Chapter Thirty-Seven
Juliet
Chase is so distraught. He keeps putting things where I’m more than certain they aren’t supposed to go. From orders on the picture frame shelf to special films in the cash register.
“Hey, why don’t I help you with this?” I ask.
He jerks his arms full of stuff away from me. “I got this! I’ve been doing this for years. I don’t need your help!”
I flinch. “I was only offering.”
“You can’t fix this! There is a hole the size of Jupiter in my chest.”
I’ve never seen Chase so out of it. He’s usually the one who holds me together when I feel like my world is falling apart. He let me cry when Mark ripped my heart out. He offered to kick his ass. I turned him down but sometimes I wish I didn’t.
“Please stop shoving me away,” I plead.
“We can’t be friends anymore,” he whispers.
“Don’t say that Chase! We’ve been best friends since we were in Kindergarten.”
He glares at me. “And you’ve been friends with her forever too! I’m not going to sit around and pretend everything is fine. I can’t do that. I can’t be near her and act as if she’s my sister because I don’t think of her like that. She told me she thinks of me as the brother she never had. Do you know how much worse that is than being put in the friend-zone?”
I didn’t. I could imagine though and the thought wasn’t appealing at all.
“I’ll leave if you want me to. But we’re still friends I don’t care what you say when you’re acting like this.” I take a step toward the door hoping he would stop me, but he doesn’t so I take that as a sign that he needs a lot of space right now.
At home, I feel as if the whole world flipped and landed on me. Lunch is going to suck tomorrow. No, school in general a place I usually enjoy because I love learning is going to suck tomorrow. I hate that my friends are fighting. I hate that there may be no one who can kiss like Jared Black. And God do I so hate that I keep thinking about those lips.
Layla is out with Tyler. My mom is out on a date with Evan. This means I’m left to my own devices. I enter the kitchen and search inside the fridge for something to eat. Of course, there isn’t anything.
I mark on the post it’s on the fridge door “Go grocery shopping” then I head out the door. I hop in my Wrangler and drive to the Pizzeria.
Eating alone never used to bother me, but it does right now. I think it’s because I didn’t bring any of my books with me to read. I play with the salt and pepper shakers which I always found strange. Who puts salt on their pizza? I wouldn’t ask this if the Pizzeria served veggies, but they only have salad, Stromboli, and pizza. They don’t serve fries.
I slide the shakers to the edge of the table without it falling. That’s the goal get it as close to the edge as possible without tipping it. I overshoot the pepper. Before I can react properly a hand swoops out and catches it. I look up at my savior then scowl.
“Hey Juliet, what are you doing here?” Mark asks.
“I’m eating.” Why else would I be sitting in a booth? I bit back my snarky comment.
He plops down across from me. I don’t know what gives him the gull to think he can just sit wherever he pleases. I certainly don’t want him here. I give him a look that says so, but he doesn’t seem fazed at all. He smiles and plays with the shakers.
“Mark, what are you doing?” I snap as he slides the salt toward the edge.
“Sitting here. Talking.”
“I didn’t invite you.”
He looks around then lands his gaze on me. “Are you on a date?”
I cross my arms. “What if I am?” I ask as I lean back.
“Don’t you think you’re moving a little fast? We’ve been broken up for only a month and a few weeks.”
Is he kidding right now? I wish this butter knife was sharper. I’d take it and jam it right into his hand or I’d cut off his stupid lips. I place my feet on the center bar under the table and push. The table moves pinning him against the booth seat. “Juliet,” he croaks. He struggles to move the table back, but I hold him there.
“Don’t talk to me ever again. If you see me anywhere I mean it, anywhere, keep walking.”
“I really think you should give this a shot again.”
I stand up. “You disgust me!” I head to the counter. “Can I get my order to go?”
“Sure thing,” the waitress says.
Mark sidles up beside me. I know it’s him because he reeks of the cologne that at one-time I basked in. Right this instance it makes me want to hurl chunks everywhere. Why for the life of me can he not leave me alone?
“You hate me. I get it. Thing is … Selena decided she didn’t want to be my date to the Valentine’s day dance. I already have everything ordered so will you go with me?”
“Did you get knocked out before you entered the Pizzeria?” He looks at me like I’m crazy and lost my ever-loving mind. “Because only brain trauma of any sort would give you the notion to ask me something so stupid it’s practically unreal.”
“You’re pretty Juliet. Why shouldn’t I at least take a pretty girl to the dance?” I square around and ram my knee right into his package.
As he drops to the ground I yell, “That’s why!” My order is up just in time, I pay, snatch it and leave. Yep. Screw you Mark and anyone else like you.
I didn’t want to go home and eat in an empty house. I didn’t want to sit in the parking lot and eat my food in case Mark came outside. Lord knows I don’t need that again. Ugh! I decide on the BookHut. It’s like a library and a Park combined. Best place ever!
Every corner of the play area of the Park is little secret cubbies inside filled with books. My top favorites are the mini jungle gym area. Under the monkey bars where it forms like almost a globe shape is a little reading nook. There’s a fake window and door, to get inside one must crawl through the back part of the jungle gym. Inside the little nook is a single covered shelf with books. When I was little I used to sit in there for hours and read. I’m too big for it now.
My other favorite spot is what I would call a plastic tree house. Okay, it’s not even in a tree it’s just off the ground and has a slide you can go down to get back out quickly. There is a room off the slide entrance, and it’s big enough where I can sit down, close a door, eat, and read. As long as I don’t stand up, I can fit.
It’s been a while since I’ve been at this place. I slide myself and my pizza into the small room. I gander at the shelf and pull out a book and start reading. The best part about the BookHut beside the lovely quiet this time at night, it’s that all the books are free to take. Seriously if I wanted to grab one and read it at home I could. I sneak in here though and fill the shelves with books.
As I become immersed in the character’s world, I realize this is what made life easier. My books. If I buried my nose in them and didn’t try dating I had less heartache and drama in my life. But then I felt I was lacking something. I had to listen to my mom telling me some crap about missing out on first kisses and being swept up in moments that lasted a lifetime. If she would have just left me be I would have never felt betrayal. I would have never had so much hate balled up in me.
I grab a slice of cheesy pizza and bit right into it. Even though I felt fulfilled mostly in the past and a little more at the idea of having a boyfriend, does this mean I’ll be lacking? Or will I want someone other than the characters in my books to entertain me?
Why is everything so complicated?