❝ i'm so insecure, i think
that i'll die before i drink
and i'm so caught up in the news
of who likes me, and who hates you
and i'm so tired that I might
quit my job, start a new life
and they'd all be so disappointed
'cause, who am i, if not exploi...
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❝ GOD IT'S BRUTAL OUT HERE ! ❞
CHAPTER SIXTEEN WE'RE OKAY? WE'RE OKAY.
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audrey paced back in forth in the now empty gym as she waited to see if benj would show up. she had skipped out on mrs. brown's class to be here (not that she was complaining about that) so if her parents find out and benj doesn't come then she would be doing this for nothing and would get grounded for nothing.
but she probably deserved to be grounded after what she just did.
audrey checked the time on her phone for what felt like the hundredth time, her heart racing with every passing second. she had convinced herself that meeting benj was the right thing to do, that maybe she could explain herself, maybe even apologize. but now, standing alone in the quiet gym, doubt was creeping in. what if he didn't show up? what if he was too hurt, too angry? she wouldn't blame him.
but then finally she heard the door of the gymnasium open.
audrey froze, her breath catching in her throat as the gymnasium door creaked open. for a split second, she wasn't sure if she wanted to turn around or keep staring at the floor, bracing herself for whatever came next. the echo of footsteps reverberated through the empty space, slow and hesitant, until they came to a stop just a few feet behind her.
she took a deep breath and forced herself to turn around, her eyes meeting benj's. he stood there, hands shoved in his pockets, a small smile on his face.
"hey," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"hey," benj replied. he didn't move any closer, and for a moment, they just stared at each other in the awkward silence.
audrey shifted her weight from one foot to the other, searching for the right words. everything she had rehearsed in her head seemed to evaporate under his gaze. "i... i'm glad you came."
benj raised an eyebrow. "you skipped class for this, didn't you? if you're parents found out they'll kill you."
audrey's face softened, even after she completely humiliated him he still cared about her. she bit her lip, nodding slowly. "yeah, i did. mrs. brown's class, actually. but... that's not the point— you're more important and you're also skipping class so don't start there." she paused, struggling to keep her composure. "benj, i'm really sorry about what happened i didn't expect you to do all of that and we did agree to keep it between us so this was a direct violation, you could've just talked to me and we could have worked this out but that doesn't really matter right now." she spoke. "look, i'm really sorry and i really really like you."
