The Love/Hate

16. Blame

As soon as I get into class, I scour the corridor for Micah who is leaning against some lockers with his friends.

I don't know, something inside just makes me want to make things right between us. I miss him (as much as I hate to admit it).

"Micah, can we talk?"
He sends his friends an uncertain look but they all nod. "I guess."

I take him around a corner where there aren't any people and he slumps against a storage bin. "What?" it's then that I notice a large and obvious, ugly bruise directly under his strong jawline. Ryan's doing, no doubt.

"What's going on with you?"
I put a hand on his shoulder but he shakes it off so I step back. "None of your business."

I'm feeling kind of irritated now but I need to keep my cool, "Come on Mic, we're supposed to be best friends!" I playfully punch him on the arm and a fake annoyed smile appears on his face. "You've got it all wrong, we are NOT friends!"

I put on a puppy eyed face but he fails to react. "Yeah but why? I don't understand what I ever did to you!"

Micah puts his hands in his pocket and exhales, "you never know, Eva! You never think you're to blame. That's your problem."

"But I have no idea what you mean!" I slap my forehead, frustration creeping into my voice. "why do you hate me?"

He just shrugs, "Ask Stella." and he walks off, leaving me alone and confused in an abandoned corridor.

'ask Stella' his words still echo in my mind. Does this mean that Stella has been keeping something from me?

I'll just confront her later.

*******

"Here's my number, call me later okay."
I watch Raquelle flirt with Ryan and then finally decide to emerge from the corridor.

He looks guilty as I approach him and I wonder why. "Hey, Ryan."
I don't know why I'm talking to him, but he seems to be one of the only friends I can trust right now, if you can even call him a friend.

"Hey, Eva!" he smiles nervously and I'm just waiting for the usually annoying Ryan to return. "You okay?"

"Eva? Talking to me? It's a miracle!"
I pierce my lips at how awkward this is. "Shut up. I don't have a choice!"

I explain the whole 'Micah' thing with him and he pulls out out a random pair of sunglasses even though we are inside.

"So...what about Lukie boy? Bored of him already? Actually, I can understand that."

I cross my arms, "What's that supposed to mean?"
Ryan, clearly in an annoying mood replies, "it means, you could do SO much better than him. Me, for example."
I clutch my stomach and pretend to laugh.
"you're just jealous because I'm too perfect for you!" I flick my hair, even though I know that isn't true at all.
Ryan is the definition of perfect, with dark brown tousled hair and a Shawn Mendes jawline, I wouldn't be suprised if Lukas' mum scouted him for her modelling agency...hell! What am I saying?

"Oh honey," Ryan saw in a deliberately posh voice, "you know that's not true!"
And I let him win because I know he isn't wrong.

*******

So much readers! Thank you!
HZ