The Black Girl

eighteen

HEY, haha, I listened to "Bad Things- by Mieko" while writing this, so if you play it that'll have the whole effect of this chapter ;)

After school I went to Lane's house to help him for probably the last time before finals. I left after eating a leftover slice of pizza and when I got there, Laura was on the porch just about to leave.

"Hey Lola, I'm so sorry about today in gym, I really didn't see you there," She says looking up from her phone, as she begins to walk down the small steps.

"Yeah, it's fine, I'm pretty easy to miss," I say and plaster an obviously fake smile across my face and she walks by me, I could swear she rolls her eyes but I ignore her and walk to the door.

"Hey, come in," Lane pulls me in before I get a chance to press the bell. He looks like a nervous trainwreck when I see him, and it's probably because the exams that determine his spot on the team or a week away, and he tells me he thinks he's not going to pass.

"You'll be fine," I assure him. I'm not an examiner or teacher but I could guarantee Lane at least a B on his biology paper.

He sighs as I show him another flash card where he got the answer wrong.

"This isn't working, I'm not failing biology Lola," He laughs and his words take me into shock and confusion. I stare at him before I ask him what he means.

"This was just to get you here, to spend time with me, and be around me," His face becomes serious and he pierces his eyes into mine, dragging his seat towards me. I feel butterflies forming in my stomach, my skin burning with heat.

His finger tips graze over my forearm, and he whispers, "Don't tell me, you don't feel it."

Laura.

Whether I liked her or not was not the issue her. I wouldn't want her to do this to me, steal my boyfriend, so I don't do it to her.

"I have to go," I pull my textbook from the table and stand up to leave, but with the turn of a head Lane reaches the door first.

"I broke up with her, she was the only thing standing between us," Lane takes a step closer to me, and I begin to contemplate whether this is what I really want. I know he's lying because if Lane told Laura he was breaking up with her, she'd be a ball of tears and wet mascara spread across her cheeks.

"I can't." I tell him.

But he insists.

I don't know whether it was the sparkle in his eyes, or his the smoothness in his voice.

I ended up doing something I'd know I regret.