BEING HALSEY

CHAPTER 19

The more I think about my conversation with Tray, the more frustrated I get. I want him out off my life completely.

I drag myself downstairs. Dad is making scrambled eggs. I drop to the kitchen stool and he slides a mug of coffee toward me.

My head is awfully paining and my nose clogged. I got a serious flu from that stupid rain.

My walk to school is long, my day at school even longer. Polly tries to entertain me with stories of an old TV show she watched last night. I try to concentrate but all I can think about is Tray.

I saw him today, as I was taking out the trash. He looked grumpy and didn't even look my way. I feel awful for the harsh words I told him yesterday. And the way I treated him with the black box thing....I feel bad. Really bad.

Halloween is just around the corner. I'm not that exicted. I don't even have a costume. Everyone is talking about it in school, including teachers. Maybe Dave and I should buy matching scary outfits, like Joker and Hailey. Him with the green hair and his pair of beautiful green eyes and me with the dyed hair and the baseball bat.

The doorbell rings at six thirty. I pause, hair brush on my hand, ears perked.

I hear Dave's deep voice. My hair brush drops and I'm skidding downstairs. There's no way, what's he doing here?

" Dave," I say.

He smiles at me. "Hey."

Dad looks as surprised as I feel. Dave is clueless what to do next so i throw my arms around him and he hugs me back tightly.

Pip starts to bark loudly. I don't want to say it, but it's crystal clear she hates him.

I turn back to Dave and squeeze his hand. I don't want to let go. I had no idea how much I needed to see him again.

Dad clears his throat. Dave introduces himself and I'm kinda pissed off he didn't mention that he's my boyfriend.

" A project?" My dad asks.

" Yes, a school project. we're partners with Hal. She didn't mention it to you?"

OMG! That damn project.

" Dad yeah, I guess I forgot because I'm always busy with work."

"Or you just hate school so much." He eyes me and I laugh nervously.

"Would you like to stay for dinner Dave?"

He hesitates and looks at me.

I nod my head.

"Thank you. I'd love to."

~~~~~

"So you are the boyfriend?"

I nearly choke on my spaghetti. My dad is such a genius, he's joining the dots.

"Um, no dad. We're just classmates." I charge in.

Dave just sips his water silently.

"Well, you know I don't want you messing around with boys. I don't want anyone playing and breaking my princess heart."

"Dad."

"I'm just being a responsible father to you. It's my obligation."

"It's okay. I totally understand." Dave says and stirs his plate.

"Anyway Hal, have you seen Tray? It's been a while since the last time he came in for pie...."

OH MY GOD.

This is a test. He's testing me.

He wants to expose my secret. To see if Dave knows about Tray. He wants to see his reaction.

I feel a wall build between Dave and I.

Dave stands, " I gotta go."

I want to burst.

I take Dave's hand and walk to the front door.

"I'm sorry."

" So Tray won your dad's heart? He's even been in your house? Wow."

"No it's not like that."

He drops my hand and puts his own in his pocket.

He sighs.

"Why don't you tell me this things? There shouldn't be secrets between us."

"But it's not a secret. Everything happened so fast. He just showed up and boom, he's eating pie in our kitchen."

He reaches for both of my hands this time and draws me into and against his body.

" Okay. It's fine."

But there's something fishy behind that statement....

~~~~~~~~

I'm in a party. A house party.

Do I like parties? No. I hate them. I've got six thousand, two hundred and thrity three reasons why I hate them.

This is a place where girls get raped, underage drink liquor, sniff coke, get into unnecessary fights, do all sorts of evil things, blah blah blah.

"You coming or what?"

Who's this?

He smiles, slowly like in slow motion and his hair...it's blowing....except there's no wind.....KKKKKRRRRR!!!

"Hey."

He snaps his fingers.

"Hello???"

Now he's waving them.

" Heyyy..." My reply sounds like I'm drowning.

"I asked if you going in....you've been standing there for the last..." He checks his wrist watch,
" ten minutes. Is something wrong?"

I wipe my sweaty palms on my black ripped jeans. I don't even know why I wore this jeans, everyone can see my visible skin. And the shoes....God, heels I got on my birthday.

They are nude in colour so my white toes are poking out. Good thing I got my pedicure done, my toenails would be looking like trash right now.

I heave a sigh and shift my fake "channel" black purse on my right to my left. I carefully walk past this "stranger" who apparently is looking at me like I got carrots poking out of my head.

The backyard is filled with teens. A lot of them. Screaming, shouting, face timing, selfies, smoking ugh...you name them. I notice a chubby guy standing behind a barbecue. He flips the steak and add a spicy sauce on the ready ones.

My eyes trace my surroundings carefully, there's a big pool at the middle.

Huge home theaters are placed just beside the front doors. The music is so damn loud and they keep on changing from blue to pink to green to yellow.

I grab my cellphone from my purse and text Dave. He texted me this address and he's not even here.

I'm fidgeting....my hand is in my hair and the next minute it's on my face. My finger nails are tapping on my phone screen, my heel tapping on the low green grass then finally, he replies my thousand texts.

" I'm inside the house. In the room near the bathroom."

I roll my eyes.

I walk in, squeezing my tiny body in between the crowd in the living room and the stairs. The house got five rooms. I can easily tell which one has the bathroom. I walk slowly and turn the knob right next to it.

The room is dark. A chill runs down my spine.

"Dave?" I call out.

I move my hands on the wall right next to the door until my hands find the light switch.

I almost fall hard on the floor. Infact, I was falling till someone grabbed my waist from behind.

I can't believe my eyes....

DAVE AND FAKE BLONDE KHLOE ARE BOTH NAKED IN THE TINY BED.

I pass out!

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