Chapter 17

HEY, DO YOU WANT TO HANG OUT TODAY? I texted Maribella the next morning.

  I hadn't slept well, waking a few times to weird dreams that didn't make any sense. By 4 A.M. I couldn't get back to sleep at all.

   I ate breakfast and was watching a TV show, like a zombie, when she texted back.

    YEAH! WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?

   I ACTUALLY JUST NEED SOMEONE I CAN TALK TO, I told her.

   OH, IM ALL YOURS. I CAN BE THERE IN AN HOUR?

   Feeling a bit relieved that she was okay with just hanging out, I sent back, SOUNDS GREAT.

   I got dressed and scrolled through my social medias for a bit, while I waited. Josie and Polly had been drinking and taking selfies the night before. My dad posted a photo of his new surfboard. I had deleted both Lily and Sheldon off of my friends list, but once in awhile - because of a mutual friend from California - Lily's face would be there on my phone, staring back at me. This time, it was a girl named Grace's account, and her and Lily were sitting at a beach campfire, laughing like they were having the time of their lives.

   I closed the app quickly. This was why I hated social media. It just reminded me of the things I'd left behind.

   Caleb appeared in in the doorway of the living room a few minutes later, looking even more like a zombie than I felt.

   "Morning," I smiled at him.

   "Hey," he said, groggy.

   "Late night?" I asked.

   "Yes, very."

   I watched him walk to the kitchen and pour a coffee, then he came back to join me on the couch.

   "I'm sorry I acted so weird yesterday," I said, right away. I had been thinking about it a lot.

   "I understand. It was a surprise, even for me," Caleb nodded, sipping his black coffee.

   "She seems great," I went on.

   "She is." He nodded, then narrowed his eyes at me. "So, who's this boy you're seeing?"

   I did not expect this from him right away. "He's a friend. He lives in the building, and goes to my school."

   "Friend?" Caleb was smiling, but I could tell he didn't believe me.

   "Yes."

   "Okay. I just wanted to say I don't care if he comes over, or whatever. I'm actually really proud of you for making new friends so easily."

   I smiled back, because his reaction to this was pretty awesome. "Well, I'm already figuring out who my real friends are." My phone buzzed. "Speaking of... Maribella's here."

   "Are you two going out somewhere?" Caleb asked, yawning.

   "No, we are hanging out here today," I said right away, texting her back.

   "Oh, great. I have to get some groceries later, but otherwise I'll be around," he finished.

   Maribella and I settled in on the couch a little while later, after I showed her around the apartment. I opened a bag of pretzels that I found in the cupboard, and put it between us.

   "So, what's going on?" she began, tucking her long hair behind her ear.

   I swallowed hard, suddenly a bit freaked out. "You want to know everything?"

   She nodded. "If you want to tell me."

   I took in a breath, then ate a few pretzels nervously. "So, I ran away from San Diego in August, because my boyfriend of eight months slept with my best friend."

   Maribella looked mortified. "Oh my god."

   "Yeah. So, I came back to Virginia. I chose Charlottesville because my uncle lives here, and I went to school here for ninth grade. But I planned on working hard and graduating, getting into college in New York, then getting out of here for good."

   "That's not your plan now?" she asked, still looking surprised at what I'd told her.

   "It is. But I met Bennett. And you," I smiled.

   "Tell me about him," she begged, grabbing a handful of pretzels from the bag.

   "Oh. We met on the first day of school. I literally bumped into him. And ever since, I've been trying to get away, but -"

   "Get away?"

   "It's such a long story. His sister hates me and my friends at school. Those friends are only my friends because we knew each other in freshman year. So Bennett and I were sort of sneaking around, hiding, whatever, from everyone..." I went on.

   "And?"

   "His sister saw us together. She's going to tell everyone," I sighed, realized how silly it all sounded now.

   "Who cares? Do you like Bennett?" Maribella asked, thought she knew the answer.

   "Yeah, but... is it worth the drama? I hate this high school shit."

   "CHS is so bad, too. My sister Abbie was Queen Bee before she graduated so I had it pretty easy, but there's constant drama. Like, this sophomore just got caught giving a hand job in the boys' bathroom." Maribella let out this loud laugh that made me laugh, too.

   "Oh my god."

   "Yeah. Drugs, too. It's a shit show. Anyway, you and Bennett are so cute together," she smiled, then stretched out her legs.

   "He probably hates me now. I ditched him last night." I shook my head, angry with myself.

   "After you guy met up in the village?" She looked confused now.

   I nodded. "His sister saw us and I freaked out."

   "Text him. Now," she said seriously.

   "I don't know."

   "Do it. Just tell him you're sorry for last night."

   Part of me just wanted to leave it be, but I also wanted to tell him that I was sorry for overreacting. I pulled out my phone and looked at it for a minute.

   "Do it," Maribella said again.

   HEY, SORRY I BAILED LAST NIGHT, I finally sent him.

   "So, have you kissed him?" she giggled, wanting to know more.

   "Yes. And he's... so good at it." I closed my eyes for a second.

   "And he was okay with it being a secret?"

   "He was. But... his sister basically said she'd be telling Josie. Josie will cut me out, for sure. It's all so stupid," I answered, now feeling really sorry for myself.

   "I thought you said she's not even really your friend?"

   "I know. But... I mean, she and Polly are all I have, at school."

   "I get that. But you'll have Bennett," Maribella grinned, reached for more pretzels.

   "Maybe," I shrugged, grabbing the remote to turn back on the TV.

   Bennett didn't text back for a couple of hours. Maribella and I watched an entire movie, still snacking, and when the text came in, my stomach dropped.

   I THINK WE SHOULD COOL IT FOR NOW.

   "What? What did he say?" Maribella wanted to know immediately.

   "He said we should cool it," I said the words out loud.

   "Oh, shit. I'm sorry." She looked embarrassed and disappointed.

   "I don't get it. He was the one chasing me, trying to get me to give him my number all this time..." I felt like a fool.

   "He probably just needs time to think about everything. Trust me, he'll miss you," she grinned.

   I smiled back at her, but I wasn't so sure.