Gentry's Chance

Chapter 17. Complicated

Taytum's POV

I've been sitting in the parking lot trying to start my car for the last hour. I tried calling Aunt Laura. She didn't answer. It's now midnight. I'm probably walking home. The last person I try is Chance. To my astonishment, he answers. 

"Hello?" He asks in a groggy voice.

"Chance," I squeak. My house is four miles across town, and I don't want to make that walk in the dark. 

"Tay? What's wrong?" He sounds more awake now.

"Are you sleeping?"

"I was. What's wrong?"

"I'm sitting in the parking lot at work. My car won't start. I don't know why. I've called everyone else. Nobody has answered. It's four miles home I don't really want to walk, but if you don't want to-" Chance cuts me off.

"Stay put. I'm coming," He says softly and hangs the phone up. I sigh, pulling the key from the ignition and tilting my head back against the seat. 

It surprisingly doesn't take Chance long to get to me even though he lives out of town. Emma is in the backseat when I get into the car. "Do you want me to look at it?" He asks. 

"No, it's late. I'll deal with it tomorrow. I'm so sorry you had to drag Emma out," I murmur. She's asleep in the back. 

"Don't worry about it," He yawns as he pulls out of the parking lot. "You can call me anytime. Better than you walking so far alone in the dark."

"Thanks," I murmur. "Can I ask you something?" I'm afraid to ask, but I have been throwing the idea around in my head all day. 

"Sure," He shrugs, not looking at me. 

"You'll be eighteen before senior year, right? You said you would be in July?" I ask.

"Yes," He knits his eyebrows together.

"Well, let's say we did get together. A lot of people have had long-distance relationships. Maybe you could come back-" He cuts me off by groaning.

"Come on, Tay. It's not going to happen. Most long-distance relationships do not work out. When I leave, I'm gone. I'm not coming back and have no intention of staying in touch with people here. It's just pointless to keep long-distance relationships of any kind," He growls.

"You see, Drew," I point out.

"Drew is different," He defends.

"How so?" I ask.

"He's my best friend, Tay. He is the only one I have kept contact with," He sneers.

"'Kay, so I'm just not as important because you haven't known me as long," I shrug. The knife in my heart twists at his words.

"Are you fucking-" He stops. "What?" He looks as if he's trying to wrap his mind around it.

"Look, I get he's your friend. I also get that for some reason. He wants you to stay away from me," I mutter.

"Damn it, Taytum! It's because he knows what will happen if we get to fucking close! You're making shit far more complicated than it ever needed to be! It's midnight. I don't even want to talk about this shit. I'm tired!" He booms. When I look back, Emma is staring at us in confusion. Chance pulls to the curb outside of my house. 

"Then let me uncomplicate it for you," I murmur. "I'll leave you alone."

His eyes are full of regret and irritation. I throw the car door open and jump out, slamming his door shut. I head up to the house as he pulls the car away. It is so frustrating. I'm not even important enough to him that he won't talk to me once he moves away? I've never met a more complicated guy. 

After showering, I put on some pajamas and crawl into bed. God only knows when I'm getting back out of this bed. My chest feels heavy. My breathing is erratic as I lay here I let the sadness overcome me. I feel like I'm being sucked into a dark hole of nothingness.

***

"Come on, get out of bed," Chapin hisses. She throws the blanket off of me. 

"No!" I growl throwing the blanket back over me. I've skipped school three days in a row and missed a day of work. I've also missed three practices. I'm on the verge of getting kicked off the dance team. 

"Come on he isn't your first heartbreak and he isn't going to be your last! You have been in bed for three days!" Chapin scolds me.

"But it hurts so much worse than the others," I murmur. 

She lowers herself down onto the bed lying beside me. She hugs me tightly and rubs my back. "That is why they call it a crush," She said. "Don't let him get the best of you."

"It was more than some crush Chapin," I growl. I turn over, throwing the pillow over my head. 

"You promised you were coming to my sleepover," Chapin pleads. I turn to face her. She's giving me her best pout face. I have to admit I feel bad about it. 

"Fine," I huff. "But you owe me."

She chuckles. "Deal." 

Chapin gives me time to shower and get my things ready for her sleepover. Once I'm ready we leave in her car. The last thing I want to do is hang out with a bunch of girls that are in happy relationships, but I promised my best friend. 

Once we're at Chapin's we head inside. We start getting everything ready to entertain the other girls. Lindsay, Kylie, and Claire are coming. Chapin goes to get the door when the girls get here. I wait quietly in her bedroom.

Kylie brought the alcohol and I brought the weed which I bought from Chance. Chance... A sharp pain courses through my chest. I grit my teeth and push the thought away. Within a matter of hours, we are all drunk and stoned out of our minds.

"Where'd you get this?" Kylie giggles.

"Chance," I snort and then laugh. This is the best I've felt in three days. Alcohol and weed are a good way to lighten a horrid mood. That isn't necessarily a good thing that is how you get alcoholics and drug addicts. 

All the girls fall over laughing on the bed. I've admitted to the girls that Chance refuses to date me because he will move away soon.

"Let's play a game," Kylie smirks. 

"Oh no way," I shake my head. "No truth or dare," I growl

"No, no, we're going to play 'Would you rather," Kylie said. "Except the rules are a bit different. When you receive a would you rather you have to pick one and actually do it."

The girls all quickly agree.

"I'm so not playing," I mutter.

"Chicken," Kylie teases.

"Ugh! I am not!" I sneer.

"Prove it," Claire presses.

"You go first," Lindsay smiles deviously.

"Fine," I shrug. "You're on." I've got a feeling this isn't going to be easy but I hate being called a chicken or coward because I'm not. 

"Would you rather get back with Adam or sext Chance," Kyle grins widely.

"Oh my god fuck you guys! I can't do either of those! Adam can suck my imaginary dick first of all. Secondly Chance isn't speaking to me," I sneer.

"He's not talking to you because you haven't talked to him. You guys got in one fight. Big deal. Get over it," Chapin smiles. 

"The same fight we're always getting into," I mutter.

"Take your pick," Claire chuckles. I want to jump off the bed and run out of the house. This isn't fair. 

"I have to get him to talk to me first," I mutter.

"If you try that is all that counts. If he doesn't talk back to you then you still complete the task," Lindsay promises.

"Deal," I sigh as I reach for my phone.