Chapter 2

                                                                               ***

How disgusting of him to pull up such a move! I scrub my lips and rinse my mouth a couple of times. Still standing in front of the mirror, I struggle to erase the lines on my forehead.

With every blink I make, flashes of what happened earlier appear. I can't erase it, I can't erase the memory. I glare at the mirror and all I can still see is him, from the time he put his hand on my face to the time he brushed his lips against mine, thankfully I didn't let him go that far but it still felt like a kiss, a kiss I didn't consent.

So much resentment was brewing up inside me I stormed out of the mall without waiting for Tessa or thinking twice about how insane I was looking, I just wanted to get out of there, far away from him.

Upon getting home, I was enfolded in silence. The house was empty, and I assumed mom was still at work, I can't imagine what her reaction would have been if she saw me like this.

Upon throwing myself on the bed, I reach out to grab my phone from my nightstand and as soon as I switch it on, I find dozens of messages from Tessa.

         Tessa, "Hey you okay? Just came back    and found Micheal all alone. He looked pretty upset and didn't tell me much about your whereabouts. Call me when you see this k? I'm worried. Xo."

Tessa, "Okay I know it's only been 20 minutes and maybe you just need some space to breathe but please respond just to confirm you're okay. K'? Xo."

Tessa, "F*ck it Becca where are you? Did he say or do something to you? I've talked to him but he's not giving me much insight into what happened. I'm starting to get worried. Xo!"

Tessa, "Are you going to ignore me too? You know what, I'm calling your mom. Xo!!"

Tessa, "Sh*t couldn't do it, I'm coming over instead."

I can only imagine her panic rising with every message that goes unanswered, how impatient she is growing and probably racing her way over here like a maniac. Truth is, I'm upset with her, she dragged me into this whole mess and now I'm left with the troubled memories that I can't seem to shake off.

The doorbell rings seconds later and I'm completely bewildered by how quick that was. It doesn't take me long enough to realize that it's been over 30 minutes since the messages were sent.

Heading downstairs, I tiptoe my way to the door at a snail's pace. I don't reach for the doorknob, instead, I stand stiff and watch her ring the bell a million times.

Ambivalent about what to do, I stay quiet and hear a million rings turn into a hundred, then they turn into a dozen, and suddenly a single ring that's followed by silence, nothing but silence fills these empty walls once again.

When I peep out the window, I notice her figure fading into the empty street. My heart's yearning for her, for her presence, her warm embrace, the warm long hugs that comfort me in my darkest times, however, my strong-headed side's so firm on holding on to what happened earlier. Maybe I overreacted, maybe I should have run to her and let her in on what happened.

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                                                                             **********

The alarm goes off and I hop out of bed. Running helter-skelter, I manage to organize myself and leave for school. Upon getting downstairs, I notice mom in the kitchen with her back facing me, I watch her closely as she slowly motions her neck in circles and then gets back to making breakfast.

"You know you need to take care of yourself. Just because you're a nurse doesn't mean you should disregard your health," I hug her from behind and she lets out a soft-pitched groan as she turns around to hug me.

"And what makes you think I'm not okay young lady?"  She replies as she pulls her lips into a faint smile.

She looks tired and the dark circles around her eyes aren't doing a good job of hiding the fact that she hasn't been getting enough sleep. Her skin looks pale and yet she manages to throw a smile at me, a smile that's so bright but underneath it lies pain, scars that will never disappear, and the hard punches that life throws at her. I can't even begin to imagine how hard this is for her.

I've only seen half of it and the other half is one that she never tells me about. It holds a lot of secrets and battles left for her to fight alone, If only she can let me in.

"First of all, the dark circles around your eyes tell it all. You look tired and your skin is pale, maybe I should talk to the Chief Nursing Officer cause you look like you need a lot of rest." As light as that sounds, I'm serious, I just want to see her doing well.

The thought of losing her scares me to death and I know she's looking out for my best interest but I'd never forgive myself if something bad happened to her.

She waves it off with a chuckle and a light kiss on my forehead. Perhaps she thinks I'm joking. Knowing that this conversation won't take us anywhere, I let it pass, not because I don't care but rather because I don't want her to be overwhelmed by sadness. Upon grabbing a fruit on the island, I head for the door and make my way out.

"I'll see you later, those eye bags better be gone when I come back," I say with a light tone though I'm serious. She doesn't say a word, instead, she smiles at me and nods then gets back to what she was doing.

                                                                               * * *

                                                                           **********

Ignoring Tessa yesterday wasn't the best option but I needed some time to be alone. However, today my head's in the right space and I'm looking forward to seeing her, talking to her about what happened, and hopefully, she'll understand why I did what I did.

Scanning in the hallway, I see no sign of her and when the first bell rings, I head to my class. I hope she's already there.

I cross my fingers in hopes of seeing her sitting in her chair next to me like we always do, and upon walking into the classroom, my shoulders slump as I stare in utter disbelief at what I'm seeing.

Seeing her switch places with Carter has just clarified my suspicions, she's mad at me. After leaving her countless voice messages and texts and not getting a response at all was clear enough but I didn't want to believe it, there was a part of me that assumed she was busy and probably didn't even notice my messages. Right.

"Guess it's just you and me today Watson!" Carter utters from his seat as he snakes his hands to the back of his head. His arrogant attitude always makes the blood in my veins boil. Of all the people in the classroom Tessa, you couldn't pick someone better to switch places with?!

His face is so ecstatic while his brown eyes sparkle with streaks of golden rays, and the dimples curved on his cheeks add perfection to his statuesque face.

Being the quarterback of his football team has uplifted his social status in school, not that he needs it to be the most popular guy, he already claimed his position the moment he first walked into this school alongside the new principal -- his mother.

The long coats and half-buttoned-up shirts have always been his dress code. A skin fade hair undercut that exposes his strong jawline and a perfect smile he tosses at every girl he glances at always has me in disbelief.

How can somebody look so perfect and yet have an arrogant attitude? The other girls don't mind at all, if anything they find it attractive while I find it controlling.

Upon slumping in my seat, I pull my chair in, heave a sharp breath, and don't make eye contact with him. The first session of the class is done with and I'm not paying attention, my focus is fixed on texting Tessa and hoping she'll reply, however, she doesn't.

Hours go by and not a single word comes from her, not even a glance, instead, she spends most of the time scribbling in her notebook. I know she's not listening to the lecture, her dislike for this class makes her eyes swell from the number of times she blinks her sleep away.

Finally, the bell rings and just as I'm about to walk up to her, she hurries her way out of the classroom.

Knowing so well that she did that on purpose, I run after her and scan the hallway in every direction and see no sign of her.

The rest of the day goes by without her in sight, I couldn't tell if she left school earlier or probably was hiding somewhere. I couldn't keep track of her, especially after the two classes we don't take together. I really messed up big time.

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                                                                          **********

The evening goes silent without a word from her. Maybe I should go to her house or call her brother. Out of everyone in her family, he's the only that takes notice of her whereabouts, he's the only that cares about her.

"Give her some time, she'll come through," Mom speaks from behind. She's totally clueless about what happened at the mall or why Tessa's mad at me and yet, she's trying to help.

She doesn't get into my fights with Tessa but she tries to help us resolve our issues.

I haven't responded to what she said cause I'm so engrossed in the black screen on my phone that hasn't lightened up for a while. Part of me is hoping she'll call or text back, even a single text out of a thousand messages I've left on her phone will be enough. I just need to know she's okay.

Minutes later the doorbell rings and I spring out of the couch. Rushing to get the door, I don't think twice about who it is other than Tessa. Immediately I open the door, my shoulders slump as I frown at the sight of someone standing in front of me instead of her, it's not her.

"Hi I'm Ryan, your new neighbor," He says cheerfully. He looks like he freshly graduated from college and is starting to build his life piece by piece. His lips are arching just a fraction and his radiant eyes are narrowed into a slit. A bundt cake appears in sight as he lifts his right hand and I stand still while I slowly scan him with my eyes from head to toe without uttering a word.

Noticing how displeased I am about his presence, he breaks the silence.

Upon clearing his throat, he parts his lips to speak, "I moved in about two days ago and with everything going on I-I couldn't find a better time to come by and introduce myself. Uhh, are your parents around?"

I don't answer, instead, I avert my eyes from the bundt cake to his biceps that are straining the sleeves of his t-shirt, and the sight of him casts my thoughts away and causes me to fixate my focus on no one else but him.

I take the moment to pay attention to every detail that's visible in the dim light in case anything twisted were to happen. How often do you often see a stranger at your doorstep in the late hours with a bundt cake in his hands?

When I part my lips to reply, mom comes up from behind and takes over the conversation before gesturing me back inside. Minutes later, she returns with the bundt cake in her hands.

"Looks like we have some dessert," She says as her eyebrows wiggle. Her voice is so joyous as she makes her way to the kitchen while I on the other hand can't wait to speak to Tessa tomorrow, hopefully, she'll listen this time.