EASTSIDE

06 .

SINCE THE RULES WERE
ALREADY SET, EVERYTHING
SHOULD GO ACCORDING
TO PLAN.

No sex, no PDA, no interfering with school work. Simple as that. She liked that. He felt like a side character in her story. That's how it was supposed to be.

She hadn't seen him in a couple of days, however. She talked to him on the phone two days ago but was too busy doing her calculus homework to be paying any attention to what he was saying. Most likely something about soccer. She didn't really care.

She walked out of her classroom to see Finn leaning against the lockers, waiting for her. The two made eye contact. "Fuck," she thought to herself. She had to go past him to get to her class.

She turned around and walked the other way, mixing in with the other students. Even far away, she could feel his presence behind her. How? Is this what being in a relationship feels like? Feeling intimidated every time you were near your boyfriend?

The long way was going to make her a couple of seconds late to class, but if it meant getting away from Finn, then so be it. She could see the classroom only a couple of feet away from her. She walked a bit faster, just in time for the bell to ring. She wasn't late. Thank God.

She sat in her seat, putting her bag on the floor, taking out her geography notebook and textbook. She felt her phone vibrate in her pants. She ignored it. No phones in class.

She reached for a pencil in her bag before feeling her phone vibrate again. She huffed silently before taking her phone out of her pocket and seeing two text messages from Finn.

We need to talk.
What the hell was that?

She wanted him to leave her alone. He knew the rules. It was the rules he even created.

I'm in class. Leave me alone.

She put her phone down, getting ready to pay attention before hearing another vibration.

We either talk after class, talk right now, or I'll pull you out of class. Your choice. I'm not playing.

She huffed. Why was he being so complicated?

I have a class after this. I can't talk after this one.

You're not playing me. Remember I told you I have someone in the office who tells me shit. You have lunch after this. I'm not joking around Pam. What's your choice?

This was not fair. She had the option to not want to be around him. He's being unfair.

You're being really unfair right now.

I don't care. Pick, or I'm picking for you and you won't like the choice I pick.

Fine. I'll talk to you after class. Leave me alone. I'm serious.

He didn't respond to that text. Finally. He left her alone. Why couldn't he just do that forever? Maybe this "relationship" wasn't a good idea. They were on two different sides of the road, and it seemed as if she was not willing to meet him in the middle.

―――――――――――――

The bell rang and Bayley watched as all her classmates put their stuff away and made their way out of the classroom. She didn't want to go. Could she be glued to the chair forever? She sighed as she put her materials away in her bag and got out of her chair.

She walked out of the room and saw Finn standing next to the doorway. The two looked at each other before Finn cocked his head to the end of the hallway, signaling her to follow her. "Let's go."

She followed him out of the school building, creating a separation between the two. He noticed it and stopped walking, making her bump into his back.

"Walk in front of me," he demanded. She stayed where she was. Why did he get to control her?

Noticing her disobedience, he turned around and stood behind her. "Walk." She rolled her eyes as she followed his instructions.

The two walked to his car, which was close to the back of the school building, near the soccer field. Finn unlocked the car and opened the passenger door for her. He was still mad at her and was being a gentleman.

Bayley sat down and he closed the door, making his way to the driver's side. He took her bag and put it in the back seat, and his keys in the cupholder, letting her know that they weren't leaving the school.

"Do you know why I'm upset right now?" He asked her, looking out the window. There were kids playing on the field, playing soccer. "I had to get to class. I'm sorry for not stopping to see you."

"I don't care about that. That's not what I'm upset about."

Bayley scrunched her face up. That's the only thing that was coming to her mind at the moment. She stayed silent, trying to understand why he was mad at her.

He looked at her, noticing her silence. He had an upset face with a hint of sadness and disappointment.

"The last time we talked, what did we talk about?" He asked. She thought back at the phone call they had two days prior to today. She couldn't remember. She wasn't paying attention to him.

He scoffs as her lack of conversation answered the question. "I told you I had a soccer game yesterday, did I not?" Oh, shoot. She remembered.

She was telling him how she was free of work and community service and she had completed her homework and her schedule was free. He told her to come and watch him play. She didn't show up.

"When you said you were coming, I was so excited. I mean, my girlfriend was coming to watch me play a game, against our rivals. The first fifteen minutes, I had just assumed that you just couldn't find parking or you lost track of time, so I didn't sweat it."

"Then thirty minutes, then an hour, and that's when it hit me," he looks at her. "My girlfriend wasn't coming. The only good thing that came out of that night was that we won. But you weren't even there to see it."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I forgot."

"That's not fair, Bayley," he raises his voice. "Look, I get it. This is your first relationship. But everyone knows that when you say you're going to do something, you do it. And then that shit you pulled last period just made me upset even more. You said that I wasn't being fair. You're the one not being fair. We've been together for, what, a week, and I feel like you aren't putting in the effort."

"That's not true," she retaliates. "I told you I'm busy with school."

"You weren't busy last night."

She sighed. "Finn. I know. I genuinely forgot. This is new to me. I'm trying to put in the effort, believe me. I'm really sorry for missing the game. I want this to work and I know you do too," she takes his hand, "you just have to give me time. Please."

He sighed. "We have to communicate. That's all I want. Just let me know about anything. Please," he says squeezing her hand. She nods. "I will. Hold me accountable if I don't." He nods. "You do the same."

She smiles as he grabs the keys in the cupholder. "Let's go get lunch," he says. She nods. "You have to promise me to go to the rest of your classes for the rest of the day."

He whines. "I don't want to." She smiles as she takes the back of his neck and pulls him in for a sweet kiss. The two pull apart, with smiles on their face. "Did that do some convincing?"

He shrugs. "I think you need to do it again," he smirks. She laughs as she goes back and kisses him again. The kiss was slow, sweet, and slightly sensual. She pulled away, with a pink face. "How about now?"

He kisses her nose. "Fine. I'll go to classes. As long as I can get more kisses like that from you."

She smiles. "Anytime, princess."

[ edited 08-13-2021]
[ word count 1369 ]