Goodbye

Happy Birthday

Chapter Three

It's been three days since I hung out with Aron and we occasionally have small flirtatious moments in the hallways, but we haven't really talked since then. I drove myself to school today to avoid Mark and pretended to forget his birthday. Of course I had big plans for us this afternoon, but he won't get to have it that easy.

I went to my locker before lunch and got startled as I closed the locker to find Mark on the other side. "You scared me!" I smack him with a book, "what do you want?"

"This is how you're going to treat me today?" He sticks his lips out and pouts at me and I had to look away before giving away that I hadn't forgotten.

"Those are nice balloons, what's the occasion?" I make my way towards the cafeteria.

Following me he says, "You didn't actually forget my birthday did you?"

"It's your birthday?!" I give him a surprised look and stop walking. "Happy Birthday, I hope you have a nice day."I go in for a side hug.

"Grace, you're my best friend I know you didn't forget. You're not allowed as my best friend to give me that 'have a nice day' bullshit and give me a side hug like I disgust you."

"I've just had a lot on my mind with college applications and clubs, I'm sorry."

"Are we hanging out later at least?" The happiness in his voice seemed to disappear and I couldn't pretend anymore.

I put my book on top of the lockers and give him a big hug. "Happy Birthday dork." I whisper into his ear as I melted in his arms. I got lucky with him in my life, "I didn't forget ok>? After school at my place. Be ready." I tell him as I let go.

"I knew you couldn't forget! I'll walk you to lunch, yea?"

"Why not." We make our way into the cafeteria and immediately the boys catch a glimpse of him and call him over, there was a girl sitting with them that I hadn't met before. "Go say hi, I'm going to sit with Heather."

"Actually now that I think about it, what if we ditch the rest of the day?" Caught by surprise I look at him and raise an eyebrow, "I just thought we could celebrate now and..." I look at him and realize he was staring at the girl.

"Ok that's fine, it is your day after all."

"Great let's go." He got tense and I knew something was up. He wanted to rush out of the cafeteria like if he saw a ghost. He kept looking at the table, at the girl and I knew something was up. He grabbed my book from my hands and turned to walk out. "Gracie come on."

"Yea I'm coming." I look at the girl and see Aron put his arm around her. Suddenly I think I figured out what he was trying to avoid, so I turn to walk out with Mark. When we got to the car the curiosity was eating me alive of the girl, "Who was that girl?" I blurt out to Mark.

"What girl?" He glances at me and laid back in the passenger seat I can tell he got uncomfortable with the question.

"The girl Aron had his arm around in the cafeteria." He didn't answer me, so I kept bugging about it. "Is she his girlfriend? If she is you can tell me, why wouldn't you want to tell me if it was?"

"It's not his girlfriend." He lets out and takes a deep breath. "Why don't we change the subject, what's been recently?"

"Mark we talk everyday there is nothing you don't know already."

"Right."

I try to keep going with the change of subject by telling him something from today, but I go back to the girl right after. "Mark can you please tell me who that girl was because it's eating me alive. I need to know if he's into someone else and I'm just making a fool of myself."

"Her name is Jess, she's his stepsister."

"Why didn't you just tell me that?"

"I slept with her." Suddenly my chest felt heavier than before. "I went to a party with some of the guys when you went to New York during summer and..." Mark slept with someone while I was gone and it felt like my heart broke in to a million pieces.

I was silent trying to control the tears I felt rising for a while before asking him, "I think I should probably drive myself home and meet you there, I don't want to leave my car here over the weekend."

"Grace." I ignore him and walk out of the car to take a deep breath, when I get to my car I break down. He had slept with someone and suddenly it was like all my feelings couldn't be controlled.

Why did I have to care so much? How could I cry my eyes out for someone who will never see me more than a friend? I just had to push for an answer out of him, but maybe this was for the best. Aron is a great guy and I feel happy when I'm with him, so this shouldn't hurt me as much as it does. What is wrong with me! Get it together Grace you can't let him make you feel this way, he doesn't even know how you feel.

I drive home after I've calmed down and Mark had been waiting for me on my porch steps. When I got out of the car he smiled at me with those perfect teeth. I walked towards him then took a seat. "Are you mad?" He asked as I sat down.

"No, you're old enough to make your own decisions and I am not anyone to tell you what to do."

"I really am sorry about the whole Aron thing, I don't want you to date... I don't want to lose you."

"Lose me? Mark we're best friends nothing and no one could ever pull us from each other. We grew up looking after one another and I would never make it this easy for you to lose me." I laugh at him while I punch his arm playfully.

Mark lays down on the porch and looks up at the ceiling. "I guess I was just jealous when I saw you two together... does he make you happy?"

All I wanted to say at that moment was no one has ever made me feel like you, but I couldn't seem to get that out in words. Maybe it was possible he felt something towards me too... "He does."

"That's good because I swear I don't care how cool I am with him if he hurts you I will beat him and any other guy for that matter."

"OK muscles," I lay back and look at him, "Thank you for being my family."

He smiles as he looks up to the ceiling. I looked up and for a while we were silent. There was a nice breeze today and the air felt a bit chill. After a while I decided to go grab a jacket when Mark offered me his instead, so I wouldn't have to go inside.

He really was my family and I could not bare to lose him and be alone. Whatever these feelings were I had to lose them and fast. I grab my phone and text Aron, 'I'm free tomorrow if you are for that movie.'

"Do you think my mom will remember it's my birthday and call later?"

"She hasn't called you?" He shakes his head silently, his mom being out of the country all the time always seems to get in the way of any occasion. She forgets to call and although he acts tough most of the time I know it hurts him. "She's is Beijing isn't she? It's still night time over there so maybe give it some time."

He stays quiet for a moment, looking at him I could see his eyes fill with tears. "I love you."

"I love you." I grab his hand and we stay there for sometime until we decided to go inside and have a fun night. We played games and once it got late I convinced him to try a face mask as we watched movies and ate more then we should have.