Off Limits

Overreacting

              "Call me back as soon as you can." I spoke desperately into the phone. "I miss you." I added as a afterthought before I clicked the phone off miserably. 

                   5 days. 5 days had passed since Kent had answered my dang phone calls or texts. No matter how many messages I left he never once called back or picked up. What kind of boyfriend doesn't ever respond to his girlfriend? He is probably afraid of your clingy-ness, a small voice from the back of my mind said. I ignored it and pressed the call button again. 

                 Ring, ring, ring, ring. The phone went on. It finally returned to the familiar voice message I put on Kent's phone a couple of months before. 

                "Hey this is Kent's phone,” my voice rang out, "We both know he is too much of a loser to pick up. So leave a message after the beep ". It was finished with a muffled "Jerk" and my laughter. 

               I hung up without following my own orders and threw my phone across the room. It landed with a clunk that I ignored. Shoving my face into one of the pillows that were situated on my grandma’s couch I yelled in frustration. Its rough texture scratched my face uncomfortably, but I didn't pay it any mind. I was far too upset about Kent being MIA to worry about an itchy pillow. 

              Pathetic. I paused my yelling for a moment. 

             You are pathetic. Slowly I removed the pillow from my face knowing that I was right. I was pathetic. If I hadn't been such a stupid pushover I would be currently preparing to go swimming with Mason not whimpering over the phone for some boyfriend that wasn't ever going to call back. 

             "That's it," I said to myself with newly found purpose.  Shoving myself off the couch, I stood up to retrieve my phone. My sadness and frustration was suddenly pushed away by anger. Why should I care what Kent thinks when he won’t even talk to me?

               Instead of calling Kent for the hundredth time I searched for a different contact. Finally I found the number I was looking for. Mason's name brightly lit up the screen and I looked at it only a moment before pressing down on the send button. Seeing that the phone was calling him was enough to make my anger over Kent waver and a new nervousness to overcome me. 

              Ring. This is really stupid. 

              Ring. He probably hates me. 

              Ring. Maybe I should just hang up. 

              Ring. He isn't even going to ans-

             "Lilly?" Mason voice rang out at the other side of the line. I froze not expecting for him to actually pick up. 

             Palms suddenly sweaty I nervously laughed, "Yo.". I smacked my face stupidly. Yo? Seriously? When did I suddenly become gangster?

              "Uh hi?" He laughed too and I felt my face get hot. Thank God Mason couldn't see through the phone. "What do you need Lilly?" 

             "I need to say sorry," I blurted out. I covered my mouth shocked at how fast it had come out. I had meant to start a conversation or something first, not right out start the groveling fest I was sure to put on now. 

             "What?" Mason responded almost as confused as I was about my sudden apology. 

             “I’m just sorry for being a bitch to you this whole time you’ve known me. You keep being nice to me and all I keep doing is pushing you away.  I mean it’s not that I don’t like you it’s just that I’m scared.  Scared I’ll do something I’ll regret. And now to top it all off I'm calling to ask if I can hang out with you and your friends.” I finished with a much needed breath.

             I didnt know where the outbburst came from. Maybe it was the whole Kent ordeal or the guilt that had boiled up since Mason had left my house so upset. Either way, something had snapped in me.  Once I started I felt the need to get everything out, then and there. 

            "So...Sorry", I repeated. 

            The other side of the line was silent. Great. Way to scare him with your mindless blabber, I told myself angrily. 

             After a few excruciating seconds Mason began to laugh. My heart began to sink. It was even worse than him being weirded out by me. He thought I was a joke. To be honest, I did too. 

            "You overreact a lot don't you," he chuckled. I didn't know whether to be relieved at his words or offended. 

           "What you did wasn't as bad as you are making it out to be. We just met a couple days ago. Of course I didn't take it personally when you denied my invitation. Yeah, I was a little upset, but I got over it. And I told you to call me if you wanted to come. I didn't say it had to be for a certain reason." I smiled a little at his words. How come Mason was so understanding? 

               "Sor-" I began to apologize for my little outburst realizing how stupid I had been. 

               “I’ll pick you up at 5." Mason said unexpectedly cutting me short. "And don't you dare tell me sorry one more time.” 

               He hung up the phone before I could even get a goodbye out, leaving me sitting on my grandmothers couch stunned. What exactly had just happened?

               Once my mind had finally processed what Mason had told me, I rushed to get ready. It was already 4:40, I had no time to mess around. 

               Sprinting up the stairs, I ran to my room in a rush, slamming the door behind me. Quickly I made my way to my closet to locate my bathing suit. After a couple of minutes of digging through my clothes unsuccessfully I gave up.Guess I'll just watch, I thought to myself while I grabbed a pair of shorts and a tank top. 

               In mere seconds I had threw off my comfy sweats and was dressed in more appropriate attire. Next, I grabbed the brush off my dresser and threw my hair up in a messy pony tail. One quick look in the mirror and I was running back down my stairs to the kitchen. 

               As fast as I could I wrote in sloppy handwriting: Left with a friend. Be gone until late. Love you. 

               I hoped that the letter would be enough of an explanation. If it wasn't I was sure to get a million phone calls asking if I was alright and if I was going to be home for dinner. Grandma worried way too much. 

               Finally ready I rushed out the door. Already sitting in the driveway was the familiar scratched red car and Mason waving happily from the driver’s side.

               Seeing Mason's face was like a splash of cold water. I must've forgotten how handsome he was in the days I hadn't seen him. I almost felt the need to start the whole Boyfriend, Boyfriend, Boyfriend chant as I approached the car before I remembered I was mad at that certain boyfriend.   Instead the chant came out as Screw him, Screw him, Screw him. 

               With this thought replanted in my head I strode to the passenger side of Mason’s car without a single regret in my head.  With a quick movement I pulled the car door open and plopped down into my seat, a slightly psychotic smile on my face.   I’m going to have fun tonight and Kent can just go to hell.

               “Why do you look like you want to kill someone?” Mason asked causing me to look over at him startled.  I had somehow forgotten he was in the car in all my frustration over Kent.

               “Nothing”, I managed to stutter out in my surprise, “Well something, but long story.  Let’s just have fun. I want a distraction.”  This last part caused a mischievous grin to spread across Mason’s face.

               “Distractions I can do.” He said before putting his car into reverse and roaring out of my grandma’s driveway.  “Hold on tight”, he warned before he hit the gas and we went flying down the street.  I gripped my seat tight in fear.  This was definitely going to be an interesting night.