I knew this question was coming, and quite frankly I can’t even really explain it. I don’t know why the hell we picked her up but I tell her the truth, knowing I don’t have anything to hide.
We were driving to the house and saw her on the side of the road. Her car had broken down. Bray suggested we give her a ride back and that was that. She came with us to the house and then I took her back home right after. Nothing happened.
Well, whatever you’re telling her, she’s not doing a very good job at taking the hints.
If this is why you’re upset, I can fix it.
There’s nothing to fix, Zach. There’s no reason to. You’re Bray’s best friend. End of story.
Fuck, you’re being stubborn you know that? In case you didn’t notice, I had my eyes on you all night.
I just want to go to sleep, please.
Please don’t be upset with me.
I’m not.
Let me come up.
You know that’s not a good idea. That’ll cause more problems.
She’s right. Of course she is, but I can’t stand the idea of her being upset with me over this. The last thing I want to do is hurt her, and it seems I’ve already headed down that road just as I suspected I would. Maybe it’s a sign that I should just do the right thing and stop talking to her all together. Stop taking her time and attention. Though, I find that kind of hard to achieve when she looks at me the same way I look at her. There’s no denying that. I’ve noticed it for years.
But right now, I can’t be getting her involved in this drama with Ashey and if I’m already upsetting her this much, maybe I just need to give it up. But I can’t deny the fact that I can't stop thinking about her and that she seems to slow down time a little every time our eyes connect. But then I have to also considerBrayden. Everything seems to be pointing the opposite direction of where I want to go.
So for now, I’ll let her have her space, but not without letting her know how I feel first, which could be a mistake.
Listen, you have every right to be frustrated with the situation but please hear me when I say I am done with Ashley and I only have my eyes on you.
I’ll let you have your space. But I’m sorry for upsetting you. I’ll text you in the morning.
Thank you. Goodnight, Zach.
Night, Cadence.
It's not how I want to end the night, I don't want her going to bed upset with me, but I don't have many other options right now. I just have to let the situation diffuse itself, hopeful that she'll change her mind. But if I didn't know before, I know now. Cadence does have feelings for me, and that knowledge is something that could really make this whole thing that much more dangerous.
11
Cadence
“Everyone pull out your logical fallacies of relevance papers, please.”
The whole class groans in unison as the sound of papers being pulled out of folders swishes through the room. It’s been a long weekend and the whole first half of this Monday has seemed to drag on, but thankfully, it’s the last period of the day.
School has been kicking my ass. Who knew being a senior meant putting in the most work of your whole student career? And on top of that, I’ve got photography after school on Wednesdays and student council starts today for about threedays a week and then for some strange reason I decided to take on driving classes, starting next week.
I’m seventeen, part of very few of the youngest seniors in school but for sure the only one who doesn’t know how to drive yet. Correction, I do think I know how to drive but I’ve never gone to test for my permit. Not that I really need it right now, seeing as I don’t have a car yet but soon, I’ll need to drive myself to and from college and eventually, I’ll need a license for that.
Ryen agreed to help teach me but to be honest, that girl kind of scares me behind the wheel so I told her that my parents are requiring me to take classes instead. Not really a lie, seeing as they made Bray take the classes last year and it’s only fair I have to do the same.
But things have been piling up over the past few weeks and though I’m not entirely too stressed, I’m still a bit overwhelmed.
“Cade, please tell me you know what the hell she’s talking about?” I turn my head to the side as I notice Brayden leaning over his desk at me, his messy copper toned hair falling over his eyes as normal.
Brayden and I are only about a year apart but we’ve been in some of the same classes since the fourth grade. Though he entered kindergarten before me, he got held back in third grade; something he doesn't like to be reminded about. My parents said they wanted their kids to be close in age and sometimes they joke and say that I decided to be born a whole month early—I was five weeks premature—because I couldn’t wait to meet my big brother. But now they joke that Bray purposefully got held back because he couldn’t stand the idea of him going into middle school without me.
It worked out though either way, because I love Brayden more than anything in the world. He’s been the best big brother a girl could ask for, even if he does get a little out of hand sometimes and most days we annoy the hell out of each other.
