Crash and Burn

Chapter 15

"Mason, where the hell are you?" I demanded for what felt like the hundredth time that night.

"I'm like, down the road, calm down," he answered, and I scoffed.

"Calm down? Excuse me, but I called you four hours ago. Oh, and thanks for answering this time," I said sarcastically.

"Sorry! I know, I told you twenty minutes, but I got caught up! Hold on, I'm about to pull in," he said, and I watched as his truck drove up next to me.

"Hey, asshole," I said, and Mason threw his hands up in defeat.

"I'm sorry, okay? I'll take you out for ice cream to make up for it," he said, and I immediately forgot about his mistake.

"Fine," I said."But you still owe me."

*

The next few days went by slowly. For the remainder of the weekend, I slept and caught up on my television. Monday and Tuesday, school droned on and I didn't see Chad, so I only had Kayla to keep me company.

"Where do you think he is?" I asked, and Kayla groaned.

"If you care so much about him, call him and ask him!" She yelled, and I chewed on my lip.

"But that's weird, I'm not his girlfriend or anything," I paused, fiddling with my phone in my hands. "I'll text him."

He texted back almost instantly and said he had been sick and was coming to school tomorrow, and I sighed in relief.

"What, you found out he didn't run away with another girl?" she said. She loved to say things about Chad and I as an item, just to get under my skin.

"Kayla, I wouldn't care. I'm just relieved he's not paralyzed in the hospital... or something," I said defensively.

"Sure," she drawled sarcastically, filing down her nails. We were laying across her living room couch, and I was eating (go figure), while she was making herself look like some kind of doll.

"Why are you doing this again?" I asked, and she put down the nail file and picked up a bottle of white nail polish.

"I'm in the pageant this weekend," she said, and began painting the tips of her nails.

"Why would you choose to do that?" I asked.

"Because, Darling; the winner gets prize money, and I've won a few of these in my time," she answered, trying to sound like an old, wise woman, and I shook my head.

"Ridiculous," I muttered under my breath. Kayla kept painting her nails, while I munched on Doritos.

"You should do it with me!" Kayla exclaimed, and I almost pissed myself from laughing so hard.

"What?" I asked, still laughing.

"You should enter the pageant with me! It'd be fun, please!" She begged, and I shook my head. "Okay, will you at least come and watch?" She asked, and I shoved another chip in my mouth before answering.

"Maybe," I answered, and she sighed dramatically and flopped onto the couch.

"Fine," she said, and I choked down another laugh.

"Fine, I'll go. But I have to go, see you tomorrow," I said before standing up.

"Yes!" Kayla shouted as she shot up and hugged me.

*

"No, I'm not just gonna walk up to him," I whispered harshly.

"Why not? You have to ask him! You're totally overreacting," Kayla said, and I shushed her.