Secret Games

18

Noah P.O.V

Everything was starting to go back to normal. I was at peace with Hailey and Cameron and nothing could possibly go wrong with them. However, I did see him walking away with Lexi in break, and strangely enough, I haven't seen him for the rest of the day. I wonder what that cheeky couple has been doing for the past few hours. Superficially they look like the perfect match, however, I was pretty sure that there were no real feelings between them, but who am I to judge? As they left I sat next to Hailey and we started talking casually about everything that had been going on since our fall out. I was extremely happy to have her back, I really was. The bell rang and we both made our way to the next lesson.

If anyone came at six in the evening the school hallway would be empty, and the roar of recess times would be replaced with an unbreakable silence. But now the corridor was filled with hundreds of hormone full teenagers, with our voices echoing from the walls, each one making more noise than the next one. To me, it really felt like a competition to prove who is the most entertaining, who is the funniest, and who can get the most attention. We were entering the classroom when Laela waved at me, desperately indicating for me to wait for her as she ran towards us. I ignored her call as I repeated in my head "Don't make the same mistake, don't make the same mistake"

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The lesson had finished and we were already heading to the patio for lunch break. Laela was, here again, following us pessimistically.

Hailey stopped and looked at me. "Come' on don't be so harsh on her, give her a chance to redeem herself. Let her be your friend."

Deep inside I knew that what she wanted was way more than that, however, I still stopped and waited for her to arrive, pretending to ignore her existence. But I just couldn't. The only reason I was acting like this was because it was too hard to look at her and stop my eyes from watering. The two girls were sharing a laid back conversation, but I knew Laela hadn't come just for this. I knew she wanted something from me. And so, I was right.

After a while, Laela said impatiently. "I'm sorry Hailey, but can I talk to Noah real quick?" Before she could answer, I replied sharply "Don't go Hail. Anything you want to tell me, you can say it to both of us."

"I'll just go, don't worry," whispered Hailey, feeling the tension between us.

Laela asked me to follow her, but I didn't move a muscle. Don't make the same mistake.

"Please, don't make it harder." I wished her voice wasn't so convincing. She gave me no choice but to follow her until we got to our spot, only the two of us, just like when she rejected me.

"What do you want," I snapped.

"I'm so sorry it took me this long to realize. I was confused. I didn't think I was ready for a relationship. But you made me realize that together we can overcome this fear that is trapping me. I love you Noah, and I beg you: don't let my actions keep us apart."

My heart was thumping through my ears. I didn't know what to do, what to say. All I could hear was that tiny little voice ringing at the back of my head. Don't make the same mistake. Don't make the same mistake. Don't make the same mistake.

"No." I couldn't believe my own words, but I couldn't let her get away with what she did to me. It was finally time for her to experience what I was going through, even though I was sure the agonizing pain I was suffering was light years away from the minor moodiness she felt. Laela will never understand what she put me through, but it was time I gave her a piece of my mind. I opened my mouth to say something, but then stopped. There were a million things I wanted to communicate: I hate you. I love you, but none of them described what I was feeling. I closed my mouth and slowly walked away.