The Story of Us

The Story of Too Much Ego

Your reputation in high school won't matter 20 years from now.

~~~

"No, Vinnie. We did not kiss how many times do I have to tell you this?" I sigh in annoyance and look at my best friend.

"Well, sorry but I never know about your love life anymore I mean it took you a day to tell me you gave someone a boner. The first one you gave, might I add. I mean you literally used to call me up and tell me if a boy even breathed in your direction." she rolls her eyes and her long hair sways behind her as we walk down the school halls for first period.

"You would always be the one to call me if a boy breathed in your direction. Now you're in a little puppy love stage with Reece." I coo.

"Whatever." she laughs and then gasps and covers her mouth with her hand.

"What? Vinni- Oh my god. Who did that?!" I shriek and run up to the poster to tug it down. But it flickers up on the school TV too and I know I can't take that down. It's a picture of me from yesterday. Sobbing on the couch with Parker beside me. You can identify our faces perfectly even though the picture is slightly blurry.

"No. No. No. No!" I groan and rip down as many of these posters as I can. The caption doesn't make it any better.

Cuddling and comforting?

Is this a new couple like Rennie?

"Who's Rennie?' Vinnie scrunches her nose up and grabs a paper from my hands. I answer her frantically to distracted by taking down the papers and tossing them in the nearest bin.

"Aw, Reece and I have a ship name!" she squeals and I roll my eyes.

"Well that's most of them in this hall. If you see any more please rip them down." I plead Vinnie. She so is too busy dialing Reece so she just nods and presses the phone to her ear. She waves goodbye to me and starts walking farther down the hall.

"Reece! Did you know we have a ship name?" I hear her say as I walk into my own classroom. Parker is sitting already but I can see his eyes are cold and filled with a certain determination that has chills running down my spine. I haven't seen those heartless eyes since the first time we fought and for some reason I think he is angry about the pictures.

The question is, is he mad at me? Or the people who put up the posters?

"Hi." I squeak but he just nods in my direction and gives me a quick sideway glance. I gulp and timidly sit down in my chair afraid Parker will try to bite me or something.

"Well we can finish the hand-written project today if you like and then I'll just type it out so we can finish quick." I stumble over a few words because, honestly Parker is intimidating me and I really don't do that too well.

"Whatever." he grumbles. Half of the period goes by and Parker has not made the slightest movement to fully look at me.

"Look, I don't know why you're angry or whatever but I didn't do anything wrong and it's not like I put up the posters, hell I tried pulling as many down as I could. So don't be annoyed with me." I snap at him and huff out a breath before I turn to look at the front of the class. I place my hands on the table and clench my right fist, since I can't clench the left one, as he turns to look at me. I give him the same treatment he gave me and don't turn to look at him.

"It's your fault my reputation is ruined because of you. I can't have my reputation ruined by a nerd just because you have stupid, childish fears and had to ask me to come over to calm you down." he hisses in my ear.

"Well I'm sorry I have stupid fears. But they are still fears. And I didn't want to ask you to come over. But I was too busy being on the verge of having a panic attack and I don't know if you noticed but people usually don't casually call people up during an attack and say 'Hey, can you come over and help me breathe normally again?'" I bark, sarcastically.

"Listen," he hisses and his hand lay atop the desk. I don't know why but I jump and pull as far away as I can from his hands and then put my hands behind my back. I'm afraid of him. Well right now, I am. The last time he got really angry with me was when he broke my hand and I guess it was just instinct to hide both my hands.

"You think I'm going to hurt you?" he whispers with a mix of surprise and a little hurt.

"You didn't hesitate to last time." I defend softly.

"Lennon, I'm sorry alright but I just can't have my bad boy rep ruined by some nerd like you. Just because you have fears." he goes back to being angry and I roll my eyes.

"You didn't have to come, you know," I spat," I could've just fainted and then waited until today for my sister or dad to come home from their business and field trip. In fact I'm glad I asked you to come. So my sister didn't have to see my lying unconscious somewhere. Because you know. That's what every sister wants to see."

"Lennon, I just can't talk to you anymore, ok-" I interrupt him.

"And don't fucking tell me that I have fears because I may have childish fears but having someone follow you around and watch your every move and having no idea what they are going to do to you was also connected to my panic attack," did I just tell him I was being stalked?," so when I ask you to come over because I'm scared or when I ask you to leave for your own protection, it's because some fucking person stalking me is threatening to kill you or hurt you or whatever. You witnessed my room messed up. Guess who did that? I mean I was fucking showering and they were in the bathroom as I was showering. Do you know how scary that is? To not fucking knowing that someone could have pulled the shower curtain then and there."

I finish my rant and notice I am crying but thankfully not sobbing. Parker seems shocked but before he can say anything the bell rings and I rush out of the room. I run into the bathroom and pull out my phone. I try to dial Vinnie's number but a message pops up on the screen.

I'm not stalking you, baby girl. And you shouldn't have fucking told anyone that I was watching over you. Now I'm pissed and he will face the consequences- Your Secret Admirer

I start sobbing and I thank the Lord that no one is in the bathroom. My fingers fumble over the phone and wait for Vinnie to pick up.

"Vin? Can you come to the bathroom in the middle hall? Please?" my plead is high-pitched but I don't care enough right now.

"Sure, Lenny. You okay?" she replies and I can hear her rushing down a set of stairs.

"Yeah, I'm fi-no I'm not." I decide with a sob. My relationship with Parker is not that strong if his overloaded ego is more important than me. I know I shouldn't care but right now I do care. And I'm hurt and I'm confused because he was always so nice to me. And now I'll probably get a bunch of hate from random girls.

And.

I hate Parker Campano.