Bent. Not Broken (On Hold)

Chapter 7

I never understood why we were forced to take history in high school. Like why must I suffer through lectures about dead people. I will never use this information in my life. Unless I wanted a career in history, which I did not. So forcing me to sit and listen to an old man drawl on about the old south, is a waist of my time. Why couldn't history be an elective, those who liked it could take it.

After an eternity and almost falling asleep twice I am released from the prison known as fourth period. Lunch was calling my name. More specifically, pizza was calling my name.

My feet carry me through the school halls. Nothing would get in between me and my pizza. My love of pizza was right up there with French fries. I was so close to the cafeteria when a figure blocks my path. I'm about to say excuse me when I realize who's standing in front of me.

Tanner.

"What do you want?" I snap before any words could come out of his open mouth.

"I want to talk." Tanner says, giving me those big blue eyes of his. He smiles like he always did. Stupid heart did a flip when he flashed his teeth.

"About?" I straighten up and cross my arms over my chest, protecting myself.

Now he looked uncomfortable. He shifts his weight in his feet. "Uh, about you."

Me? He still cared about me enough to ask how I was?

"Are you really sleeping with Remy? Cause you can do a lot better." Tanner finishes his sentence and crushes my hopes.

"Excuse me? I can do better than him?" I snap. Now he has my blood boiling. "I think you mean I can do better than you. You gave up any right to say who I can or can't date when you cheated on me. Remember?"

"Tasha, I still care about you." Tanner says and rests a hand on my arm. "I never meant to hurt you. I just want you to be happy."

Crap. That's what was coming from his lips. I move my arm from his hand. "You never wanted to hurt me? Want me to be happy? Should have thought about that before you cheated." I step to the side and walk around him. "And it's Natasha to you." I snap over my shoulder before marching to the cafeteria.

I grab a tray and shuffle my way down the line. Thanks to my month of volunteering at the school my sophomore year, the cook and I are tight. She gives me an extra slice and an apologetic smile. Did the whole school know Tanner cheated on me? I thank her before making my escape. My feet carry me to the library where I find Remy sitting at the same table as the day before.

My tray slamming on the table gets his attention.

"How did you get two slices?" He asks as he eyes my pizza.

"Because my boyfriend cheated on me." I say as I sit down.

"They'd run out of food if they have extra to every girl who's been cheated on." Remy says as he slowly reaches over a hand to my tray.

I quickly smack it away. "I'm friends with the cook."

"Okay, so if you got an extra slice of pizza why are you in a bad mood?" He asks as he goes back to eating his own lunch.

"Because said cheater had the audacity to ask me if we were sleeping together." I says and wave a slice of pizza between us. "Like he has a right to ask that anymore. Then he went all sweet and said he still cared about me and never wanted to hurt me." I scoff before taking a too big of a bite of my food.

"The nerve." Remy says with a gasp. One look at him and I could tell he was being sarcastic.

I roll my eyes and smack his arm lightly. "I'm being serious."

"Okay." Remy holds up his hands in surrender. "I'll be serious now."

I nod my head. "Good cause I need to ask you something." My eyes fall to the table as I speak.

"About?"

I stay quiet for a moment then look up at him. "Why are you doing all of this for me? Driving me home, taking me to the amusement park, picking me up for school today."

I could tell Remy was thinking by the look in his eyes. "Because believe it or not I know what it feels like to be cheated on."

"Really?" I blurt out in surprise.

Remy nods his head. "So I know how easy it is to sink into a hole of depression."

"I wouldn't say I was depressed." I mumble.

"No you're not." Remy agrees. "I just meant it's easy to just sit around and mope unless you have someone who keeps showing you how to have fun."

"And that's you?" I ask and arch my eyebrow at him.

"Well, Yes." Remy says with a nod of his head. "I don't see anyone else stepping up."

"That's probably be because all my friends are Tanner's friends." I sigh and look down at my pizza. How was it even possible for me not to be in the mood for pizza. Stupid Tanner, making me not want my pizza.

"That sucks." Remy mumbles. "You gonna eat that?" He asks and nods to my extra slice of pizza.

"Not any more. It's all yours." I shove my tray towards him and he picks up the slice, not hesitating to take a bite of it.

"You need new friend then." He says through a mouthful of my pizza.

"I have one." I realized once I said it how pathetic it sounded.

"Where are they?" Valid question.

"She's a grade younger than me so we only have art together." I tell him sadly.

"Don't you hang out outside of school?"

I shake my head. "We used to, but I've been busy this year trying to figure out college stuff and with..."

Remy nods his head, knowing how I was going to finish my sentence.

I get and idea and lean on the table, smiling up at Remy and batting my eyelashes. He looks down at me with a frown. "What?"

"You wanna be my friend?" I ask in my best girly voice.

"What, are we in kindergarten again? No I just want to be the guy who takes you to amusement parks." Remy says sarcastically.

"That's more expensive than being my friend." I point out.

Remy rolls his eyes. "Whatever."

I sit up straight and clap my hands. "Great. Now I have two friends." Never in a million years did I ever think I'd be calling Remy Collins my friend. But there I was, sitting at a table eating lunch with him and talking about the drama in my life.