High School Romance ✓

Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

In the weeks that followed, neither of them spoke a word about the festival. Courtney and Blake began to drift apart again because they were running out of things to talk about that didn't remind them of the festival. Courtney started hanging out with Ethan, leaving her so called best friend in the dust. Ethan and Courtney went out and were boyfriend and girlfriend again. She still walked to and from school with Blake, but other than that, she never spoke to him.

One day, two whole months after the dreaded festival, Courtney said, "We're getting married."

"What?" Blake asked, for he wasn't really paying attention. Their conversations were meaningless anymore.

"We, Ethan and I, are getting married," she repeated. What? How is this possible? I thought, while looking over the story notes I'd written. Just as I'd suspected, Ethan had said nothing about a wedding. I wondered what Courtney was up to. What I knew was that something sure smelled fishy around here.

He sighed, knowing that this battle he was fighting to get her was finally over, "When?"

"June 4." That was right before school let out for the summer.

"That's only eight months from now. Are you sure that's enough time to plan a wedding?" he asked, begged of her.

"Yes, that's plenty of time." She stared at him, unbelieving. He did the same, but for a different reason. Blake never asked to see the ring, but I knew the truth: she didn't have one. Yep, definitely fishy, I thought.

"Oh," was all Blake said.

They walked in silence the rest of the way.

***The Next Week, While Walking Home (Tuesday)***

"I'm leaving," Blake said.

"What?" Courtney asked.

"I'm transferring to this vocational school, in Boston."

"Oh," she said, copying what he'd said the week before, trying not to cry. She slipped down to the ground. "Blake, why?" she asked as the tears started to fall.

He was stunned by her reaction. He had thought that he could escape his problems of her marrying Ethan by moving away and forgetting about it all. "I'm sorry, but I have to go," he said, bending down so that he was on her level again. He was seriously regretting his decision now but it was too late to back out now. I felt awful for them.

"I'm sorry," he was saying again. He hated that he was the one making her cry. It was okay when he was comforting her when Ethan had caused the tears, but it was a whole different story when it was his fault, when her tears were shed for him.

"When?" she finally asked.

"Tomorrow morning," he whispered. She cried again. Eventually she stopped crying enough that he could walk her home. He didn't go home; he went to the mall. I wondered what he was up to.

He walked back to the store that held the beautiful wedding dress Courtney had wanted. He bought and it said to the clerk, "Have this delivered to 3948 Sycamore Avenue by Friday." That was where Courtney lived. "Attach this note with it." He handed her a note and his credit card.

"Of course, Mr. Sullivan," she said.

"If everything is done like I said, there will be a thousand dollar tip for you," he said.