Twisted

Chapter 4

Erin's POV.

After my decision, I decided the best thing to do was leave the office and try to ignore the evil duo, known as Ashley and Vanessa, for the rest of the day. I was almost out of the danger zone, letting my feet quickly carry me to find Jake as soon as possible, until something abruptly stopped me.

"Hey, Erin?", I felt someone lightly grab unto my wrist, and I turned around to see Ashley behind me. Although there was that familiar sense of nervousness and shame on her face, I could still see the gratitude in her gray blue eyes. "I just wanted to thank you for giving me a second chance back there. What you did, it wasn't only for me, but it was for Vanessa too", her hand slowly left my wrist, taking away that familiar warmth and comfort it usually gave me with it; however, her face, her eyes, stayed glued to mine, never once leaving. "She's had a rough time you know? And I busted my ass to get her into this school, ya know, thought it'd give her chance to start over. Kind of ironic,though, huh? Knowing how crazy Southshore can be at times.", she slightly giggled. My face held the opposite reaction, as my mind raced back to the thoughts of this morning. Seeming to read my mind, her smile evaporated with her laughter "I didn't mean it like that Erin", she frowned."And just... thankyou",

"Yeah, no problem", I sighed, turning around to leave her presence once more.

Even though the thought of leaving her dramatically pained my heart.

"Wait...Erin...?", she latched her small and settle hand unto my arm, yet again stopping me on my trail. Before I could face her, she began to speak. "You know, there is more to what happened, between you and I, than you know".

I felt my heart instantly split in two. Tears were already springing to my eyes, but I refused to let them spill any further from their surface. I had cried enough today, and I couldn't change what was in the past.

And I also couldn't change the future that my heart still inevitably hoped I could have with the girl I loved in my present.

Still not facing her, I gathered enough of the strength I had left within my weakening soul and murmured. "No, Ashley. It's pretty clear what happened, and I think I'm aware of the decision you made". This time, I didn't have control of the two tears that slowly rolled down my face, giving into the weakness that is Erin Davidson. "Goodbye, Ashley. Have a nice life".

Slightly, and slowly, yanking my arm from her grip, I continued to trudge foward. It was hard; you don't know how hard it was for me to leave her in that moment, in that state, in those words. My feet literally began to feel like bricks, for I wanted to stay in that halllway just to be with her right now; just to be with her for the rest of my life.

On the other hand...

I knew I had to get away, because even though a part of me wanted to stay, another part of me knew that I had to leave. I had to leave Ashley, and I had to leave this chapter of my life, or this would all slowly, and eventually, kill me; the inner me. Struggling to move foward, the whispers of my inner thoughts and the sounds around me began to become blurred with a sudden voice saying: I love you

Did those three words spur from the mouth of my love, or did I imagine her to say them?

I don't know.

And I didn't stay to find out.

****

I was amazed with how quickly I was able to find Jake's advisory. My feet stopped in front of room 304, and I slightly smiled through the glass window of at a sleeping Jake. His head rested on his arm, which sprawled out in front of him as well. Every boy in the class room talked amongst themselves as Mr.Ramel wiped the white board in a consistent ammount of circles. Taking a deep breath, I lightly knocked on the door, prepared to commence any type of lie that would seem worthy of convincing.