Liar, Liar

Chapter 9 - Call Me, Maybe

I hope you guys are enjoying this story so far! I had a blast writing it. If you like it or have some criticism, don't hesitate to comment so I can improve my writing :)

Fern appears around the corner as I am taking off my shoes in the hallway. She looks less than pleased, as if she is my mother and I have broken curfew, when in reality, she's only two years older than me.

"Finally!" she scolds and walks into the living room again, me following after her. All her painting gear is spread around on the floorboards. Our floor-painting project is halfway done and almost the whole floor of the living room is covered in our mixed art-forms. Realistic and abstract paintings adorning the wood. "Where'd you run off to last night?"

A small smile plays on my lips as I sit down in the couch. "Oh, just Adam's," I feign nonchalance and Fern gasps loudly at my confession.

"What?" she yells. "You slept at Adam's- damn! Why didn't you tell me?" She picks up a paintbrush and throws it at me for emphasis. I shriek and cover my face in a lame attempt at protecting myself.

"Well, I was busy," I hint and this time Fern outright screams before running over and tackling me on the couch. I truly pity our neighbors.

"I take it back, you are such a slut! You totally banged him, didn't you?!" If my deep blush isn't enough, I know she wouldn't have taken a no for an answer anyways. I laugh when she feels my forehead as if some rare sex-sickness has possessed me.

To be honest, I'm quite surprised at how excited she is. Fern has never been the bubbly type and mostly keeps to herself. Right now, she seems like a wild monkey just out of the jungle.

"Will you get off me now, you weigh a ton," I grunt and start pushing her. She feigns offended but climbs off me anyhow. Truth is, she is a stick. When I first met her, she was a little on the chubby side, but through the years she has completely changed her diet from fast food to vegan and lost the weight in between, turning me a vegetarian all the same.

"But what about Ashley?" Fern rightly questions. I purse my lips and sigh, shrugging my shoulders.

"I actually don't know, Fern. It's driving me crazy. I should feel horrible but I don't. I'm so in love with Adam, and he kind of said he liked me back... This is what I've been waiting for for three years. God."

Fern is noticeably more quiet now than a mere minute ago. The fact that even Fern Woods has nothing to say, gives you an inkling as to how morally wrong my actions have been. And I know it myself. Is it wrong to say that I don't care enough to act on it? Does that make me a monster?

**

We separated on good terms, I don't understand anything. Adam had kissed me goodbye and said see you later. That meant he was planning on meeting me again, right? Why on earth haven't I seen him in a week?

"B, relax-"

"I just don't get it, Fern! Everything was great! He hasn't even texted me in seven days, nor called me!"

I am pacing back and forth in the living room, my hands in my hair, tugging and knotting. My heart feels like a thousand pounds in my chest, almost making it difficult to breathe. Is that the effect Adam's absence has on me? Breathing problems?

Jesus, I've never been this reliant on anyone before. Sure, I've been crushing on him for a while, but only that little confirmation that everything wasn't hopeless seems to have elated my hopes a little too much. And by a little I mean way too much.

He probably regrets it. We both know that whatever happened and could happen meant nothing but trouble anyways, and ending it now would only save me and him from much worse pain than this. I just wish he would talk to me about it instead of leaving me on read like this.