere." When I hang up on him, I open my door and see Leo standing there with flowers. Our flowers. In the third grade we had to do a project of flowers with a partner and Leo being my only friend we worked together. We got Tulips, so now the flower is a tulip. It wasn't a big bouquet which is good because I hate the really big obnoxious bouquets. He gives me an awkward smile and pushes the flowers in my hand.

"I thought you would enjoy them." He's so sweet, I take a step back and put them on the table before walking towards him, closing the door and giving him a quick hug.

"Thank you so much," I smile at him while walking backwards towards his car, he has one of those old jeeps where you can take the top off but he rarely does, and he doesn't when I'm in his car because having the top off kinda scares me, "It really means a lot." I make it to his car and get in, even though he doesn't put the top down he always puts the windows down.

"It's really no problem; you know my mom grows them in the garden. Now, you are in charge of aux so you better play good music." I'm always in charge of aux so it's no surprise. I turn the music on and stick my hand out the window.

"Sorry I took a long time, I was doing things."

"No problem. Now, what games are we going to play first?" he says looking over at me with a grin.

When we got there, not surprisingly there were very few people. Not many people go to this dave & busters so I have no clue why it's still open but since literally nobody goes here we go here., we play random games. When we play basketball he beats me but when we play Skee Ball I win by a landslide.

"That's not far, you were cheating." he whines as we walk away from the game.

"How in the hell was I cheating? I don't even think it is possible to cheat in Skee ball Leo; it's not my fault that you suck at Skee ball." I turn around and walk backwards to look at him. He looks like he's seen a ghost. I turn around and follow his eyes... Maddie. His ex-girlfriend that cheated with him is here with some guy, the guy turns around and I'm immediately fuming. It's my ex-boyfriend Zach, I knew he cheated but he would never tell me who he cheated with. He must have cheated with her. I turn back to Leo and he pulls me into the photo booth. We both just sit there for a second taking in what he just saw before he breaks the silence.

"Was that Zach..."

"With Maddie, you would be correct. I knew he cheated but I can't believe it was with her."

"She never told me who she cheated with either, she just said she cheated. Well this day ended up terribly. I want to leave, how about you?" he says get out and put his hand out for me.

"Couldn't agree more." We tried to leave but the universe decided to mess with us even more because when we were getting out of the photo we both came face to face with Maddie and Zach. We really couldn't be having a worse day.

"Essie? Is that you? Oh my god it is! How are you?" Zach says with such a smile I remember why I even dated him in the first place. I'm at a loss for words. He suddenly stops looking at me and looks at Leo, I forgot that Leo beat him up.

"Um I'm good, we were just leaving." Maddie is glaring at me because me and Leo are still holding hands, I quickly let go of his hand.

"Aw, why leave. Come and play with us. We would love you to join us." he says with such a smile that is enchanting, it's like he can say that elephants are sea animals and people would believe him if he just smiled.

"We would?" Maddie looks just as surprised as I feel, I look at Leo who just looks horrified, even more terrified than this situation. Hes looking at something in the distance, I follow his gaze to... holy shit I just cant catch a fucking break. Of course Naomi and Oliver are now here. They walk up to us with Naomi looking at me with something you couldn't call hate or likeness, it's like she felt uncomfortable and sad for me.

"Hey guys, was there a hang out we weren't invited to?" he says in his normal sly voice, he glances at me, then at Leo, then back at me, then at the others. At the moment nobody here likes me except Leo.

"We were just asking if these two wanted to play some games with us; you guys can join as well."

"Oh well, we really should be going. My mom just called me and she said that I should come home soon." I say acting is really sad about it. Why the hell did all of them have to come here at this time. I thought that Oliver and Naomi just got in a fight like two hours ago.

"Oh come on, just a few games." I don't even know who said it. Everybody's words are swirling together, I feel like I'm about to faint till I hear a voice I know for sure.

"Sorry guys but we really have to go, my parents are also expecting me home at a decent time." Leo put his hand on my back and is leading us towards the exit. I turn around and shout to them.

"It was really nice seeing you guys though!" I don't breathe till we make it to the car.