Entrance To the Woods ✓

Twelve,

Drake

As soon as the sun rose, I was out of her room. I left a note about how my mother had called me home to get ready for a party we were having in a week. I made sure to make it all sweet and sappy as to not hurt her feelings by not waking up right next to her. In reality, I was on my way to the gym to get ready for my day of doing nothing and pretending Melissa doesn't exist, per usual.

The second I got into the locker room, my phone lit up with a text from her. She wrote that she had a great night yesterday and hoped to see me soon. I sent back something about how I felt the same and was glad she went the final step with me. Inside, I was laughing at how oblivious this girl was.

Melissa was exactly the kind of girl I have gone after many times before. She's desperate to have someone that actually cares about her, unlike how her mommy doesn't, and will deal with any bad thing that someone might do as long as they come back to her the next day. Being that guy for her was easy and a role I had grown used to. I already had a girl or two in my phone that I knew would act the same way next week when I was over Melissa.

___

It has been a couple of days since that one night with Melissa, and we have had many more of those since then. When her mother is not home, which is often, and her brothers are with friends, I swoop in to make her feel good emotionally, inevitably leading to me feeling good physically. She has started to grow suspicious of all of the random things I have to do the morning after, but that won't matter soon.

My mom walks into my room and reminds me that it is Wednesday and we were having people over on Saturday.

"You can even bring that girl you've been spending so much time with," she says, smirking as she leans on the back of my door.

I snicker a little at the idea of Melissa meeting my family. I have had only one or two partners meet them and those were legitimate girlfriends, but it has been a while since then.

"How'd you know I was with a girl?"

My mother rolls her eyes, acting as if I had asked the stupidest question in the world.

"I'm your mother, Drake," she says. "I know you better than you think."

Instead of responding, I shrug and shake my head. It never really gets easier explaining to your mom that you're not with a girl for a relationship.

After me not answering, she sighs and leaves my room, probably disappointed at the idea of her only child not having a partner for her to meet. She'll get over it, she always does.

After talking with my mom, I texted Melissa and ask her to hang out. This time, I decided to go out with her in public instead of going to one of our houses. She always talks about wanting to get to know me, so this is what she is going to have to deal with until she realizes that it isn't going to happen.

It still tends to surprise me, but ending whatever 'relationship' I have with a girl is always hard. I can never find the right way to do it. Whenever I look into their eyes, preparing to give them the news that they've been dreading, I chicken out. Being rude to someone has never been difficult for me, but looking intimately at someone like that makes me realize that they actually thought I felt something for them. For the smallest, tiniest moment, I feel bad and think to never do it again. Yet, I sit here, Melissa probably thinking of me at her house, smiling ear to ear, and I don't give a single shit.