“Poor girl,” Carlos said as he blew out a whiff of smoke out the window.
“Okay, so what is our part in this?”
“I’m glad you asked.”
10
ELENA
It had been two days since I’d last seen Blake, and I worried about him. I worried that my rejection had something to do with him backing off.
He still kept me busy in my dreams. I shouldn’t think too much about the reason he didn’t follow me. It might hurt now, but imagining how much it would hurt two months down the line made it hard to breathe.
Blake was a vision. I doubted that any other man coming into my future would make me forget about him.
It was for the best.
Yesterday’s shit-face humiliation made me want to stay at home, but my father did not know what had happened, and I wouldn’t tell him either. The red paint from the other day was hard enough to explain.
It terrified me he would leave, and I wasn’t ready yet to say goodbye to Blake. Even if I verbally had.
I got up and pulled on my jeans, a long sleeve shirt and my coat with my black fur boots to keep the extra cold out. I packed in an extra set of clothes if Chloë was going to prank me again.
Thirty minutes later, my father parked in the parking lot.
“Pick you up right after school.”
I smiled and nodded as I grabbed my giant tote bag and backpack, heading for the entrance.
Today was the worst of all the days. Every one had either a teddy bear draping over their arms or a box of chocolates and flowers in their hands.
There were more groups of boys serenading to girls. I wondered where the original group was. Maybe the day on Valentines was their day off.
My lips quirked. It would be stupid.
I reached my locker. There was nothing against it, no note, no string that led to a bucket of rocks hovering above me, either. I took a deep breath and opened it as I just wanted to crawl into a corner and bawl my eyes out at this horrible yucky ache lining my stomach.
“Oh, he told me he was actually busy forming the Prada of all pranks. That guy is pure evil.” Chloë’s voice came from a few lockers close to mine.
“He told you that?” another girl asked as the sound of a locker opening reached my ears.
“He’d been texting me until two o’clock this morning. I literally had to switch off my phone, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to function today. That’s why I look like a wilted flower.”
“Oh, stop it, you don’t. You know you are by far the most beautiful girl in this school.”
Chloë giggled. Was she speaking about Blake?
“I can’t wait to see what he is going to plan today. Hopefully, it will sink in.”
My stomach dropped.
“Oh, you are so lucky, Chloë. Blake is one of the hottest guys I’ve ever met.”
Everything in me splattered, and I felt like the biggest idiot on this earth. Tears pricked behind my eyes and I tapped away the tears as Chloë said, “Hey, back off, sugar cube.”
They both laugh.
“So that is the reason he is acting all gaga over her.”
