Heartstrings

Chapter 2

How I was going to get a hold of Steven, still a work in progress.

Steven was a cool kid, I hung with him a lot when we were young, some would've even called us best friends. I wasn't the most social kid in the class so he would come up to me a lot and keep me company. At one point I even fell for the guy but quickly got over it when I was sure we would never be more than just friends, he thought girls were icky anyways. That was elementary ago though. When middle school came around he started talking to me less. He would ignore me whenever I called his name and pretended not to know me when I came up to him, I finally got the hint that maybe Steven just didn't want to be my "friend" anymore, so I stopped paying attention to him all together. After that he just kept hanging out with the worst crowds, some would call that crowd the most popular kids in school. I didn't see them that way though, to me they were just a bunch of spoiled brats who never got enough attention from their parents.

Once I got into high school it was only an annoying coincidence that Steven ended up in all of my classes. I don't hold grudges but I don't forgive and forget either. I've done my best to ignore him and keep him out of my life but that's hard to do when his mother knows mine so well. I always end up seeing him more than i'd ever want to, I see enough of him in all of my classes after all. The interesting part about meeting him every month or so is to see how much the kid has changed. Steven is like a chameleon, he adapts his style and personality according to the type of people he hangs out with. He constantly changed his style and I found it entertaining to see what look he would go for next. Now, I promised Melanie I'd find out the truth, and what better way to do that then to get him and his mom over for dinner and a hang out? It helps out that his mother adores me, "You were such a good influence on him!" she'd always say.

"Hello, Ms. Oak? Yes hello it's me! Yes Clementine. Hello Ms. Oak i'm well thank you, how are you? That's great! Yes it's been a while. I've missed you too. No, I haven't seen Steven much at all actually. Yes it's very unfortunate. Yea you know actually, that's why I was calling, well aside from to see how you've been. Yes I was thinking tomorrow night would be wonderful. Oh don't worry my mother's perfectly okay with it, since it's you. Haha, yes. Okay then tomorrow night at six? Perfect. Oh no I can't wait to see you! Okay goodnight to you too Ms. Oak. Okay bye." I let out a sharp sigh, placing my phone on my desk and falling onto my bed. Dinner it is then.

~~~~~~~~~

The school bell rings simultaneously with my locker as I shut it and begin to head straight home. I decide to wait a few minutes against my locker deciding that maybe it isn't worth the pain to start heading out the same time the entire student body is, to avoid any injures that would most likely occur. As I wait I notice at the corner of my eye, someone looking at me. As I turn I catch Stevens' stare and we both don't break contact until he gets pulled in by his group out the school in a racket, pushing everyone else away, since they thought they could do that considering their "importance". He seemed confused when he looked at me, obviously his mother had told him of my invite with the reason being that I "missed" him. Of course it was a lie, and he thought so too. Little did he know my true intention.

Once a good amount of people head out, I begin for the door. As I walk past familiar streets toward my route home I check my phone, 5:43. I get to my house just in time I would assume as I notice Steven outside my door. I hear laughing coming from inside the house, obviously my mother and Mrs. Oak. Which means that Steven has been waiting for me.

"Hello there Steven." I wave at him.

His head snaps up toward me, ending his deep thought. He looks at me for a second, and begins to walk toward me.

"What are you doing?" He says in a sharp whisper.

"What do you mean? And why are you whispering?" Steven looks away and bites his lip. He then clears his throat and turns back toward me again.

"My mother said you wanted to see me."

"So?"

"So? We both know that's not true, you hate me!"

"Oh Steven I don't... hate you. I just really don't like you." Steven begins to say something but gets interrupted by the opening of the front door. Mrs. Oak steps out and walks toward me, wine glass in her right hand and her left extending toward me for a hug. I smile and begin to walk toward her, accepting her hug.

"Clementine darling I've missed you!" I let out a soft laugh. Mrs. Oak breaks the hug and takes my hand in hers.

"Look at you, so pretty and grown up! You and Steven would make such a wonderful couple, don't you think, Margaret?" I glance at Steven and he immediately looks uncomfortable, wearing a sour expression as he clears his throat. I don't know if I should feel offended, but in a way I agree, so I decide not to.

"I'm sure they would!" My mother laughs. I texted her today before school that they were coming, whether she was okay with it or not I don't know considering I didn't get a response.

We all head into the house and toward the dining room as dinner was already prepared and set on the table. A bit unexpected from my mother but I decide to ignore it. I eat in anxiousness as I prepare answers for all sorts of questions Mrs. Oak might have for me, as her favorite activity is to interview me constantly, which is another thing I knew I wouldn't miss when Steven stopped talking to me. After I finished I excused myself from the table and asked Steven to accompany me. He seemed hesitant but didn't have much of a choice as his mother practically commanded him to follow me. Yet she does it with such a smile, scary lady.

Once we were inside my room I shut the door and grabbed my desk chair for Steven to sit. When he did so I went toward my be and sat myself. Once comfortable I got straight to the point.

"So, popular jocks this time huh?" He looked at me, a mixture of confusion and annoyance.

"Is that what this is about? Who I decide to hang out with is none of your business."

"Chill out Steve, I could care less who you hang with. I worry about you sometimes but you chose your side, and I'm not on it." He says nothing as he avoids my eyes.

"What does interest me though, is Melanie." That instantly got his attention, he turned and look straight at me, as if analyzing me. He looked nervous, but it's not like I could know anything according to him so I found his reaction a bit abrupt.

"How do you know her?"

"Well you wouldn't know since you decided to ignore me. But to answer your question, I'm not friends with her but I do know of her situation. Or should I say your situation, considering it's you who's most likely cheating on her." Steven looks away and begins to tap his foot. I can see a sharp swallow in his throat. He's definitely guilty of something.

"I-It's not like I'm cheating on her. I just... don't like her anymore." He seems like he's confused by his own words, like he's trying to decide if that's what it is.

"So what, you decide to sleep around with strangers now? Typical jock now, are we?" I know for a fact he wouldn't be capable of it but I want to push him a little, maybe it'll get it out of him.

"What- No! I like somebody else."

"Who's the lucky girl?"

"No, I don't like anybody."

"But you just said..."

"Not them okay!?" He says suddenly. I stare at him and he brings his head up to look at me. After a few seconds his eyes start to widen and so do mine.

"Steven-"

"I need to go." He says as he rushes out my door. I begin after him, calling his name but he doesn't stop. He's a jock for sure, I couldn't catch up to him no matter how fast I went. Ms. Oak called out to him and she joined for a short time in the chase but stopped soon after she got to the front door. I went as far as outside the lawn until I stopped, I myself definitely wasn't a jock as I choked on my own spit. Hands on my knees, my breath quick as I looked at Steven still running. Ms. Oak said her goodbyes and apologized in my ear as she went for a hug. All I could do was nod. Once she was out the door I began up the stairs toward my room.

"What happened?" I slammed my room door shut, completely ignoring the question. I sat on my bed and stared at the jacket Steven left behind hanging on my desk chair, still gasping for air.