(1) Talk Me Down: An All Time Low Fanfiction Romance

Chapter 64: Over

        "Kara, there is nothing to worry about. I'm here today," Rian said, laughing at me lightly. I whipped my head up to meet his with a small pout, heart racing in my chest. I didn't want to go in that lunchroom, not with Veronica in there.

        So Rian and I were standing outside of the closed door, his fingers tugging on mine to walk inside of the cafeteria. As much as I loved the feeling and warmth of his hands, it wasn't enough to make me stop being scared about a girl that was already ruining my reputation in school.

        My feet were glued to the ground, the heaviness of two ton weights on the bottom. There was absolutely no way I could do this.

        I was asked three times in class that morning if I had slept with Kyle, and also how Rian could stand to look me in the eyes after everything I did to him. I wanted to scream, they didn't listen when I told them that I would never cheat on Rian, and I distinctly remembered the taste of venom in my mouth when I said them. Kyle and I stopped talking, and honestly, I felt bad. I wanted to tell him how sorry I was, even if he had talked to me of his own volition. But every time I saw him in the hallways, all he did was give me a reassuring smile, like he only expected it to happen. I wasn't even in school yesterday, and I was already sick of hearing it.

        "It doesn't matter, she'll just be a bitch to me anyway," I said, whimpering, eyes scanning the doors that looked like the entrance to hell. If I opened the door, the firey pit would swallow me whole.

        Rian sighed softly, pulling my hand just hard enough that I stumbled into hsi side. He caught me with absurd grace, fingers gently holding my waist for balance. My skin burned where his hand lay, and I sucked in a shallow breath with his face so close to mine.

        "Nothing is going to happen because I won't let it, he said sternly. I noticed the way his eyes softened, like he felt guilty for something. My eyebrows came together in confusion, reaching up to touch his jaw lightly. My nails skimmed his skin, and I noticed the goose bumps I caused on his throat.

        "You can't do anything about Veronica, she's going to do what she wants an.." he cut me off by shaking his head.

        "I didn't say something to her last week because I thought it would only make it worse. But she's going to keep doing it either way, so I'm going to say something. I feel bad enough that I left you to fend for yourself before. She's not going to make it worse.

        I opened my mouth to say something to him, but closed it quickly when Alex and Jack's voices boomed over our conversation from down the hallway. They were playing the 'penis' game, yelling our names in between. I rolled my eyes at them, watching them saunter to us, motioning with their hands to follow them into hell.

        I looked back at Rian, planting my lips on his quickly. His fingers tightened at my sides, holding me closer to him for only a second, before pulling back and untangling his body from mine. He didn't want to have this conversation either; I guess we both just wanted to put it behind ourselves.

        He held onto my hand loosely, towing me to the lunch line that was crowded with students. I didn't want to do this, but I knew I had to. Veronica couldn't ruin my life because she knew how to get to me. I just needed to block her out, start believing that she's wrong.

        I rolled my eyes at the last thought while Rian slowed down, waiting patiently for me to get my salad. I let out a small breath, grinning before nudging his arm with my elbow to go into the other line to get his cheeseburger. It took a ten second staring contest before he trudged over to where his own lunch sat. I didn't need him to think I needed to be protected. I had to believe that I could stand up for myself.

        I mean, how in the world does Veronica know anything about me? She barely knew me even when we were best friends. I always went along with what she said; smiling at every stupid, girly birthday present she ever gave me. She thought she knew who I was, but she never did. We are two strangers. She knows nothing about me, or what I'm capable of.

        I'm a better person than her, it had to be true. If Veronica couldn't even keep her best friend, maybe she was doing something wrong. If even one of the girls felt bad for what she was doing to me, she had to be wrong. Maybe she was wrong all along, maybe I was right. Maybe I wasn't the bad person.

        If Rian liked me, I had to be doing something right. There had to be some kind of good quality about me fo Rian to want to be with me. He wouldn't have bothered if I wasn't worth the trouble, he wouldn't have done any of this if I wasn't a good person, there was no way. There was no way that Rian would ever be with someone that wasn't like him. He couldn't survive with a girl that wasn't nice enough. They'd be too different, he'd always end up being hurt.

        He told me that he was happy with me. He wanted to be with me, and we had been together for a few weeks now. He wouldn't stay with someone who wasn't right; he wouldn't waste his time on someone that wasn't good. Maybe I was good.

        I was distraced, weaving between people to get my vegetables on my plate. I was knocked into a few underclassmen, giving them apologetic smiles before continuing to the registers where Rian was already waiting for me. I gave him a confident smile, chest feeling lighter.

        There was no way that Rian would be with me if I wasn't worth it. I had to be, right? It only made sense.

        I paid for my lunch after arguing with Rian that I wanted to. I scurried off to get my salad dressing, laughing and watching him grunt in response from over my shoulder. I chuckled, turning my head back around before knocking into someone in front of me. Luckily, my salad was in one hand off to the side, so all that crashed together was our shoulders.

        I winced in pain, grabbing my arm and noticing the other person did the same. They really didn't seem to noce me either. I massaged my shoulder, rotating it while turning to apologize. I was stunned to see the girl turn around and scrunch her nose in pain. I sucked in a breath, seeing the purple dress she was wearing slide off her shoulder.

        Her blode hair swayed from side to side as her light eyes met my dark ones. I prepared myself for the attack, remembering that this time, I would stand up for myself. I would say something back, I would actually do something about it. She wasn't going to get away with this because I was the bigger person; I would stand up for myself and walk away without another word. I would leave her speechless, and she wouldn't know what hit her. She would be embarrassed in front of the lunchroom, and I would walk off with my dignity. She wouldn't tear me down.

        "Oh, sorry."

        My mouth fell open, completely shocked. That was it? She apologized? What happened to last week where she went out of her way to run into me, when she would chase me down just to tear me apart at the seams? Sense when does Veronica say sorry?

        She turned on her heel quickly, walking off towards the line. I was sure I'd imagined it. I blinked multiple times, unable to comprehend what had happened. She didn't make fun of me.

        It only took me a moment before Rian was at my side, asking if something happened. He must have seen what happened. But I couldn't bring myself to look away from the girl waiting to get a salad, the one that was my best friend, my worst enemy, and now just another face in the crowd. She didn't say anything to me, not one rude remark.

        "She -- she didn't say anything at all.." I whispered softly, still staring at her. I was bewildered, there was no way in the world that this just happened.

        Veronica Rivers had nothing to say to me.

        "That's great," Rian smiled at me, gaining my attention finally. My eyes fell on his, a smile plastered on my mouth. She didn't say a single word to me. Veronica wouldn't skip an opportunity to do that with a person she doesn't like, she's stopping. She wasn't saying anything else to me. She was done.

        At that moment, it didn't matter why, or how, or when. All that mattered was that it was over, I could move on. I could move on, with Rian and my past behind me. There was nothing holding me back anymore, it was just Rian and I. 

        There was no worry, nothing. It was over.