Backstreet Boy

|Chapter 41: Another Chance|

Isabella

Matt was the first to greet me in school the next day, not Lizzie.

"Have you seen Lizzie?" I said. Considering the lack of dialogue exchange this morning in my house, it was only dawning on me how much my voice sounded rather hoarse. More than probable, this is due to the innumerable amount of sobs I had to ability to emit without making much of a sound.

"She's got a dentist appointment this morning. She'll be in just before lunch," he said.

It was funny because Matt actually appeared to be more like a lost puppy with Lizzie rather than the sporty, clever eighteen year old he is. I guess now he just needs a bit more fur and dribble everywhere and we wouldn't be able to deem him a human anymore.

"Oh," I said glumly, "thanks."

"Is there something I can help with?" he asked. Admittedly, he was rather hesitant that gave off the impression that he would rather be anywhere else than talking to a teenage girl, the best friend of his girlfriend who seemed to be depicting just how pathetic she was by her hoarse voice and solemn expression. Now I seem like the lost puppy.

"No, it's fine. But thanks, Matt," I said, trying to plaster a smile on my face to masquerade the melancholy for courteousness.

So there I was. As lonely as hell throughout the morning, and confessedly, optimistically wishing that my phone will vibrate any second now and I'd have a text from Jason. On the other hand, the way he had said to never contact him again, this was a very profound anticipation of mine which I would rather have kept concealed.

Until Lizzie turned up in time for lunch, that is.

"What's up with you today?" she asked, tucking into her burger and fries that the school cafeteria staff had lovingly prepared for us students today.

Shoving a mere fry into my mouth, barely able to stomach the chicken nuggets and fries I had opted for, I said, "I ended it with Jason. And he thought we were in a relationship. And I've gone and ruined it."

And when she gasped obnoxiously loudly so that nearly everyone was turning around to us, I had to wait until I could proclaim everything that had occurred the night before. However, those seconds seemed somewhat excruciatingly unendurable for Lizzie because she was virtually giddy with joy and shoving about five fries into her mouth at a time. She had a few salt grains left on her lips, too.

"Oh, Isabella." And then she had the audacity to let her face fall into the greasy palms of her hands. "Why on earth did you do that? Why couldn't you just let it slide? Talk to him about it and work it out. Now I have to put up with your moody attitude."

"Charming," I said, inserting another fry into my mouth. "I see you're thinking of the bigger picture."

"Oh, great, sarcastic too."

"I heard you ended it with Jason," announced Miles. "I mean, I was wondering how long it would take you to see sense. But I don't know whether I should be surprised or expecting you to be full of tears."

"Go away, Miles," I groaned, slamming my locker shut and making my way through the corridor to the parking lot.

"So how about it? Did you do this because of my proposition?"

"No, I didn't."

Miles followed me all the way out to my car, merely walking normally against my fastened pace which was inevitably no match for his long legs. Though he didn't utter a word, he didn't need to. This situation was arrant nonsense and moronic and something I did not desire nor require right now. I just wanted to get home, do homework and take my mind off Jason.