The Introvert and the Football Player

Chapter Twenty One

Nova's POV:
I stared at the clock trying to will it to go faster. I was in class without Valerie and Ricky today, and Monty was about to get on my last nerve. "I thought you didn't like football Nova?" He kept asking. I don't like football with you I wanted to say. "I know you hear me. You should answer me when I talk to you." Monty told me. I stayed quiet as he kept on. "Hey girl I know you hear me! Answer me!" He yelled. "If I wanted to speak to you I would. My name isn't girl it's Nova. Now would you please shut up!" I snapped. Monty looked at me without saying anything, but I heard him mumble under his breath. "What?" I snapped again. "I ain't say anything gah!" He said. I rolled my eyes and put my headphones in. It was going to be a long ass period.

******
I could hear everyone whispering as I walked through the halls today. Some people kept it kind, and others just trashed my name. When I walked into my history class, one of Bailey's minions called me Number Four's Whore. Sitting through English was no better. My teacher, Mr. Bates, decided to lecture the class on what makes the subjunctive mood for verbs. Because I fell asleep, I was sent to detention and I missed 9 pages worth of notes on the crap.
The whispers at lunch were worse and I found myself wishing Bo or Valerie was there to block the sound of them.
"I hope you actually don't think you can keep Bo happy." Chelsea said. "Bo and I aren't together so I'm not to worried about my abilities to keep him happy." I told her. Bo and I still haven't defined what we are, so why throw around the boyfriend card? And I know I make him happy so jokes on her. "As if he'd date a spazz like you. Your honors list is longer than a celebrity's extensions, and you're not all that in looks either." She continued. "Well when I graduate from college and you're making my burgers at McDonald's we'll talk again." I said with a smile. "Excuse me bitch?" Chelsea snapped. "You heard me. The only reason you're bashing my nonexistent relationship right now is because you hoped he'd find his way to your bed as soon as him and Bailey broke up. But he didn't. So get the hell over it and get your damn salad so I can eat!" I told her. For once Chelsea didn't have anything to say. I got my food and headed to my table which was occupied by Valerie's favorite football player.
"Hey Nova." He told me. "Hey Ashton." I said sarcastically. I wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone from the team right now, or anyone else in this school. "What's got you down?" Ashton asked me. "Stupid Chelsea and the rest of this hellish school who don't know how to mind their own fucking business! I mean so what Bailey and Bo broke up and who gives a damn that he kissed me. It's not as big of a deal as this shitter is making of it!" I said not holding back. Ashton was quiet for a minute before he started laughing at my outburst. I started laughing too when it became clear that he wasn't going to stop laughing any time soon. "Nova that's what dating a football player is like." Ashton said after he finally quit laughing. "Well I don't like being stared at as if I'm a new science project! It's annoying and creepy." I told him. He chuckled and looked outside. "He likes you. Just be patient. Dating a football player is like dating a celebrity. Bo's high school royalty and you're his queen. He made that clear when he kissed you. You're his and no one else's." Ashton said. I stared at him for a minute before I said "But Bo hasn't said if I was his girlfriend yet. We've been on like two dates too. I'm starting to think he's never going to ask." I told him honestly. "Trust me, it'll hurt him too much not to ask you out. You're all he talks about in the locker room and it gets very annoying after awhile, no offense. But like I said be patient." He replied as the bell for fourth period rang.
He was right. I needed to be patient but I didn't know how. With Jerome he'd asked right away and didn't take no for an answer.

*****
Two years ago
Nova's POV

My break up with Jerome started off slowly and gradually until it was an avalanche that couldn't be stopped. It was the babe I fell asleep I'm sorry or I have a game to go to tonight, and the forever famous sorry I thought I texted back. He was the one making all of the excuses, and I was the one still trying to see him. I made plans to see him every chance I could which they only worked out maybe 5 times in the 6 months it had been since he moved away. After the excuses piled up, he switched to not answering until the next day saying that he had been busy the night before. And after all of that, different girls began making appearances on his snapchat.
"You have nothing to worry about babe, I love you and only you." He would tell me.  But the girls, the ignoring, and the excuses continued. Eventually, he and I only spoke once a week. And for a couple who had been dating for almost 9 months, that wasn't good.
"Hey baby I've been busy all week." He told me. "You know I would say it was fine but it's not." I snapped. It has been a bad day and I wasn't feeling like hearing his excuses tonight. "Whoa now watch the attitude Nova. I was just saying." Jerome told me. "You're never just saying! You only just say things once a week now and I'm supposed to be your girlfriend! Do you understand what the concept of girlfriend is? Because I don't think you do anymore!" I yelled. "I'm not in the mood to argue with you over this Nova. You're making a big deal out of me being busy and I don't like it. I'm coming to see you tomorrow and we'll talk about it then." He told me before hanging up. I stayed up all night practicing what I would say to him when he got here.

I watched as his brothers truck pulled into my driveway. Jerome got out slowly and I heard him tell his brother it wouldn't be long. He wasn't going to stay. He walked up to me slowly, he wasn't smiling and he took me into his arms almost out of habit. "Hey baby girl." Jerome said quietly. "Hey baby."
I told him. We stayed quiet for a while and neither of us wanted to bring up what we needed to say. "We should talk yeah?" He asked after awhile. "Yeah." I said. "I know you're unhappy with me Nova. And I know this distance thing is killing us, but you gotta understand that I have my own life there. I'm not in this small town anymore." Jerome told me. "I'm not unhappy with you. I'm angry that you don't make time to talk to me anymore like you used to. We're supposed to be a couple, yet we never talk. It's summer vacation and you could come down more if you wanted to but you don't." I said. "Nova you act like I just have to come down the street. It's a four hour drive between your city and mine. I barely have a ride here." Jerome said. "That doesn't solve why you never call me except for once a week. But you have time to post all over Instagram and Snapchat. Not to mention there's always some girl on there with her boobs hanging out. You don't realize how many people ask me about that in school!" I snapped. "I done told you they don't mean anything to me. And you can't expect me to want to talk to you everyday." He snapped back. When he said that, I jumped out of his arms. "What the fuck Jerome Barnes? You don't want to talk to me everyday? You realize what bullshit that sounds like right? You are so full of shit. I'm your girlfriend! Do you realize what that is?!" I screamed. "Maybe you should take a look back. I was there for you when you mourned over that druggie that died at the party. You know when you partied every single night and you were never sober? I do. I was there for you when nobody else gave a fuck." Jerome yelled back. I didn't even think about what I was doing when I slapped him. "You don't get to bring Emily into this you asshole!" I screamed again. Jerome shook his head and began walking towards his brother's truck. "If you get in that fucking truck we're over!" I yelled. "We've been over since I moved Nova." Jerome said flatly. "I hate you. I swear to God! I hate you so much." I yelled again. Jerome looked at me with pity from the truck. As it pulled out I fell to my knees. I laid there on the pavement until Wesley came out and picked me up. "Nova he's not coming back. You have to get inside." He told me gently. "He doesn't love me anymore." I whimpered. "I never heard him say that baby sister. Y'all will work this out." Wesley said. "No he won't. He's never coming back because he doesn't love me anymore." I told my brother. He didn't answer me, but he took me to my room. I looked at my phone and I saw a message from Jerome:
- I didn't get to explain why I stopped talking to you. I found someone new up in Quincy, and I tried so hard to stay away. She reminded me of you in so many ways that I found it hard to do that. I fell out of love with you Nova, I'm sorry. I truly am. I don't love you anymore and I want you to move on. I hope someday you can forgive me and we can be friends. But if not I understand.
-Jerome.

I laid there and read his message over and over.
He doesn't love me anymore.
He doesn't love me anymore.
He doesn't love me anymore.
He doesn't love me anymore.
He doesn't love me anymore.
I repeated it over and over again in my head until I fell asleep.