Paired

Paired: Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Walking out to the cherry tree, I thought about some things.

Why did Ryan have to get his "slate" clean?

Why after school?

Did he have feelings for me?

Did those green eyes feel something too?

Was I in love with Ryan James?

I was terrified of the answer.

I saw a figure move from behind a cherry tree.

"Ryan?" He came out from behind the tree.

"Oh, hey Chayna." He sounded nervous. "We have to...talk about things." He sat on a bench.

"Okay, let's talk." I giggled and sat down on the bench next to Ryan.

"Chayna..." He pushed me away, and stood up off the bench.

"Ryan?" confusion swam in my eyes. Something was going on.

"Chayna...we can't, well...we can't do this." He looked away from me.

"What do you mean?" I asked, in a shaky tone.

"Chayna, I don't like you in that way."

"Oh." I sounded like a 5 year old.

"I'm sorry."

"I...-"

"Please don't take it the wrong way. I also think that we shouldn't, well talk anymore."

"Friends?" I asked, hopeful.

"No." his voice was stern.

"I think I need to go now." I could already feel the tears brewing at the edge of my eyes.

"Chayna please wait-"

"Ryan I didn't come here all this way to be stopped by you! Leave me alone!" That was it. The tears were spilling over my little round face faster than waterfalls.

"I'm sorr-"

"SHUT UP RYAN! I mean it." I wiped under my eyes. "I never liked you Ryan. I don't know where you got that from." I choked out a sob.

"You mean, to tell me that all that time we spent together, having fun, getting to know each other better, meant nothing to you?"

"That meant nothing to me." I said with my head down. The lie, at the tip of my tongue.

"I still stand with my decision. We don't need to be in each others way anymore. No more lives to mess up." I stood there, dumbfounded.

That was all it took. I went up to Ryan, slapped him hard in the face, stomped on his foot, and ran away.

"Chayna wait!" I heard Ryan's voice in the distance. He meant nothing to me now.

"I like Fintan better anyway!" I yelled furiously.

I got in my car, not bothering to put my seatbelt on (even with my dad as a policeman and all..) and drove. When I say drove, I mean drove. Like my life depended on it. I didn't care that I was in a school zone and I was going 65 miles an hour. I couldn't go home, never after what just happened. So I went to the next best place.

Lauren's.

I go to Lauren's a lot, so it would be totally normal if I went to her house at a time like this. I arrived at her house, looking like a deranged monkey. I slammed my car door shut, and ran up to her doorstep, ringing her doorbell. I didn't even care what I looked like. With mascara running down my face, and my hair tangled from frustration in the car, I cared less. I rung the bell again, and let me tell you, thank goodness Lauren answered the door.

"Chayna?" She looked scared of me.

"Can," sniff. "I come," sniff. "in?" I sobbed louder, causing her to jump.

"Can you come in? Of course you can! You look like you've been through a washing machine!"

We stomped up, making quite the noise on her carpeted stairs.

"What happened to you?" She looked at me, looked really deep into my crazed green eyes, and only said one word, "Ah. A boy."

"So tell me? Who is this boy?"

I stared at her for a long time, then finally said, "Ryan."

She gasped in horror and flopped down on her pink fluffy comforter, face down.

"I didn't think you guys were dating." she said, a confused tone to her voice.

"Um, well we weren't dating, but over the weekend we went out to this bowling alley and went to eat and....stuff." I sighed. "After school he told me that we couldn't do this anymore, not even talk or be friends." After that sentence, Lauren huffed and started to get up. Don't get me wrong, Lauren is a tough girl, but it wasn't good for her to get mad. Before she could do anything, I grabbed her arm and pulled her back down.

"I don't understand what I did wrong Lauren."

"Maybe it wasn't you."

I scoffed. "Yea right! That selfish boy? Wasn't me? Okay, sure." I tilted my nose high in the air.

Lauren just stared at me. "Yea maybe you're right. Boys are stupid. And so is my Pair. He really is dumb."

I just laughed at her.

"And why would he be dumb?" I asked, feeling a bit better.

"Becasue he doesn't know what my name is still and I met him 6 years ago! 6! Who could be so clueless?" she pouted her lip and turned away.

"Cleo?" I suggested.

Instantly, we both started laughing. My best friend made me feel better. Speaking of best friends, I needed to cross Ryan's name off the list. Even thinking about him gave me a pang of hurt. So, I did my best to ignore him in my mind.

"Do you want to call Cleo?" Lauren asked.

"No, it's just you and me. Do you mind if I stay the night? I can't go home. Not so soon after..."

I didn't have to say anymore because Lauren was at my rescue.

"I'll call your mom and tell her." So, she called and my mom was fine with it.

We put in Now you see me, because honestly, we both love that movie. I fell asleep shortly after. I had the dream again.

I was in the meadow again, with Ryan and Fintan. I was glad Fintan was there. I hated Ryan. This time, Ryan and Fintan were both at my side, reaching a hand out and I didn't know what to do, so I stood there. Ryan and Fintan grabbed my arm at the same time and I woke up, screaming again.

"Chayna? Are you alright?" Lauren whispered.

"I'm....fine. Sorry I woke you. Forgive me, goodnight Lauren."

"Night Chay. Sleep tight." Lauren said as she layed back down.

I went back to sleep, this time waking up in the morning. But before I could get that far, I couldn't get past how hurt I was. Because I knew I really couldn't get over Ryan this easily.