Unrequited love

Thirty-four | Brylan

Staring at my phone screen from under the desk. I'm practically leaning on the edge of my seat. The bell should go any minute, then I can get out of here. If I'm fast I might be able to get to my locker and out of the school in six minutes flat.

'Class dismissed,' the teacher proclaims which gains a positive reaction out of me. Early exit. Scooping all my shit up into my hands I'm almost running out the door. Exiting the class the hallways are pretty much empty besides a couple classes only now leaving.

Rushing to where my locker is I open it and begin organizing all the books I'll be using tonight before shoving them in my bag. I might study for science if I have the time but i dont bother taking those books neatly. I need to be out of here in as little time as possible.

Shutting my locker I close it before taking a step backwards and hitting someone. Apologetically I turn around but before I can say anything I realize who it is.

'Are you fucking kidding me? I thought I was fast this time?' I groan as I walk away as fast as I humanly can. 'Can you please leave me alone.'

'That's not a nice thing to say to someone Bry? Are you avoiding me?' Damon responds sarcastically but takes no time to follow me. I know what he's aware that I've been avoiding him but he somehow gets to me quickly. 'Anyways, you know that beach I was talking about?'

'No. I wasn't listening to you whilst you where following me around all day.' I mumble just loud enough for him to hear me.

'Okay so winter-woods beach has the prettiest fireflies at night so we should go on Saturday,' he repeats himself. I heard him the first time he told me when I was leaving the cafeteria but I just ignored him.

'I'm not going on a date with you.' I decide to be honest with him as I walk out the school doors.

'Its not a date...you love fireflies so you'd love to go,' He tries to convince me that his motives are platonic but they obviously aren't.

'How do you even know that?' I brush my box braids behind my ears. I got them redone earlier and he won't stop mentioning how much he loves them. I doubt he would've said otherwise even if he wasn't a fan. 'I don't recall telling you that I liked fireflies.' He's not wrong. They're my favorite animal but I haven't exactly seen them in person.

'You told me.' He frowns. 'It's all you used to talk about at the time...'

'Just bring another girl Damon. I'd need multiple hands and feet to count how many girls would be interested in seeing fireflies with you.' Reaching my car I open the door and get in but he blocks me from closing the door. 'This definitely has to be some kind of harassment Damon.'

'I haven't touched you once,' he leans over and takes my phone from my hand. Trying to get it from him he goes onto my messages and types something down. I swear if its his number I will send him into a three week coma.

'Okay I'm going to text you on Saturday right? I'll rock up at 4:30 so we get there by 5:10 at the latest.' He tries to give me detailed but I'm too busy trying to figure out where exactly on his face I want to hit.

'I'm not going. I already made plans.' I try to lie but he doesn't seem convinced in the slightest.

'Katie and Alex aren't going anywhere so-,' he narrows his eyes at me but I cut him off so I can finish. I'll be honest I admire the dedication he had to ask Katie and Alex before asking me.

'It's not with them. It's with one with someone else. I already said I would go with him to the-,' I try to improvise. In all honesty I'm not really lying. My class project is due in a month and a guy from my class asked me to parter up with him. We'll most likely start on Saturday since its a convenient time to start. Well, at least it's convenient because it means I won't have to get dragged out of my house at 4pm to go to some beach I've never heard of.

'Him?' Damon emphasizes and I just nod, 'what's his name?'

'Connor.' I attempt to shut the door and he lets me which shocks me. He looks to to the side and begins walking away.

Sitting there for a few moments I watch him as he goes to some random guy. Okay? That was a little random. By the way they're talking it seems like they're friends but I stay and watch him for a little longer before turning my head away. Dropping my phone into the glovebox I open my bag to get my car keys before pausing when I notice him move from the corner of my eye.

Frowning when he friend begins to point I follow his hand to see Connor exiting the doors with another guy and they seem to be talking about something. Quick to get out the car when Damon begins to walk into that general direction, I might be overreacting but it would make me feel better to know I got there before I figure out what he's doing.

Groaning under my breath when he stops in front of Connor I call out for him. Knowing damn well he heard me, he makes no effort to turn to give me the slightest bit of attention. Instead Connors expression shifts when he's shoved back. 'Damon!' I grab Damon's shit and pull him back.

Shoving me off him I fall back onto my hands. Looking down to my hands to see grazes across my palms I'm quickly lifted back onto my feet just as quickly as I had fallen. 'I'm sorry I didn't know if was you.' Wincing when he touches my face as if to check if I'm okay I'm quick to slide past him to take a look at Connor.

'I'm sorry!' I'm quick to apologize to him before pulling Damon's sleeve to get him to follow me away from whatever that interaction was supposed to be. When I feel as if I'm at a comfortable distance from what happened I turn to face him. 'Are you fucking serious right now? What was that?!'

'You should've heard the shit he said-,' he tried to defend himself but I'm exhausted. I'm so exhausted from having to do this everyday. I just want my peace and I just want to go back to meaning nothing to him. He doesn't even know me so it shouldn't take long for this fascination to fade.

'Damon. I don't know how many times I have to tell you this but you don't like me. I've been the same person for the past couple years now and you would walk past me as if I was nothing to you because that's what I am,' I'm honest with him. We're closer to my car which is parked at the further end of the parking lot so virtually no one can hear us. Especially not over all the busses be noice coming from cars and students. 'I'm really not that interesting but I appreciate that you'd think I'm worth getting to know, so I'm going to be straight with you, you're only going to be disappointed so don't waste your time,'

'Why do you talk about yourself like that?' Stunned by his question, that's not what I expected him to say. I'm not sure what his response would be exactly but that isn't what I assumed it would be.

'What?' I let go of his shirt.

'You're telling me to let go because you think that you're a disappointment,' he tilts his head but I'm not sure why. 'Is that what you think?'

'Is everything okay?' Jerking when I feel I hand tap my shoulder I turn back to see Katie smiling at me. Holding her bag over her shoulder the smile wavers when she looks over to Damon. 'What's going on?'

Tensing up I look at her then I look back at my car. A part of me wishes I had just left the moment he'd left me alone. 'Nothing. I was just leaving,'

Laughing awkwardly she doesn't ask, 'okay?'

Taking that as my cue to leave I turn around and head to my car. If everyday is going to be like this I'm so fucked.