Best Friends With Benefits

Chapter Twenty One

I spent an hour or so with a mix between sobbing, shaking and silence. At moments I would already feel my heart wrench knowing I missed Aiden and at other times I thought 'I'm over it' but I clearly wasn't. It had only been a while since our fight, there was a part of me that wanted to believe we weren't over, that Aiden would come back and apologise and I would too but he never did and soon the walls closed in on me and I felt the pressure of tomorrow. Could I face him? Could I face anyone? Right now I was too bothered about eating my way through these troubles and was trying to ward off the rumbling in my stomach. I switched off my bedroom light and flicked on my iPod which was now full volume in my ears. It didn't matter how loud it was, my thoughts were louder and Aiden's voice was rattling throughout my brain. Soon I fell into sleep.

I woke up a mess.  I looked at the clock, I had woken half an hour before my alarm. Great. I slipped out of bed, my body was covered in a layer of sweat, I had had bad dreams and remembered the occurrence with Aiden so used the time wisely and took a shower. My face and body remained emotionless throughout the morning. Normally I would hitch a ride with Aiden everyday for school but it looked like that was not an option anymore so decided I would walk and probably be late.

I slipped on some baggy shorts and a loose, low-cut top and some sandals, throwing my hair into a bun and putting on minimal make-up. To say I couldn't be bothered was an understatement. I had no enthusiasm and frankly if I looked like the walking dead, I couldn't care less, I had no-one to impress anymore. I began the walk to school actually enjoying the sun's rays on my skin and the fresh breeze drifting me into daydreams. In no time I reached school and I spotted Aiden's car pulling in at the other end. He pulled into a space and stepped out of the car. I giggled at the sight of him as he looked rougher than me, his hair was effortless but his body language consisted of pain, his clothes were a plain, plain and plainer grey. He grabbed his bag and swung his back pack over his shoulder.

I paused, waiting for him to enter first then butterflies panicked in my stomach at the thought of bumping into him. I hung lazily around a bench for a while before hearing the bell ring. I made my way to English and awkwardly stepped into Ryan, who was one of the other jock's. I blushed as we both stepped to the left, then the right.

"Sorry" Ryan was sweet and had only been at the school for a year as he moved from Oklahoma but he was buff so fitted in perfectly to the jock squad. He smiled sweetly as he made a path for me to pass through.

"Oh thanks, I'm sorry" I looked towards the ground, the last thing I needed was awkward eye contact.

"Hey, it's Peyton right?" Ryan turned to face me and I froze, I had to take a moment to question if he was talking to me. I turned to face him and noticed he had perfect olive skin and a chiselled face. He had thick eyebrows and certainly had Spanish roots.

"Um, yes, your Ryan right?" I finally had eye contact and his eyes twinkled at me. I had to snap myself from them when he said something else.

"Your with Aiden?" Brilliant, the one topic I had no intention of mentioning today was brought up and now I shuffled awkwardly in my place trying to think of an answer. Before I had a chance to thoroughly think my deep rage took over.

"Not anymore, he's all yours" I stood and listened to my words. "I wasn't implying you were homosexual! Although it's totally cool if you are!" I was digging myself a hole and I could tell he was smirking under his stare, the situation was becoming too awkwardly intense to bare.

"Oh that sucks, well, see you around" With that he turned and drifted off. That was a classic line for 'I'm going to go now because your weirding me out'. I sighed and sat in my place and allowed the lesson to drift by.

The next few lessons passed easily with no sign of Aiden, I knew lunch would be a challenge though. I knew Aiden wouldn't sit with us but knowing that he would be not too far away with all the popular girls around him. He would probably be with them to make me jealous as he knows how much I hated it before. That's it! Make me jealous! I almost knew that would be on Aiden's agenda for the day so why not skip ahead and play him at his own game? I had it.