Beauty and the Nerd

Chapter twenty-one

Seeing their hands connected makes my blood only boil more. What is happening? How could Mikey do this to me? Sure I haven't ever right out told him that I am in love with Kassie, but I was pretty sure it was as obvious as day.

My legs stand up out of the chair and I find myself walking to the popular table where Kassie and Mikey are sitting now. I tap Mikey on the shoulder.

"Hey Pete-"

"Can I talk to you for a second?" I ask harshly without it meaning to.

He looks towards his group of friends around the lunch table who are giving us strange stares. Kassie looks at me surprised and a slight smile. But I pretend she isn't right there at this moment.

"Uh sure?" Mikey stands up and follows me out of the lunch room.

Once outside of the cafeteria, I cross my arms and just glare at him; mentally sending all my rage towards him. He stands there confused, arms crossed.

"How could you?" I say to break the silence.

"How could I what?" Mikey raises his eyebrow.

"How could you date Kassie?" His eyes soften when he realizes what I am talking about. "Don't act like you don't know how I feel about her."

"Peter...I'm so sorry. It's not to hurt you."

"Then what is it for? Because I already am upset and angry, so it's too late for that."

"It just...kind of happened." Mikey looks at the ground.

"I don't know what to say."

"At the Halloween party, we-"

"Just stop," Of course it was the night of the Halloween party. It was all just some prank on me. I'm so stupid sometimes. To think we might have had a connection. "I don't want to hear about how you guys have fallen for each other. I don't get how you could do this to me. It wouldn't even be a thought in my mind if I were you. I could never do that to my own brother."

"Peter, you don't understand."

"You're completely right. I don't understand." I let out a low chuckle, "My own brother." I shake my head.

"Don't be mad at Kassie please." Mikey begs me.

I snap at him, "You know I could never do that! I have so many feelings for her that sometimes they are unbearable. I could never hold resentment against her. Now you I could."

"It's complicated Pete, what do you want me to say?!"

"Don't "Pete" me. We aren't on good terms. I don't even want to talk about this anymore." I walk away from him in the empty hallway. My footsteps are the only sound I hear as the voices from the cafeteria get quieter.

I push open the back door of the school building and find myself walking to the garden the garden club created recently. I've been wanting to visit it because Judy keeps talking about how beautiful it is and I wanted to see myself. Now I have a reason to.

As I approach the garden, my angry dwindles to confusion and hopelessness. When I begin to think I have a chance with Kassie, life likes to play a little joke on me saying, "gotcha."

There's a wooden bench I plant myself down onto and just sit there. I hear the birds chirping away happily, feel the wind blowing lightly through my hair, and the sun beating down onto my back as I lean on my knees.

"This is so cute Tyler." A girl's voice comes out suddenly. "You're so sweet to bring me here."

"Anything for you darling." I hear Tyler's voice say. Another pursuit I assume.