Surviving The Parkston Boys [Re-write]

Chapter 17

"Shelby!" I heard someone call my name and I looked behind me to see Derek running towards me.

"Hey little bro, what's up?"

"Word around school is that your dating the new it boy."

"I'm not dating anyone right now, Gabe and I are just good friends." I explained and Derek looked confused.

"Well, that's not what the whole school thinks." Derek said and I sighed.

"What are you talking about Derek?"

"All I'm saying is that I've been hearing people say that you've been dating Holler."

"Why would people think that?" 

"Maybe because he's all touchy feely with you." Derek said as he touched me in a creepy way. 

"Look, I'm not looking to be in a relationship right now especially because of your older brother." I said as I started walking but he followed me. 

"Well, my jerk of a brother is the one that actually told me you two were dating..." Derek said and I stopped walking and looked straight at him. 

"What?!" I yelled. 

"Nathan was the one that came up to me and asked who he was and why you two are dating." 

"That little son of a bitch." I mumbled and stormed down the hallway. 

"Shelby!" Derek yelled after me but I ignored him and rushed to the lunchroom. 

-=+=-

I slammed my hand on the table and Nathan looked up at me. 

"Get up." I said stone cold. 

"Nice to see you too, Shelby." Nathan said also with a stone cold expression. 

"We're gonna have a little chat, now get up." I said and he sighed. 

"Shelby, don't talk to my man like that." Luna said and my heart sank. 

My.

That one word broke me. 

I turned around and started speed walking away; I didn't want for everyone to see how much that one word could affect me. 

I ran down the hallway and crashed into a rock hard chest. 

"I'm sorry." I said as I kept my head held down. 

"Shelby?" A familiar voice said but I still kept my head down. 

"Hi..." I mumbled and he sighed. 

"Look at me." 

I looked up to see the one and only Gabe Holler. 

"Don't ask." I said with a sigh and kept walking but he stopped me. 

"What's going on Shelby?" 

"I'll tell you in the library." I said and led him down the hall but then sprinted down the hallway.

I haven't ran this fast since Natalie stole the last piece of pizza when I was 7. 

-=+=-

I was throwing the ball in the backyard with Mason and taking care of Cole while Natalie was tending to her garden. I heard the gate open but I thought it was Will so I just ignored it but Natalie looked shocked. 

"Nathan..." Natalie said and my heart stopped.

Mason nudged my hand to throw the ball but I was just stuck... frozen. 

"Hi Natalie." I heard him say awkwardly. 

"Hi, can I help you with something?" Natalie asked. 

"I'm just here to talk to Shelby actually." 

"I'll leave you two, I'll grab you guys some lemonade." Natalie said and picked up Cole, curse the lemonade trick. 

I felt a presence sit next to me and I threw the ball for Mason so I looked somewhat occupied. 

"Hey Shelby." 

How dare he "Hey Shelby" me!

"Hi." I said as I saw Mason fall on his face while running.

"Can you please look at me." Nathan said and I sighed. 

"What are you-" I started asking but when I saw him; no words flew out. 

He had bags under his eyes and also really dark circles, he looked like a raccoon... a really depressed raccoon. 

"Can we just talk?" Nathan asked. 

"What about?" I asked him as I heard the porch door open. 

"Us." 

Us. That's not a word that crushes my soul into a million pieces and makes me want to listen to old Taylor Swift songs or just keep saying over and over again "The old Taylor is dead." 

"Why?" 

"What do you mean why?" 

"You're dating Tiffany or Luna or whoever the newest hoe is." I said as Natalie handed us our cups of lemonade. 

"You're the one dating Gabe!" 

"What are you talking about?!" I shouted and Mason started backing up with Natalie. 

"You two are the latest 'it' couple at school." 

"We're not even dating!" 

"Why are you lying to me?"

"Are you actually stupid? Gabe is like a brother to me." I screamed in frustration. 

"Why is everyone saying you are dating him then?" 

"How should I know? If I had the chance, I would just sit at home with my dog and eat junk food instead of being around all those idiots." 

"You and me both." Nathan said and I sighed. 

"I'm not dating anyone and I don't plan on dating for a long time. Why do you even care so much?" 

"I... I don't." 

"Okay, thanks for stopping by then." I said and got up from my chair and Nate followed. 

I turned to walk away but he grabbed my wrist then turned me around. He wrapped me into a warm embrace and I was stuck. WHAT DO I DO?!!! 

"I missed you Shelby." 

He let go of me and I was still frozen.

"I'll see you at school." Nathan said with a tight smile then left my house. 

What just happened... 

-=+=-

"Shelby!" Gabe called out and ran over to me and I sighed.

"Hey..." I said awkwardly. 

"I texted you last night, I thought we were gonna go catch a movie." 

"Oh I fell asleep really early last night... I was just really tired after playing with Mason." 

"Shelby!" I heard another voice call out and I silently cursed in my head as an arm draped over my shoulders. 

"Are you two... back together?" Gabe asked me and I shook my head. 

"What the hell are you doing, Nathan?" I said as I took his arm off of me. 

"Shelbs, let's get to class." Gabe said as he grabbed my hand. 

"I think I can walk my girl to class." Nathan said and grabbed his wrist. 

"I'm not a dog, I can walk perfectly fine by myself." I said and started walking away. 

"You need to back off." I heard Nathan say and then I heard footsteps behind me. 

What is my life...