Peripheral Vision | ✓ [NOW PUBLISHED AS HUNTINGTON AVENUE]

Chapter 30

C H A P T E R  T H I R T Y

Kelsey's P.O.V.

I felt like I wanted to kick myself a thousand times.

I can't even believe what I had said to Zach hours earlier and I wish I could take it all back, but I can't. Fighting back the tears that welled up in my eyes, I opened the front door of my house, reluctantly stepping inside. I dropped my backpack onto the floor as I headed towards my room.

"Hey Kelsey," my dad exclaimed when I walking past the living room. "How was school?"

"It was okay," I lied, not wanting to start a conversation. Of course I wasn't okay. I'm not okay at all.

"Kelsey, what's wrong?" he inquired, clearly noticing the regret in my eyes.

I turned towards him, careful to not reveal any of the emotion I felt. "Nothing, I'm fine."

"You sure..?" he wanted to clarify.

"I'm fine," I retorted sharply before retreating to my room.

I plopped myself down on my bed, covering my face with my pillow, and screamed into it as hard as I could. If I could take back one thing in my lifetime, it'd be becoming friends with Amelia since she completely ruined everything.

No, wait.

That wasn't her...

It's my fault since I told Zach's secret to the largest blabbermouth in the whole state of New York: my mother.

I could feel a countless number of tears cascade down my face at an alarming rate and I didn't even try to wipe them away. They just kept coming and I let them. All of this was my fault, and I can't take anything back. I could feel my face heat up into a brilliant red as I sobbed into my pillow, wishing I could turn back time and set things right.

After I don't even know how long, I heard a knock at the door. I let out a small groan, clearly wanting to be left in peace. I don't want anyone, including my parents, to see me like this.

"Kelsey, are you okay?" my mom asked gently from the other side.

"I'm fine..," I replied, my voice trembling to a great extent.

"No, you're not," she stated while cracking the door open a little, peeking inside. "I can hear you crying from across the house."

"Fine, I'm not okay..," I admitted while sitting upright on my bed, wiping my eyes gently. "I'm most definitely not okay."

"What's wrong?" she inquired while cautiously entering my room, approaching me.

"I don't want to talk about it," I responded with bluntness in my voice. "Please.."

"I want to know what's going on," my mom retorted while taking a seat next to me. "What is it?"

I let out a sigh, clearly not wanting to talk, but since she was practically forcing me to, I had to say something. "Zach and I got into a fight," I reluctantly replied, wiping yet another tear from my face.

"I'm sorry," she said with compassion in her voice. "May I ask what about?"

"Zach's backstory got leaked and now everyone knows and makes fun of him for it," I answered, leaving out how it got spread around. "I think Zach hates me."

"I'm sure he doesn't," she replied while putting a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"He trusted me.," I sighed while laying back down on the bed. "And I let him down...."