Missing You

Chapter #44

An hour later, time finds Mason and me hanging out at the candy bar talking nonsense. We received a green card from his mom to have a little alcohol. "It is a celebration after all," she said, and she gave Mason a glance that meant she was trusting him on this, putting her faith in his self-control. Thing is, my brain is a little fuzzy now after two glasses of champagne; my newly-found courageousness and boldness have taken control and they're not letting me get it back.

"Bear, I can't believe this!" Mason chuckles with incredulity and shakes his head.

"It happened! I swear!" I laugh tossing my head back.

"I honestly thought you were pure-hearted and innocent as an angel, Bear. Now after knowing this, I'm not so sure," He teases me and I giggle. "Damn, of all the stuff I thought you'd confess me, running away from the police and sneaking into a party, wasn't what I had in mind at all,"

I chuckle recalling the start of this semester as my gaze turns vacant while looking at the floor beneath me. A sigh runs past my lips as I remember my last encounter with Merina. I know something isn't right with her and that maybe it has something to do with the way her mind has changed about me and the rest of the group.

"What's wrong?" He asks and then takes a little sip of his glass. I held to my promise and told him I'd stop him after two glasses, as he accorded with his mother.

I shrug. "Don't know..."

"Oh, come on, Bear. Are we doing this?" He tilted his head to the side, peering into my eyes intensely.

"Do what?" I question, feigning innocence and obliviousness.

"Me, asking you and you, not answering and evading my questions. You're not that kind of girl, are you?"

I chuckle. "I am, much to your dismay," I sigh again. "It's just friend stuff with Meri,"

"Meri? You mean Kyle's-?"

"Girlfriend," I state with antipathy.

"You don't like them together?" Interest awakens in him and suddenly I'm not so sure I should keep sharing. Kyle is his best friend, and I'm afraid that anything he might say or think about him might be biased. Also, I don't want him to hate me after hearing what I think about Kyle.

I struggle to reply for a while until I gather my thoughts and finally speak. "I... I just believe that... something that finds foundation in lies, problems, and games isn't meant to have a happy ending,"

"Woah, games?" He scowls and for a second, alarm distinctly blazes in his chocolate eyes.

I frown, keenly peering at him to incite his memory. "Yeah, the blackmail! The photos! Remember? I know that you know about it," I cross my arms defiantly.

"Oh, that," He throws his head back and laughs, but when I glare at him solidly for some seconds, he sobers up and scratches the back of his neck embarrassedly.

"Yeah, that," I sigh. "I don't know, maybe I'm looking too much into it, but Meri has... changed,"

"I'm sure it's nothing, Bear. She's just focused on her boyfriend, everything is new... it happens,"

"I don't think this is just honeymoon phase," I frown and mumble to myself but let the topic go.

"Why don't you trust Kyle with her?"

I pause a little, recollecting my thoughts and deciding whether I should open up to him with this. In the end, I decide I will; maybe he can talk some sense into Kyle. "He has hurt her before... and me. We used to be friends," I admit to him and he looks surprised but not as shocked as I thought he would be.