Chapter Thirteen

Breaking the News

"Megan? Come in here a second! Please!" my mom calls. I sigh and quickly text Luka that I have to go, ending our already-two-hour long text conversation and run downstairs. Luka sends me a crying face and a broken heart and I smile at the sentimental text.

I walk down the stairs, cringing as I stub my toe on the loose bottom stair that I always forget about. "Yeah, Mom?" I say from the doorway of her office. She's peering at something on her laptop, though it doesn't look to be anything important from what I can make out in the reflection of her glasses.

She smiles at me like I'm adorable. "How was your date yesterday, honey? I didn't hear you come in last night." She looks at me almost accusingly but she doesn't sound mad. Instead, she looks happy for some reason.

I apologize. "Sorry, we came in pretty late because we went to the fancy restaurant downtown. I know we said the pizza parlor but we were both so dressed up and it was kind of a waste and..."

"That's perfectly fine, honey. He seems like a nice young man. I trust him to keep you safe. And clean." I cringe and groan at my mom's words. She seems to be waiting for something from me, as she stares at me expectantly, but I don't know what. She doesn't say anything else until: "So? What happened? Aren't you going to tell me all the details?" She looks almost giddy with excitement, like she's a teenage girl again, so I take pity on her and give her a quick summary.

"We had dinner and the food was simply amazing. I've never had anything like it! And he paid, even though I told him not to. And then we went to ice cream after, and it was beautiful, and it was a really great night." I miss Luka already. It's the strangest thing to say but I can't wait for Monday. School , yes, but... Luka.

She grins at me. "Ah, well, how did you meet this young man again? I vaguely remember you mentioning him once... Maybe a couple of times? And where is Carl?"

I had forgotten I hadn't told her yet about what happened. She's known Carl for longer than me and has gotten used to seeing him around the house. I'm surprised she hadn't asked sooner. "We broke up a while ago," I say simply, trying to cut to the chase.

Her brow furrows. "Oh, honey..." She puts a hand over her heart as she tries to bring back her emotions from teenage breakups and heartbreak.

I wave her off. "It's fine. He was cheating on me with the most popular girl in school, so I decided... I ended it." I've never been this blunt and honest with my mother but I really need someone to talk to. And my mother is so willing to talk to me... call me weird or a wimp but I'm going to talk to my mom like I used to when I was a kid and some preschooler pulled my hair or stole my tiny sandwiches that I would always have for lunch.

"Darling, I'm so sorry. Sometimes boys are so... wrong. They do the wrong things and we women just can't do anything to change it, try as hard as we may. Trust me, women have been trying since the beginning of time to get a boy to treat us right. Anyways, I'm glad you've met Luka. Like I said, I think he seems very polite." She furrows her brow. "And how did you meet him again?"

I shrug. "School. I eat lunch with a bunch of his friends and... yeah."

My mom gives me a withering look and I decide to launch into a full explanation of everything that has happened lately. I haven't told my mom anything about my life for years but I need this so badly. It's like I'm a clogged-up drain and now I have the chance to become free and I'm relieving everything that's been bothering me. I even tell her about Jake and my feelings for him. The feelings that are mostly gone. My mom listens attentively as I tell my story.

Finally, I'm done. "So yeah. How am I supposed to tell him though? Jake? About us?"

My mom sighs and rubs her hands together before folding them in her lap. "Honey, sometimes we have to face the hard moments in life by facing them head-on. Just go to Jake and tell him that you're dating his best friend and that if he can't deal with it, then you guys can't be friends anymore." She smiles pitifully at me. "He probably won't even think twice about it, especially because he's dating your best friend." Ordinarily, her statement would have stung, but now I can only smile as I think about the boy I'm currently with.

I sigh. "But should I tell him how I feel? Or felt? About him?"

"Megan, what good will that do? Think about it. All it'll do is make things more complicated with Jake as well as possibly jeopardize your future with Luka, who sounds like an extremely suitable young man. I completely approve, by the way, if you were wondering," she says, smiling at me. I blush and cover my face with my hands.

"Mooomm," I groan.

She throws her hands up. "Do you want me to lie? I really do trust that boy and I'm glad you're making mature decisions and I already trust you to be safe." Here she goes again.

My face reddens even more. Maybe this was a bad idea. Why did I decide to talk to my mom again? "Mom. You already gave me this talk back in the Carl days."

"Yes, I know, and this is why I'm trusting you. I hope you won't need to hear it again. I'm too young to be a grandma!" She laughs maniacally at her own statement and I roll my eyes.

Groaning, I throw my hands up in the air. I turn to leave but I say, "Yeah, well... thanks, Mom. I needed someone to talk to."

I hear her sniffle and I turn, wondering if I said something wrong. Tears form in her brown eyes and she wipes them away quickly with her manicured fingers. My heart pangs. She starts, "Darling, I know it may seem as if I'm always busy or whatever, but just know, if you ever need to talk about anything, I'll always be here for you. I don't you to be afraid to ask. I love you. This was nice, and I hope we can do this more often." I can't seem to find any words that are proper for this moment, so I just nod and smile. She turns back to her laptop and I leave softly.

A couple years back, when Dad left us, she was unreachable. I couldn't talk to her about anything without her breaking down, and we basically switched roles. I took care of her: I fed her, I put her to sleep every night by reading out loud from Great Expectations or some other Dickens novel, books she always claimed she hated but I know secretly loved, and I made sure she was healthy...

Now, I'm glad for my mother. She's back.

*****

Monday rolls around and I take a deep breath when I wake up. I don't slam my alarm clock as usual. Instead, I silence it gently with the palm of my hand and roll out of bed. I check the time. It's early because I generally set my alarm clock fifteen minutes early so I have more time to sleep and gradually awaken. Today, though, I'm too excited to stay asleep. It's as if I've been waiting all night for that alarm to ring.

I grab my phone from my bedside and see that I have three new messages. One from Luka, which makes me smile, one from Clare, and one from...

Jake Lloyd.

I open the one from Clare first, saving the best and worst for last. How did it go? I smile and text her what happened and she sends back a very long string of emojis, as well as about five OMGs and WHATs. I smile but don't respond. I don't need to start a whole conversation about this. She might tell Jake, and I want to tell him myself. I tell her not to say anything to anyone yet and she sends back a winky face, to which I roll my eyes. She'd better not tell Jake before I do.  I open Luka's next.

Hey, Meg. Want me to pick you up? We can discuss what we're gonna do. <3 That's cheesy, isn't it. No more hearts? I grin to myself—it seems that I'm doing that a lot lately—and respond quickly. Yes! Hearts are so romantic! And what time? I don't wait for him to reply.

I then take a deep breath and open Jake's message. Megan Peters! Need a ride?

If this was last week, I would have been jumping for joy at the chance to get a ride with Jake Lloyd in his car. Alone. But now, the thought doesn't make me happy. Not when there's Luka. So I text him No, sorry. Already have a ride. Tell u details l8r. :/

He doesn't respond after that.

Today is the day. I have to tell everyone.

Well, Luka and I have to tell everyone. Together.

It's not a big deal, right? I repeat those words over and over again but somehow it doesn't make it feel any better.

I change into a white sweater, tight but not as close-fitting as the blue one, blue faded jeans with rips along the legs, and white low-top Converse sneakers. I pull my hair into a messy bun, which is cute, though I know it won't stay for long. Nothing in my hair ever stays. I grab some hairspray and spray a little on impulsively, hoping it'll make my hairdo more permanent. I also grab small pearl earrings and apply a little mascara and lip gloss. It's a little more exaggerated than what I would usually wear to school on a Monday, though it's not incredibly over the top. I run downstairs, eat a quick breakfast (an orange and a granola bar) and wait outside for Luka. I scroll through Instagram while I wait. About ten minutes later, three honks sound and I jump up. My mom comes out of her study and opens the front door, almost tripping over me.

"Honey?"

I don't have time for this. "Getting a ride with Luka, Mom! Bye!" I call. I rush off, desperate to get away and see Luka again. One day is too long.

"Have a great day at school, Megan!" she calls like I'm in fifth grade all over again. I smile at her and watch as she slowly walks back inside the house. Then, I take a deep breath and walk to Luka's Audi.

"Luka, hey," I say, as I climb into his car. He smiles at me and reaches over to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. 

"Megan," he simply says.

He starts driving but this time we don't play music.

"So I was thinking..." he starts off.

"Yeah?" I ask.

"We should tell everyone... together. I mean, like, at lunch or something? Somewhere casual. Yeah?"

"Yeah." I sit back in the cold leather seat and blow out a piece of hair from my face. "I mean, how do these things work anyway? Like people always seem to know who's dating who but like how did they find out already?"

"We'll tell a couple of people and by tomorrow, it'll be all over the school. That's just how high school works," Luka says, grinning at me.

I grin back. "Okay."

"Okay."

I pause. "Luka..."

"Yeah?"

"I'm scared," I say, admitting it out loud for the first time. I blush without really knowing why.

He takes a deep breath. "Me too. And it's crazy, because who cares, right? We can date if we want to, and it shouldn't have to be this crazy task."

I try to justify myself. "I mean, I'm me. You know, Megan Peters, kinda-nerd, bookaholic, not-popular-girl. And you, you're Luka Laurence! Popular guy, nice boy, really-smart dude, not-shy-at-all. What will people think when they hear about us?"

He smiles at me. "Megan... who cares? And you're not not popular. I think you're amazing. I don't care what anyone else thinks. And who cares if you like to read? I do too, you know. God, I don't get how you don't see how perfect you are."

"I know, but what if people think it's not... I don't know... right?" I'm starting to panic as I voice my insecurities to Luka, and I fidget with a loose string on my sweater.

He shakes his head. "Whatever they think, then that's their opinion. It's not like we can change that. Why should we hurt ourselves to please others? I like you for who you are."

"Me too." I do.

He squeezes my hand. "Then there's no reason to be afraid." I nod and feel better.

We arrive at the school and he easily finds a parking space. We get out of the car and we walk together to Homeroom, which we share. We don't hold hands yet, but we stand closer to each other than friends would. Nobody really glances our way and those who do don't register anything being different about us. The bell rings and we get there a little early. We part ways as I take my seat in the back and he takes his seat next to Jake, who smiles at me and pats Luka on the back.

"We'll tell him later," Luka mouths. I nod, though I'm dreading the moment already.

After Homeroom, we have to split up. I have AP English and he has Calculus. We say goodbye and head off to our respective classes. I miss him already. How could I not have felt like this about him before?

Finally, at lunch, which is the next time we see each other, I'm rewarded with the sight of my boyfriend. He wraps an arm around my shoulder and we walk to the lunch table. We sit down but his arm doesn't leave my shoulder. He steals a look at me, as if asking for affirmation, and I nod. It's time. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and open them again. I laugh to myself. What is wrong with me? These are my friends, and it's not like what we're saying is anything bad.

Luka's hand tightens around my shoulder, and I watch as he takes a deep breath, and he says, "Guys? We have to tell you something."

Jake, Shaw, and Clare look up at us and Jake's eyes narrow in at Luka's arm. Luka dives right in. "So... over the weekend, Megan and I kind of... I mean we... started dating."

Jake sucks in a breath and looks away quickly, his jaw clenching, but Clare squeals and Shaw applauds us, giving Luka a friendly shove and me a fist bump. "Nice going, guys! It took you long enough, man," he says to Luka, who groans and shoves Shaw back. I blush. I guess everyone knew about Luka's feelings except for me.

Luka looks at Jake who stares back stonily, his face not showing any emotion. Finally, Jake takes a deep breath and says with obvious effort, "I'm so happy for you guys. Congrats." Then he resumes eating his lunch, not looking at anyone. What is his problem? He has a girlfriend, for crying out loud.

I stare at Luka, my eyes asking a silent question. He nods and I clear my throat. "Jake? Can we talk? Alone?"

The boy in front of me looks up at me and his eyes bore holes into me. I almost wince as he stares until he says, "Okay, Meg, let's talk." Short and succinct words.

He gets up and he leads me outside of the cafeteria and I have no choice but to follow him outside. "So. What?" His voice is angry.

I fill my lungs with oxygen as I say, "Are you... okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be, Megan?" he asks, his face blank and his tone flat.

I shrug. "Because... I mean, something's obviously wrong. Come on, Jake. I know you. Is this about Luka? Because I'm sorry. It's just—"

He sighs. "No. It's not about you guys. Like I said, I'm happy for you. Congratulations. Okay?"

I know he's lying; I can tell from the expression on his face. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." He turns around and starts to walk back inside.

"Wait, Jake!" I call.

He turns back around.

"I'm sorry." I don't even know for what. Why am I apologizing to this confusing boy?

He nods and goes back inside.

*****

Later that night, I still feel worried about everything that happened, despite Clare's and Luka's assurances. I decide to text him. Jake. Please talk to me.

He responds almost immediately and my heart leaps as I open the message. Why?

Because there's something wrong. Don't lie to me. I know you.

Fine. There is something wrong.

I know that. But what?

He doesn't respond to that and I watch as the three gray dots appear and then disappear. I sigh. All of a sudden, I get a call. It's from Clare.

I pick up almost immediately. Clare never calls unless it's an emergency. She's a texter. "Clare?" I hold the phone up to my ear.

"Megan?" Her voice sounds sad and it sounds as if she's been crying. I hear sniffles and her blowing her nose.

"Clare, are you okay?"

"No. I'm anything but okay. Megan—" She starts to cry harder.

"What happened?" I cut her off.

"Can you come over? Megan... Jake just broke up with me."

ooooo drama

malaynaturally xx