The Peacemaker

Chapter 9: The Fight

Tuesday I skipped lunch. I had managed to avoid Joshua for most of the day. I rationalize his behavior in my head, but really, he was probably finally showing me his true self. Joshua wouldn't give me an explanation. He refused to tell me why he wanted me to stay away. He didn't even try to make up an excuse, he just expected me to obey and I'm not someone who does that blindly.

Science. Damn it. I forgot about Science. I walk in right before the bell rings and take my seat in front of Joshua. I don't look at him. I just sit.

He leans forward and whispers in my ear. "Maggie, we need to talk. Please."

"Oh, now you want to talk?" I snap.

"Trouble in paradise?" Veronica smirks at me.

"Shut up bleach brain." I growl.

Joshua starts to say something else, but the teacher calls for quiet and begins the day's lecture.

As soon as the bell rings, I dart out of the room but he catches my arm in the hallway.

"Maggie, please."

"What?"

"Its just... I just never would have let you go if I had known it was Nicolas."

"Wouldn't have let me? You don't own me. You said so yourself. And now that I've seen the real you, you never will."

"Maggie,that's not me. I'm not-"

"Not what? Jealous? Possessive? Controlling? Because that's all I'm seeing right now. Goodbye, Joshua." I start to walk away again, but he slams me against the wall.

"Maggie, listen to me!" He growls, then realizing what he did, he immediately backs away. I take the opportunity to leave, hurrying to my next class. This time he doesn't follow.

After school I rush out to my car. Aria runs to catch up with me.

"What's the hurry, Mags. You've been, like, avoiding me all day!"

I sigh, "Sorry Aria. I'm not avoiding you. I'm avoiding Joshua."

"Why?!"

"Because he's a bastard." I turn to her, resting my head on her shoulder as I start to cry.

"Oh, honey." She gives me a hug. "Come on, let's get you to my place and we can drown your sorrows in ice cream."

I nod and let her lead me to her car before remembering my own car. "What about little red?"

"She'll be fine here until tomorrow. I don't want you driving in this state."

I give a halfhearted laugh. "Afraid I'll drive off a bridge?"

"No. But you can't see the road very well when your eyes are filled with tears. Besides, we don't have any bridges around here to drive off of."

"Yeah."

A pint of ice cream later, I have recounted the events of the past couple days. Aria licks the last of the chocolate almond off her spoon and shakes her head.

"That just doesn't sound like him."

"I know! That's what's got me so worried. I mean, what if he actually has a good reason for not wanting me near Nicolas? Nicolas doesn't know about Joshua yet, what if he responds worse than Joshua did?"

"You could, you know, just not tell him. You're pretty much done with Joshua now, right? That frees you up to exclusively date tall, dark and rich."