Love In Destin ✔

32 - complete mess

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THE HALLWAYS OF West Bridge High is a loud commotion of teenagers as I swerve around them, making my way to my locker. It's a ruckus of girls gossiping as they shove books in their lockers, couples making out, and members of my team flirting with some of the cheerleaders.

My phone buzzes in my jean pocket, and I take it out to find a message from Maya asking me to meet her in the library. My jaw contorts into different movements as I chew mint gum. A hand roughly grips the side of my shoulder, and I glare into the eyes of Carter, who has a snarl on his smug face. "I hope suspension softened you up. It'll teach you not to mess with me again,"

I grit my teeth, "If you know what's good for you, get your hand off me,"

Carter tightens his grip on my shoulder, a smirk prominent on the side of his stupid mouth. Burning anger sears my veins and makes the blood surge through my ears. My anger builds up like a pressure cooker, and just when I think I might explode, someone pulls Carter off of me.

Mark whispers something to him, which causes the idiot to walk away with balled fists. I force deep, calming breaths in and out of my nostrils. When I'm not seeing red anymore it comes to my attention that half the commotion in the hallway has stopped. These morons we're prepared for a fight to happen even before fists we're thrown.

"Get back to your business. The drama is over!" shouts Mark to the lot of them.

"What did you say to Carter?"

"That he didn't want me sharing a video of him smacking another girl's ass with Sabrina,"

My brows raise to the ceiling, "What?"

"Forget it," He slides an arm over my shoulder. "What's this rumor of you and a girl who rides roller skates supposedly dating?"

I shrug, "We are,"

Mark scrunches his nose, stepping back from me, "Since when?"

"Since...Monday, you didn't know?"

"Rick," he breathes as if I should know the reason behind his look of annoyance. How come I'm the last person finding this out?"

"Dude, it all happened so fast I didn't think to tell you,"

"You're not supposed to think. It's the first thing that should come to mind to tell you're best friend you've got a girlfriend. That's what I did when I told you I was gonna ask Kayla out," his eyes soften, and his lips turn downward into a saddened smile. "You never tell me things like you used to. Are we even best friends anymore? I don't understand. Did I do something wrong?"

"You didn't do anything wrong,"

"Then? What's the deal?"

The bell rings before a word can slip from my mouth, and Mark still stands, waiting for an answer. When I can muster no response, he angrily tramps away to homeroom, and my heart sinks to my belly. Why are you such an idiot?!

Awareness hits me like a jolt of caffeine, and I dash to the library where I walk with Maya side by side to homeroom. My change in demeanor doesn't go unnoticed, and a burst of questions flutters out of her, which I have no desire to answer. She lets me be when I use the excuse of waking up on the wrong side of the bed.

For the whole period in homeroom, the two of them talk over the topics in the school newspaper and whatnot while Mark acts like I don't exist, which wedges a two-edged sword at the pit of my heart. I pop in my earphones and act like I'm working on unfinished homework so that Maya doesn't scrutinise the situation and start asking even more questions.