Unwritten Pages

Chapter Forty-One: Temptation Of The Unwanted

     “Andrew!” I could hear my mother yelling my name from downstairs. I didn't want to get on anyone else's bad side today so I hurried downstairs. “Why in the world is the floor wet?”

     “Oh,” I say, “I spilled some water,” I lie. I don't want to tell her what had actually happened. But she doesn't ask and I don't feel obliged to tell her so I don't. She doesn't ask any further.

     “Did you even try to clean it up?” my father asks me. I shrug. I don't feel like answering any questions.

     “You have to learn to take care of yourself,” my mother says, irritated. “You're eighteen for God's sake! You still act like you're only eight!”

     Because you treat me like I'm eight, I think to myself. I don't say it out loud. I don't want my mother to have any reason to continue scolding me.

     “Alright, alright,” I say, exasperated. “I get it. I'm going out now,” I tell them. Luckily, my parents don't ask why I'm leaving or even where I'm going. My mother is too busy complaining under her breath about what an irresponsible child I am.

     I need to go for a walk. This whole deal about Winter and Desiree has left me confused. I hadn't been actually taking Meth, but Desiree thinks I am because I've spent so long cooped up in my room. And Winter—she was stalked. I didn't even know that. Plus, she had so much added drama with Drew and Liane.

     I step outside and step the door. There are no summer breezes now. I'm not exactly sure where I'm heading. I just wanted to get some fresh air. I'm not going to find Desiree. I doubt that she'll even hear me out right now. I need to give her time to cool off. I hate when she does that. I hate when we have some misunderstanding and she doesn't listen to my part of the story.

     Before I know it, I'm heading to the court near my house. I know Peter will be there. I'm not so sure about Con and Tomas though. Tomas is probably out somewhere hunting for a new girlfriend.

     I think about what Winter had written about Peter in her journal. She use to have a romantic interest in him. But now everything was shattered. At first, I thought it had just been because she killed herself. Now I know that Drew played a part in separating them.

     Drew. I want to hate him, but somehow, after seeing him in the cemetery, it's hard. I want to believe that Drew didn't care about Winter at all. If that's true, why would he be saying all those things by her grave? He hadn't even known that we were there. Maybe he had been just acting but why would he even try to seem like he missed her? It made no sense.

     I can already see the court after a few minutes walk. Like I expected, Peter is there. Peter's been hanging around there a lot. I suppose it's because Winter's death has really shaken him. Winter deals with shock by writing lyrics and poems or whatever she does. Peter deals with shock by concentrating his whole being on sports.

     I also see Con. The instant I see him, I think about Arianna and Avery. I didn't know that Arianna was the real Avery. Sure, she may have seemed slightly familiar when I first met her, but other than that, Arianna was always Arianna to me. Not the poor Avery girl that Robert had stalked.

     Plus, Arianna's strong. She doesn't run away from things. Or at least, I think so. I've told Con the story of Avery before. I wonder what he'll think of Arianna once he realizes that she's Avery. He'll think of it as a joke, maybe. But who wouldn't?

     “Hey!” I call to Peter and Con. Tomas is obviously not there and it confirms my suspicions that he's still attempting to gain the player reputation. Not that he's consciously trying to do it, it's just that he dates so many girls that he might as well be a player. I'm sure he's probably had a one night stand at one point.