Maybe This Time

Second Chances

I was awkwardly stabbing my salad, while listening to the sound of spoons and forks touching the plates. I caught my Mom and Georgia chewing awkwardly as they shoot glances towards me and Oliver. Even Bo was quiet.

I haven't really uttered a single word since they came and we started having dinner. I only nodded, and offered a small smile when necessary. While Oliver talked when my Mom asks him questions about Manhattan. It was kinda annoying. How he talks ever enthusiastically about the big Apple. I'm just like, I am so glad you had the time of your life partying in New York, while I was being eaten by human monsters here in LE. Thanks a lot.

But then again, that's the thing about Oliver, he is really good at handling everything. He could convince you that he's okay, when in reality, he isn't. Oh, but I dont know. I mean, what do I know about Oliver now?

So we finished dinner, and I helped my mom load the dishwasher. Oliver helped, too. There were times when he tried to corner me, and try to talk to me. But I did my best to ignore him. I know I have agreed to Mom that I should give him a chance to explain, but a bigger part me is still really scared. Like everytime he comes near me and start a conversation, I suddenly feel like he's consuming all the Oxygen, and I couldn't breathe.

When Mom was showing Georgia her art collection, and Bo asked Oliver to play puzzle with him, I took the chance to escape to my room. I was already heading upstairs, when Oliver spoke.

"Where are you going JJ?" He asked quietly.

Without bothering to stop walking, I answered, "My room."

"Why don't you stay here with me.?"

I was already on the second set of stairs. "Because it's awkward." I said lazily.

He let out an audible sigh. "But it doesn't have to be JJ." He argued.

This time I stopped, annoyed. "Can you please stop talking? I'm going to my room, and you ain't stopping me Oliver Williams. And stop calling me JJ. I'm not 8." I spat.

That shut him up, and just looked at me with pained eyes.

I jumped on my bed, grabbed The Fault In Our Stars, and continued reading. As I engrossed myself with the book, I can't help but wish Augustus Waters was a real person. I wish every guy was like him. I wish the guy I fall inlove with is like Augustus. I wish true love, like what he and Hazel had, could be real. How I wish. But this whole story is only a product of John Green's imagination. It is fictional. Untrue. And all I could do is hope. Because in reality, there is no true love. Boys will be boys. They will always cheat, lie and leave. They will make you feel like the world is full of rainbows and unicorns, and then they will just drop bombs out of nowhere. I wouldn't say love is cruel. I think, falling inlove with some guy is just merely stupid.

Okay, yes, I am being bitter. Because I fell inlove once and it didn't turned out the way I imagined it to be. And the guy I fell inlove with, who apparently shattered my heart too, is just two sets of stairs away from me. I sighed and placed the book on my stomach.

"Hey."

Startled, I jumped invlountarily, and fell off the bed with a loud thumpp, followed by a bonnkk when my guitar, that was resting next to my bed, fell on my face. Okay, maybe he's not two sets of stairs away from me. Great.

"Ouchh." was all I could say. Seriously though, that hurts. I think my nose is broken. Am I bleeding?

"JJ, are you okay? I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Suddenly Oliver was helping me up, and I let him. We both sat on my bed, my hand still rubbing my nose and him, still eyeing me with full concern.