Youth Group Popularity

Chapter 24 - Happy Birthday?

I scrolled through my contacts, searching for Parker's number as I laid back in my bed. Once I found it, I brought the phone up to my ear and stared at the ceiling. I didn't get a chance to talk to him at school today so I had to call him.

"Hello?" He greeted after the second ring.

"Hey, I need to ask you something," I told him.

"What? Oh, wait, before you speak. Happy Birthday!" He congratulated and I smiled at his thoughtfulness.

"You remembered," I gushed as I brought my free hand up to the necklace Danny gave me. I still haven't taken it off.

"Yeah, of course! Do you want to go somewhere today?"

I was about to agree, but I sighed, remembering I was going with Brian to Fuddruckers for dinner. "I'd love to, but I can't. I'm going on a dinner date with Brian."

"A date?" He sounded shocked.

"With my little brother," I laughed at the misunderstanding.

"Oh, okay. Well maybe some other time?"

I pursed my lips as I suddenly remembered that Brian said I could invite someone. "Unless, you want to go with us? I was hoping someone would want to..."

"Sure, if you really want me to. Where at?"

"Of course I want you to. And it's at Fuddruckers. I'll call you whenever we leave."

"Okay, that sounds great! So what did you call me for?"


I sucked in a deep breath as a few nerves made chills run up my spine. "Do you want to come to church with me on Wednesday?"

There was a long pause as I scrunched my nose up as my body cringed. Oh God, please make him say yes.

"Sure, I guess. I mean, I haven't been to church in a while. My parents were never very religious."

"Have you ever thought about going?" I dared to ask.

"Yeah, I have. I thought it'd be something to do when I had time but I just never... Did it."

"Oh, ok. I understand. Well, It starts at 7 on Wednesday if you want to go," I suggested hopefully.

"That sounds great. I have to go now but I'll see you later, mkay?"

"Okay, Bye!"

I hung up the phone and was about to throw it on the bed beside me, but it started ringing. I rolled my eyes before answering the phone.

"Hello?" I greeted flatly.

"Can we talk?" Lucas asked a little quietly.

"Umm... No," I pretended to think about it.

"Fine. I'm coming over though. I need you to at least listen to me."

"Why not just say it now?"

"Because I want to do this face-to-face. What I did was wrong and I need to make this right."

"I don't think you should even try to make it right just yet," I said angrily, not even trying to make myself sound threatening but succeeding in it anyways.

"You have every right to be mad at me but at least just let me-"

"No," I interrupted with an unamused tone.

"Elaine, please. Please let me try."

I rolled my eyes as I paused. I wanted to groan out loud, but I fought the urge because I didn't want to be harsher than I already am. Plus, I feel sort-of guilty for saying that I hated him..? I don't hate him. Though he's done all of this stuff to me, I still care about him. Maybe not as much as I care about Brian or Danny, but I still care about him. I care about everyone.

"You know what? Fine. Come over at 7 because I have lunch plans."

"Okay, I will."

* * * *

Parker had Pandora up on full-blast as we traveled down the familiar roads. Awake and Alive by Skillet came on and he happened to know it. Of course Brian and I know it because I play it all the time in my room... Very loudly. He was doing the guy's part in the song while I was doing the girl's part and Brian was doing both parts. I laughed whenever Parker and I switched parts all of sudden and looked up to see my house coming up.

"Who's that in your driveway?" Parker asked before pulling in along the curb.

I stared at Lucas's car parked on the right side of our driveway. I ripped my eyes away to look at Parker.

"Will you go upstairs with him?" I asked quietly so Brian wouldn't hear me.

He nodded in response before we stepped out of the car. Brian got out on Parker's side and followed him inside, not even noticing that I wasn't following behind.

Lucas stepped out of his car and I led him to the front porch that was surrounded by narrow brick walls. I stared at him with a hard, cold look that showed I meant business.

"Elaine-" He began in a sweet voice but I stopped him.

"No, don't give me some dramatic apology. I want an honest one."

He bit his lip as he looked to the ground. He took a moment to think and then looked up at me. He rose up his face and stood up, straightening his back to perfect posture.

"What I did was wrong. I'm a huge idiot. I-... I don't know what to say except for I regret it and I'm sorry. You've always meant a lot to me, believe it or not."

For some reason, that sentence alone sparked the rage inside me. I meant a lot to him? What a lie!

"I 'meant a lot to you'? If I meant a lot to you, then you wouldn't have done that. You wouldn't have done ANY of it."

"What are you talking about?"

"What am I talking about? I'm talking about the pain you caused me. I'm not talking about what happened on Friday, I'm talking about what happened in June. Do you remember? I may mean a lot to you now but you can't stand here and say I've always meant a lot to you. That's a bigger lie than what you told me when we broke up. I never meant ANYTHING to you. I know that for a fact."

"But you did-" I interrupted him again.

"Stop lying to me!"

"Will you listen to me? You're one of my best friends, of course I've always cared about you. I did that stuff because I'm an idiot."

"More lies. Thanks for coming over to lie to me again."

"I'm not lying! Will you just believe me?! You meant a lot to me and I know you know that I did!" He shouted.

"If I knew I meant a lot to you, then maybe I wouldn't have almost killed myself because of you!" I yelled, hoping Brian and Parker couldn't hear us.

"You what?" He furrowed his brow at the question.

"You what?" Another voice said from beside us. We both turned our heads to face the voice and my mind immediately went into panic mode.

A tear of mine fell to the ground with an inaudible splash when I realized who it was. Oh my gosh.

"Danny, What are you-?" I began, confusion overwhelming me.

"You almost did what?" His face fell even more than it already was.

That's right, I never told Danny that I almost attempted to kill myself. I told him everything else about how I wanted to, but I passed it off as an exaggeration. It was never established that I almost did. I've told Amanda, Preston, and now, Parker. I just thought that Danny would think I was whiny or some depressed, emotional freak. I never brought up the courage to tell him and now I regret it.

"I was going to surprise you for your birthday but I-..." He paused when his voice cracked a little. He looked at me with the saddest glint in his eyes, but they soon turned to anger once he laid eyes on Lucas.

"I thought you were mad at me..." I continued.

"I was... But I'm not now. I should've told you I was coming over but I-.... I don't know. I just wanted it to be something nice."

I bit my lip hard, probably breaking a layer of skin with the pressure I put upon it. Why does this have to happen to me?

"I'm sorry I never told you..." I changed back to the subject because I knew it needed to be discussed.

"Don't you trust me?" He asked with a furrowed brow. I knew he was being a little hypocritical but I guess this situation is a little different than the other.

"Yes. I just didn't know what you'd think of it."

"Think of what?" Another voice chimed in before the body who owned the voice stepped in next to Danny.

"Dad..." I whispered as I looked at my father, who held a gift bag in his hand. I haven't laid my eyes once on this man in two years.

* * * *

A/N

An uber short chapter but a lot of drama, drama, drama. Bum bum bum bum! Elaine's birthday is just a festive time, isn't it?

Love you <3