Take Me Away | ✔️

14. UNHATE

MY CHEEK WAS FULLY HEALED but it left a scar which I was sure would fade after a couple more weeks, the bruises on my ribs were finally gone, and my shoulder was only sore after a few weeks. The days in those weeks went by like a flash—my classes were back to normal, the guys were becoming slowly my friends, especially with Tyler, but with Travis, it was the opposite.

          We were both avoiding each other. Of course, we sat at the same table with the same people so we just simply talked to everyone but each other. I didn't know why he wasn't trying anymore to get me to forgive him; and a part of me wondered why but also, a part of me didn't care what he did with his life.

          On free periods, I would either go home to check on mom and eat some snacks with her or I would just visit Alex at the gym, watching him train someone else on how to fight and then, eating some take-outs I bought on the way. Dad was, of course, either busy because of work or because of his secretary to go home but when he would, we didn't talk. He would have snarky remarks about my fucked up face but other than that, he was talking about how proud he was of Sean's grades, part-time job, and football.

          Sometimes, I would imagine stuffing the ball inside his mouth but I knew that he would be able to swallow it from how big of a mouth he has.

          As for the creepy stalker that I had, sometimes I would see a shadow follow me when I would walk home, and I still felt like I was being watched inside the house but I pushed it all aside, telling myself that it's just a stupid paranoia from the lack of sleep I was suffering from.

          "Hey," Tyler said as soon as I closed my locker, smiling at me.

          In any other given day, he would give me butterflies when he smiled at me or talked to me but as we got to know each other, the butterflies were disappearing fast and I couldn't feel anything anymore towards him. I didn't have a huge crush on him anymore.

          Returning the smile he gave, I nudged his elbow with mine. "Hey. What's up?"

          He scratched the nape of his neck before telling me, "Robbie is going to have a party for his birthday on Tuesday. It's at a club. I'm the one they sent here because he knows that if he asks you, you would say no so he sent me here to convince you."

          My brow arched. "Where are they?"

          Using his thumb, he pointed behind him and I saw Lucas, Robbie, Riley, even my brother huddled up together at Lucas's locker, pretending like nothing's happening when in fact, I could feel their gazes drifting towards the both of us.

          I couldn't help but chuckle when I looked back at Tyler. "You can prove Robbie wrong because I'm not going."

          In an instant, the guys are already rushing towards me, huddling around me. "Why not?" Robbie's brows furrowed, clearly upset. "It's a birthday party, did he mention that?"

          "Told you, none of you are going to be able to convince her," Sean muttered, shaking his head. "She doesn't like parties, alcohol, people trying to dry hump each other on the dance floor, and socializing with people."

          Riley was about to say something to stick up for his brother but I shook my head. "Look, I really don't like being around with too much people, especially when they're drunk. Plus, one of us has to stay behind because mom needs someone there with her when it's evening."

          "How about we compromise?" Lucas stated, smiling at us. "Don't attend the party—"

          "Hey!" Robbie interjected.