Stage Fright

Chapter 17 ~ Six Month Anniversary

☆ Warning! Some themes in this chapter may be disturbing for some readers, read at your own discretion ☆ 

Heather

I really, really, hope things are going to be better today. It's Friday and it's mine and Zeke's six month anniversary.

I hadn't seen much of him since he left my house two days ago, after he rolled his eyes at my music room and asked me what the big deal was. He didn't apologize for how he acted with me, but had things been the other way around I know I would have been forced to.

This was what got me when it came to being with Zeke, he had all of the power in our relationship. I had to fight him every step of the way just to get a small little inch to do things my own way. I didn't know why he even wanted to be with me that badly when we fought all the time. Zeke needed someone who he could control, and that person wasn't me.

"What time are you done this stupid practice tonight?" Zeke huffs from his spot next to mine at the lunch table. I shrug my shoulders, trying to pretend I wasn't weighing the pros and cons of our relationship.

"Probably around six?" I suggest. 

"Isn't there any way you can skip it?" He asks and I furrow my eyebrows.

"No, I have to be there. It's just like your practices-"

"No it's not." He laughs and I feel my stomach knot up. "You don't give a shit about this musical, you're just doing it because you don't have any other choice."

I sigh at that. Sure that was how it started, but now that I was in it I was really enjoying it. I'd considered doing something like the musical all throughout high school. But I was in a different crowd, I didn't want anybody to know about my secrets or for me to embarrass myself. I was really having fun doing the musical, and Zeke's constant put-downs were really starting to get annoying. 

"No I'm not." I tell him. "I told you, I want to be doing this and I'm having fun." I tell him firmly. 

"Yeah having fun messing around with Josh." He mumbles and I grit my teeth.

"I'm not messing around with Josh, how many times do I have to say it!" I say angrily. It wasn't entirely true, but I liked to think of that kiss as more of a direction from Miss Young.

"But you're kissing him and putting your hands on each other." He tells me. "It sounds like cheating."

"There are lots of people who have girlfriends and boyfriends who are actors or stage performers that kiss other people!" I insist, crossing my arms. "I still care about you, it's our six month anniversary, can we stop this argument for one fucking day?"

"Whatever." Zeke says. 

We'd been fighting way too much, way, way too much. It had never been blissful happiness with Zeke, but at least in the beginning I wasn't wanting to tear my hair out all the time. I keep thinking things will change, that he'll finally figure it out, but he just keeps letting me down. 

It was always this way with the guys I dated, I'd keep waiting for things that just weren't going to happen. It broke my heart.

"What are we doing tonight?" I ask quietly, trying to change the subject.

"Dinner, then we'll go back to your place." He says quietly and I gulp.

I didn't want him to come back to my place, I didn't want to mess around with him. I knew that if that was where we went together, things would end up getting out of hand. 

"Alright." I mumble. 

"I'll get you at seven." He tells me and I sigh. "Dress nice."

"Obviously." I answer back and he rolls his eyes.