Unguarded Love

44-Gutter Ball

Persephone

I'm awoken by Peyton as she tries to violently shake me awake. 

"What's going on?" I ask, tiredly, trying to roll towards my wall. 

Peyton doesn't stop her assault, "Get up I need to tell you something important."

That's when it dawns on me that she wasn't even supposed to be here tonight, instead she insisted on staying the night at Brendan's. 

I turn to face her, my eyes drifting to my alarm clock that tells me it's only five in the morning. 

Wiping my hair from my face I turn on the lamp beside my bed. 

"I thought you were staying the night at Brendan's." I say and she sits down beside me. 

She's not crying so I take that as a good sign, but she doesn't look happy. 

"I did." Peyton tells me and I look around, "Unless Brendan's room looks like our dorm room I don't think you did."

She rolls her eyes, "Smart ass." I narrow my eyes and she continues, "Anyways I there's a reason I'm not there right now and the moment I got back here I had to tell you."

"tell me what?" I ask and she sighs, "I broke up with Brendan."

I think my ears might be deceiving me. I pinch my arm to see if this is a dream and when I feel the sting I know my dreams have become a reality. 

"Don't be dramatic, Seph." Peyton says as she watches me pinch myself again. 

I can't help it, I have been waiting for this day for years. It's like the Gods have finally answered my prayers. 

It must be because I let Phoenix have the last slice of pizza last night. 

"What happened?" I ask because something had to have happened in order for her to finally end things with Brendan Gack. 

"I finally found my worth, Seph." She tells me, "I finally realized that I couldn't keep dating a guy who put me down at every turn."

I hug her and I must take her by surprise because she freezes before hugging me back. 

"I'm proud of you, Pey." I say and I mean it. I don't care how long it took she's finally seeing what I've seen this whole time. 

This is the start of something good for her, I can feel it. She deserves better than someone like Brendan. 

"So how are we going to celebrate?" I ask and she groans, "Do we need to?"

A snort escapes me, "Girl you finally dumped Brendan, I'll spend all my saving and take you to the Bahamas if you want."

She smiles, "Or we could just go bowling." She offers and I nod, "Deal."

* * * 

Later that day I invite Asa to go bowling and it turns into a whole group of us going, Tanner and Kylie who have just made up included. 

Miles and Phoenix are there as well and so is K.J. who brought along his girlfriend Mila who's visiting for the holidays. 

This is the first time meeting Mila and I see what K.J. sees in her, she's gorgeous and so sweet I don't know how someone can be so nice especially while playing bowling. 

My competitive streak comes out and so does Peyton's which works with the idiots we're playing against. 

"Take that, loser." I say to Phoenix when I bump him out of first place.