Mind the Code: The Problem with Revenge

They're A Rotten Crowd...

OH MY GOD. If I could find words to describe how sorry I am for my hiatus I would say them, but I can't find any so I'm just gonna say I'm sorry. I won't assure you that I'm back for good, but I promise I will try. I love all of you guys, and really hope you will forgive me!

- cilla 💖

By Thursday DJ and I were in a world of grey. Alex and I hadn't spoken since we slept together, and DJ wet himself at a sleepover. He never tried to talk to me, as I was doing the same avoiding him.

Until one day I took DJ out to eat, and, of course, we saw Mark. DJ, needing another male figure in his life was ecstatic when seeing mark, and strangely enough, so was I.

"You look beautiful." Mark told me with DJ in his arms.

I flushed, feeling once more the way his eyes watched me tenderly, but then I flushed darker when realizing that just that past weekend, Alex had been doing what Mark was doing, only instead of his eyes, he used his hands and lips.

Then I missed Alex, as well as Mark.

Of course, with Mark before me all I wanted was to be in his arms again- it hurt. So I allowed him to sit with us and eat. He insisted on paying for our meal, and he walked me back to my car.

"Ava, when am I gonna get you back?" He asked brokenly, hands touching my face so sweetly.

I sighed sadly, wishing I could tell him soon, or now, but I could not. Although I was furious at Alex at the moment, I knew he wouldn't be happy with me giving Mark so much hope.

So I did the opposite.

"I don't know if you will."

...

I was asleep on my couch after school that next day, and woke up with Alex nudging me awake.

I looked at him, wondering if he was really there.

"Hey Ava," He said shyly.

I didn't say anything back- I only stared back at him.

He sighed. "I'm here to apologize for the other night," He began, kneeling on the floor to look at me. "And to apologize for the way I've been acting. And for not apologizing sooner..." He looked down in embarrassment.

I touched his handsome face and sighed, too. "You shouldn't be apologizing to me." I told him, and he knew exactly what I meant.

"I didn't treat you very well, Ava. Please forgive me."

He seemed so strongly genuine, and his funny sweet self, so I smiled at him, and he pulled up a bouquet of flowers from his hands and put them in front of me. I laughed, sitting up, and hugging him. "Thank you, Alex."

He squeezed me tight, moving back to place a kiss on my forehead. "I really am sorry, Ava."

"I know."

"I just- I had such an amazing time with you. I was looking forward to being beside you when the sun came up."

I blushed hard, seeing how serious he was, and felt I needed to break the intensity with a joke. "How poetic." I teased. He flushed, too, laughing shyly, breaking our eye contact.

"So where is DJ?"

Then I grew quiet.

"Ava?" He said, "I asked where DJ was,"

That boy knew I heard him the first time.

I sighed, looking up while he was still kneeling. He set the flowers beside me on the couch. "He's uh-"