Twenty-two: MTOABB

MTOABB

I finally took Zack up on his offer to hang out when he texted three days later. You always fall back on the things that were once a norm -- and Zack, he was my norm and no matter how many walls I have built up against him, they would always come crumbling down with just the smallest contact.

Gomes hasn't responded to any of my texts and I'm not about to send another one just so it piles onto all 27 unanswered messages I had sent during the week.

He seems to be so distant, although no pun was intended. When he ended up calling last week, he gave me one word answers which infuriated me, but yet I bit my tongue and said nothing. He is broken by design and I wish I could say I was making progress when it comes to him, but no - not Prinse, he is different. He is the kind where you can’t put your finger on, no matter how much you try to.

Don't we all just love getting attention one day and not the next -- we love toxic -- that can't possibly be what attracted me to Zack? And now Gomes? -- No, he is meant to be different.

"Are you back together with this rude boy again?" Mom opens the door to my bedroom and stands there with her right hand still lingering on the door knob.

"We are just friends," I say.

"How you went from kissing him to not -- your generation is the confusing kind."

I shake my head, letting out a chuckle.

"He has been honking so get your ass downstairs." She turns to leave and I can still hear her distinct mumbling -- "A boy that doesn't bother to knock at the door is no son-in-law of mine." I facepalmed myself as I grabbed my satchel on the desk.

"I'll sip my wine alone, like I do every night," mom says, already pouring herself a glass.

"You want me to come take a sip?"

She turns to give me a glare -- "Don't even try little lady, when you're old enough then I'll give you a glass."

"I know, I didn't really mean it." Flashbacks to when I took a few gulps from Gomes's beer bottle came to mind, but I brush them off so as to not get flustered.

"I'm going to go now."

"Don't be late - you know the rules," she says and I nod.

My Type of a Bad Boy

"You took your time," he says as I climb into the passenger side.

"Be glad that I left the house."

"When she's got a mouth on her." I roll my eyes, deciding not to respond.

"I'm glad you said yes." He pulls up to the theme park and unbuckles his seatbelt.

"Better make this worth my while," I say.

We strolled side by side, me gazing at the little girl running away from who I'm assuming was her brother. He suddenly takes hold of my hand and pulls me towards a man at the stand selling cotton candy.

"Want me to get you one?" He asks, already handing a dollar note to the man and grabbing a blue raspberry flavored cotton candy.

I stare at him - obviously I also want to.

He chuckles picking a pink one for me. I shake my head and grab the same flavor he did.

"It's been a while since I've genuinely enjoyed somebody's company like this." He turns to look at me and I dunk my head to avoid his stare.

"How about we go there." I point at the water ride to my left and don't wait for him to answer as I start heading there. He follows right behind me.

"I'll pay." I gesture to my little satchel, but he stops me. "My treat, remember."

Instead of arguing, I allow him to pay.

We step into the little canoe. Me on the one end and him on the other. The people right in front of us made paddling seem so easy, but all my attempts to row seemed to have us stuck in one place.

"Let me lead and you try and follow," he says and I nod.

I finally got the hang of it and I must say Zack was quite the patient kind today-- which is odd if you know Zack the way I do.

"Thanks," I say as we were leaving the water ride section.

"We are far from being done." He smiles and I couldn't help but enjoy this moment. We ended up going on most of the rides and I must say, I'm so glad he convinced me to come today. This was way better than me lazing off in bed.

"Thanks for today."

He nods, not moving to turn on the ignition.

"I've learned my lesson." He looks at me, moving his hand to touch mine.

"I miss this - and now I have to overthink of whether you'd be okay with me leaning in and kissing you."

I mentally hope my eyes were not resembling my reaction inside or else we would have my eyes bulging out of their socket.

"Don't kiss me. You don't want to ruin what we are building right now."

"What is it that we are building exactly?"

"Friendship," I whisper, moving my hand from his hold.

He sighs out loud. "Okay. It seems I only have me to blame for what happened between us." He rolls his eyes and looks out the window.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I cross my arms, already in defence mode.

He says nothing and I have to urge him to speak.

"You kissed him and yet I let that slide, but you wouldn't do the same where I am concerned," he spits out.

"It wasn't only because you kissed her. I would have let it slide too if you promised it wouldn't happen again, but you didn't. You wanted for there to be something between you and her and I wasn't going to allow myself to sit there and act a fool trying to convince myself that you only wanted me."

I stop to take a deep breath -- reminding myself that it doesn't matter anymore, because I've moved on.

"When I become an option, don't choose me, Zack."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I want you to take me home." I tell him.

"What if I told you right now that I only want you?"

"I would tell you that it's already too late."

He hits the steering wheel in frustration and I have to hold my breath for a second. "Please take me home," I whisper.

"I still want to be around you and if friendship is all I can have then I'll hold onto it." He smiles, turning the ignition on.