5 months ago

*******

"YOUR BOYFRIEND IS CHEATING ON YOU", a boy Carrie did not know stared at her through thick black lashes.

The boy was leaning on against the wall, eyes staring at her with an intensity that made her shift nervously. He looked at her as if he was searching for something. Whatever it was, he didn't seem to find it. He sighed.

"What? No tears? No 'I don't believe you?'", he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do you even care?"

Carrie gaped at him. Unsure of what to say. What do you even say to a person who tells you your boyfriend is a cheater?

"I-- excuse me?!", Carrie asked, incredulous. Her heart sank like a stone. She was speechless.

"You know what cheating is right?", He lowered his voice, almost letting it be drowned out by the upbeat music from the party downstairs.

His eyes bore into hers. "It means he's hooking up with someone right now, specifically the band's drummer. Like upstairs. You know doing the do. The frick frack. The deed. Whatever you call--"

"I KNOW WHAT IT MEANS!", she snapped, glaring. Her head suddenly felt light headed and the energy she had built up was gone.

Her heart rampaged inside her chest, not sure if it was to shatter, wait to find out the truth or to burst.

"Whoa there"

Strong warm hands were suddenly on her shoulders, steadying her.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have dropped it on you out of the blue", the boy mumbled, pulling away. Blue eyes looking everywhere except her.

"It's fine"

No it was not.

"I'll be fine"

No she will not be.

"I'll go see if what your saying is true. And if it is I'm going to break up with him"

Will you?

"Will you?", the mystery boy asked, his lips curving downward. "Isn't he your first and all? I mean you're taking this so much easier than I expected-"

"He isn't my first. I've never--", she flushed, self conscious. She noticed his eyes widen and she glared at him, daring him to say a word. "And it doesn't matter anyway"

A sick feeling built up in her stomach and something tugged at her heart.

I need to get out of here.

Steps. Every step she took on the stairs felt like she was wearing platform shoes. She never was good at not falling in them.

The world swayed around her and her head felt like it was suddenly plunged in warm water. She wasn't sure if the boy was watching her, she couldn't tell.

The door was locked, she heard voices inside, pleasured ones. Some noises carried his names, some didn't.

"Bryan?", she rasped, knocking on the door. The sound was sharp even to her. The noises stopped. Her heart felt like it stopped too.

"Leave us alone, Maya. I told you not tonight, maybe next time."

Bryan's voice. Her Bryan's voice.

The name was familiar, it was his girl bestfriend that he told her not to worry about.

'So it's more than just one', she thought, suddenly feeling like cold iron chains were wrapping around her heart.

"It's Carrie"

The sound of shuffling quickly followed. So did curses.

Carrie ran. Ran like hell.

But Bryan did track and field when he was in highschool so he easily caught up to her at the living room. That and she was slow when it came to running down the stairs, she had seen her brother break his nose once when he fell down the stairs, she knew better than to follow in his footsteps. Literally.

"Carrie-"

"We're over", she said, louder than she had wanted it to be. A few people looked but the music drowned their murmurs. "I'm breaking up with you. Please don't ever contact me again"

"I'm sorry"

A conga line cut between both of them and she let herself blend into the crowd, tears falling as Bryan's shattered expression filled her head.

Memories. Memories flooded into her mind. The day he asked her to be his girlfriend at the skatepark. The time they planned to go to the same college. Her fighting her brother because he wouldn't allow her to study so far away from home.

Now she wished she had listened. She felt homesick.

~~~

Bryan didn't take the break up well.

Two weeks had passed and he still hasn't stopped texting her. Today, she finally blocked him. It was today when she finally realized how lucky she was to get into her dream school. Not only did it have good education, but it also had a very very big campus.

Which means it would be easy for her to avoid Bryan. Not that she needed to, it was the end of freshman year and she was going to back to the her hometown in two days. Nonetheless, the idea of not seeing him until that time made her happy.

'How do I tell my mom?'

"Hey"

Something cold pressed on the back of her neck and she let out a yelp, jumping to her feet, her laptop falling out of her lap and into the grass.

"Whoa you're a jumpy one", a boy holding up a cold can of soda said, a smile tugging on his lips. "Here got you this"

He tossed her the can and she barely catched it.

"Got the drink I owed you", he laughed, giving her flustered face a knowing look. "I look forward to my drink someday"

He chucked as he jogged away in a surprisingly fast pace.

Memories from the night she dumped Bryan surged into her head she felt her face burn with shame.

'Oh gosh so it wasn't a dream'

Memories resurfaced.

The scent of alcohol from a bar. The anger in a male voice when he found out she got herself drunk. The glaring headlights of a speeding car. Strong pair of arms suddenly pulling her back, the screech of tires, the scent of books. Her tears darkening the wood of the park bench. A jacket she didn't own warming her shoulders.

A drunk kiss that she had initiated.

Those bright blue concerned eyes.

The world seemed to sway around her and she felt heat rise up to her face.

'I can't believe I kissed him what the ACTUAL--'

Apology.

She quickly packed her things, shoving the laptop into her back. Cursing her clumsy hands. It took longer than she had expected and when she stood up to run after him, he was nowhere in sight.

'I have to apologize to him', she thought, running to the direction the boy had ran too. Her brain trying to formulate a good apology.

Carrie realized she didn't even know his name. She remembered he told her, but she was too drunk to remember.

For the next hour, Carrie had searched around most of the campus, but she had no luck in finding him.

******

Until today.

"Hi", he smiled, blue eyes alight with amusement. "I'm Ethan"