Becoming Mandy

Chapter 13

• Mindy •

Jared introduced me to his parents and some of his family friends. They were all super nice, not something I expected from a rich family.

Jared pulled out a chair for me at the dinner table and motioned for me to sit. I smiled as I did, watching him take his seat beside me.

The table was covered from end-to-end in expensive-looking foods of all kinds, some which I've never seen before in my life.

Mr. and Mrs.Micheals sat across from me, a smile etched onto their faces.

"You must mean a lot to Jared," Mrs.Micheals says, breaking the silence. "He's never invited a girl before."

I only blush, not knowing how to respond.

I feel Jared's hand find mine beneath the table, our fingers wounding together. I can't help but smile, the feeling of butterflies in my stomach returning.

"Would you like some water, sweetheart?" Mr.Michaels asks me, holding a pitcher of water over my empty glass.

I give him a polite smile. "That sounds great. Thank you."

Mr.Michaels fills up my glass with water and then places it aside, turning to his wife and whispering something I didn't quite catch.

I face towards Jared, leaning closer to him. "Do you have a bathroom? I really need to go."

Jared chuckles. "Of course I have a bathroom, Mindy. It's right down the hall. You won't miss it."

"Thanks." I reply, standing up and excusing myself before making my way down the hall. I don't know what Jared meant by 'you won't miss it' because all I see is a bunch of similar doors.

I bite my lip and pry open the first door, only to find that it leads to the basement.

I heave a sigh. Couldn't Jared give me more specific directions?

My thoughts are interrupted when I see two beady red eyes staring back at me.

My own eyes widen as the four-legged figure begins to move forward. I take a step back as it approaches me.

Then I let out a shrill scream.

"Mindy?!" It's Jared's voice. I can hear his footsteps behind me now. I whip around, crashing right into his chest and causing him to tumble back, me falling on top of him.

"What's wrong?" He questions, concern in his eyes. "Are you ok?"

I find myself burying my face in his chest. "There's something in your basement." I tell him but it comes out muffled. "I think it's dog. It has red eyes. Jared, I'm so-"

I'm cut off by the feeling of something licking fingers which were holding onto Jared tightly, unaware of the position we were in.

Jared laughs softly. "That dog is my chihuahua, Tyler."

I pull my head away from Jared's chest to find a small, brown puppy with big ear staring back at Jared and I, every once in a while reaching over to lick my hand.

I heave a sigh of relief. "Oh." I chuckle. "For a minute there I thought your dog was just like that one we saw at the park."

A puzzled look falls into Jared's face. "What are you talking about?"

I open my mouth to respond but then realize what I had just said.

Oh. Crap.

All of the sudden Jared's standing up, pulling me with him and pinning me up against the wall. His body's pressed against mine and his eyes search every inch of my face.

The whole time, I'm completely quite except for the sound of my heart beating abnormally fast.

"How do you know about the park?" He asks me in a whispers. "You weren't there."

"M-Mandy told me." I stammer.

"Liar." He blurts almost instantly. "You're lying. I can tell. What are you hiding, Mindy?"

"Jared-" I begin to say but he turns away from me.

"Mindy Greene, Mandy Blue, Mindy Greene, Mandy Blue..." He mutters repeatedly. "Mindy...Mandy..." He whirls around, shaking his head. "You've been lying to me this whole time, haven't you? No wonder you know about the park. You were there. It was you. Mandy's not real. You played me."

I shake my head along with him, tears spilling out of my eyes. "No, Jared. You don't understand! I didn't want to lie to you. It's just-"

"Get out of my house." He cuts me off.

"Jared-"

"Out!"

I cover my face with my hands and start to walk away. I hear the sound of a door slamming behind me. Probably Jared's.

I run past the dinner table and out the front door, ignoring the questions being shot at me by Jared's parents.

Due to the fact that I had no ride, I began to walk home, ripping the heels off my feet and clutching them in my hands.

Just when everything was starting to go right...

...It goes wrong.

• • •

I arrive home like three hours later with my feet hurting and a puffy face. My parents were asleep which was a good thing. I dragged myself up to my room and fell face forward onto my bed, tears beginning to choke me up again.

Why did this have to happen? Why when I started to like Jared?Just why? Was this some kind of lesson on how to never say you're someone you're not?

Because I think I learned it.

I have a hard time sleeping that night, thoughts of Jared cluttering my head while tears ran down my face.

I thought I escaped it all when I finally fell asleep.

Sadly, I dreamed about Jared, which didn't help my cause one bit.

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Author's Note: It would have been longer but I had to stop it so the story wouldn't end so soon. But it is ending soon... I kinda lost interest in this but I didn't want to delete it or leave you hanging so Its going to have an actual ending. It should end in chappie 15 or 16. :/ Sorry to those of you who liked and read this. Anywho, comment vote fan.