The Mistake

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Samantha

I felt him before I saw him that night.

I could always feel his stare on me, a strange electricity that came over me, making me painfully aware whenever he was near.

"Sam," But when I finally turned around, he was already walking away. "Sam."

"Hm?" I turned to Jacob, who looked at me wearily. After a few days of thinking after seeing the video, hearing all those harsh rumors of what people thought, and figuring out nothing real was going to become of us, I realized what my choice should have been. It was the right choice, before being blinded by that strange way Nick made me feel.

In all honesty, I was the only one to blame for all this. Nick and I never even went out on a date. He didn't really owe me anything. I was getting wrapped up in his web willingly, knowing this is where it would lead; disappointment.

I knew better now. I caught myself before I got into something that wasn't going to end well for me; I wasn't going to make the same mistake as last time.

"You want something to drink?" Jacob asked tenderly, a hand on the small of my back.

"I'm okay, thanks." I smiled at him and felt my heart flutter when he looked at me with those dark eyes. Although it was relatively new, these past few days with him have been amazing. He was warm, and sweet and stable.

I guessed I never really gave him the chance he deserved because I'd been too caught up in everything Nick-related. But now with him out of mind, I was free. I shouldn't have been thinking about Nick anymore, not when I had something better right in front of me.

But, still, I allowed myself one last time. I looked back over my shoulder as I caught a glimpse of him walking away, and my heart sighed with a strange sense of loss.

It was dumb to even feel this way, I knew. Because the truth was, he was never really mine to begin with.

***

"Ha! I win again." I said as I bit down on the popcorn-flavored jelly bean. "Five in a row."

Alex buried his face in his hands and groaned. "You're going to clean me out at this rate." I smiled and threw another one up in the air before catching it with my mouth.

"Six." I pointed to my mouth as I chewed and cocked my eyebrows at him.

"Now you're just showing off." I laughed and offered him my bag of remaining jellybeans, and he took a fistful begrudgingly. I was supposed to be helping him study for an English quiz he had next week, but after a grueling (his words) five minutes of studying later, we ended up bored and making bets on any stupid thing we could think of.

"Okay, enough distractions, Alex. Let's just try to finish that last question before the bell rings."

I raised the volume on my phone as the next song came on and pressed the earphone closer. Alex had the other one on. Alex concentrated on his worksheet as his pencil scribbled away, but his head bobbed up and down along to the beat. I smiled to myself; I'd learned after a while the only way Alex would do any studying was if I played songs he liked.

I rested my chin on my hands as I watched him. There was an easiness that being around Alex brought out in me; like I didn't have to try so hard, to overthink every little action. The mask I put on display for everyone else disappeared with him. I could just be myself. That's how it's always been with Alex, and I wanted to slap myself for almost letting stupid things with Nick get in the way of our friendship.