𝐆𝐋𝐔𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 || #𝟏

Chapter 19

I take Tina's hand and lead her away, small tears in my eyes that I quickly blink away. Tina looks intrigued, and wonders if it's really Alexis before I push her away for good and we head down the shopping center.

"Was that Alexis?"

"Yeah."

-- ------ --

The loud music booms over everything as I sit alone in the corner with Lorelei and Emily. Alexis (for some reason) had decided to invite us to her birthday party which involved girls wearing super revealing crop tops, skirts that barely covered anything or see through jeans. Lorelei had worn some black leggings and a black sweater, while Emily wore a whole cat ensemble.

I, however, did not bother with what I wore. None of my clothes matched, and to be honest I'm fine with that because clothes aren't really my thing and I'm probably gonna leave soon.

I definitely wanna leave, especially after boys started scooping up cups of fruit punch from the table, and throwing it at unsuspecting girls. They all started crying about how their makeup would soon go streaky, or something about how their fake tans were going to be ruined.

Emily and I started shuffling away when Angel got near with a red cup, purple juice tipping at the sides. Lorelei didn't move at all, and sat at her seat playing minecraft on her phone.

Bad move, she ended up getting drenched in punch. Liquid sliding down her hair as her sweater slowly started to dry out.

She left about an hour ago with her dad. She said she should come back but she hasn't come back since. Later, she texted me and told me that her pet iguana got sick and they had to take it to the vet.

Lorelei doesn't even have a pet iguana.

"This party kinda sucks, do you just wanna leave and have dinner somewhere else?" I boredly asked Emily.

"Yeah sure," she agreed.

We got up from our chairs, carefully making a point to avoid the girls 'dancing' which just turns out to be jumping on the spot. At one point, a girl's arm swung around and clocked Emily in the head. Emily started telling her off, and told me that she would see me at the exit. Then it was up to me to avoid the swaggering arms of people waving around like crazy.

Just as I was about to make it to the exit, to freedom, something wet and cold is splashed onto me and drips down my shirt. My shirt sticks to my skin as people around me react and pull away from me.

A couple of girls stifle a giggle, and when I get over my shock and look at the source of it all, Alexis holds a red cup in her hand grinning at me.

"Sorry."

And with that, I run out of there, pushing the two girls perched at the entrance, both gossiping their lives away while meanly cackling. I can hear the calls of Emily, but I continue running. I keep on running until I can't anymore, and I sit down on the dry grass, resting my back on the tree trunk. I catch my breath, and a couple of minutes later Emily catches up with me and sits down on the opposite side.

"Really sorry about what happened," she panted. "Are you okay?"

I don't know why, but when Emily asked me that, tears started accumulating in my eyes. My vision blurs for a second, and before I know it, hot splashes of water are dropping onto my hands. "Yeah, I'm fine."

The slight quiver in my voice gave everything away. Emily rushes over to my side, and pulls me in for a half hug.

"It's okay..." She comforts, her arms around me tight.

"It's not," I sniff. My breaths were becoming deeper as I continued on. "It's really not."

"Hey, will Alexis be anything to you in 5 years?" She soothingly says. "You probably won't even talk to each other. Alexis is just a weed in your garden. You're letting her grow onto you and it's affecting you."

"I don't know how to pull her out though."

"You don't have to do it immediately, but you should soon. Just cut off all connections with her. Get rid of the glue."

We stay still for a moment before Emily lets go of me, scuffling around inside her purse and pulling out a tissue; drying my tears that were running down my face.

"It'll be okay."

And that's the thing. I know it'll be okay, but right now it's not okay. Emily sits by me again, and we both stare at the night sky in silence. My sniffles, slowly going away as time passes by.

"We should probably go home soon. I told my mum I'd meet her at 8."

Looking over at the watch strapped to my wrist, I realise she is right. It's 7:41, and knowing her mum, she'd be 10 minutes early just in case Emiily really needed to desperately go. Or it was because her mum liked being early and punctual, but either way, she always arrived super early.

Emily gets up to leave, and gives me one last reassuring smile.

"It's okay."

And with that she leaves me behind, the cold air brushing through my hair as I start to relax. But soon footsteps start to register in my ears, and someone lays down on the other side of the trunk.

"I heard what Alexis did. Sorry."

Right off the bat, I knew that voice.

"It's okay Shawn. You're not responsible for your girlfriends actions."

"She's not my girlfriend."

What? Alexis isn't his girlfriend now?

"You really like her, don't you?"

"At first I hated her, too mean for me. But then I realised that she was really a nice person underneath everything, and she was just being defensive. She told me that when she was younger, she had a really toxic best friend that caused her to have trust issues."

Does that sound familiar to me? Yes, it does. Because that's basically my life story, but I don't feel mad. I just find it kind of funny.

"Well, she'll probably be wondering where I am. Goodnight Jas."

"Night Shawn."

The same tingly warm feeling takes place in my heart, and a small smile tugs at my lips. But another set of footsteps approach me, and this time I know it's someone different.

"You okay?" Luke concerningly asks. "I saw Shawn, he didn't give you any trouble did he?"

"No, he was actually really nice."

"Great."

Luke's voice was so bitter when he said that. His voice was filled with so much hatred and rage, his posture stiffening. Tension in the air so thick you wouldn't be able to cut it with a knife.

"Are you okay?"

"Do you like Shawn?" He bluntly asks.

"What?"

"Jasmine, I've seen the way you've acted around him. You like him."

"I don't, I promise. I like someone else."

"Who?"

"You," I blurt.

Part of me feels like that's a lie. But another part of me doesn't.

When did my life get so confusing?

"Well," he said, happier, "Jasmine. Will you officially go on a date with me?"

"Yeah."