Rejected

• SEVEN •

It had been a few days since I had last seen Patrick.

I hadn't told Elise anything, she'd only get upset and blow things even more out of proportion.

Plus I hadn't really seen her much other than class...these days even Harper seemed way too busy to hang out and just chat.

I knew when we graduated high school that things wouldn't stay the same, but of course I thought I'd be living in California, Elise would stay here (because even before we knew about Vance that's what she'd always said, she wanted to stay close to home), and Harper was suppose to go to a major university like Stanford, Yale, or Harvard.

We'd always promised to remain best friends no matter what...but now Elise and Vance are married, Harper and Braxton aren't too far from the same path, and that leaves me.

Just me.

I sighed and got up so I wouldn't have to sulk as I took up a book that someone else might need.

I walked the library book back to it's proper shelf I had originally found it, and instead decide to go over the notes that Jack had given me to copy.

I knew he would need his back and who knew how long it would take me to hand write all of them before he would eventually ask for them back. So I pulled out my cellphone and took a snap shot of the pages he had lent me.

"Well that sure as hell beats hand writing notes."

I looked up from the table and saw the effortless smile of the guy I had helped when I went to see Patrick THAT afternoon.

"Oh hey...Jonny right?" I asked, I severely hoped he said his name was Jonny.

"Jonny will do." He said as he took the seat across from me.

"I'm sorry, that's not your name is it?" I felt bad.

He chuckled handsomely. "My name is Jonathan, people call me all sorts of variations of it so once again, Jonny will do."

I nodded my understanding.

"I didn't expect to run into you here." He teased. "Thought I'd have to go out and buy about fifteen more books."

"And why would you possibly need more books?"

"So you could show up to help me out again, only this time I'd actually get the chance to ask you out." He replied expertly.

I wasn't sure how to come back after that.

Of course this guy was good looking, and he had perfect charm and manners to match...but this small little feeling niggled deep inside of me.

"Mariah?"

I snapped out of my sudden daze.

"I-I'm sorry Jon, but I don't think I can."

"You're breaking my heart Mariah." He said softly.

"It's really complicated" I replied, "I know that sounds so cliche but it's true..."

He held his hands up, "if this is about Patrick I can assure you he told me he was fine with me asking you out."

I didn't quite know how to respond to that.

He nodded, "To be honest, He seemed a little relieved when I brought it up, I even double checked with him the other day as well and he was still pretty adamant about you two practically being strangers."