When Love Hurts

When Love Hurts- Chapter Six- Jealously

There were footsteps running behind me as i continued walking to the nurse office. I turned around thinking it was Dan only to find it is Bruce. He catch up to me and looked at me worriedly.

"What happened, Ashley? Do you know how worried all of us were? You're freaking us out!" Bruce scolded me but i just gave a bored look.

"I'm fine. Please go back to class, Bruce. I need you to tutor me for all the classes that i'm going to miss." I waved him off and tried to walk away but he grabbed my shoulders.

"What happened to you and Dan? Pam called me yesterday saying that Dan lost you when both of you went out yesterday." I rolled my eyes at Bruce and licked my dried lips before answering him.

"It's nothing. It's just fucked up relationship here and there and i'm sick of it. Just help me tell Dan i'm sorry." I pulled his hands away from my shoulders but he grabbed my hands instead.

"You tell him. I'm not your messenger and i could tell that Dan is going crazy with your disappearance last night. If it isn't Mrs Thorn threatening him that she'll expel him, he would have rushed out. She only allowed me to go because i'm your partner." I sighed and looked at him in the eye. Bruce continued looking at me with eyes that i couldn't figure out. I couldn't tell whether he is angry or worried or whatever.. I yanked my hands out of his grip and rubbed it down my face.

"Okay, i'll tell him myself. I really needed a rest now so can i go?" I stared impatiently at Bruce who nodded his head at me. He looked at me like he didn't know me, there was this weird expression on his face that made my stomach lurched. Maybe i really changed into something unrecognisable. I turned around and walked into the nurse's office, finding myself being kicked out within a few minutes. The nurse excused me for two days and told me to get plenty of rest. I looked around but Bruce was not there anymore. I walked out of school and took a cab on the road back home.

I had plenty to explain when Pam appeared in my room with a scowl on her face. She decided to keep her temper because i looked sick, no, i was really sick actually. The lack of sleep and coldness of the night made me had a fever. Not mentioning the emotional stress i've been feeling for the past few weeks. Pam sympathised with my situation but she said i owed an apology to both Bruce and Dan. I apologised to her and messaged to Bruce and Dan with a simple explanation and an apology. Pam was unhappy with my tardy handling of the situation with them but kept her mouth shut. She knew that if she pushed me any further i would clam up. Avoiding them entirely. I rejected when Bruce wanted to visit me and I ignored Dan's call, telling Pam to handle him for me. I sounded like a heartless and selfish bitch but i really couldn't face them right now. Pam would visit me every other day as my rest stretched. From two days to a week and today, it was already fifteen days since i holed up at home. My Dad didn't say much but asked me to help with some of the admin work which he brought home. I had recovered from my sickness but for my heart, it is still in turmoil. Even all those counselling sessions with Pam i still didn't know how to deal with Dan, it felt like a dead end for me. Pam had enough of me hiding at home so she threaten me that she'll tell the school that i'm skipping school when i'm jumping around and stuffing pizzas in my face days ago. I obeyed her and the next day, i went back to school.

"Oh god, is that you Ashley?" I heard a girl from one of my classes talking to me when i walked up to my locker. I nodded and suddenly a small circle was formed around me.

"You lost so much weight! You're already slim but now you're skinny!" A girl with a scratchy voice said. I remembered her slightly from the party, she was playing the truth and dare as well that night. I smiled at her and excused myself from them as they continued their meaningless gossip. I walked forward mindlessly until i bumped into a chest.

"Ashley." Dan said when i looked up to him. I was shocked for a moment as i didn't know how to talk to him anymore. He stared intently into my eyes as i continued clamming my mouth shut. He hugged me tightly before releasing me.

"I'm sorry, Dan" I said as tears started to well up in my eyes again. I wanted to walk away but he stopped me.

"I'm sorry too. You don't need to avoid me anymore. I'm still trying to get over you, but we can still be friends." He smiled at me but the guilt just piled up in my heart.

"Oh, Dan.." I trailed off and hugged him hard. He hugged me back and when he released me his eyes were slightly red. I touched his face, repeating i'm sorry over and over until he smirked. He slung his arm over me like old times and we walked together into class, finding Bruce staring at us. Bruce smiled at me but i could see something pass between Dan and him as they looked at each other. I settled into my usual seat, between both of them and Bruce laughed.

"Finally you came to school. Did you know that Dan and I had to stand the harassing of the girls when you're gone?" Bruce finished with a glint in his eyes. I rolled my eyes and smiled.

"Yeah right. Attacked by the alien hoards of females species because they can't stand both of your charms." Dan chuckled at my comment while Bruce nodded.

"That's right. They just couldn't get their hands off us." I snorted while both Dan and Bruce laughed. Mr Kingsley walked in right then and started our Biology class, ignoring our laughter that died down, fast. Throughout the whole morning periods, i'm still cooped up in my thoughts about Dan. I glanced at him only to find him seriously involved in class or catching me glancing at him. I twiddled with my pen and lost touch of it and it falls to the floor. Bruce picked it up and handled it to me, giving me a grin.

"You're sneaking peeks at Dan too much." Bruce whispered to me. I looked at him frowning and leaned closer to him.

"I'm still worried about him. Did Pam tell you anything?" Bruce shook his head and i sighed. It would be embarrassing for Dan if Bruce knew that i rejected him. I smiled when Bruce tried to push me to tell him and i stuck out a tongue at him. The rest of the day ended with nothing happening in particular except that Dan disappeared during lunch time. Bruce kept looking at me weirdly after Dan's disappearance, and i gave him a 'what' gesture but he just ignored me. Bruce came by my house for the next few days tutoring me over the classes that i've missed which was quite ironic because i'm supposed to be the tutor. I laughed at that thought everytime Bruce came by my house and nicknamed him 'The Tutor' from the movie Beastly. There was a weird tension between Dan and Bruce but i still didn't know why. That nagging thought is pushed out of my mind when i saw Dan the next week. Crushed against some girl that i couldn't see clearly. I looked away hurriedly as i felt a weird twist in my stomach, shoving the thought that few weeks ago, that had been me who was being kissed away.

Up next- Chapter 7 Hooking Up With Someone Else