Best Exes

AFTER: I'm a slave

"Arya, Erica, and Regan, you are excused," Mr. Garcia -our livelihood teacher- says.

I stood up along with the two girls and headed out of our classroom.

Waiting for us outside is our science teacher, Mr. Ramos.

"Alright girls, I'm gonna need you three to sign in your complete names here," He says, handing Arya a sheet of paper before turning to me, "Regan, you're joining the competition,"

I'm gobsmacked. Mr. Ramos is the adviser of the dance club and a few days ago, he announced the 9 girls that were chosen to compete in an off-campus dance competition. I wasn't one of them, until today apparently.

"One of the other girls weren't qualified due to her age," He explains, probably noticing my confusion.

"Oh my, thank you sir," I say before Erica hands me the paper. I sign my name and he dismisses us back to class.

For the rest of the day, a smile was plastered on my face, and by dismissal, I couldn't wait to tell Reid the big news.

"I got in!" I exclaim as I neared him. He was waiting for me at the school cafeteria along with our other batch mates who had after-school agendas.

"In where?" He pushes his thick eyebrows together.

"Remember that off-campus dance competition I told you about the other day? Well, Mr. Ramos recruited me in replacement for one of the other girls who wasn't qualified," I explain, out of breath from all the walking I just did.

"Oh my god babe! That's amazing!" He says, opening his arms for me but I refuse.

"I'm sweaty," I tell him. I just finished practicing a dance presentation for an upcoming school event.

"I don't care, come give me a hug," He pouts and I give in. "You stink,"

"Really?" I pull away in arm's length.

"Nah," He says, pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiping the sweat off my forehead and nose, "But you're really sweaty," he chuckles before pecking a kiss on my nose.

"PDA much?" Adrianne -one of our batch mates- comments, as he passes by to take a seat on the table where Reid was sitting.

Adrianne, in simplest description, is a white boy with black boy lips. Reid's plumpy lips were no match to Adrianne's.

I stick my tongue out to him, "You're just jealous,"

"Of you?" He scoffs and I roll my eyes before sitting next to him at the table and Reid settles next to me.

A bunch of other boys were settled around the table as well, having conversations of their own.

"Congrats, Ree," Eddie says.

"Were you eavesdropping?" I narrow my eyes at him.

Eddie is a brown-skinned boy with spikey hair.

"With the volume of your voice, eavesdropping would be a piece of cake!" He says.

Reid and Adrianne chuckle beside me.

"Bullies," I pout, "But thanks, Eddie!" I grin. Eddie is a good friend of Reid and mine's; he's one of the few people that helped Reid and I get together.

"Have you decided for college yet?" Adrianne asks.

"Nah," I shake my head.

"Me neither," he says, "But not to worry, we'll get there someday,"

"Right," I nod.

A few weeks ago, my mom asked me what I wanted to do in the future and when I told her that I had no idea yet, she suggested that I should think about being a flight attendant.

I actually considered it and a few days later, Finn was talking about becoming a pilot. I don't know if that was a coincidence, but I'm sure glad that I still had other options and that my heart wasn't set on that particular career path yet.

I was being paranoid, I know, and my world was beginning to revolve around Finn again, but when my mom suggested a university just the other day, and I heard Finn talking about going to the same university as well just the day after, I decided it was another way of the universe to put us together again. Or maybe it was a warning.

I am a firm believer of greater forces that control destinies and coincidences so I take signs seriously.

"A penny for your lovely thoughts?" Reid breaks the silence between us.

He was walking me to my house like he usually did, despite it being on the opposite route of his house.

"Hm?"

"You seem bothered," he explains.

"Oh," I say, "Sorry, just, thinking,"

"Is it about Finn?" He asks so quietly I almost didn't hear it.

I look at him. He's not looking at me.

I try to find the right words to say, but I end up empty handed.

"Reid," is all I softly say.

"Save it, Ree," He says and he doesn't sound mad at all. Reid never gets mad.

"I-" I stutter.

"I see the way your mood changes when he's around," he says, I could almost hear the crack in his voice.

My house comes to view and he stops. He's never walked me to the front door since my mom wanted us to break up.

"Bye," he says, turning.

"Reid, don't do this to me," I say.

He turns to face me again, "Then don't do this to me either, Ree,"

With that said, his back turns to me once again and I'm left staring at his retrieving figure.

I sulk into my house and head straight to my room. I don't acknowledge Mona nor the pleads of my empty stomach.

I try to call Reid, but he doesn't pick up. I leave messages and he replies with single monotonous words.

At the end of the night, he texts me a good night and reminds me that he loves me. I do the same.

The next morning, Reid is waiting for me in my class. He smiles when I come into view and I rush to his arms in a tight hug before we settle next to each other and he tells me about a Korean singing show he had to endure watching last night.

I try to ignore Finn, but it's like ignoring a wildfire. It's impossible.

I don't approach him, I never do. And that is the only defense I have for myself.

"Lemme borrow a pen," He says in English class.

"What happened to the pen you borrowed the other day?" I ask. My pens are like gold to me and Finn is going to make me poor by the end of the school year if this 'borrowing' continues.

"What pen?" He asks.

I narrow my eyes at him, my left brow arching up.

"Oh, that pen," he grins, nodding, "I left it at home,"

"Ugh," I groan before digging into my fat pencil case and handing him a pen, "You owe me, Eaton,"

"Yeah, yeah," he waves his hand in the air.

He infuriates me but I give in to him every time.

I'm a slave to Finn Eaton.