LaMelo Ball - By Ari

Seventeen

"I have nothing to say to you," I groaned irritability at the fact that he wouldn't just leave and get on with his day. I was slightly content that he found me but then again, his presence was starting to annoy me because all that was moving past his filthy lips were lies.

"Cori, please," the familiar whiny edge in his voice came back and I knew that he thought it was going to work this time. I bet that before he even walked into this bathroom, he expected to have said sorry with me jumping back in his arms, showering him with kisses and telling him how dumb I was for being angry with him. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I promise that I could make it up to you somehow, if you'd just give me the chance."

Something about his words made me spring off the toilet and slam the stall door back open, instantly becoming face-to-face with the very boy I had dreaded seeing the whole damn day. His eyes seemed clouded over with guilt which gave me some sort of sick pleasure; it made me relentlessly happy that he felt bad about all of this.

"You unfaithful little asshole," I spat and his eyebrows raised at my anger. "You expect me to just forgive you on the spot after you caused me so much sadness, disappointment, and a big ass broken heart? Do you have any idea how much it's been eating me up inside, day and night, that you had the same lips you kiss me with attached to some other worthless whore when you said you loved me?"

All he could do was blink and shuffle his feet with nervousness.

I wanted to say so much more, I just wanted to spit out my feelings all over his face but it was like someone stuck some duck tape over my mouth and I was forced to be silent. I scoffed with frustration and whipped myself around, speed-walking out of the girls' restroom. Spewing into the hallway, there was no sign of Nelly and I reluctantly made my way to my locker to get my shit for 6th period.

—

"Cori, sweetie," my mother's voice was faint outside of my bedroom door, and I inwardly groaned when I heard her begin to knock to come in. I really didn't feel like speaking to anyone at the moment, especially my own mom, sadly. I knew she would throw questions at me left and right on why I'm acting like my best friend just died.

"You can come in," the pout in my voice seemed so familiar as it has been so recognizable the whole day. I hated acting so down and in the dumps but I couldn't help it; my biggest crush who was basically my boyfriend had betrayed me and not only that, I had saw him talking to Nevaeh in the halls at the end of the day so he probably already replaced me, just like that. No problem for him at all.

My mom pushed open the door softly as she grabbed the chair to my desk and pulled it over to where I was laying on my bed. Putting my hand on my forehead, I tried to pretend that I was feeling sick but the lowering in my mom's eyebrows showed that she was well aware I didn't already have the "flu" again.

There was a moment of silence before her soft and caring voice filled the space around us. "What's wrong?"

Once those dreadful words left her mouth, excuses to say were flowing through my mind as I tried to pick which one I should use. Maybe I was just tired from school? Maybe I was stressing because I had so much homework?

But the look of concern and sweetness on my mother's face made me wonder;

Should I just tell the truth?

I bit my lip and closed my eyes, confirming my decision before I started to explain.

"LaMelo and I..."