True Colors

Chapter 22 - "Don't give up on her..."

Authors Note: HEY GUYS!! WooHoo! 2 chapters in a day :D Might do 3..probably not..well, enjoy :)

Chapter 22 – Nicholas O’Riley

I stopped in front of the door on my way out of Katie’s house, but turned around to look at her instead, “I mean it—thank you.” I flashed her a smile, opened the door to her house and left. I walked down the steps of her house, pushing the gate open.

Was Katie right?? Was everything she told me true?

I sighed at the questions in my head and sat along the curb by the park near Katie’s house; what if I couldn’t handle telling Jessica what’s really going on? What if she really did walk away from me? I tried to shrug the questions off as I watched the cars pass by.

“Nick?” I heard a familiar voice call from behind; I turned to see Kyle running towards me with a curious facial expression.

“Hey, Kyle,” I gestured a sup nod towards him and then plastered the fakest smile in his direction.

“Hey man, what are you doing here?” he asked, nonchalantly, “You’re house is practically across town from here.”

I cleared my throat, “Yeah, I know that—I was just chillin’ at Katie’s for a bit, and then came here.”

Kyle took a quick step back, “Katie?”

I nodded, “Uh…yeah.”

“Katie?” he asked again, was he shocked or something? “Katie Peterson?”

I nodded my head, “Yes Kyle…you know that girl we’ve known forever?”

“Yeah—I know—but what the hell were you doing at Katie Peterson’s house?” he raised an eyebrow, “You’re not sleeping with her are you?!”

I was taken aback at his accusations, “Uh, hell no! She’s in the friend-zone, man, and we were just hanging out.”

“Okay?” Kyle shoved a hand in his pocket, “Nick, you are the last person I know that would just randomly go up to Katie Peterson’s door and ask if she wanted to hang out.”

I rolled my eyes, “I’ve been with her all day man,” I paused. “We went for breakfast and then came back to her place, what’s the big deal? I can’t hang out with her for once?”

Kyle shook his head, “No I’m not saying that—it’s just—you guys have never hung outside of school once…I just found it a little weird.”

“Uh, okay man,” I cleared my throat, “Anyways…what are you doing here?”

“Oh,” he started, “My mom and I were driving by and right as we stopped at the stoplight right there,” he gestured towards the intersection and then put his hand back in his pocket, “we saw Jessica, so I told my mom that I’d come home later after hanging around here.”

My body stiffened as I listened to his words; Kyle…was with Jessica, I could literally feel my heart breaking at the moment. I pulled the hood on my black hoodie on and turn my back to him.

“Where you going, man?” Kyle asked as I started walking.

“I just remembered that I had to be home by a certain time,” I called back, “See you later.”

I pulled my iPod out of my pocket, plugged in my ear buds and cranked the volume up to its maximum; my attempt of drowning out the world wasn’t really working. People were giving me weird looks as they brushed past me down the side walk and people were trying to tell me things—however, I didn’t really give a care in the world; I had a long walk home and I wasn’t going to let some random strangers get in the way. I pushed the sleeves to my hoodie up my arms to my elbows and caught sight of a bracelet that was around my wrist—a bracelet that Jessica had bought me a few years back. It was meant for girls but she said that I might have liked it or something like that.