Sandcastles

Chapter Thirty-Two

oh my god yeah um this chapter sucks and i hate it so if you want to save time you can basically skip to the last sentence of this chapter to get the idea but it's really very terrible so this is the opportunity to save yourself.

"You always manage to do this when I look my worst." I say as I lay on my bed. Alexander's laughter comes through the laptop speakers and I turn so I can look at him on the screen. As always, he looks amazing. I, on the other hand, just took a shower and look terrible.

"I think you're always pretty." He says with a smile.

"You are such a liar." I say with a smirk. "But thank you anyways. How was the last day of school? We don't get out for two more weeks."

"Good." He sighs. "Would've been better if you were here. It sucks that Madeline won't be at the graduation with all the other seniors. She probably would have been valedictorian."

"Probably." I agree. "But hey, two more weeks until we're out of here and back in Collins Creek."

"I'm so ready for that." Alexander smiles. "I really am. I miss you so much."

"I miss you too." I say. "But not too much longer. And then I'm there for the summer."

"Awesome. I"m sorry to cut this short, but I have a ton of stuff to do. I'll call you tomorrow, alright?" he says. I sadly nod my head. "I love you, Isabelle."

"I love you too." I say, not being able to help smiling. The video chat ends and my laptop screen goes black. I haven't spoken to him in forever, and that's all I get.

I turn on my lamp at my desk and start working on a paper I have to do for my drama class. I liked Mrs. Samuels' drama class so much more than this one. All we did in there was read scripts and do a few projects. In this class, all we ever do is write essays.

A knock comes from my door and I turn to see Ben leaned against the doorframe. This is the first time in weeks that he actually looks sober this late at night. I haven't really spoken to him and that much. When I do, all we do is scream at each other.

He walks in and flops onto my bed, immediately burying himself into my pillow. I just roll my eyes and start working on my paper again. After a while, he clears his throat to get my attention.

"Yes?" I ask without interrupting my writing. There's a pause as if he's waiting for me to stop, but I guess he realizes that I'm not and goes on anyways.

"Helen called me tonight." He says in an almost shaky tone.

I stop writing and turn around in my chair to look at him. His eyes peer over the rim of his glasses at me. I haven't seen him even wear his glasses since we moved; I guess he's been wearing the contacts that he always hated.

"And?" I ask, beckoning for him to go on.

"I'm sorry." He says, burying his face back down into the pillow.

Okay, well I'm definitely confused at this point. I just twist awkwardly in my chair and wait for him to explain whatever it is to me.

"She told me she was graduating and stuff tomorrow. You know, I haven't talked to her in weeks and she called me and said that she still loves me; it was like we never stopped talking. While she thought this whole time that we were still together and knew that we would eventually see each other again, you know what I've done?" He asks me. "I've screwed up, Isabelle. Completely gone off the deep end and I don't know how to fix it now."

"Well don't ask me." I reply. "Yeah, you have been kind of messed up lately."

"Thanks." He says sarcastically.

In an instant, his mood does a compete flip from sad to angry. He throws the pillow he was buried into at the door and jumps up from the bed. I just look at him, not exactly sure what to do or what is going on.

"I just miss her so God damn much." He says while burying his face into his hands and sitting on the edge of the bed. "And I've screwed up so much. I can't take any of it back. I've hurt her, you, Madeline..."

"What about me?" Madeline's voice asks. She's standing at my door with the pillow in her hand and tosses it on the bed. She notices that Ben is basically crying and looks at me with a confused expression. "Did I interrupt twin time or something?"

"I'm sorry." Ben chokes out to her. She shrugs her shoulders and sits beside him. I decide to keep my distance and continue to turn around in the chair.

While Ben explains to her all that he says to me, I listen vaguely but don't really pay attention. So Ben finally gives a shit about someone else; why should I feel bad for him? Something Madeline starts saying catches my attention, though.

"We can do it, you know." She says. I look at her, and Ben does too. What is she talking about? "We all have enough credits to pass our grade."

"S-so what?" Ben asks her.

"We would still pass if we didn't show back at school. We don't have to go back." She explains.

"Of course we-"

"No." She says while shaking her head. "We don't have to."

"So what're you saying?" Ben asks. Madeline gets a devilish smirk.

"It's only a 38 hour drive from here to Collins Creek." She says. Ben smiles and then looks at me.

"Well I guess we should start packing then."

 

 

 

DON'T EVEN ARGUE THAT THIS IS A TERRIBLE CHAPTER BECAUSE IT IS.

i honestly didn't try as much as i should have..but I've been busy with the thing I'm telling you about after this book is over!

SPEAKING OF WHICH..next chapter is the last chapter

I PROMISE AND SWEAR THAT IT WILL BE THE BEST FREAKING CHAPTER IN THE WHOLE BOOK BECAUSE FOR THE LAST LIKE 12 CHAPTERS EVERYTHING HAS SUCKED SO MUCH.

and i also promise not to end it like These Scars *smirks*

are you ready for the surprise I'm telling you about at the end? I ammmmm

by the way your comments make me smile a lot :)