FIRST KISS (High School Romance - FYI - In need of redrafting/rewrites)

Chapter Twelve

I shuffled away from the door. I didn't want to hear anything else. It felt like there was a huge steel ball pressing down on my chest, crushing it. I had almost felt, lying there in the dark next to Bryce, that we could have gone on being friends forever. That we were almost back to normal; and then he went and messed it all up by promising Taylor not to have anything to do with me.

But who was I kidding? It wasn't normal between us. If anything, our friendship had taken an even more awkward turn that evening.

Bryce had liked me.

He had refused to repeat it; he had said he 'didn't mean it'.

So what did that mean?

One thing, however, was beyond doubt. He had committed to Taylor, and in order to do that, he had given me up. Surely I wasn't that disposable? I mean, years of friendship, just tossed aside?

I cursed him over and over as I walked down the hall, and by the time I got down the stairs, I was crying.

The world was shifting under my feet, and I felt lost. No, scratch that, I felt abandoned.

I wasn't watching where I was going, and when I got to the bottom of the stairs I ran straight into Adam, one of the other football team players.

"Watch it," he said, annoyed.

"Sorry," I sniffed. I tried to shuffle to the side, out of his way, keeping my head low he couldn't see I was crying.

Too late.

"Mel? What's up?"

The words choked in my throat, and instead of saying anything sensible, I just sobbed.

"Oh no," he said, twitching uncomfortably in front of me. "Shall I get Bryce? Do you want Bryce?"

Of course that didn't help at all and the tears started running down my already red cheeks.

"Shit, Mel. I'll get Luke. That OK?" He bent down to my level to check I didn't mind him fetching Luke. I nodded.

He wandered off and I found myself near the front door. I could just leave and walk home. But I didn't have my bag, my keys or my sweater. Or my coat and scarf for that matter.

"Mel?"

"Yuh." I spun round to find Luke looking at me, his brow creased with concern.

"What happened?"

I sobbed and fell into his arms. He smelt like beer and his body was all soft and flabby, but he folded me in his arms and hustled me into his dad's study and closed the door. Apparently I had created quite a scene and people were watching.

"Is this about Bryce?" he asked, once we were safely ensconced in the study, with no prying eyes to disturb us.

There was a lethargy to his question, and I got the sense he was ever so slightly fed up with me being pissed at Bryce. And it was his party, so I guess he didn't want to waste it comforting me.

I wiped my eyes and cheeks. "Yuh-huh."

"What did he do?"

"Taylor made him swear never to see me."

"He'd never agree to that Mel. Bryce adores you." Luke fished out some tobacco from his back pocket and started rolling a cigarette on the desk.

"He did."

"Huh?" he said, licking the filter paper.

"I heard her ask and he said yes."

"That's crazy." He rolled the cigarette in his fingers and popped it in his mouth.