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"Your labor is your contribution to the miracle."
-Elizabeth Gilbert
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CHAPTER-05-Chase Me
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"You cannot afford the cost! Mr. Foster," I say with a smirk.
His laugh fills with a smug, "I like this Senior Mabel more than--"
"Obviously, we aren't any more in seventh grade!"
He smiles, "Isn't it strange that we are still beside each other?"
I ignore his remark, "So what's with this your girl name Kristina....?"
"Call her ex," He affirms calmly, "I dated her... long back."
"You are still into her, aren't you?" I ask. He studies the empty coffee cup of his then look into my eyes, deeply. I feel uncomfortable to look into his crystal-clear eyes.
"Now I don't." He replies.
For the next five minutes, we sit ideally beside each other's presence without even uttering a word. The creamy smoothie spreads melting over the buds of my tongue and eventually, my mind draws back to that seventh-grade lunch break when I offered my orange juice to Skyler Foster which he refused to take but I accepted his request to sit beside me for the lunch.
He looked dull, so broken but at the same time, he was also calmed and near to beside me pulling me warmly in his radar. He had a stuffed veggies sandwich for his lunches although he never ate it completely. I was the one who talked all the time but I don't know he ever listened to me or not. I used to share my lunch bag with him but he always said, "No thanks." And continued with his. He was quiet before all the time whereas I didn't even bother to pause for a minute. And as the season changed its shade of colors, he left one day after saying, "See you tomorrow."
Tomorrow never comes and so it never came and it was my last chance to hear his sweet boyish voice. Skyler Foster stopped having lunch with me or I can say he stopped sitting beside me.
Our ways parted, I met Zoe. He made new friends. I was so busy in my tensed world, I never saw him growing apart. We used to catch each other's glimpse sometimes and looking him in my sight, I felt like telling him everything that how's my day going, what I was going to do after school but things were changed now we just kept breaking the stares along with the loosen fragile thread which held us together before.
Besides, Dylan Rodriguez came into Skyler's life. My thoughts altered towards Skyler because he became just like him. Even though I never caught him red-handed but people used to say, "He has become badass!!" And since here I started erasing my memories shared with him.
However, it's an irony that he is sitting beside me today. I stare at him for a while and eventually, he is too busy playing with his ring. I swallow the last sip of my smoothie and say, "I'll walk and go..."
He tilts his face towards me with an intended look. I speak again but this time I stand and smile, "I hope you don't force anyone to be together."
He is still sitting leisurely but as I complete my sentence, he stands, "Your bag is still in my car." His words don't come out as a threat but an affirmation.
I follow him towards his car. He hands me my bag. I sling it and turn to continue my pace towards my street. I hold the straps with a grip and then I see him walking along with me besides. I stop over my feet, "You don't need to Skyler!"
"But I want to..." I know he isn't going to listen to me.
We keep walking aside the rough street. before he brings his intentionally built topic, "We have to plan a date for Zoe and Dylan!"
"I will never let you," I say with a grin.
"You are going to... and with all your will." He grins more widely.
"I will try my best to ruin it!"
"Don't forget that I'm gonna chase you then," He replies calmly.
"Chase me and I'll make sure this path leads you to hell!" I break my pause from walking.
"It will be fun to chase you, Mabel." He walks along by my side.
We reach till my house and I don't even bother to say him "Goodbye." I just run inside to scold my cousin.
I swing his bedroom door open and he isn't here yet. I ask mom and she says he is at Carlos's house. In the next minutes, I was standing inside Lopez's resident. Mrs. Lopez greets me by hugging warmly. I rush to Carlos's bedroom which lies upstairs.
"What the hell is wrong with you guys!!!" I scream at them after pushing the door inward. They shout in terrified manly voices, Carlos even throw his playing stick away from him and look at me with wide fierce eyes. Ryan clenches his jaw.
They both are shirtless so I kindly avert my gaze somewhere around outside his window with yuck expression. I can see my bedroom window and inside it, my bed and beside it the Novels are spaced inside the bookshelf. They grumble under their breath. I see from my peripheral view, the figure of Carlos grabbing a T-shirt. Ryan wears his own T-shirt normally without looking disturbed obviously I have seen him half naked thousands of times.
"What's wrong Mabel?" Ryan asks and I turn towards them stepping more inside and take a seat at the edge of the bed crossing my arms over my chest. The widescreen behind them is displaying some sort of paused zombie war game.
"What the hell is wrong? Are you asking me what the fuck is wrong?" I scream and Carlos closes his bedroom door after answering Mrs. Lopez in Spanish. Ryan arch is brow.
"Don't shout at us, You said me to wait in the parking lot but you didn't show up yourself either!" Ryan crosses his arms over his chest. My jaw drops.
"You were waiting!! Where?" I ask slowly. Both of them stand in front of me with their athlete muscles bulging crossly their T-shirts. "It means---" I pause. Skyler Foster lied to me.
"'It means' what?" Ryan says with the same intention in his eyes.
Carlos Interrupts, "And Mabel... We are suspicious about you... going with Skyler Foster....."
I gulp, "Carlos, Didn't you have shifts today?"
"I work only on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. And if you don't know then today is Friday!" He answers smilingly.
I don't speak for the next few seconds then I stand up, wave at them, "I'll leave... You guys continue playing... Sorry if I disturbed you!"
Ryan pulls me back as I hurry to exit, "Kin, I need an answer, what the hell were you doing with Skyler?" Sipping smoothie with him.
"I was...just... you know he gave me lift...."
"You know that he isn't good right?" My cousin is in protective mode today.
"I know... There was some misunderstanding... But why didn't you call me if you guys were waiting there!"
"I was a little late but I thought you must be waiting but then Carlos said me you already left with Skyler. I was curious but thought when you'll get back I'll ask you." Ryan says calmly.
"Then what you guys were doing together when I bumped into you during lunch?" I ask curiously.
"Skyler was asking me about some stuff---"
"What kind of stuff?" Ryan doesn't speak so I ask him again, "Was he asking about Zoe?"
He looks at my shock, "Yeah... He was asking me why do I always flirt with her and I was going to tell him that it was none of his business but then you bumped into me... And after you headed away even he went after telling 'leave it I was just curious about if anything is going on between you two.' And without asking me further we both parted... I was in a hurry so I didn't bother about it much."
"He is such a devil!!!" I hiss.
"Something is going on, right?" Carlos interrupts again.
"You will get to know... Soon..."
They both nod. "And wait... why the fuck you guys were naked before... It's fucking chilled outside!!"
They both laugh and Carlos replies, "We are extremely hot so the room temperature increased a bit!"
I roll my eyes and leave after mocking him.
After coming back home, I reach into my bedroom first and get rid off my skinny clothes and get changed into a sweatshirt before jumping on my bed, looking outside the window, I see them playing and they are again shirtless. I hope Carlos have never seen me doing some crazy dance moves or ninja moves but I doubt that he hasn't. But also I don't care because I have seen him too doing some twerks after winning some ridiculous video game. I avert my gaze to look at the ceiling. I stretch my arms my legs, "Skyler Foster... You'll pay very badly bitch... let the chasing game begins." Imagining even his face increases the rage of mine into a triple.
The evening settled and my hands reached for a bookmarked Novel which I read it till dinner. Zoe and I canceled the plans for tonight because she was way too tired however I was too planning an easy way to inform her about upcoming consequences.
While having Dinner, Dad informs that he has to go to Florida for some urgent work in the upcoming week. Ryan shows desperation in his eyes as he hears 'Florida' But he continues with his meal. Mom asks us about our day and with that she makes him forget for a while that he was missing his family.
While walking upstairs after the dinner I ask him if he can help me later or tomorrow with Math which he loves more than I hate it. He agrees by nodding but stealing an eye contact with me. Ryan doesn't know that his teary eyes speak for his feelings. Maybe he will go back to his bedroom and cry for the rest of the night or maybe he will say to himself that he is mature enough to not act like that.
After he closes his bedroom door, I enter into mine. My phone beeps. I scoot my chair till the desk to catch a glimpse of an unread text or notification.
Unknown number - Sorry! I lied to you about Ryan.
No doubt that it's him. I ignore it.
Unknown number - I just wanted to talk to you.
No, He just wanted to threaten me and again I ignore it. His text doesn't come back. I lay down beside my bed with my textbook to study but more than concentrating on it, I keep staring at the ceiling. Before my thoughts can entangle like a wire in my head, I hear another chiming sound from my handset.
I close my eyes to think about what it could be and then I hear another notification sound. I sit upright and push myself to get up from the floor till the desk.
Unknown Number - Like before...
Unknown Number - Goodnight.
How did he even get my number? With this question I think once to text him back and to also tell him that it was past, we were kids and we have changed now. Nothing is like before. Albeit I just ignore it again and throw myself on the bed to bury these unwanted, unrequited thinking.

On Weekend I told Zoe about a conversation held between me and Skyler. She read those texts and was infuriated about his forcing date plan. But I promised her that I'll be there with her all the time and we both will try to ruin his plan till any possibility.
Ryan was unaffected this weekend when he saw Zoe at our house. He just welcomed her and went inside his bedroom to spend the rest of the day. He didn't even go to Carlos or not even Carlos appeared to our house. Zoe and I were suspicious about Ryan's sudden spoiled mood but somewhere I knew how he was feeling. To cheer his mood Zoe and I both decided to ask him some doubts in Math.
He agreed to do so and now we are sitting across the dining table opposite him. While he is busy explaining something to Zoe. Zoe is clever enough to understand the complicated language of Math but I am proud of my best friend, she understands when a person really needs someone.
I see them solving a few problems and then laughing at some point where I made a silly mistake. I stick out my tongue and get back to solve it again. However, I see my cousin's bright smile appearing again over his lips.
It won't be too bad if this both hangout sometimes together.

Monday Morning, I jump out of Zoe's Car after she pulls over in the parking area. We get our bags and proceed to the hallway.
"See you then..." She waves at me and walks away with one of her drama friend name, Becca. I wave at her back then pull out the biology textbook from my locker. While closing it back I hear the boys chattering voices behind. I put the book back in the bag and pace ahead to my class.
"Hey, Mabel!" A call from behind pounds my heart loud.
I turn, "Yeah?"
It's him. Why does he have to be the first person today to interact with?
Skyler Foster smiles and his friends walk ahead whistling at us. I roll my eyes at Dylan. When I see Gray Morgan I just take my eyes back at Skyler.
"I'm sorry," Skyler says.
"You don't have to... You did the thing which you are good at." His eyes turn dark. I didn't mean to provoke his devil inside. "Ok they by--" I pause as he pulls me close to his chest.
His long fingers stroll down my back and rest at the edge just above my hips. I don't push myself away. I look into his eyes, bewildered. With this much of closeness, I can sense his fresh scent and clearly have a view of his soft skin.
"You ignored my text... It didn't bother me much... But you talking so coldly to me is the thing bothering me." He says. I try my best to not look at his lips but also his penetrating eyes are telling me to take my eyes off it.
"I'm talking normally like the way I speak!"
He chuckles, "Do you know? Your Friday's girlfriend-boyfriend joke would have gotten spread in the school like a forest fire if I wouldn't have punched that guy who was going to spread it. He was there looking at us all the time in Starbucks... You calling yourself my girlfriend... I saved you, Mabel...You should be thankful, not act cold towards me."
"I'll be thankful when you will stop interfering in my life!!" I hiss.
"Love is in wild phase today, isn't it?" I hear this sentence from a distance. Skyler and I both tilt our heads to see this famine character standing in her dark jeans and black sweatshirt meter away. Riley Edwards.
She has these most fantasizing name given by our students of Greenwood High.
Bad Boy's Girl.