Never Before | ✓

Chapter ten

Chapter ten

The drive to home was silent. No one tried to speak. We just enjoyed being with each other. Of course, the questions that I wanted to ask were killing me but, he would ask for answers, too which I didn't want to happen.

Another day rolls in. I stand outside my classroom, waiting for Selena so that we can go in together along with Ellie whom I just notice coming toward me.

"Hey, girl!" She chirps and gives me a high-five.

"Where's Charles?" I ask since they both come together all the time. Ellie informs me that Charles and Caleb will attend the other half of the lectures. She doesn't know why.

"Hey, do you know where the haunted house is?" I ask, remembering that Caleb is meeting Henry there.

"It's the town slang. People use it when they wish to meet someone at their usual spot, most likely to sell jingle jangle."

"Jingle jangle?" What in the world is that?

"You should catch up on some series. It's a drug in Riverdale." She smacks my arm playfully.

Oh, Riverdale reference. But wait, does Caleb sell drugs? No, he can't. I need to find the haunted house. It must be in some shady place but, where? I have no clue about this town. Assuming that my assumptions are correct, it must be near Caleb's house.

"You tutoring me from six to eight, right?" I nod at her. I need to find the usual place. Maybe, I can ask Charles.

It is lunchtime and it's just Ellie, Wes, and I on the food table. Apparently, Selena skipped school for some reason and didn't inform anyone of us. Neither Caleb or Charles have shown up. Luckily, my last lecture in English Literature so if they come, I can meet Charles and ask him about the haunted house.

"I want fries. Amber, do you want some?" Ellie asks me and I politely say no since I'm already stuffed with all the food that Wes offered for free. I know that the week is over but I didn't even show up for more than two days so he agreed to continue after I attend school again. Ellie walks away to get some fries for herself.

Wes looks at me. "Hey, you wanted to talk to me, right?" I ask. He nods and nervously looks at me. Wes and nervous? Why?

"Amber, the thing is...I think... I...I l-" my smile fades away. What is he trying to say? "Don't look at me like that," Wes says noticing my widened eyes. "I'm not saying I love you or anything." I let out a sigh of relief.

"What is it?" I ask. "I think I like Selena," he laughs nervously and I grin widely at his words. Wait, what? Uh-oh.

"We had a moment." My eyes widen again. "What? How?!" I can't believe I'm hearing this from Wes and not Selena. I'm a little disappointed but, that's okay. We didn't meet each other so, yeah.

"Just yesterday, I went to visit Ellie's and while going home, Selena ran out of fuel so I offered her a ride and she agreed."

"And?" I look at him expectantly.

"And nothing. I ran out of fuel, too so Ellie dropped Selena while I walked home since I don't live from Ellie." I slump my shoulders.

"You call this- a moment?" I raise my eyebrow at him.

"Well, yes! Because knowing that she hates me, I thought she'd use some smarter comeback like 'oh, I'd rather die than be with you'" he tries to mock her tone but, I burst into laughter.

"That's not how she speaks. But do you want me to talk to her?" I ask. He immediately shakes his head and asks him why not?

"I'd like to be a real man and talk to her myself when I think I'm ready. But please, don't feel betrayed. You'll find someone better than me...Caleb, maybe?" He winks at me at Caleb's name.

"Caleb and I are friends. Nothing more. Nothing less." I blush at his name. Ugh, fucking hormones.

"Oh, please. I saw you walking together at the beach yesterday evening," he says and I widen my eyes.

"Right, Caleb?" What?

I look to find Caleb with his impassive expressions looking at me. What's wrong?

"He did see me but, chose to ignore," Wes winks at me again. Caleb rolls his eyes but, doesn't deny.

"Where is Charles?" I ask.

"He is not coming. My mom needs him to stay." Saying this, someone calls Caleb so he goes to meet whoever that guy was. I watch an Asian guy talk to Caleb until a girl walks to him. She smiles and flips her black hair. She is wearing extremely short dresses. Ugh, why does she even wear clothes? Beside her are two of her friends whom I assume to be her sidekicks.

Caleb is standing there with his usual poker face while the black-haired girl gently cups his face with one hand. Anger and jealousy splashes all over me. I take a deep breath and stomp toward them.

"Hey, Caleb. I wanted to talk to you about something," I intervene them. Caleb looks at me with amusement filled in his eyes. The girl sticks closer to him.

"Oh hey, didn't see you there. I mean, I didn't want to see you of course," I smirk at her and she gives me a glare.

"You must be...I don't know. Who are you exactly?" She fake smiles.

"I am someone of a much higher level than yours. Amber," I say. She chuckles.

"Do you really think you have higher standards than mine? Look at your hideous extra-large clothes." She eyes my white oversized hoodie.

"That's because I don't have to wear tiny clothes to show my body because my personality doesn't suck as yours do." Caleb smiles genuinely.

"Caleb is not interested in you, alright? Stop trying to impress him." She grabs his arm and pulls him closer.

I eye the proximity between them. "I wonder who is really trying to seek attention." She looks at him and quickly backs away.

"Shut up, slut," she yells and Caleb scowls at her. "Don't say anything to her, Cherry. Go away," he orders. She looks at me for one last time and walks away. Since I achieved my goal of pushing her away, I turn around to leave but, Caleb clutches my waist and pulls me toward him. Our chest clashes and he carefully slides his hand and grabs my other side of the neck where I didn't have a scar.

"I like the jealous, Amber." He tries to hide the laughter that he is trying to hold.

"I wasn't jealous," I lie. He raises his eyebrow at me and answers in a sarcastic manner. "Sure, you weren't." There was a long silence between us. We both hold each other like it meant the world until I made the most stupid mistake. I opened my damn mouth.

"Where is this haunted house?"

He is taken aback by my question as he quickly withdraws himself away from me. His soften gaze turns into a poker face again. Without uttering any other word, he walks away. I call him out but, he ignores me.

Well, damn me.

(How are y'all?)