Chapter 7 - A New Number
It was Friday now and Paul never came to school after our confrontation. In some ways, I felt good that my words had gotten to him. It was about time someone thought about hurting that prick who was accustomed to toying and hurting others. In fact, some part of me regretted not going to the next step. Maybe I should have tried to be dramatic and given him a slap or a punch. Probably a punch in the eye would have been worth it. It would have at least prevented me from looking into his eyes which had been full of hurt. Staring into those dark brown eyes had been my biggest mistake. I shouldn't have had to feel guilty for spitting out every insult I had for Paul. Yet there was this small part of me that felt guilty for spitting out insults at Paul Lahote, the guy who had hurt millions and millions of girl.
"Miss Forrest, please answer this question," Mrs. Birch asked. She was the spawn of the devil or the "bitch" in "son of a bitch". I wondered if she even had a son and what type of person he'd grown up to be with a mother like her.
"Uh... The pronoun is she," I answered as I stared at the stupid blackboard. Yes, people, La Push High still uses blackboards and every so often the chalk dust choke you up.
"Correct," Mrs. Birch huffed as she continued on her lesson. She was probably looking for a victim to shriek and yell at. Too bad I sort of understood this lesson.
"Well... Mr. La- oh... he's not here," Mrs. Birch mumbled to herself as she looked down at her attendance list. I rolled my eyes wondering why she had to nearly yell out his name, when he had been gone since Monday. In fact, she probably had something against me as she kept mentioning Paul Lahote's name every so often in lesson every day. Or she just really like shouting out his name. Maybe she was one of his lists of fan girls?
"Pst... Maria," Natasha hissed aloud. I rolled my eyes knowing what she wanted. Well, who wouldn't know when Natasha has been coming up to me twenty-four seven trying to convince me to invite Paul to First Beach for her "little" get together tomorrow. Of course, being the stupid her, she had only told me today that her "barbeque" was going to be tomorrow. How was I supposed to know that she had planned it out tomorrow? I mean, it wasn't as if I had some sort of telepathic ability and even if I did, I sure didn't want to know what Natasha was thinking twenty-four seven or even use my ability on her.
"Have you like asked Paul, yet," Natasha questioned eagerly, ignoring the fact that I had ignored her.
"No," I answered quietly. She had to be pretty stupid if she thought I was going to ask Paul anytime soon. For one, he hasn't been in school for the rest of the week so how was I supposed to ask him? There was no way I was going to visit him after school hours. Secondly, she of all people could ask him. I mean, I'm sure she was bound to have his phone number and email address. Plus, I knew she would probably be the first person to friend him on facebook and follow him in twitter if he ever had an account. For me, I deleted his phone number out of my cell phone as soon as we broke up. In fact, I went through a whole deleting and breaking fest. My old email account was no longer active and of course, I had snapped my old phone in half out of anger. Too bad you can't snap iPhones in half.
"Well, like could you ask him?"
"No," I answered flatly. I sure wasn't going to go visit him, and he hadn't even shown up to school today again.
"But you and Paul seemed like really close," Natasha pestered. For a split moment, I thought about punching her as well as punching Paul. In fact, I had a mental image of placing Natasha, Paul, and I in a wrestling rink and smashing their heads together like those MMA fighters. Maybe even jump on their back.
"Maria?"
I groaned as I was brought back to reality. No black eye or bruised forehead on Natasha, although I sort of hoped something like a pimple would appear on her flawless tan skin so that she could fidget and faint about a pimple than pester me about Paul.
"Look, Natasha. Paul and I are nothing. If you want him, I don't really care. In fact, he's yours. So please stop bothering me about Paul. Why don't you go visit him? I heard he's sick," I lied. Well, I didn't like about Paul and I being nothing and that I totally didn't care whether Miss Drama Queen and Mr. Drama Asshole got married or not. But I sure didn't know whether he was sick or not. Maybe he caught mono again, and this time he would be reverted back to his asshole self who didn't even give a second glance at me. In fact, I'd feel a whole lot better if someone could announce to me that he was seen walking with some chick. But no. There had been no news of Paul and his whereabouts, and not to be conceited, but I personally thought that it was my fault that he hadn't shown up to school. Well, actually, I wouldn't call it a fault. My doings maybe?
"Don't you think like I've already thought about that," Natasha replied annoyingly. I rolled my eyes. I wanted to actually shake her and yell, "Don't think it, just do it!" But I took the alternative of just clenching my fist.
"But he only seems to like see you. Like every time I tried to talk to him, he would like straight out ignore me. I mean like why you? You're so... white, and plain, and like normal. I have way more like class than like you."
"Says the person who uses way too much 'like' in one sentence," I thought to myself, but I nodded in agreement, just for her satisfaction. I didn't really feel like starting an argument with the Queen of Drama.
"I totally agree with you, Natasha. Now please stop bothering me about Paul," I faked a smile, flashing my teeth at her. But Natasha seemed to refuse as she continued to badger me about what I had done to catch Paul's attention. Not that I ever asked or hoped for his stupid attention. I'd rather die than be the center of his attention. In fact, I was starting to hate him more now than I had hated him after being used by him. Because of his unusual focus on me, I had stupid girls like Natasha sticking to me like a parasite and asking about Paul this Paul that. I was so sick of all this that I was actually on the verge of paying him a visit to place my claim and a restraining order.
I never really cared about the school bell until now, but with its final ring, I was the first one out the door of Mrs. Birch's classroom. My mind was screaming a whole list of "hallelujah"s as I made my way into my car. Finally I can rest in peace.
Finally I can rest in peace. Or so I thought as I had finally gotten home, when I noticed my mom waiting outside for me with a smile on her face. There were two things that came to my mind. She was either going to drag me to Uley's house again to have tea with Emily which automatically increased my chances of seeing Paul or Paul, himself, had come to visit me. Maybe I should U-turn my car. But I was too late to U-turn now as my mom rushed toward my parked car.
"Oh, you have a visitor today," my mom grinned cheerfully as soon as I opened the door of the driver's seat. I knew it. Paul had come to pay a visit.
"Uh... oh... um... well... I," I started as I leaned a bit forward to clutch my stomach. If I could avoid confronting Paul for the second, I would gladly fake having a stomach ache and skip over my mom's delectable apple pie, which I could smell from a mile away.
"No... you can't do that. She's been waiting for you for quite a long time. I can't send her away now and I think you should start making friends," Mom frowned as she crossed her arms across her chest. It was amazing how I had lived with this woman for a year now and she seemed to know everything that I was thinking. But she? I had thought that Mom would mention a "he" not a "she".
"Oh... she? Uh... who she?"
"Kim," my mom called aloud as she dragged me by the arm into the living room. There on one of the sofas sat Kim who held her teacup stiffly in her hand.
"Hey... Kim," I started, feeling a bit awkward. We only greeted each other in homeroom and occasionally sat together at lunch. But we had never gone from "occasional talk buddies" to "visiting your house buddies". So why was she here?
"Umm... hey... umm... s-sorry I came un-announced. Umm... I-I wanted to ask you some stuff and... and... well," Kim stuttered out in a panic as her hands shook rapidly, shaking the tea in her teacup.
"Kim," I sighed, gripping her arms so that she'd stop shaking. "Calm down. I'm not mad that you came to visit or anything. Just breathe in and breathe out, and explain to me slowly about what you wanted to ask, I smiled genuinely for the first time in a long time. It felt slightly good to smile, like a piece of "dead me" had revived. Kim nodded, slowly breathing in and out while taking a sip of her tea.
Finally, after a few minutes, she seemed to collect her thoughts and started, "I'm sure you've heard from Natasha about this barbeque thing at First Beach tomorrow. Well... she asked me when I was with Jared Cameron, and I-I said yes because I didn't want to look bad."
Kim paused for a minute as I nodded my head in comprehendingly. I didn't know Kim too well, but she always seemed like the nerdy girl in La Push High. The fact that Jared Cameron seemed to spend time with her had already been a shocking event and probably Miss Prissy Queen inviting Kim to her prissy tea-time beach party had been a double shocker. I would have probably said "yes" too, if I had been as innocent and naive as Kim.
"So then... Jared and I decided to go to the barbeque thing, but I realized... what if... what if Jared finds Natasha and her friends to be more interesting than hanging out with me? I mean... we barely speak a word or so when we're together and I-I don't know what I'll do if he decides that I'm not that fun to be around. And... and... I also heard from Natasha that she was trying to invite you and Paul," Kim rambled. I nearly scoffed when Kim had mentioned Natasha trying to invite me. Queen Bee was trying to invite Paul. I was just the extra baggage that seemed to come with him.
"Yeah, and?"
"A-are you going to go? Please," Kim begged as she placed her tea down and started to go on her knees to beg.
"Whoa... whoa whoa whoa... stop. Kim... sit back down. I don't need anyone on their knees in my living room," I demanded as I stopped Kim from going on her knees. There were probably million times when I imagined Paul begging for forgiveness on his knee with me pushing him down with my foot, but I never thought about making any other person beg on their knees, especially not Kim. Sure, I sometimes wished that Kim could have had the courage to warn me what kind of douchebag Paul was, but she had her own thing to worry about. Paul was a notorious player and an obnoxious asshole. He probably would have humiliated Kim if she ruined his plan of toying my heart and obtaining my virginity.
After I had gotten Kim had sat back in her seat and sipped her tea to calm down, I let myself think of what to do. I probably could go and attend Natasha's stupid barbeque if I wanted to. I mean, she couldn't say too much about not inviting me since I would have a million witnesses about her invitation. But the real question was whether or not she would find ways to try to humiliate me if I appeared at her tea party without her present, Paul. Paul would be the key to surviving Natasha's stupid get-together. Unfortunately for Kim, I was not going to throw away my pride and ask Paul to come with me to Natasha's stupid party. Nope, I was not going to go out there and ask him to do anything for me. Inviting Paul would be like saying that I wanted to have some sort of thing with him. Besides, why was I thinking about going to Natasha's thing anyway? I had planned not to go. I wasn't even interested in going. I mean, if I wanted some sort of gossip news, I could get it in the girl's bathroom where girl's loved to blabber on and on about their life, rumors about their "friend", and people's relationship status. The girls' bathroom was like a vocal facebook, and news probably traveled faster than fb.
"Look Kim... I could probably go, but I might not help much. I mean... I was supposed to bring Paul, but he hasn't been at school for the past few days," I started. I had decided to politely and kindly refuse going to Natasha's barbeque. There was just no way that I wanted to come in contact with Paul. Not even to do a favor for a sweet girl who had done nothing bad to me. My pride just simply refused to bow down to Paul or even make an attempt to apologize for the insults I had spat at him.
"Oh... I can ask Jared to do that," Kim commented cheerfully. I blinked wondering where the girl who had been on the verge of crying just a minute ago had gone. I mean, Kim had looked very desperate for me to attend Natasha's party. But at the thought of Jared Cameron, she was smiling as bright as a sun.
"But um... I think Paul's sick... and I don't want him to catch a cold or something when he spends his time out at First Beach," I lied. Like I would actually care if Paul were to catch the flu or break an arm.
"No, he's actually feeling better, now. In fact, I'm sure he would be honored to go with you to Natasha's barbeque," Kim smiled. Okay. Kim was either extremely oblivious or she was trying to set me up with Paul.
"Well... if you seem to know how Paul is, I'm sure you'll be fine with Jared," I reasoned. I mean seriously, if Kim seemed to know what Paul was thinking or feeling, she would know how Jared felt. It didn't take a genius to notice that Jared Cameron was "gaga" over Kim. In fact, I doubt that Jared would find Natasha and her cronies interesting with his eyes only glued to Kim.
"But, I-I-I really can't keep a conversation going with Jared. I've had a crush on him since kindergarten... and... and... finally he sees me," Kim gushed out all teary. I massaged my temple. I wondered how Jared hadn't noticed her until now, and why Kim continued to have a crush on that asshole's friend. I mean, if I knew what kind of Paul was, I would automatically assume that his friends would be also obnoxious douchebags. But either way, Kim was good at guilt tripping me. Whether she knew it or not was beyond me.
But before I could think thoroughly, I had answered, "Fine. I'll go, but could you ask Jared to drag Paul with him or something. Paul and I aren't in good terms right now." Never will be.
As soon as she heard my words, Kim had the brightest smile I've ever seen on a person.
"Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you," Kim exclaimed happily as she jumped up and hugged me. I had my hands up in the air for a while, unsure if I should hug her back, but I decided to just hug her back. I mean, what was the harm, right?
After a few minutes of hugging and jumping up and down, Kim finally let go. Her smile continued to be plastered onto her face as we exchanged emails and phone numbers. By the time I had walked her out the door, I felt like the Grinch who did a good deed on Christmas. I was blithe that I had made someone smile and the fact that I had attained a new number to my contact list. Now there was Mom, Dad, and Kim's number and email on my iPhone.
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I've made my decision to write a sequel-ish thing for Paul. I'll write Paul's version of the story while I write Maria's version. :D Hope you're okay with it. I guarantee you that it'll be as good as this story! Promise!
Anyway, if it's not too troublesome, please write a comment/ review! I'd love to hear what my readers think! :)
Love CecileJ
Playlist: Castle Walls by T.I ft. Christina Aguliera
Won't Back Down by Eminem feat. Pink
