My Life In Pieces (Book #1)

Chapter 33

The ride from Tyler turned into fairly regular rides for that month. To be fair, Gavin, Laura, and James were usually there too. Elle started popping over to the Masons a couple of times a week too so that we could do homework together. I wasn't exactly a welcome face at her house right now. I knew it had to be hard for Elle. She didn't want to choose between hanging out with me and Ari. Aaron was caught in the middle too.

Ari had all but shut me out. The one class period we had alone together, he traded seats with a kid on the other side of the room. We bumped into each other a few times around campus but I barely got a hi before he would walk past me.

I was butt hurt to say the least, and the only time I could get my mind off of it was when I was keeping busy.

My heart was healing though. I slowly stopped thinking of the fact I was dying to talk to Ari and felt myself growing used to the ache in my chest. It had been a month getting closer to two since we had split and Valentine's Day was around the corner.

During those weeks I had hung out with my family a lot more. I had grown closer with friends like Miri, Danny, Ryan, and, Jensen. I had become so close to Ari when I moved here that he had become a part of my identity. I had finally started standing on my own two feet like I had always wanted.

The school was having a dance and I was actually looking forward to going. It was a normal high school event that a normal teenager could participate in. It felt nice to do something fun for once. Elle and I were making plans at my house when the doorbell rang. I answered and found Tyler on my doorstep.

"Hey Ty, what's up?"

He looked uncomfortable and unsure of himself. I looked at him quizzically and he seemed to think of how to phrase his words.

"Alex can I ask you something?"

"Um sure?"

He shifted weight from one foot to the other, "I just wanted to know who you were going to the dance with?"

Oh.

"I'm going with the whole group."

"Well would you want to ride in with me?"

"I would be okay with that."

He looked up, "Cool."

"I'm with Elle right now but text me later and we can talk."

He smiled, "will do."

I shut the door and faced Elle. She was actually smiling. I thought for sure out of solidarity to her brother she would have hit me.

"What is it?"

"I win the pot!"

Now I was confused, "What pot?"

"A bunch of us had a pot going on how long it would take before he asked you out and it fell on my day!."

My mouth hung open, "Elle you're terrible. That was not a date invitation. That was just an offer for a ride."

"Still counts."

I rolled my eyes. "How much did you win?"

"Two hundred dollars!"

"You owe me some of that."

"Oh I'll give you fifty." We both laughed and negotiated my portion. Then the subject of Ari came up.

"So is Ari going to the dance?"

She smiled, "You know you almost went a whole week without asking about him."

"Fuck. Sorry."

"It's fine. I mean I think it's all cooled down enough that you would be safe in seeing where his head was. At least just talk to him."