Dark & Light

~Chapter Eleven~

Paige's POV

~~~

Well, crud.

Why the heck does Mandi say stuff like this, out in the open in front of others?

"Mandi, we're hanging out. Like friends." I put in quickly.

"Uh huh." She gave us both a knowing look, smiling.

"Mandi," I said, nearly gritting my teeth at this point.

"Oh don't worry. I for one won't steal your boyfriend, Paige. He's too adorable alongside you to do that. I'm just happy to see you both together as you should be."

"You hardly know me," Chris put in, exasperated.

"Thank you Chris. Maybe she'll listen to somebody other than myself."

"Oh, I know you more than you think," She winked at Chris, ignoring my comment. "Enough to realize you two are soul-mates," she added.

"Mandi!" I nearly yelled. "Stop it! We just went ice skating and out for a night as simple friends!"

"Well, if you're not in love now, you will be soon. There's no way such a fab couple as you two are not gonna turn out that way."

I rolled my eyes, knowing until she was done making a fool of me and herself, arguing against her doing it was pointless. I would have to wait for her fantasizing to end, and apologize to Chris later.

"Just think, you guys can both get instagrams and post cute pics all the time. You'll get a million followers."

"Like I care about that, Mandi."

"Oh, you will. And wait until the wedding. That will be something to capture-"

"That's enough, Mandi! Stop it! Okay?! Stop it! Leave poor Chris and I alone!" I was so embarrassed that I was surprised I had gotten the angry words out clearly enough for her to understand them.

Hearing my words, she looked as offended as an insulted, proud peacock. "Fine, Paige. I'll see you in the dorm later. I was just shipping you two, ya know." She turned around and begin walking away.

I got up quickly. It'll be heck to live with her, my roommate, mad at me unless I apologize now. Plus, I was afraid I had indeed hurt her."Mandi!" She turned around, a cold look on her face. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. But what you said-"

"It's fine. Apparently you two aren't quite ready to be romantically together-but that will soon be fixed."

"Mandi-"

"Um, of course I'm getting you two together. I'm your friend and roommate. I have this privilege."

"Fine. Just don't say stuff like that in front of Chris again, okay?" I smiled slightly.

"Whatever," she responded with attitude and a flip of her high blond ponytail. Typical spunky Mandi. But I could see she was trying not to grin herself.

"Bye. See ya Mandi," I said as I walked back to face Chris.

But he wasn't even at the table anymore.

He was...

Gone.

Crud. AGAIN.

~~~

I was running through the mall, trying to find him. And I did. After five breathless long running minutes...I found him sitting in a Mcdonald's eatery area, texting on his phone.

He's probably the most predictable guy I've ever known.

"Chris! I'm really sorry about what Mandi said..." I begin cautiously.

He looked up, frowning. "Are you?"

"What?"

"Have you two been talking about me and you like that? In that light?"

"No, no. Look, Mandi thinks, err...we'd be good together romantically. And you're the first guy friend I've had in awhile. So she's a couple steps ahead of herself at the moment, that's all."

"But how do you view us?

"Us?" I was taken aback. Did he think...

"Yeah, us." His voice had rose at the word "us" and people looked around us two, raising eyebrows, while others were actually pulling out their phones to record who knows what.

Oh gosh. People are treating this like its a live soap opera in the mall. It did look pretty climatic, I could bet. We were now standing a few feet away from each other, looking into the other person's eyes, intent, upset, and weirded out, the both of us. Dang it what a picture we're making right now...

"Chris...Mandi was just coming to her own conclusions."

"Or was she?"

"What do you even mean?" The problem was I knew exactly what he meant and I refused to admit it.

"I mean, do you care about what might be happening to us?"

"Clarify."

"Now you sound like the English nerd. Look, Paige...is there something actually happening? Is it just Mandi? Or is there something more happening we just both don't want to admit?"

"Uhh no, yes, maybe, no, definitely not."

"That clarified your position," he said dryly and sarcastically.

I sighed. "Chris, what do you want? Mandi is just blowing our friendship out of proportion, okay?"

"Is she?"

I stared at him. "What do you freakin' mean, Chris!"

"I mean just what I said. There's something happening, and I don't think its just me. I think something's happening with us both."

I just looked at him, jaw dropped, amazed, stunned, mad.

"How could you even say that! You know something like this couldn't and won't happen to someone like me!"

"Like you? Aren't you a human, capable of love too?"

"You don't understand."

"I think I do."

I crossed my arms, before continuing. "No. You don't freaking understand me or who I really am. Leave me alone, Chris. Obviously hanging with you tonight was not a good idea."

I began walking away, and could heard Chris calling my name over and over, fading into distance.

But I wasn't going to change my mind. I wouldn't come back, and fall for him any more than I already have. Seeing him with that desperate, crazed look in his electric blue eyes scared me. Scared me because of the feelings and sensations I felt inside as I looked into them. Those. Eyes. So deep blue, so beautiful....

I have to stay away from him. Being with him would just hurt him in the end, because he doesn't know who I am. Doesn't know the monsters that live inside.

That's why as I heard footsteps pounding after my own, I quickened my step, just my heart began beating faster.

He can't find me. Can't. Not like earlier today. It cannot happen again.

I began running.

~~~

Ohhh cliffhanger again, right?? ;) Make sure you comment below with your thoughts on this chapter, and make that little star in the corner of your screen becomes golden! ;)

Xx,

Veronica