Becoming Beautiful (Wattys2014)

| Chapter 26 |

THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO MYSTICALLYQUEER FOR HER AMAZING COVER (external link)! She even made a movie poster but unfortunately you can only put one link in the external.

Chapter 26

What have I done? I just told Noah that I liked him in a stupid game. Why didn’t I just lie? I mean, the goal of the game was not to lie, but I could’ve made an exception. I should be relieved that it’s out there but I would’ve rather told him in a more…private setting; for example, it would’ve been nice to tell him during a guitar lesson, or I could’ve asked Marissa to form a get together between the three of us, but she “accidentally” forgets about it and we end up alone. That would have been great! He wouldn’t have been pressured to react! But like I said, I wouldn't have the nerve to say it if it was just the two of us.

As I buried my face in my pillow, I groaned loudly. It wasn’t the right time! I should’ve waited! I didn’t even wait to see his reaction! Like a wimp, I ran out of there without even thinking! I didn’t even bother to grab my stupid guitar! I rolled over and stared at the ceiling.

After gazing at the ceiling for an hour, I picked up my phone.

‘I hate you,’ I wrote to Floyd, sending it six more times before I got a response.

‘Thanks. You have to love the haters,’ he wrote back, adding in a kissing face at the end of the text.

Oh, he replies to that? I quickly dialed his phone number, waiting patiently for him to answer it. “Hey girl,” he responded casually, as if I didn’t just ruin things with his cousin with help from him.

Sitting up in my bed, I began ranting. “What’s your problem? You put me on the spot like that! You planned that, didn't you?”

“Hm, I have a lot. You have to be a bit more specific. Do you mean mental or physical?” he replied, ignoring my last two sentences.

“You know what I mean! Why’d you do that? I could’ve told Noah on my own time,” I said sadly.

“No one said you had to tell him,” he drawled. “You could’ve lied or something. I just gave you an opportunity to tell him and you gladly took it, aside from your stutters.”

“I don’t know what to do!” I complained as I dropped back down on my bed. “It’s going to be extremely awkward from now on! He probably thinks I’m like Chloe!”

“You’re not like Chloe,” he told me.

“I basically am! I’m the definition of clingy!” I groaned and rolled over again.

“You’re not clingy,” he assured me. After letting out a loud groan, I rolled over once more and I gasped as I hit the floor with a loud thud. “Did you just fall off your bed?” he asked with a quiet laugh.

“Yes and it’s not funny!” I told him as I got up, crawling onto my bed. I had the urge to ask what Noah said after I ran out of the house but I held back. I have a feeling it wasn’t anything good.

<<>><<>>

The following Monday, I was freaking out. This isn’t like the time we shared a kiss; back then, we were both equally guilty. This time, however, Noah wasn’t the one blabbing about his crush on me. When I saw Marissa standing at her locker, applying a layer of lip gloss in her mirror, I ducked my head and kept walking.

“Are you seriously going to try and ignore me, Kennedy?” she asked with a sigh.

Slumping my shoulders, I looked at her. “Hey,” I greeted dully.