That's Just The Beginning

Chapter 40: Big Mistake

Partially edited. Song to the side reminds me of this story.

By the way, please don't hate me. 

Chapter 40

When I told Jessie about Adrian asking me on a ‘date’ (I still don’t believe it, it’s most likely his way of letting me down softly) she literally freaked out. She dropped the phone onto her floor and I heard her screeching and screaming. It was only Wednesday, and we were back in school despite the snowy sidewalks.

Jessie still wasn’t over her happiness for me. We were in second period and she kept looking back at me and grinning. To any onlookers, she must’ve looked like a complete creep.

When the class ended, we made our way down to lunch. The lunchroom was loud and our group was sitting together, talking animatedly about this Saturday and how they were excited to attend my recital.

Logan was annoying me, like usual. “Why do you still blush when we mention it? We all know you like Adrian.” The cafeteria went silent and I was absolutely positive that more than half of the students had heard Logan. He even tried to cover it up. “Adrian’s new necktie, that’s what I was saying.”

Whispers erupted throughout the cafeteria and I felt my face warm up. I felt my eyes brim with tears. I know what they were saying: if he knows she likes him, why doesn’t he ask her out? Oh yeah, that’s right, because he doesn’t like her. He rejected her. He’s out of her league. She’s an idiot for even thinking about liking him.

It all happened so suddenly that my brain had a hard time realizing what had just happened. I was under attack. In a matter of seconds, all eyes in the cafeteria had turned to look at me.

Logan’s face was automatically apologetic and he stuttered to say something but I quickly waved my hand, dismissing it. “I’m okay.” I’m not. I’m really, really not.

I stood up and managed to stumble out of the cafeteria with the ounce of dignity I had left. I escaped into the girl’s bathroom. How cliché is that? And how stupid is that? When you’re about to burst into tears, just go into the room where your arch nemesis can easily gain access to.

It makes complete sense.

“You’re so stupid.” Brielle’s condescending voice entered the bathroom and I stood in the corner of the cubicle. “How could you think that he’d ever like you?”

I stayed silent, my back against the wall and my index finger and thumb against the bridge of my nose. “You do realize that I know you’re in there, right? You’re not as invisible as you wish you were.”

Despite the urge to swear at her and stomp her face with my sneakers, I restrained myself in the walls of the cubicles. They felt like they were closing in on me. I swallowed the sob in my throat that was threatening to break free. We’re soaring, flying- not now.

“You’re just a nobody, you know? If anybody should date Adrian, it’s me. I’m the head cheerleader; he’s the football player and baseball player. We’re practically meant to be together.” She was speaking so casually of this. I saw her wedges from under the stall. They were walking back and forth.

“No, we’re destined to be together. You’re just another obstacle. You saw that he was going to kiss me but that idiot Logan had to go and ruin it. I bet you were in on that, too.” I bit my lip and closed my eyes, digging my nails into my arm.

I closed my eyes, tears slowly streaming down my face. I quickly wiped them away, blinking back the ones that were threatening to spill out. “You’re probably in there sobbing, so I’ll leave you with this message, Fiona; you’re just another obstacle, another challenge that God’s placing here for Adrian to overcome on his journey to me. And when he gets here, he’ll be coming into open arms.” More like open legs. I saw her wedges move away from the stall and the door opened and closed.