Stage Fright

Chapter 20 ~ Parking Lot Meltdown

Josh

"I can't believe you talked me into that." I mumble, running my hand up the side of my neck to my now studded ear.

"Why not? You told me last weekend that you were thinking about getting one of your ears pierced! I've wanted to get my cartilage pierced for weeks, it was killing two birds with one stone." Heather insists, walking back to the car with an armful of bags.

This day with Heather had been unreal, new shoes, a Polo shirt, she bought me another ring and she insisted on paying for me to get my ear pierced. I kept begging her to let me cover some of it, but when I'd turn around she'd already gone and paid for it.

"God, I think it looks great." She insists. "Don't you?"

"I guess so, I'm just trying to get used to it." I admit. She giggles a bit and unlocks her car as both of us slide in.

"It think it's cool when guys are secure enough to wear jewelry." She tells me with certainty. I smile a bit at that. I didn't really know what to call my look, but it wasn't that annoying wholesome white-guy thing that the douchebags at school rocked. "It's pretty small, plus if you hate it, just take it out."

"You're right." I admit and she smiles. She starts the car and I watch her phone screen light up with what must be somewhere around fifty texts. "Are those important?" I ask pointing to her phone.

"No." She tells me. "It's everyone at school wondering why I took Zeke off my Instagram, everyone wants the inside scoop and I'm not going to give it to them."

"So......you're really done?" I ask and she nods.

"I......I don't know how I'd ever forgive him for it." She tells me, sounding sad. "But honestly, we've been fighting all month, he hasn't been making me happy anymore. I don't know if I ever liked him that much or if I just......" She fades out, looking at the edge of her sleeve that's starting to ride up. She quickly covers the dark bruise again. "God what was I thinking?"

"Don't blame yourself." I tell her quietly. "He knew you were looking for trouble Heather, he knew you were dealing with personal stuff and he took advantage of you." I remind her and she nods. "I'm sorry I wasn't here this summer." I whisper and her head snaps up and she shakes it back and forth.

"This isn't your fault either." She insists. "Josh, even if you were I would have been way too stubborn to come to you. I......really thought you weren't ever going to be my friend again after we went our separate ways." She admits and then looks away, staring out the windshield of the car. "But everyone kept telling me not to date him, that he was too dangerous. I didn't want to listen." 

"He didn't deserve you." I tell her quietly and her eyes widen.

"What?" She asks and I feel my heart leap into my throat.

"Heather........you're incredible." I tell her and she looks away, cheeks flushing. "You're a really good person, I've never met anyone as nice as you. God......you make everyones' days better. Including mine." I tell her and she smiles a bit, looking embarrassed. "I don't want to watch you put yourself down over someone who isn't worth it." I tell her very honestly.

"Did.......you always feel like this about Zeke?" She asks quietly. "Or are you saying it to make me feel better."

"I won't lie and say that I liked watching you be with Zeke." I tell her and she nods. "Watching him pull you around and yell at you, it scared me. I can't even imagine what it felt like for you." I whisper and she nods. 

"I always thought he'd get it, you know?" She whispers quietly, fiddling with her hands in her lap. "I thought I could change him, that his look would keep freaking my dad out, but he would end up being nicer with me." She admits. "He's grabbed my arms pretty roughly a few times but.....I've never seen him the way he was last night." She tells me. "It made me question so many things about who I'd been dating and how I hadn't noticed he was like this before."