Desperate for you

Chapter 22

Chelsea POV
“Shit!” I exclaimed louder than I actually wanted to. Dylan still hasn’t stopped looking at me though I already have. “What happened? Is the food bad? Did you choke on a bone or something?” Pauline asked all in one breathe.

“No. no. It’s not that. It’s just… uh- it’s complicated,” I replied stuttering. What the hell was he doing here?

How did he know I was in this school?

Why is he with his friends here?

Why do I feel like today is going to get worse?

“Is it that cute guy standing over there?” Pauline asked looking amused. “Pauline, you are taken, and yes, it’s them,” I replied already frustrated.

“What did they do to you?” and just when I was about to reply, they came and he started walking towards our table while Nicholas and Jacob went to order. ‘Could this get any worse?’ I silently asked myself.

“Hey Chelsea,” Dylan said casually. Looking like he told me to wait up for him. “Hey Dylan, what do you want?” I asked him. He just shrugged.

“That’s not a good way to say hi Chelsea,” Pauline told me and turned to Dylan.

“Who may you be?” she asked Dylan who just had a smirk on his face.

“Hi. I’m Dylan and I’m Chelsea’s boyfriend.” I choked on my saliva.

“Oh. Chelsea didn’t tell me she had a boyfriend,” Pauline said looking at me, disappointed. Don’t look at me that way. I dropped my head and the table.

“That’s cuz I don’t have one Pauline. Dylan isn’t my boyfriend,” I replied, my head still on the table. “Oh come on now princess, we don’t want to disappoint your friend now,” Dylan said.

“I swear to you Dylan, if you can see the glare I’m giving you right now, you wouldn’t be on this table,” I told him coldly. “I should probably leave you two. Derek is waiting,” Pauline said as she stood up and left.

No. Don’t go when I need you the most.

“Look what you did, you chased her away,” I murmured to Dylan with a groan.

“It’s nice to finally see you again Chels,” Dylan said. “I don’t feel the same way. You followed me didn’t you?” I asked him, my head still on the table. “Not really. Nick’s father wanted us to come here.”

That shut me up.

“My father is in jail now you know?” I shot my head up and saw Dylan with a sad smile on his face. “What?” I asked in somewhat disbelief. “Yeah. Ray filed a suit against him. Since I was still less than 18 when he was abusing me, he was charged for child abuse, murder and illegal street fighting…” he said, this time, really sad.

He doesn’t look sympathetic at all. I held his hand that rested on the table and looked him in the eye. “Everything’s gonna be fine,” I told him. He smiled. “I know. Ray and Nicolas took me in. Ray is a good dad to both Nicholas and me. He agreed to be my dad anytime I needed him.”

I didn’t know what to say. He was up to 18 and really didn’t need a guardian but Ray as Nick’s dad took it upon him to look over Dylan. “And the best part is, I still get to be Dylan Sanders. I don’t have to change my last name.”

“Wait. How come?” “I don’t know. Legal stuff and all. The arresting took a while and the court processes because he kept denying everything, but eventually… he accepted the fact that he was as good as dead and just confessed. I’m so freaking happy.”

I could literally feel the happiness within him. He’s lucky. Part of his problem gets fixed and mine just seems to be… resurfacing. Nicholas and Jacob walked up to the table. I narrowed me eyes at Jacob and he narrowed his eyes at me too.

“The feeling’s mutual,” we both said at the same time. I guess it was natural hatred or dislike we both had for each other. I smiled and he smiled too.

“I don’t get it. What’s going on between the both of you?” Nicholas asked as he kept looking between Jacob and I.

“We both hate each other, but not hate-hate. She’s my friend and I’m her friend but we really don’t show or express it,” Jacob explained to his friend.

“Trust me. I don’t even get the process either,” I told him sipping on my drink. Nicholas dropped his shoulders in confusion. I disliked Jacob in a friendly and unhateful manner.

Trust me. It’s even funny as I say it.

➰➰➰➰
“Roomie.” I woke up startled. Pauline was sitting on top of me. “Are you waking me up, or are you trying to rape me?” she seemed shocked.

“Rape you? Of course not. I was just waking you up. We have Extend Math together this morning and our professor, as I heard starts 10 minutes early.” “So what you are saying is that we have a professor who is really crazy if he expects me to meet him 10 minutes earlier,” I said pulling my blanket over my head.

She just slapped my legs and I lazily got up. She and that professor are both luckily math has been my favorite subject.

I wasn’t surprised when I saw that Dylan was there. I was surprised when he sat in front of me and put his arm around a girl’s shoulder. I wasn’t surprised at the latter. That’s Dylan for you. He always will be a player.

I feel kind of bad for her. He’s probably just going to treat her like Debby and throw her away. I can’t give him space for that. After class, I had this feeling that someone was watching me. Dylan and the mystery girl walked past me, shoving me in the process.

Yay. He finally has himself occupied and surprisingly on the first day of school. Way to go pal. I went in to my next class and sat at the middle seat, middle row. The middle spot has always been my favorite since high school… and that tradition will stay with me.

“Hey. My name is Brandon,” the guy sitting next to me said while extending his hand. “I’m Chelsea,” I replied, shaking his hand. “Chelsea, you look really familiar.”

That just freaked me out. I barely knew anyone in this school and here he is telling me how I look really familiar to him. Don’t forget bro, there are like 5 people in this world who look like me. I sent him a fake smile and concentrated on the class.

By the time class was over, I needed to use the bathroom. I opened the door and glanced at the entrance to the male restroom and saw someone I could never forget in my entire life. I took out my stress ball and squeezed. My therapist recommended that.

“I’m just seeing things. It’s not really true.” I said this repeatedly while squeezing. This better work. I opened my eyes and saw him still standing there.

“Fuck it. It is true.” I started running at the same moment I heard him call me.

“Elsie,” he said chasing after me. I ran outside and towards the water fountain. I really didn’t look where I was going till I bumped into something…

Or someone.

“Dylan,” I said exhaustedly.

“Chelsea, what’s going on?” he asked me, putting his hands around me.

“He’s back.”

“Elsie.” He called from behind.

“Who are you?” Dylan asked him.

And his name, was the one that made me hate myself and life all over again.

“I’m Ashton.”