Volume III: It's Not About You

Fight: Part 1

It started out with a smile here and a wave there. I noticed it right away, the way Peter looked at her. It was different lately, as if he actually noticed her. I could tell right off something was bubbling within him.

Soon, it became something more as Peter started spending time with her. She was becoming a good friend. I wasn't happy. I wanted him to have other friends, sure, but I knew he didn't see her that way, and I could tell that wasn't her intention when she started talking to him.

She was a nice girl, but she had a huge crush on my boyfriend, and that made me despise her. Jealousy started taking over me whenever they were together. I couldn't stand being around them. Peter seemed to want to be around her more, and around me less. I couldn't take it. The thought of losing him was more than I could bear.

I thought it all over as he sat in my room, texting on his phone. I watched him smile and readjust on the bed as he did.

I took in a deep sigh. "Peter?" I asked. However, he didn't seem to hear me. He smiled a bit at his phone, turning and laying on my bed as if it was his own. I sighed again, frustratedly this time. "Peter?" I spoke again. No response. "Peter!!!" I nearly screamed, making him jump and look at me.

"Whoa, hey, you don't have to scream, Kate. I'm right here," he replied, seemingly annoyed.

"Obviously I do," I said. "You weren't answering me. It's so unlike you."

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you."

I scoffed a bit. "Wait, wait, wait, you didn't hear me? I'm sitting five feet away from you and you didn't hear me until I screamed your name?"

"Geez, I'm sorry Kate," he said with a sigh, sitting up and looking back down to his phone.

"There you go again. You're always on your phone. Why is that? What's so much more important than me?"

Peter rolled his eyes, typing something, then locking his phone and throwing it across the bed. "Fine, there, happy?" He growled.

I crossed my arms, a scowl on my face. I looked at him, then to his phone. I lunged for it, grabbing it and holding it away from him. "What are you hiding?"

"Kate, give it back! I'm not hiding anything!" He exclaimed, reaching for his phone.

"No," I stated simply, unlocking it using my thumbprint. It came up to a conversation between him and her. I ran out of the room, but Peter shot a web at me before I could get far. I held the phone close to my chest in desperation. He tried to get it from me, but I wouldn't let him. My will was too strong. I conjured a weapon, turning myself around and cutting his webs before running off. He webbed me again, but this time only hit my cloak. I pushed it off my shoulders, escaping to the bathroom and locking the door before he could follow.

I opened the conversation again, sitting against the door as tears filled my eyes.

Peter
Hey Syd

Sydney
Hey Pete
What's up?

Peter
Not much
Just hanging at Kate's

Sydney
What are you two doing?

Peter
Nothing really. She's being boring

Sydney
Well you could come over to my place instead 😉

Peter
That sounds a whole lot better

Sydney
Then just make an excuse

Peter
She's mad I gtg

I was steaming. I could tell she didn't want him for who he was. She wanted something else. I hated the way he talked about me. I hated how she called him "Pete." I hated that he didn't like being around me anymore.

I heard banging on the door, but I didn't care. I cried, standing and looking at myself in the mirror. I was pathetic. My face was red and blotchy, like it always was when I cried. My head was pounding as I ugly sobbed. Unhappy thoughts ran through my mind until I cried myself dry. I almost hyperventilated myself in the process, ending up sitting once more so I wouldn't hurt myself if I passed out.

Peter continued banging on the door until I heard my father's voice outside of the door. He said something to Peter, then knocked gently on the door with a sigh. "Katelyn?" He asked gently. "Please come out here."

I didn't respond, tears still rolling down my face. I took in deep breaths so I wouldn't pass out, though I didn't care if I did or not at that point.

"Katelyn, please," my father said. "Tell me what's going on."

I took Peter's phone in my hands, taking a screenshot of their conversation and sending it to my phone, then deleting all my evidence. I stood with Peter's phone in hand, locked. Opening the door, Peter immediately took to glaring at me, while my father was gently looking at me. I handed Peter his phone, which he snatched straight away. "Leave," my raspy voice said.

"What?" He asked, looking up to me with confusion.

"I said leave!" I growled, pointing down the stars. "Get out!"

"Fine, this place is disgusting anyways," he said, storming away.

My father looked to me, shocked, before I pulled up the screenshot on my phone, handing it to him. I collapsed into his free arm, sobbing again. He held me gently, then held me a bit tighter as he finished reading. I wept as he held me, gently stroking my hair and rubbing my back. He gently shushed me, then led me downstairs. He had me sit at the table, in which I put my head down into my arms, too tired to cry anymore.

Soon, I smelled food cooking. I got up, blowing my nose, then washing my hands. I grabbed a blanket from my room, then sat in my seat again as my father set down a plate of chicken and biscuits in front of me. I looked up at him, as he'd never cooked like this before. He smiled a bit. "I've been trying to learn like your mom used to cook for me. I hope it's good," he said with a small chuckle. "It was her favorite thing to make me, especially when I was upset."

He sat across from me with his own plate and we both began eating. I smiled and let out a gentle sigh. "Dad... This is amazing..."

"Probably not as good as Krista's, huh?"

"It's perfect," I replied, putting a hand on his arm. He smiled back and we enjoyed a nice home cooked meal for the first time.