Chapter 10: Chapter 10

Life was good.

Very good. She had Chad’s attention. But she didn’t know for how long. And she didn’t know if she was the only one with him currently. This would be a very good time for advice, but she wouldn’t talk to Jason. She would rather cut her hair and put it in soup. Then proceed to eat it.

They were in the same class, but she could ignore him. The problem was how to keep Chad Sterling’s entire focus on him. The internet wasn’t so helpful right now. She needed a boy’s point of view. And she couldn’t ask Chad himself. She knew other girls would be flocking around ever since that public kiss. She heard them talk in class, also when she walked by.

And the stupid who…girls also did so in earshot. They could do whatever, but she was the one being driven home by Chad and not them, so HAH! But the mystery still remained. Was he meeting someone else after he dropped her off?

It was killing her. She had made the mistake of telling Chad she liked him, and she didn’t know how he felt about her. But that conversation they had in his car was still weird. It felt like Chad Sterling, the voice of the skateboarders’ revolution, handsome, athletic, and brave, and so much more didn’t feel so sure of himself.

It was oddly specific. She wondered if that was how he felt when he got with a girl. She wondered if she stood that. If that made her have something other girls didn’t. And on a plus note she was flexible. She would get to find out today.

Chad said he was going to take her out on a proper date. All the time they interacted it was over the phone, or in his car. Today, they could actually go somewhere and do it the way it was meant to be. And she had no one to tell.

That made her a little sad.

She didn’t have Adriana’s number. Her sister had their mum’s number, but she wasn’t sure her mum had it saved. And on another note, she couldn’t find her sister’s social media accounts. Still trying to keep that away from her mum by not using her name. Her mum didn’t just leave her phone around, and even if she did she needed the password.

She would always tell him. Jason.

She refused to turn around because she knew he was there. He probably wasn’t bothered. He was a guy. And he had a lot of friends so he would be occupied. And she was the one who said don’t he shouldn’t come close.

But she didn’t know why it was affecting her so much. She was used to being alone. But now it felt different. Really different. It had become a habit. Telling him everything filled her with happiness. She could be free with him. She had gotten used to it, and had cut it off with her own hands.

She felt sad.

She still remained even if the numbers dwindled. Chad had said ‘Stay put. I’m coming to get you’. And she was waiting. She wondered where they were going to go.

He didn’t know why he was waiting. The girls had been talking and he gave replies, but they could see he wasn’t into it as they were. But they still stayed. He had no idea why.

Chad walked in and some of the girls chorused, “Hey Chad”.

“Girls” he waved, but he walked to Kelly. She was smiling at him. Everything just happened yesterday. And she was still ignoring him. She actually left him on read.

“Kelly” Chad said.

She stood up, placing her bag on her back. “Ready to go?”

“Yes” she replied.

They both walked out, and then the girls began to talk.

“Just a wardrobe change seemed to give her confidence to go after Chad”.

“Wasn’t she hanging out with you before?” the leader asked.

“I used to give her rides. We don’t stay far from each other” he explained packing his books.

“So she was using you to get to Chad” the second in rank said bemused, her eyebrows making fast up and down movements. “What a….”

He stood up abruptly before she could finish.

“See you girls” he said walking out immediately. As he walked out, he couldn’t see the two of them anymore. Texting wouldn’t do it. He knew he would have to talk to her.

“Pizza” she said puzzled.

“What? Are you vegetarian? There’s vegetarian pizza if you don’t like…..”

“No” she cut him off. “I just didn’t expect it. I thought because you were on the track that you would be some kind of health nut. Like footballers”.

“Pizza isn’t healthy I’ll admit. I don’t indulge in my cravings, but I do have cheat days. Twice a month to give into my basic urges”.

She understood. She didn’t eat a lot of junk food. Her mum didn’t want that in her house, but she indulged when she could. When they were still together, the three of them they could get ice-cream. Adriana had taken her out sometimes and had gotten her some stuff. They had to hide to do that like they were criminals. Mum was really strict.

It only became constant since she started hanging out with Jason.

They got a table and she knew that Chad wanted to enjoy his cheat day to the fullest. A medium sized meaty pizza. It was mouthwatering.

“I can’t help but feel I kept talking about myself all the time” she said after taking a huge bite. “Don’t want to come off as self-absorbed, but I like you telling you about me. So tell me about you” she suggested.

“I really thought you’d know about me. You said you like me” she loved how his voice became soft at the end. It was cute, but his tone especially the way he said Jason’s name.

“I like you” she couldn’t take it back now. “And…..you?”

“I’m Chad Sterling. I don’t have a nickname, and my acronym is said to be really unfortunate….”

She laughed at that when she went over it.

“Yeah hilarious” he agreed. “High school athlete, want to go professional with that. I believe I’m good looking. Blonde and brown eyes do it for you, yes?” he awaited.

“Yes it does it for me” she giggled.

“I hang out with friends on my free time. And my hobbies” he stopped to think. “I am a pretty good cook”.

“An athlete who can cook” she stated pouting her lips in thought. “I certainly don’t see much of that”.

“Are you being sarcastic?” he squinted his eyes at her.

“Why would you think that?” she squinted her eyes back.

“Experience” he shrugged. “That’s all about me”.

“Well you already know about me. Or do you want me to keep going on and on about myself?” she licked her legs a little, touching his ankle.

“Well I do like watching your mouth move. When you’re talking and when you’re not talking” he smirked touching her ankle with his feet too. “You’re an interesting girl I have to admit, and I still want to see how flexible you are”.

She was looking forward to her.

“You’re interesting, and I would like to see how this goes. Where it takes us”.

It wasn’t a relationship, but she would take it. That was all she was going to get she was sure. She wouldn’t push for more. But if they were seeing where this took them that means other girls were involved. She just couldn’t start pushing for commitment. Baby steps. Slow. She didn’t want to scare him off so soon.

“I’d like that as well” she didn’t want to show how happy she was on their first real date that wasn’t in his car. Because if she grinned widely, he could get an inkling that she had been looking forward to this for a long time. That she was weirdo.

That she had nothing better to do than to wait till sophomore year for him to notice her.

They continued with their date. And he wasn’t like some people that asked her so much questions when she was dropped off.

And after that it was dates, more dates, and many more dates after their first one. She didn’t know she was a good multitasker. She didn’t have Chad pick her up though. She took the bus instead. She could still handle the wardrobe change even if she no longer had a ride, and she had gotten good at making up excuses to her mum with her being out more than usual.

And now she was in her room looking at her phone. Back to it being one person she talked to. Chad had things to do. He wasn’t a loser like her. She just had homework, then she had jobs to do to make up for what she had spent when she went shopping for clothes.

Well she couldn’t complain. It had worked. It had worked really well.

Chad wasn’t online as she’d like. So she was here staring at her phone, playing games that had been suggested. Once the ad played and she liked it, she would download it. She had also gotten to find out that ads lie.

While waiting for the game to load, she went back to her messages. Staring at the two chats she had. She missed talking to Jason really. A lot of things had happened between them that she wanted to share, but she wouldn’t be the one to text first.

Well she had left him on read, so he wouldn’t be so keen on texting again. She would have to be the one to text. But he had to apologize. After what he had said. He had been the one to start the argument when there was none to begin with.

Everything had been fine between them, but he just had to destroy it. She groaned and then she went back to her game.

The knock came once. Her mum always moved quietly. She turned it off quickly and pushed it underneath her pillow, but couldn’t get her book fast enough before her mum walked in.

“Kelly” her mum said from the door. She leaned against the frame folding her arms.

“Mum. Good afternoon” she said softly. Luckily she dressed like she did normally when she was at home. She had come close to slipping up when she was at home.

“How long are you going to keep lying?”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying” she said puzzled.

“Don’t lie” she said. “You fell asleep with the light on and I came to turn it off, and I saw the phone on your bed”.

“Oh….I decided to get a phone”.

“And when were you going to tell me?” she asked quietly.

“It’s not like I was l lying, you just never asked, and we never talked about me not having a phone”.

“I still feel like you should have told me”” she said with her face stoic.

“And when you saw it, why didn’t you say anything?”

“Stop trying to turn this around” she sighed massaging the bridge of her nose. “You had a phone and you didn’t tell me. I was doing your laundry, and I saw trousers I didn’t by you fall out of your clothes. So I really wonder what else you could be doing”.

“I wouldn’t have to lie if you let me do all this” she said sitting up, getting her legs off the bed. This should be their first real conversation after so long. Not her mum telling her what to do, not her mum telling her what she expected from her.

“With everything that happened with Adriana, I thought you would know better”.

“I’m not doing anything wrong!” she raised her voice. “Okay I bought a phone, I got clothes. Please tell me what you think I’m doing. Tell me how much little faith you have in me”.

“I had faith in you. A lot of faith that you wouldn’t do what your sister did. But I see a phone, clothes. Who knows what else you could be hiding” she said tersely.

“I’m not hiding anything” she grumbled.

“Then explain your frequent outings. I have the numbers of your employers, so think before you lie again” she warned.

“I’m doing what you’re scared of me doing. Living my teenage years, living my life the way I want. I don’t know what you’re scared of. If it was what Adriana did, it was because you kept stopping her from doing it. Yes she made a mistake, but if she doesn’t make that mistake now, when? When she’s thirty? That’s when she’ll get to start seeing life for what it truly is. That it’s unfair. That’s it’s not for the innocent. That it’s survival of the fittest. I learned from her mistake, and I’m not going to do it”.

“So this is what I get?” she asked unaffected by the passionate speech her daughter just gave. “That’s what I get from trying to protect you?”

“You’re caging us. And I don’t know why. You saw everything that Adriana was doing, and you said nothing. Why?”

“Kelly….”

“And that was a mistake on your part. And because of that you don’t want to do the same with me. Why didn’t you say anything then? Why now?” she stood up.

Mother and daughter just stared at each other.

“What are you protecting us from? We will still see all that one day” she breathed out. “So what mum?”

“We will talk about this when you are less emotional” she said leaning away from the doorframe. “Try not to be like your sister” and she closed the door.

Kelly screamed. She was so angry and wanted to throw something. But if she did, she would be the one to clean it up.

She walked to her closet and looked through her clothes. She had been careless. Her mum knew everything. She would be under constant surveillance. Her mum would be breathing down her neck. She didn’t want to be alone in the same house with her right now.

She changed her clothes.

She thought about going out just like that, just to irk her mum and make her think. But no. She couldn’t do that. She was still her mum despite the argument of earlier. She already thought the worse, she wouldn’t confirm it for her.

She got a simple dress and boots.

She put a sweater above and then tucked the bottom into her pants. She held her hair up and fell onto her bed, bouncing a little. She got her phone.

‘Hey Chad. I wanted to know if you’re free. Let’s hang out’.

She didn’t have to wait long for a reply.

‘I don’t really feel like going out. You want to hang out at my place?’

‘Sure. I’ll tell you where to come to pick me up’.

She made her way downstairs, and she could see her mum in the kitchen from the stairs. “I’m going to the park. Who knows if you have eyes there too” and she banged the door in anger.

As she just walked away from her house, then walked past another house before she took the sweater and the pants off. She hid them in some bushes. She’d wash them thoroughly when she got back. She had told Chad to come pick her up from the park.

She hadn’t gone to someone’s house ever since she began high school. So she was excited the first house she would be in would be Chad.

She was taken back when she entered his room. It was big, so boyish and beautiful. It complemented the owner.

“My sanctuary”.

“I love the blue” she said sitting on his bed comfortably. She took off her shoes and exposed herself to the cold air of his room.

He sat down beside her, falling onto his back. That shook the bed and she did the same. She snuggled into his side, and his arm came to rest under her head.

“For how long have you liked me?” he asked when she was done taking in his ceiling.

“For a while honestly” that was enough lies for now.

“And could you tell me why you like me?” his voice sounded so small.

“Well when I saw you riding through the halls on a skateboard when it was against the rules, it was so admirable. You were a role model at the time. So inspiring”. “And I couldn’t think of anyone better to like”.

“That was a long time ago” he said raising himself on his elbows.

“Yeah” she admitted her face flushed.

“That long?” he was surprised. “I haven’t been told that by any girl before. You’re….that’s pretty cute Blinch”.

“I try” she couldn’t look him in the face, so she settled for his chest.

“I’m really serious” he pulled her up. And she went along willingly with his movements. “I’m going to be honest. No girl has given me that as their reason before. You’re a first. And did you also know that I injured myself pretty bad. Injured my chin”.

“I heard” she laughed, then poked his chin. “Why does it sound so strange to you anyway? This isn’t the first time you’re sounding so….odd”.

“I’ll tell you a secret” he whispered.

She leaned against him, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Most of the girls that come around me just do it because of Jason” he said it with disdain. “Jason Angle. The lady killer. And since we’re friends, they think I’m the ticket to being in his social circle. But you’re different Kelly”.

She craned her neck to look up at him. She was happy that he was sharing this with her. She knew it must be hard being this vulnerable with her, but she was excited he took that chance. He took it with her. This really meant a lot.

“You actually like me for me” and he kissed her forehead. She wrapped her arms around his torso. Loving their closeness.

She gave him a peck on his lip. “I never liked Jason” she assured him.

“I know you didn’t. That’s why I chose you”.

That got her attention. “Chose me for what?”

He flinched. “Oh, yeah. Well you know Jason is called the lady killer and every girl falls for him. But I knew you were different, so I told Jason that you wouldn’t fall for him and his charm, but he said you would…..”

She flinched away from him. “I was a bet between the two of you?!” she yelled in alarm.

“At first….” She stood up getting her shoes. He panicked and held her arm pulling her down. “Please hear me out” he implored.

“No” she wanted to cry. “Would you even look at me if the two of you didn’t make the deal? I told you I liked you, you flirted with me……and Jason…..” what hurt was that he said that is intention was to be friends with her. It hurt because they bonded. She told him things. And in the end, he didn’t care. Did he make fun of her to his friends?

Chad too?

“I just wanted Jason to know that he isn’t some benevolent person that everyone loves. That he isn’t better. That not everyone will fall and succumb to his every word. I just didn’t expect to find someone who was really interested in me”.

“Still doesn’t change the fact that it was just a competition that made you look my way. It wasn’t me going out of my way, or stepping out of my comfort zone. You just didn’t want Jason to best you”.

“I’m sorry Kelly” he apologized.

And she believed him when he said that. She didn’t want to, but her heart wouldn’t let her. Now she saw why Jason was so against her getting together with him. But he had helped her. What did he hope to gain? That from all that she would fall in love with him?

Made sense actually.

“What was the bet you made?” she asked coldly.

“That he would make you fall for him. And you know what happens to every girl who falls for the lady killer”.

She nodded.

“I want in on it” she told him. She must not have been thinking when she said it, but she was not herself at the moment.

“What?” he quirked a brow.

“I’m upping the stakes. Double the money…..how much is it?”

“Five thousand dollars” Chad supplied.

That was the prize for falling for that asshole. “Ten thousand that I’ll put myself on a silver platter, and he’ll do nothing”.

Chad opened his mouth. “Are you sure? Jason is….you don’t know Jason”.

Unfortunately she did. She knew him so well. He had done it. She was right to be suspicious, but she had trusted him. Told him the story of her life. That ballet audition, the theatre, all their talks was just for her to fall.

Jason didn’t know what he had done.

He had done it.

And he would get it.

He really didn’t know how fragile she was, and these two had broken that fragility. Jason would get what was coming to him. She glanced at Chad who was giving her sad eyes. His intentions might have changed, but what wouldn’t change was how they got here.

Her mum was right. Boys did only want one thing.

She was like…..she had been a game for both of them in their free time.

“Do you forgive me?” he tentatively touched her hand.

“No” she said simply. “I’m going home now. I’ll see you later” she slipped her shoes on.

He stood up quickly after her. “Do you want me to drop you?” he offered.

“No. I know how to get home” and she walked out of his room. She completely ignored him when he followed after her. He was saying something, but she didn’t care. She had bonded with Jason than Chad, so the hurt was really deep.

He would pay.

Pay for pretending he cared.

He wanted her to fall, she would fall for him. They’d see what he would do.

Hell really had no fury like a woman scorned. And she was scorned.