A Broken Promise

Chapter 4 - The Encounter (contd)

Chapter 4

The discussion rooms were isolated from the library.  I had always wondered why the binds were closed most of the time in them.  I learnt ‘why’ the hard way.

As I stood by the door, I saw Derek and Ashley alright,.  And, yes, you guessed right!!  They were in each other’s arms and kissing like there was no tomorrow.  They had not seen me.  Shocked, I stood rooted to the ground as feelings of hurt, anger, betrayal, and confusion swept over me.  Everything seemed to blur and as I brought my hand to my face I realized that tear were flowing down my face. I was invaded with memories of my parents which I had taken years to suppress.  Not wanting to be found, I started to back-off slowing and that’s when I heard Derek speak.

 “So, now would you go out with me?” I heard Derek ask. My heart sunk a little.

“But aren’t you dating Jane?” asked Ashley. I held my breath not wanting to confront the truth I had been so blind to miss.

“You know as well I as I do Ashley, that I dated her to get your attention.” My heart sunk lower.

“But you took her on a date”, she argued and I could imagine the pout on her face when she said that.

“Yeah, to a zoo”, he chuckled,  “I would take you to Osaka” he emphasized.

“I’m telling you Ash, I only dated her, sheesh I pretended to date her so I could get your attention. You were the one playing hard to get. Anyways I had to pretend that she was you, whenever I kissed her on the cheek.”

That’s when my heart shattered. “Don’t shed any more tears.  It’s not worth it!”,  I told myself.  But tears just slid down my cheek.  I could not help it.  It just hurt so bad. But, I told myself that I would not run.  I would confront the situation and get it over with.  “Get it over with Jane; get it over with now”, I chanted to myself as I hid behind the half open door.

“Now then Mr. Pretend.  How do you think you’ll break it off with her?”  I heard Ashley ask.  And that’s when I knew how I could end it then and there even though it would cost me much.

“You don’t have to.”’ I heard myself saying as I entered the room. They were shocked to see me.  I saw Derek trying to put some distance between him and Ashley but Ashley clung onto him and looked at me with a knowing smile on her face and says, “It’s not what it looks like..”

“Right Ashley.” I smirked despite the hurt I was feeling “I may have been naïve till date. But not anymore” I said as I shook my head at both of them and turned to leave the room. “Wait Jane..” I heard Derek call out. But I just ignored him. I wanted nothing to do with them anymore. This was the second time I had given my love and expected the same in return but it seems all I ever get is rejection. I thought to myself as I continued to run down the stairs that led to the school’s exit. Tears clouded my vision, but I just wiped them away and continued to head towards the park where I leaned down against a tree away from public eyes, and cried my heart out.  And the sky cried with me.

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 I stopped crying when I realized that it was 6 in the evening.  Jason would be mad. I wiped my tears and headed home. By the time I reached home, I was drenched through and through. When I knocked on the door, I was greeted by a very angry Jason.

“Where were you?”, he shouted at me.  I flinched not used to his display of anger.

“I was about to call the cops and report you missing!! Missing!! Do you know what you put me through?”, he asked, not really expecting an answer.

“And look at you… sooo calm“, he said turning to look at me, “you’re drenched.” , he stated as a matter of fact.

“Yeah.  Look Jason.  I’m sorry.”, I trailed off as my voice choked.  He immediately sensed that something was wrong. “What’s wrong Jane” he asked, his voice filled with concern.

“Nothing….. Just let me change into some dry clothes” I said as I headed towards my room.

Just before I went in, I felt his hand wrap around my arm stopping me. I looked at him in question.

“Whatever happens, you know I’m here for you, right?” he said.

I just nodded not able to speak.  And he let me go.  I changed from my wet clothes into dry ones in a daze.  Not knowing what to do anymore.

When I finally emerged from my room, I smelt Jason’s famous chicken broth soup. He looked at me smiled, “Thought you could use some,” he said.

 “Thanks.”, I whispered as I took the bowl of hot soup and laid it on the table.

He just watched in silence as I slowly sipped my soup. “You don’t have to do this alone Jane.   You know that.”

“I just don’t know what to do anymore,” I told him.

“Why don’t you start from the beginning” he pushed.

I finished my soup and went to keep the bowl in the kitchen sink and I walked back and went into his open arms and cried my heart out, again.

“It’s okay.   Shhhh… Everything’s going to be okay,” he said soothingly as he rubbed my back., back and forth.

It was awhile before I stopped crying. I put my head on his shoulder and I told him everything, from the odd behavior of Ashley and her friends to the encounter I had with Derek and Ashley in the library. When I was done I was sure I heard Jason growl. When I looked at him I saw anger, pure unadulterated anger.

“Let it go, Jason.”, I tried to reason with him.

But his only reply was to tighten his arms around me.  And both of us fell asleep holding each other.

I was awakened by some noise I heard in kitchen. I was lying on the couch with a blanket covering me and I understood that both of us had slept on the couch.

“Good Morning!”, I heard Jason call.

“Good Morning”,  I tried to be cheerful and I failed miserably.  Jason noticed that but said nothing.

“You don’t have to got to school today.  I already reported you sick,” he said.

“Thanks Jason” I said not  knowing what else to say.  The thought of not going to school had not occurred to me. Why was I feeling like this?

“Don’t worry about it,” I heard Jason, like he had read my mind “give it some time”

I just looked at him at nodded not knowing what else.

“I took the day off, we could do something, like umm go watch a movie, or something”,  he suggested.

I shook my head. “Thanks Jason. But I really want to be alone right now”

“You don’t have to go through this alone Jane”

“Just let me sort out my life. Just give me time to deal with it,” I pleaded.

He just nodded and pulled me into a tight embrace. “I’ll be right here if you want me”, he said as I pulled away from his embrace and headed towards my room.

Just before I closed the door, I saw Jason sit down on the couch and drop his head to his knees and whisper “Not Again”

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-Silvertongue