Worth Waiting For

Chapter TwentyOne

The next week of school was easier than the last. I never saw Dennis except for in fifth period, but he didn't talk to me. I felt that I was too hard on him, but yet again, he broke my heart into little pieces and stomped all over them.

After school, I hung around with Giselle, Antoinette and Aiden at a bench by the parking lot.

"Are you ready to go?" Antoinette asks me.

I didn't pay attention to her as I look through the pictures on my phone. I look through all of the photos that Dennis and I took when we were happy together. We look like a dream, that suddenly turned into a nightmare.

"Leiah," she says.

"Huh?" I look up at her.

Everyone is staring at me.

"Leiah, honey, you need to delete those," Antoinette says.

"I don't want to,"

"Why not?"

"Because they remind me of the good times we used to have. I keep thinking that if I look at these long enough, all of the bad that ruined our relationship would go away, and we would go back to the way we were here, in these photos,"

"Oh Leiah," Antoinette sighs.

"You know, Dennis does have a photo of you as his wallpaper," Aiden says.

"Aww," Giselle replies.

"Yeah, he still kept it, which means he's not giving up, and he's still going to fight for you,"

♡ ♡ ♡

"I know you don't want to go to the first football game, but at least come out to this party with me and Giselle afterwards," Antoinette says.

I'm at her house helping her get ready. She said I could watch or play anything in her movie theater room, so I said I was down with that.

"Ant, I'm fine. I got all of the Disney movies ready, with Cookies and Creme ice cream ready to eat,"

"If you need anything, just call,"

"Ok, I will. Tell the guys good luck,"

"Even Dennis?"

I stare at her. "Well I don't want him to think that I want him back-"

"But you do-"

"But I can't because he's a liar and a cheater,"

"Ok, ok. I won't say anything,"

Pretty soon she left and I started The Little Mermaid while I dug into my bucket of ice cream and laid back getting comfortable.

Around eleven I heard the door open and I turned to see who it was. I saw a figure by the door that looked like Antoinette. I paused Tangled as I turned on the light. I saw Antoinette with her makeup down her face with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Can we talk?" she says.

I nod as she comes over to the couch and sits down next to me.

"What happened?" I ask.

"Leo cheated on me with that skank Veronica!"

"Who's Veronica?"

"Some girl who always sleeps around. I saw them all on the couch together. She was licking his stomach Leiah!"

"Ouch,"

"Yeah, and the best part is that he totally didn't even know why I was upset. He pushed her off of him and came running down to me. Shouting my name in front of everyone. I turned to him and told him that I was tired of him treating me like second best and that I deserved so much better! I even said if he got his moves from Dennis and I know Dennis heard me because as I walked out, I saw him. I walked out of there screaming 'My grandma told me never to love a football player' and I drove away. I almost crashed coming over here because I was crying so much,"

I hug Antoinette tight. Now she needs me, I think as I let go and give her my ice cream and spoon.

"Wanna watch the Disney princess marathon?"

"What's on?"

"Tangled,"

"As long as it's nothing near Toy Story. I don't want to be reminded of Leo,"

"That's why I'm not watching The Lion King,"

We turn back to the TV and I press play on the remote.

♡ ♡ ♡

Getting into September, I started to get use to life without Dennis. Being single again pushed me back to the life I knew before him. Antoinette and I went with Giselle to some parties and she tried and hook us up with some guys she knew from her old school. We never really talked to any of them because all we could think about was our exes. Antoinette and I would hang out all the time eating, talking or crying over what jerks men could be. The only happy one was Giselle and we tried to not bring her down into our black hole of misery. Giselle helped us through it all. She was always there for us, whenever we started to breakdown in tears. Antoinette was stronger than me. She and Leo talked, but it just ended up with Antoinette screaming at him. For me on the other hand, I haven't talked to Dennis in so long. I never see him with that beautiful smile on his face that he would always wear. Now it's just a straight face that seems as if it'll never change. During class whenever he would get up, I would look at him as he moved around the room to ask the teacher a question.

"You miss him, huh?" Ricky would ask me.

"Yeah. I miss him a lot," I would reply turning back to my work.

The only thing that made me feel better was painting. Every time I would think of Dennis, I would go outside to my easel and paint. I would paint a portrait of him. I would use peach for his skin, and mix yellow and brown for his hair. I would make his smile and other features that only I could distinguish being so close to him.

Days passed and after making my thirtieth portrait, I put a few of them on my wall like a collage and lay on my bed looking up at them. I'd stare at my paintings for hours. I look over at my nightstand and see the bracelet that he gave me. I pick it up and look at all of our memories connected together. I start to tear up as I look over all the charms. Tears in my eyes I smile as I look at the sun. He said that the sun was when we first met in the summer. I think back to that day.

"I feel kind of bad not knowing the girl's name that I rescued,"

"My name is Leiah, and yours?"

"Dennis,"

I look over and find the cookie charm and remember that day we all made cookies at Dennis's house.

"They're really that good? I still haven't had one,"

"Really, Open,"

"They are good,"

A tear rolls down my face when I look at the roller skate and think of our first date.

"Your heart, it's beating fast,"

"Yeah because I'm a little nervous,"

"Why are you nervous?"

"Because I might finally not get interrupted and be able to-"

"To what?"

"To kiss you,"

I put on the bracelet as I cry myself to sleep once more.