I walked over to my dresser, opened the drawer, took out another stick of
Fruit Stripes, and brought it to my mouth. It was orange, and I glanced
down at the tattoo on the wrapper. For a moment there I could have sworn I
saw the Zebra purging. I shut my eyes tightly, reopened them, and look a
closer look. He was actually on skies... they were similar... anyone could have
made that mistake. I shook my head, and slide the wrapper into my pocket. I
then made my way over to the door, where I quietly opened it, peeked my
head out to make sure the coast was clear, and slithered out of my room
into the hall. It was probably around one o'clock, and I had no idea where
Marissa would be.
I slowly made my way down the stairs, and out the front door. I shut it very softly, and grabbed my skateboard that was leaning up against the wall next to the door outside. I jogged down the driveway, and stopped when I saw that Marissa's car was now parked in her mom's driveway. I narrowed my eyes, and tossed my skateboard onto the wet grass. I swiftly walked over to the house, cutting through the yard. I marched up to the door, where I rang the doorbell a couple times too many. To my surprise, Marissa answered the door hurriedly. She must have just got there.
"Seth... what are you doing here?" She asked me just above a whisper, and stepped out of the house.
"Where do you get off calling my parents?" I asked her angrily, getting straight to the point of this late night visit.
"Seth..." She began, and closed the door behind her quietly. She looked down at my arm, and looked back up at me, "What happened?" She asked concerned but that didn't stop me.
"You tell me, Marissa. You sure like making up stories." I spat out, getting a little louder.
"I was just worried about you... I had never seen you like that before. I didn't know what to do, I'm sorry." She said full heartedly, and stepped closer to me.
"You never seen me like that before? You just realized I existed for the first time in sixteen years because of Ryan. How would you know if I was ever "like"that before? And what does that even mean? Upset? People get upset, Marissa." I said furiously without taking a breath.
She sighed, looking down at the ground, and dug her hand into her pocket.
"Summer told me what happened." She stated, and brought a white piece of paper from out of her pocket, "She wanted me to give you this. I was actually just about to go to your house. I just came back from hers. She was pretty upset." She told me calmly.
I was completely speechless, and all I could do was stare at the note. I was terrified of what it would say. Summer wasn't even a note-writing type. She's the kind of girl that tells you right to your face.
Marissa slowly brought her hand up to me, and I took the letter without even realizing it. She looked down for a moment, then back to me, meeting my gaze.
"Bye..." She said, and went back into the house.
I blinked a few times, then slowly made my way down her driveway, where I took a seat on the curb, and I hesitantly unfolded the letter. I then proceeded to read through the letter with intense concentration.
The letter was short but it said everything that needed to be said. I just sat there, and told myself not to cry. She had cheated on me the night before and was going to tell me today in hopes that I would forgive her for the horrible thing she had done. That was the reason she told me she was planning on stopping by. But I had broken her heart, and the worse part was that I would have probably begged Anna not to tell her. I would have lied to her. The only person who was worth any of this didn't love me anymore. I felt like I had nothing to live for.
I let the note slip out of my hands, and it fell to my feet. Everything felt so surreal. None of this was really happening, was it? Lives just don't get ruined in one day, do they? No, no, this is all wrong. I stood up from the curb, and walked back to my yard to retrieve my skateboard. I felt like screaming. I had no one I could talk to who would understand. I had no one.
I threw my skateboard hard against the ground, and covered my face with my hands. I paced the road back and forth, my head in a complete whorl. What was I going to do? I had no way of getting to Summers. I couldn't skate there it was too far, and even if I wanted to try I couldn't because in my fit of rage I had broken it.
"Damnit." I said to myself.
Wait, I could ask Marissa to take me. Even though I just verbally attacked her she seemed pretty sympathetic. I jogged up to her front door again, and knocked a few times.
Come on... answer.... please answer.
The door cracked open, and I stepped forward.
"Marissa, I know this is a lot to ask but-"I was cut off by Julie Coopers, unmake-uped face, looking completely interrupted from her much needed beauty sleep.
"Oh, Mrs. Cooper. I'm so sorry I woke you. I just needed to talk to Marissa." I explained politely, and she looked like she was about to murder me.
"Hang on..." She said to my surprise, and disappeared into the house.
I stood there for a few moments until at last Marissa emerged into the doorway.
"Yeah?" She asked, and wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm.
"Listen, I know this is a lot to ask but can you please take me to Summers? I-I need to see her. Please, Marissa. I have no one else to ask." I begged, and her face softened a bit.
Maybe my patheticness was finally good for something.
"Seth..." She began sadly and I knew that wasn't a good sign, "I wish I could but Summer's my best friend..." She paused, running her fingering across the back of her neck, "and I really don't think it's a good idea."
I hated her. I hated her because I'm sure she was right. She knew Summer better then anyone, including me, all the better to ask her an important question,
"Does...does she hate me?" I asked, closing my eyes momentarily. I looked back at her, and she really didn't need to even say it.
"Seth... you... you really hurt her." She clarified with a heartbreaking expression upon her face, and then she added, "Sometimes she doesn't exactly tell me how she's feeling... but I know she cares about you... a lot." She reached her hand out to me, and squeezed my bicep. I accepted the gesture, and half smiled to her.
"Thanks... and... I'm sorry about earlier. Do you think we can just keep this between us? I just... don't want to deal with Ryan and my parents bugging me about it."
She nodded her head understandingly, and released her hand from my arm.
"Don't worry about it." She reassured me, and gave me a hug.
It felt good having someone on my side. Not precisely the person I would want but it would have to do.
"Thanks..." I mentioned, as she pulled away from me, "Goodnight, Marissa" I added, finally letting her go to bed.
She made her way back to the doorframe, giving me one last caring smile, while she slowly started to close the door, but not without finally saying,
"Goodnight, Seth."
I slowly made my way down the stairs, and out the front door. I shut it very softly, and grabbed my skateboard that was leaning up against the wall next to the door outside. I jogged down the driveway, and stopped when I saw that Marissa's car was now parked in her mom's driveway. I narrowed my eyes, and tossed my skateboard onto the wet grass. I swiftly walked over to the house, cutting through the yard. I marched up to the door, where I rang the doorbell a couple times too many. To my surprise, Marissa answered the door hurriedly. She must have just got there.
"Seth... what are you doing here?" She asked me just above a whisper, and stepped out of the house.
"Where do you get off calling my parents?" I asked her angrily, getting straight to the point of this late night visit.
"Seth..." She began, and closed the door behind her quietly. She looked down at my arm, and looked back up at me, "What happened?" She asked concerned but that didn't stop me.
"You tell me, Marissa. You sure like making up stories." I spat out, getting a little louder.
"I was just worried about you... I had never seen you like that before. I didn't know what to do, I'm sorry." She said full heartedly, and stepped closer to me.
"You never seen me like that before? You just realized I existed for the first time in sixteen years because of Ryan. How would you know if I was ever "like"that before? And what does that even mean? Upset? People get upset, Marissa." I said furiously without taking a breath.
She sighed, looking down at the ground, and dug her hand into her pocket.
"Summer told me what happened." She stated, and brought a white piece of paper from out of her pocket, "She wanted me to give you this. I was actually just about to go to your house. I just came back from hers. She was pretty upset." She told me calmly.
I was completely speechless, and all I could do was stare at the note. I was terrified of what it would say. Summer wasn't even a note-writing type. She's the kind of girl that tells you right to your face.
Marissa slowly brought her hand up to me, and I took the letter without even realizing it. She looked down for a moment, then back to me, meeting my gaze.
"Bye..." She said, and went back into the house.
I blinked a few times, then slowly made my way down her driveway, where I took a seat on the curb, and I hesitantly unfolded the letter. I then proceeded to read through the letter with intense concentration.
The letter was short but it said everything that needed to be said. I just sat there, and told myself not to cry. She had cheated on me the night before and was going to tell me today in hopes that I would forgive her for the horrible thing she had done. That was the reason she told me she was planning on stopping by. But I had broken her heart, and the worse part was that I would have probably begged Anna not to tell her. I would have lied to her. The only person who was worth any of this didn't love me anymore. I felt like I had nothing to live for.
I let the note slip out of my hands, and it fell to my feet. Everything felt so surreal. None of this was really happening, was it? Lives just don't get ruined in one day, do they? No, no, this is all wrong. I stood up from the curb, and walked back to my yard to retrieve my skateboard. I felt like screaming. I had no one I could talk to who would understand. I had no one.
I threw my skateboard hard against the ground, and covered my face with my hands. I paced the road back and forth, my head in a complete whorl. What was I going to do? I had no way of getting to Summers. I couldn't skate there it was too far, and even if I wanted to try I couldn't because in my fit of rage I had broken it.
"Damnit." I said to myself.
Wait, I could ask Marissa to take me. Even though I just verbally attacked her she seemed pretty sympathetic. I jogged up to her front door again, and knocked a few times.
Come on... answer.... please answer.
The door cracked open, and I stepped forward.
"Marissa, I know this is a lot to ask but-"I was cut off by Julie Coopers, unmake-uped face, looking completely interrupted from her much needed beauty sleep.
"Oh, Mrs. Cooper. I'm so sorry I woke you. I just needed to talk to Marissa." I explained politely, and she looked like she was about to murder me.
"Hang on..." She said to my surprise, and disappeared into the house.
I stood there for a few moments until at last Marissa emerged into the doorway.
"Yeah?" She asked, and wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm.
"Listen, I know this is a lot to ask but can you please take me to Summers? I-I need to see her. Please, Marissa. I have no one else to ask." I begged, and her face softened a bit.
Maybe my patheticness was finally good for something.
"Seth..." She began sadly and I knew that wasn't a good sign, "I wish I could but Summer's my best friend..." She paused, running her fingering across the back of her neck, "and I really don't think it's a good idea."
I hated her. I hated her because I'm sure she was right. She knew Summer better then anyone, including me, all the better to ask her an important question,
"Does...does she hate me?" I asked, closing my eyes momentarily. I looked back at her, and she really didn't need to even say it.
"Seth... you... you really hurt her." She clarified with a heartbreaking expression upon her face, and then she added, "Sometimes she doesn't exactly tell me how she's feeling... but I know she cares about you... a lot." She reached her hand out to me, and squeezed my bicep. I accepted the gesture, and half smiled to her.
"Thanks... and... I'm sorry about earlier. Do you think we can just keep this between us? I just... don't want to deal with Ryan and my parents bugging me about it."
She nodded her head understandingly, and released her hand from my arm.
"Don't worry about it." She reassured me, and gave me a hug.
It felt good having someone on my side. Not precisely the person I would want but it would have to do.
"Thanks..." I mentioned, as she pulled away from me, "Goodnight, Marissa" I added, finally letting her go to bed.
She made her way back to the doorframe, giving me one last caring smile, while she slowly started to close the door, but not without finally saying,
"Goodnight, Seth."