Hearts ✓

Twenty - Three 💕

phase four: massive overload

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It was well into the morning when a phone call at around seven in the morning shook me awake. My brain was still in a trance, sleeping peacefully, only waking up when it felt like it. I groaned as I adjusted my figure on my fluffy covers to be able to reach the incessant ringing being produced from my phone.

While attempting to find my phone amongst my other things without opening my eyes, I carelessly knock a few books off my nightstand synchronously sending my alarm clock flying to the opposite end of my room, eventually landing onto my pillow fort.

Finally, the tips of my fingers are able to grasp the small box-like device and I swipe right on the bottom panel to accept the call.

I'm still half-asleep though, so whoever seems to be on the other line can't get a word through me. I yawn loudly as the receiver calls my name several times to no avail.

"Callie!" The voice calls. "Callie, listen!"

And suddenly, my brain is magically switched on, and my ears can somehow hear again. "Hello?" I check the caller ID. "Hello, Lauren?"

"Oh my god, I thought you blacked out right there."

"Right." I yawn, "I hope there is a definite reason why you called me at seven in the goddamn morning."

"Spill. How's it going with Jake?"

I hadn't told her anything about what had happened from yesterday because I haven't gotten to it. Darren had also asked a favor not to tell anyone about what he had told both Jake and me, and I had meticulously agreed.

"Why do you ask?"

"Oh silly, you have less than a week left before the dare ends." She says, slowing her pace. "You didn't forget, did you?"

"There's a chance that I might've." I suppress a shocked expression. "Anyways, you should come over, with Aubrey."

"Ooh," She laughs. "Must be juicy."

Exactly fifteen minutes later, both Lauren and Aubrey are eagerly taking turns in knocking on the wooden door that separated the house from them. I tried my best to get to the door as quick as possible, but coming from fresh out of the shower, I ended up walking anyway.

"What has actually happened for you to request us to charade you at your own home?" Lauren twirls a piece of her perfectly curled hair between her fingers.

I comb my damp hair as I begin to tell the story as it unfolds little by little to both of them, gazing at each for a period of time to gauge their reactions. By the end of my story, both my hair and my makeup are done, and Lauren is currently borderline explosive.

My almost platinum blonde hair is tied back with a retro-styled bandana in the place of a headband, but as soon as I take a step back to admire my handiwork, Aubrey shakes her head and curls it so that the long tresses of my glossy blonde hair cascades lustrously down my back in its' own defining glory. The bandana that I had previously used, was now tied around my neck with a knot hidden from colloquial view.

"A statement, Callie. A statement must be made." Aubrey smiles.

"Let's go," Lauren exclaims eagerly.

Once we reach the front doors of the school, nothing is out of the ordinary. Students pushing their way to each of their respective classes. The bell is around two minutes away from ringing. Soon enough, I spot the rest of the girls all huddled up around my locker.

"Why the celebration?" I ask quietly as they part in half, allowing me to reach my locker.

"Callie, hun, the dare ends in a week. We've got to throw a full-on rampage before your heart cracks in half."

I consistently take out the necessary books require to survive today's haul of classes, before I turn to face the girl who anonymously decided to throw a rampage at a school that was biased towards boys. "You're out of your mind," I state. "We'll get two weeks worth of detention in less than a second of your rampaging idea."

"Callie, the point of it is to let yourself enjoy before 'hell' happens." Aubrey nods towards me, and I knew she was right.

No matter how many times and how many ways Jake tells me that he won't break my heart, I just have a gut feeling that he'll break my heart anyway. You'll never know, especially if you've fallen for him, there's no turning back.

I sighed, there was no point being stubborn with the girls, stubbornness got me deep underground anyway. "How about we celebrate, in a more, conventional way?"

"What do you mean?" asked a voice far into the crowd

"She means, no riots, rampages, or anything involving violence." Elliot grins.

Although we had been best friends, our fight had definitely had me getting used to both Elliot and Ally ignoring me, but as my speech had said, we have to do this together, or we're all going to crash and burn.

I returned the friendly smile she flashed at me.

For the first time in three weeks, there was no Jake or anyone else for me to talk to when the final school bell rang.

It blared vociferously throughout the hallways as if to make every human being flinch and jump up from a peace of mind out of sheer shock. I think the bell was made to transfer a bolt of adrenaline through your body everytime you hear it.

The ride home could never be quieter, it was as if the whole world of noise completely stopped, and I was really starting to miss Jake's very annoying personality.

Oh well. This was taking a huge toll on me.

My normal routine had been effectively infiltrated.

Then I had realized, over time, I had lost count of the phases: friends, hanging out, lovestruck, and falling for you.

If Jake had still been honestly still trying to play me, then he would've reached a massive overload of phase four.

Phase four, the words felt foreign, yet a reality. I just really hoped when I said that I could be the one to change him, I was right.