Cayden was at my house. I felt a rush of anxiety at the thought. Not because I was scared of him, but because I didn't expect him to come by. The last time I checked, we were still navigating the awkward territory of friendship after everything that had happened. Now, here he was, standing at my doorstep with flowers in hand.
"This is for you," he said, a lopsided smile on his face that made my heart flutter against my better judgment.
I accepted the flowers, their vibrant colors contrasting sharply with the dullness of my surroundings. "Thank you," I managed, though my mind was racing. I gestured him inside, my voice tinged with uncertainty. "Come in and sit down."
As he stepped through the door, a familiar voice interrupted my thoughts. "Cayden, what a surprise!" Amelia exclaimed, striding towards us with that effortless energy that always seemed to light up a room. She leaned closer, whispering, "How did he know your address? Did you give it to him?"
I shrugged, casting a quick glance at Cayden, who seemed just as confused by the question as I was. "I guess he just... found it?"
The three of us stood there for a moment, the air thick with unspoken tension. I cleared my throat, attempting to regain some control over the situation. "So... what do you guys want to do?"
Caleb, who had arrived with Cayden, exchanged glances with him. "Do we know each other from somewhere?" he asked, his brow furrowed as if he was trying to piece together a puzzle.
Cayden gave him a puzzled look. "Not that I know of."
Caleb's eyes lit up with recognition. "Wait! You're the quarterback from Anderson High, right?"
"I guess you could say that," Cayden replied, his expression shifting slightly.
"Wow, impressive," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I felt a pang of envy. A quarterback? It felt like another worldâone I had never quite managed to be a part of. I coughed awkwardly to regain their attention, but they seemed lost in their own conversation.
"Anyway," Cayden said, glancing at me, "I should probably get going. I have some errands to run. I hope you feel better soon."
"Yeah, me too," Caleb added, standing up. He grabbed his keys from the coffee table. "Amelia, take care of your best friend."
"I will!" Amelia replied, rolling her eyes playfully.
"Sure you will," Caleb shot back, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "I'll see you at home. Dinner's at seven, and don't be late. Mom hates that."
With that, they left, the door closing behind them with a soft thud.
I moved to the window and peeked through the blinds, catching a glimpse of them talking outside. I was about to turn away when Amelia's voice broke through my thoughts. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing," I said quickly, spinning around. "Just checking on... um, the plants outside."
"You don't have plants outside," she said, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, we do. You just don't notice them," I replied defensively.
"Sure," she said, shaking her head. "Anyway, you should take a nap. You look exhausted."
"I'm just going to lie down for a bit," I told her, heading up the stairs to my room.
Once inside, I closed the door and fell onto my bed, letting the weight of the day settle over me. I stared up at the ceiling, wondering what Cayden and Caleb were talking about. Did they mention me? That seemed unlikely. I was just the girl with the hospital bracelet, the one they had to keep an eye on.
Before I knew it, my eyes grew heavy, and I slipped into a deep sleep.
When I finally woke up, it was dawn. I groaned, glancing at the clock. Six in the morning. I had slept for over thirteen hours. In a way, it was refreshing, but I still felt tired. Boredom had begun to creep in as well. Mom wouldn't let me out of the house, and after a while, the walls felt like they were closing in.
With a resigned sigh, I decided to shower and head to school. I didn't want to miss anythingâespecially not my senior year. It was almost over, and I didn't want to look back and regret it.
After a quick shower, I threw on a casual outfit and dried my hair. I grabbed my backpack and phone, mentally preparing myself for whatever awaited me at school.
"Good morning!" my mom greeted as I entered the kitchen. It felt strange how she always seemed to know when I was nearby. "Why are you up so early? Are you going somewhere?"
"Going to school," I replied, my stomach churning as I reached for a plate. I piled pancakes onto it, then added chocolate syrup and whipped cream.
"What do you mean? You should be resting," she said, her voice laced with concern as she flipped another pancake on the griddle.
"I want to go to school," I insisted, the words feeling foreign. "Amelia's there. I can visit the nurse and go home early if I need to."
Mom turned to face me, her expression softening. "Alright, but you have to call me if you decide to come home early. I can't have you alone if you're not feeling well."
"I don't need you to pick me up, Mom," I argued, frustration bubbling over. "I can handle myself."
"Handle yourself? You just got out of the hospital!" she countered, and I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks.
"Can you just let me live my life for once?" I snapped, grabbing my bag and storming out the door, slamming it behind me.
I pulled out my phone, dialing Amelia to see if she could give me a ride. The call rang and rang with no answer. She was probably still asleep. Just as I was about to try again, I heard a voice behind me.
"Hey! Do you need a ride?" It was Caleb, leaning against his car.
I hesitated, but I knew I didn't want to wait for Amelia. "Uh..."
"Come on. I wouldn't let you drive yourself to school with your condition," he said, raising an eyebrow as if it were obvious.
"Fine," I said, rolling my eyes as I walked over and got into the car.
As Caleb drove, he launched into a story about his childhood. I listened, half-focused. My mind kept drifting back to the morning's confrontation with my mom. It felt so strange to hear her suddenly care, like she was a different person.
"Look, I know I'm hot, but you don't have to stare at me like that," Caleb joked, catching me off guard.
I looked up to see Cayden walking toward us, a teasing smirk on his face. "Your ass must be pretty jealous of the stuff that comes out of your mouth."
"Get lost, man!" Cayden shot back, but there was no real animosity in his tone.
Caleb laughed, and I felt my heart race at the sight of Cayden. "What are you doing here at school? Shouldn't you still be resting?"
"I have to be here. I can't just sit at home all day," I replied, forcing confidence into my voice. "Look, I need to go."
"You know we have the same class, right?" Cayden said, tilting his head slightly.
"No, I didn't," I said, irritation creeping into my voice. "I have to get to my locker."
"Okay, then," he said, raising his hands in mock surrender.
As I walked away, I wondered if I had made the right choice by coming to school. The bell hadn't rung yet, so I still had time to decide. Staying here felt like a mistake, but going home meant facing my mom's disappointed look, and I really wasn't in the mood for that.
The hours dragged on. By the time third period rolled around, I could hardly focus on the clock. The teacher droned on about some experiment, and I found myself questioning why I had decided to come.
"Are you feeling okay?" Amelia whispered, nudging my arm.
"Yeah," I replied, forcing a smile.
"Oh, come on. We've been friends long enough for me to know when something's bothering you. Spill it."
I hesitated, weighing my options. But she was right. We had been through so much together. "It's just... my mom has been acting weird lately. It's like she suddenly cares about me, and I don't know how to feel about it. I wanted her to notice me, but now that she has, it feels different."
"What do you mean?" Amelia asked, her focus still on the experiment.
I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of my words. "Since my dad died, she's been out dating. I guess she's just trying to distract herself, but in the process, she forgot about me. I got used to being alone."
Amelia nodded, her expression sympathetic. "You know, I went through something similar. But you should be grateful she's trying to reach out, even if it feels odd."
"Thanks, Amelia," I said, a warmth spreading through me.
"Don't thank me yet. It's not the best advice," she replied, but I could see the sincerity in her eyes.
I surprised her with a hug, feeling lighter somehow. "You really helped."
"Enough with the drama. Let's finish this experiment before we get in trouble," she said, playfully rolling her eyes.
As I stepped into the classroom, I made my way to my seat, feeling a bit more grounded. Cayden followed me, taking the empty spot beside me.
"Uh, what are you doing? You usually sit at the back," I pointed out, raising an eyebrow.
He just shrugged. I rolled my eyes, trying to hide my annoyance.
"Where's Candice?" I asked the guy sitting behind me, and he shrugged, saying she was absent.
"Right. We have second, fifth, and seventh period together, don't we?" I muttered to myself, feeling the familiar irritation wash over me.
Suddenly, a buzz of whispers erupted around the room, and I turned to see what was going on. Then I saw him, standing in the doorway.
"What is he doing here?" I thought, my stomach tightening as he walked toward me.
"It's nice to see you again, my lovely ex," he said, the smirk on his face making my blood boil.
***
It's 2019 and here's the latest update. I am so sorry for not being able to update for a few months but here it is, I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter.
stay tuned for more updates! as always, carry on and happy reading!
-The Author