Fashion's Princess

19 | Second Chances

I stood, waiting. It was actually quite chilly in August today, despite it technically still being summer. Fall was coming, yes, but not for another ten days or so. 

"Hey," Jay's voice brought me out of fixing my wig. Becoming a redhead for a couple hours each day would really need some getting used to. 

"Shall we go in?" I asked, pulling open the Greek restaurant's door. 

"Let me get that for you," he smiled, taking the door for me as I walked in. 

"Oh, thanks," I said, surprised. He really was making an effort. 

I chatted with the hostess for about five minutes before leading us to a corner table. Bringing us our menus, she left us quickly after setting them down. 

"So how was your day?" I asked, my hands tightly clasped on my lap. It wasn't that I was nervous, but just afraid that one thing could blow every effort we were trying to make here. 

"It was fine. Nothing much happened at school and I made sure all the teachers emailed their lessons to you," Jay said, fiddling with the napkin on the table. 

Anxious; that makes the two of us. 

"What are we doing?" I asked, setting my menu down. I decided this morning as soon as my friends were out the door that I was going to do something. It was either find out what Jay wanted or get the hell out. 

God, where did all these ultimatums and depressing thoughts come from? 

"What do you mean? We're having dinner," he chuckled lightly, but the look in his eyes betrayed him. 

"No, I mean this. I can't talk to Zack but you can talk to Caprina. You can't expect me to give everything up for you," I said, wincing when I accidentally scratched my thumb with my index finger. 

"That's because she's been my friend since I was in what," he paused for effect, "diapers!" 

"And I've been friends with Zack since the start of my career. Same difference," I said quietly, leveling my eyes with his. 

There was something in his irises that screamed no!  But for what for, I didn't know. 

"No, it's not. I've been friends with Caprina over for a decade - that makes me sound old. But you've only been friends with Zack for what, two years?" He scoffed, sitting back in his chair. 

"Around," I said stiffly, narrowing my eyes. 

"Look, I'm not trying to control you in any way, but - " he began, throwing his ripped napkin to the side. 

"It doesn't feel that way," I shot out of my seat and pushed my sunglasses up my nose, stomping out of the restaurant. 

"Ma'am, is everything alright?" The hostess from earlier shouted from her little podium thing. 

"Yes, thank you," I called, wrapping the cardigan tighter around my shoulders as I walked down the street. I had no idea where I was going, but Karlie's was surely somewhere near. 

"Skyler!" Jay shouted and I froze. 

"Rhys, Rhys I mean Rhys!" He yelled, squeezing in between crowds of people and halting in front of me. 

"What do you want? Can't you go back to Caprina? Because what, you know everything about each other because you've been friends for years?" I sneered, trying to stop the tears that were threatening to fall. 

"No, don't you understand? Caprina's only my friend. I like you," Jay said, hand shooting out to grab mine. 

"Me. I like you, but Zack is also my friend," I said, though my stomach made a funny flip. I guess that was a partial lie, last night told me I thought of Zack as more of a friend. 

"So this is it? We're not going to try anymore?" He asked, hands falling to his side. 

"Jay," I said softly, closing the distance between us, "you never even began trying," I said, placing a hand on his cheek. 

His blue eyes gazed at me with shock and surprise, like he was watching a grand piano fall into the Hudson River. 

"Call me when you've decided to try," I whispered, kissing his cheek lightly and turning around. 

Not glancing back, I powered on my phone. 

"Karlie? You busy?"

> > > < < < 

"So then I told him he could come back to me once he decided that I was something worth fighting for," I scoffed, downing a cup of sparkling apple cider. 

Hey, the burn in my throat replaced what alcohol would do. 

"That's good," she said, her eyes narrowed as she sipped her lemon water. 

"Are you sure you want to give him a chance though? Why can't you just give up on him?" Karlie asked gently. 

"Because, I don't know. Maybe I'm really missing out on something here," I sighed, slamming my cup down on her coffee table. 

"Think about Zack. When has he never not been there for you?" Karlie asked, her lips pursing. 

"Never," I answered honestly. 

"Then why are you so afraid?" She asked. 

"Because," my voice turned hoarse, "if I fuck this up too, I won't have another Zack. I won't have another person who's a rock that can never be eroded. I won't have anyone. And I guess Zack's my person in a way, you know? Like all those Grey's Anatomy episodes Taylor makes us watch?" 

"Skyler, take a chance. You cut Jay off because he wouldn't try, didn't you? But you're not trying here either," Karlie offered me a cookie and I took it, chewing thoughtfully. 

"Fine," I said, dusting the invisible crumbs and lint off my jeans. 

"I'll tell him. I'll just try to figure out when," I said, the weight on my chest diminished by a thousand. 

"Hurry, before it's too late," she called after me. 

"Too late," I muttered as I let myself out her door to walk home, "I'm young. I shouldn't be thinking about what's too late." 

Author's Note

Sorry I've been so busy! My cousin aflyinggrayson has just made a Wattpad account where she writes awesome Young Justice One Shots, if you're interested in that. I've been helping her with that and trying to deal with school at the same time. Oh, and sports too. Yeah, lots to do. 

I'm trying to get my critiquing schedule all edited so I don't keep having these huge gaps. So . . . yeah! 

Ektrna