I didn't answer or reply to any of Ryan's calls or texts. I decided to pay him back for what he did I didn't answer or reply to any of Ryan's calls or texts. I decided to pay him back for what he did by playing his own game but with my way. While he kept his phone off, I kept mine on and straight out ignored his calls.738Please respect copyright.PENANA89HqNVve1e
738Please respect copyright.PENANAT2xJCQ3Gve
738Please respect copyright.PENANAeUL1PXNfRP
738Please respect copyright.PENANA5coSoUUOLO
738Please respect copyright.PENANAvtC5siBjoe
738Please respect copyright.PENANAqi4FClbUxs
738Please respect copyright.PENANA1IH4W5r0TD
738Please respect copyright.PENANAv1ymTccVES
738Please respect copyright.PENANA9zu9ItnzyM
It's Saturday, so naturally our usual coffee shop is hosting a karaoke night tonight. We'd often go there and conquer the place like it's ours. The guys suggested doing so tonight, and I couldn't agree more. It was a good distraction to lighten my mood a little. I invited Denise, who invited Charlotte and Veronica. I was a little surprised when Denise told me she's friends with the twins. Apparently, they all went to gymnastics classes together since the beginning of high school. They're really "dope" people, she told me. I didn't mind extra company anyway, and neither did the guys. They were actually pretty cool about it when I told them about the girls coming, especially Cody.738Please respect copyright.PENANAwXJjUHtFs9
738Please respect copyright.PENANAj4SG1VYXqP
738Please respect copyright.PENANAJSC8hr8a6G
"It's good to have some femininity among the group for once," Cody said.738Please respect copyright.PENANAgG35CMnum8
738Please respect copyright.PENANAerauEleWnm
738Please respect copyright.PENANAB3Lg3RdQHF
"Say that again and slit your throat," I reply with a sarcastic, sweet smile.738Please respect copyright.PENANA0zIo8oUY5U
738Please respect copyright.PENANA7RZ1ZtZvWQ
738Please respect copyright.PENANAr66mO4QS0f
We went and greeted the workers like they're old friends. The whole group was there, even Amber (yay!), but I didn't see Charlotte around. I asked her sister, who told me that Saturdays are anime marathon nights, in which charlotte and her boyfriend, Luke, would watch anime shows all night.738Please respect copyright.PENANA8A8fMVIDLV
738Please respect copyright.PENANA61KrylopCF
738Please respect copyright.PENANA2Xy2w3EyoN
"They're Otakus," Veronica said.738Please respect copyright.PENANAUa0pqgx0u7
738Please respect copyright.PENANAFsR6cGzRpM
738Please respect copyright.PENANAQwiUVlUO8U
"Oh-Tacos?" I marvel at the unfamiliar word.738Please respect copyright.PENANAXkvVo5vxMN
738Please respect copyright.PENANAcPl8y7L1N9
738Please respect copyright.PENANA6wdVuf3S1W
"Yeah, I thought it was food, too," Denise said.738Please respect copyright.PENANAjgPy2O3t6R
738Please respect copyright.PENANAunoBLvK63K
738Please respect copyright.PENANAq0XPHtKSof
"It means their strong anime fans," Veronica clarified.738Please respect copyright.PENANAcn365TaLDV
738Please respect copyright.PENANAFEbH3CkCoT
738Please respect copyright.PENANAwiyT1sj2W2
We started singing solos, duets, and even as groups. We didn't care about the people watching us as we sing unattractively. The boys would choose Taylor Swift or Katy Perry and sing along to the lyrics in their own girlish ways, and the girls would score their impersonation accordingly. I rapped along with Jordan and Cody a couple times and was crowned Queen of Rap by Denise, much to everyone's opposition.738Please respect copyright.PENANADah5vxcJmG
738Please respect copyright.PENANARHAli2uSYO
738Please respect copyright.PENANA3a98CNpBdv
We disturbed a lot of costumers and workers, who kept telling us to keep it down. That only made us sing worse and louder than before, earning more complains as a result. One of us earned a few claps from the audience: Tyler. He surely can sing like a pro, and he never ceases to impress us every time we hear him. Of course, whenever he held the microphone, Amber would cheer for him dramatically as if he's singing in a concert.738Please respect copyright.PENANAln5qbpo4hd
738Please respect copyright.PENANA4LXC1t1eUI
738Please respect copyright.PENANAGbkGcLPDL5
I felt carefree, just doing what I wanted, careless of others' opinions and thoughts of me. I ignored everything else and focused on having fun. I pushed all the drama and troubles out of my mind. I didn't think of Ryan just once.738Please respect copyright.PENANAhke6RduUFN
738Please respect copyright.PENANAh2p79g7eKC
738Please respect copyright.PENANAvOGXWJ270p
Denise invited herself over to spend the night, much to Cody's satisfaction. I didn't mind her at all. Although I only met her two days ago, she's treating me like we're old buddies. She burrowed a pair of orange shorts and a spaghetti white shirt from my wardrobe and made herself at home. We grabbed junk food and drinks before going to the living room to watch a movie. Cody and Will were playing FIFA before we turned it off to watch our movie. We settled on Magic Mike because why not? Cody and Will cringed from the thought, so they moved to Cody's room to continue their game there. Kat and Rosie went to sleep early tonight, saying that they're going house shopping tomorrow early for Rosie since Kat had no work.738Please respect copyright.PENANAlIHfpXyYw8
738Please respect copyright.PENANAKBA8h0DUkP
738Please respect copyright.PENANAuaZM8TqUHU
My phone rang in the middle of the movie, lighting up with Ryan's picture. I silent it and go back to the movie.738Please respect copyright.PENANA7HPNJ6qZbl
738Please respect copyright.PENANAlXJSDs9y3U
738Please respect copyright.PENANAenodjdLxh8
"You still ignoring him?" Denise asks.738Please respect copyright.PENANAmo9kIXe5tV
738Please respect copyright.PENANACM2dAZPc24
738Please respect copyright.PENANAOsdW0bJO9Z
"Kinda."738Please respect copyright.PENANA2UYGyDY5r8
738Please respect copyright.PENANAdvlne5Wbgj
738Please respect copyright.PENANAbkTDAPFTeJ
"Kinda? Girl, you're totally shutting the poor guy off."738Please respect copyright.PENANA6BGsJFc3mY
738Please respect copyright.PENANAjsaJjSKpSk
738Please respect copyright.PENANAoxRspOa38x
"Well, he deserves it, "I shrug, sipping from my coke, "And are you taking his side?"738Please respect copyright.PENANA4xME7XeBaK
738Please respect copyright.PENANAW0HvjGXybJ
738Please respect copyright.PENANAwpMbgAh5tA
"I ain't takin' nobody's side, sister. All I'm saying is give him a chance and listen to what he has to say, you know?" She answers, quickly taking defense mode.738Please respect copyright.PENANAXrEbdv7Rog
738Please respect copyright.PENANArpcZrqtM7o
738Please respect copyright.PENANAfiTAnShn2Z
"He's making me regret worrying about him," I explain, "Like it's my fault at the end."738Please respect copyright.PENANAB7lHOIYXo1
738Please respect copyright.PENANAsDurEbl5Ir
738Please respect copyright.PENANAFz1sHG5ga3
"Maybe he just needs time before telling you what happened to him."738Please respect copyright.PENANAEMVG8FySBc
738Please respect copyright.PENANAaYPHlh6c6p
738Please respect copyright.PENANAXidF29YfaC
"How much time? He needs to know that I'm not a patient person."738Please respect copyright.PENANAyHRdekQTtP
738Please respect copyright.PENANAyQzQvoNy19
738Please respect copyright.PENANAdfpxhDtRgZ
"Well, then be patient for, Nicky, and maybe he'll be patient for you when you need time one of these days."738Please respect copyright.PENANAx9jvbFKv29
738Please respect copyright.PENANAeFDPfGx9Ko
738Please respect copyright.PENANAwGOYQeINBt
She rests her hand on top of mine and looks at me assuringly. I t feels nice just having someone like her to talk to when I need it. I never had a girlfriend before, so having Denise treat me like that is something new to me coming from a girl, yet it has some familiarity to it in some way.738Please respect copyright.PENANAvikROERQPe
738Please respect copyright.PENANAWjUg8DfEXq
738Please respect copyright.PENANArvHbQmx19b
"Maybe you're right."738Please respect copyright.PENANArA3MuoR6M1
738Please respect copyright.PENANAzgbGllr2LY
738Please respect copyright.PENANAO3eMqmZ60D
"Like hell I'm right! I'm Denise McQueen, Nicky."738Please respect copyright.PENANAbPuPmA6vpG
738Please respect copyright.PENANAvAXnRrECRQ
738Please respect copyright.PENANAF396ENdsBS
"What's up with the new nickname?"738Please respect copyright.PENANAXyy58ATww1
738Please respect copyright.PENANA5gPEZIf63k
738Please respect copyright.PENANAeiFrxZ1gkK
"I just felt like it'd time I have a different name for ya."738Please respect copyright.PENANAWGhC78LuBZ
738Please respect copyright.PENANAoXpS2eO1Lv
738Please respect copyright.PENANAi3dE7zylND
After Denise left the next day, I spent my day in an inner battle with myself and debating whether or not to pay Ryan a visit to talk. Denise had me thinking about what she said all night last night till I came to the decision: I should go open up the topic with him. And yet I was never more hesitant about it. Even after getting his address from Dylan, who I figured would have it, I was still not close to decisive.738Please respect copyright.PENANAN6uRfmQKeN
738Please respect copyright.PENANAeJf4b2VKuO
738Please respect copyright.PENANAjXhu8Na8PV
I ended up taking Cody's car and waiting outside his house for 25 minutes, doing nothing. I took a deep breath before I left the car to walk towards his mansion. Oh, did I mention that he lives in a fucking mansion? The thing is so huge it can fit the whole school in it.738Please respect copyright.PENANAxNtBHnhdui
738Please respect copyright.PENANA0vJBf5G4gn
738Please respect copyright.PENANA2XBsG2a1x2
I pass by two guards, who don't bother to ask me who I am. They need to do something about their security. I mean, one of the guards just grinned at me like it's my place.738Please respect copyright.PENANAipgsV0g7Dd
738Please respect copyright.PENANAsnzLDWL6bp
738Please respect copyright.PENANA2ZBo6FLUT8
I reach for the doorbell, and as I wait for it to open, I recite what I was planning to say one more time.738Please respect copyright.PENANAFbFU8pu9ky
738Please respect copyright.PENANAkeUjrmchtM
738Please respect copyright.PENANAx7iT7KAYGm
Ryan, I know that there are things you prefer to keep hidden from me, but I want you to know that I care about you because you're my boyfriend and I care about you...738Please respect copyright.PENANABuoRikxMB0
738Please respect copyright.PENANALlgDwbJpw4
738Please respect copyright.PENANAPiJovOjcss
Shit, I'm really bad at this!738Please respect copyright.PENANAmMYLBgRH5k
738Please respect copyright.PENANAztshfZJdRy
738Please respect copyright.PENANAOikifuLakF
The door opens, and I hold my breath in anticipation. A pretty lady in a maid uniform opens the door with a smile and my heart beats go back to normal. She asks who I am and I respond back, "I'm Nicole. Is Ryan here?"738Please respect copyright.PENANA4ThL6M8vVQ
738Please respect copyright.PENANAdWxzryRZnD
738Please respect copyright.PENANABGhpdkI0U2
"Matilda, who is that?" A woman yells from inside.738Please respect copyright.PENANAyEryUQopcY
738Please respect copyright.PENANAiheD9tqNu8
738Please respect copyright.PENANAlEw6u1AU52
"It's a friend of Mr. Ryan, Ma'am," Matilda calls back.738Please respect copyright.PENANAvZMYiOdlf0
738Please respect copyright.PENANAz8sQ3sO0fg
738Please respect copyright.PENANAKejRNZOQbd
Listen, Ryan, I get that you wanna keep things from me, but you need to know that I only wanna help you...738Please respect copyright.PENANAKiFS3E72qv
738Please respect copyright.PENANA9RxlXMfU6r
738Please respect copyright.PENANA9yhRQqUuyj
"I'll take care of it, Matilda. You can go now," Ryan opens the door wider. He was wearing a sleeveless tank with dark blue shorts and looked like he was in the middle of a tough workout session.738Please respect copyright.PENANATwqserqmX6
738Please respect copyright.PENANAOJIdc5xECu
738Please respect copyright.PENANASwEqjlPTgu
"Shadow."738Please respect copyright.PENANAieCe4QQCF6
738Please respect copyright.PENANAMVWsKyVZKP
738Please respect copyright.PENANADmXIF3CGZn
"Ryan."738Please respect copyright.PENANA6uATcGrYgB
738Please respect copyright.PENANA5S2Ca1VVDM
738Please respect copyright.PENANAIX9vKuIoG5
He waits for me to start, and for a few seconds, I forget why I came here in the first place. I guess it's because he looks like fucking beast with his muscles flexing and sweat dripping from his body that I got lost for words.738Please respect copyright.PENANAr0j5E3Kz4N
738Please respect copyright.PENANAmzch40xXCF
738Please respect copyright.PENANAwzvTqWNJQP
And then I recall what I'd been reciting since yesterday.738Please respect copyright.PENANAFgBGAdlbq2
738Please respect copyright.PENANAQ0gfulkKzO
738Please respect copyright.PENANALBNvQUtzP7
"Oh, you um...forgot you pen with me." That's it Nicole, smoother than silk. What the fuck is wrong with me?738Please respect copyright.PENANAFzJ1ubOChL
738Please respect copyright.PENANAASlUktIiJW
738Please respect copyright.PENANAi9lH6V8jDQ
I point the pen in my hand at him, "I came to return it." I try hard to avoid his hard gaze that's piercing through my body.738Please respect copyright.PENANAYLio1GUvfj
738Please respect copyright.PENANAc5N65T7M6j
738Please respect copyright.PENANAtZbg79tGuY
"But this is not my pen," he raises an eye brow, humor and amusement simultaneously evident on his face.738Please respect copyright.PENANAHsMmVNEhjT
738Please respect copyright.PENANAtyIzbjjUsG
738Please respect copyright.PENANAoLqVjjLs4H
"Yeah," I lift my hat up, brush my hair to the back then put it back on—an action I unintentionally do when nervous—and mentally curse myself and my damn dignity. The whole thought of apologizing or even admitting anything I've done wrong is not exactly something innate in me. Yes, it's selfish and not right, especially when it's really me at fault, but I can't bring myself to do it.738Please respect copyright.PENANASQZjcSajyW
738Please respect copyright.PENANApfCcoZBrmH
738Please respect copyright.PENANAaCuNkO8jcs
Then again, for certain people in your life, you'd do whatever it takes to fix your relationship with them, even if it means bringing your stupid ego below their feet.738Please respect copyright.PENANArzmFJthOit
738Please respect copyright.PENANAu4DnWKvJIv
738Please respect copyright.PENANAWu8lIAYZe8
"It's actually Cody's; I found it in his car, and..." I trail off and watch his expression getting more and more humorous. "Look, I'm really bad at this."738Please respect copyright.PENANA4ms2yDrPKc
738Please respect copyright.PENANAh8SUXocLrt
738Please respect copyright.PENANA7kDK2H6r9z
"You don't say."738Please respect copyright.PENANAFOWLorGteC
738Please respect copyright.PENANA4q2Z78owfG
738Please respect copyright.PENANAzd3Ptcx6xD
"Please, just go with it as it is," I take a short breath. "I know I've been a little pushy lately. And I know that even if I'm you girlfriend, I shouldn't be like that. I also know that there are some things you don't want me to know. But I don't give a crap about all of this because I care about you. So can you just please let me in? I know I might be asking too much, but like I said before, I don't care about—"738Please respect copyright.PENANAq7HCTrtQ4q
738Please respect copyright.PENANAejq4EpUVMh
738Please respect copyright.PENANAM5DGEeJTPl
He cuts me off abruptly, holding my face with both his hands and kissing me intently. I kiss him back with similar affection, taken a bit off guard by the sudden gesture. He pulls apart a couple seconds into the kiss to look me in the eyes and say, "you know nothing, Shadow."738Please respect copyright.PENANA0GK8ccsS75
738Please respect copyright.PENANAQMJj5HzHlY
738Please respect copyright.PENANA4kQ1i59Bkk
"Huh?" I say, breathless.738Please respect copyright.PENANAj5VGqVsjks
738Please respect copyright.PENANANZVKOLFdFm
738Please respect copyright.PENANAaSxipyTlaL
"I said you know nothing. All you said might be true to some other guys, but not to me. In fact, I wanna share with you everything about me—all my problems and stress. I was planning on telling you everything in the right time, but you never gave me a chance."738Please respect copyright.PENANA27Xxpe7g2E
738Please respect copyright.PENANARFHb1DrjcZ
738Please respect copyright.PENANA2jGZWcN6wP
"I'm sorry, Ryan."738Please respect copyright.PENANAXz2bjdoDPY
738Please respect copyright.PENANAOGSTJYrLh1
738Please respect copyright.PENANAp281JEnKh1
"There's nothing to be sorry for. We both just had to get each other better, that's all," he then pulls me into a hug. "I know I can be really understanding, babe."738Please respect copyright.PENANASbiPFpX2Uo
738Please respect copyright.PENANATOoS2FVSm8
738Please respect copyright.PENANAAUrJQe8Tfl
I push him away, "Don't get too full of yourself, Hastings." Then I punch his chest, "This is for interrupting me earlier," I punch him again, "and this is for hugging me while you're sweaty."738Please respect copyright.PENANAAi3It3ACYY
738Please respect copyright.PENANAkZBPTq7Fod
738Please respect copyright.PENANANMGyefytsG
"How sweet of you," he says sarcastically, rubbing circles around his chest. "Now, don't you wanna come in?"738Please respect copyright.PENANADVOJUYOHon
738Please respect copyright.PENANAWxU9SMPmhy
738Please respect copyright.PENANAxQwCa0By4S
"No, I better go back before Cody realizes I stole his car."738Please respect copyright.PENANAULsGmXjJX7
738Please respect copyright.PENANA425gEprkKl
738Please respect copyright.PENANAmDTE9M2bAR
Right on cue, Cody's stupid face lights up on my phone screen. Ryan leans against the doorframe while I answer, only to earn myself a shitload of yells from my dear friend.738Please respect copyright.PENANAnV9n0z4DYm
738Please respect copyright.PENANA8LdaI8T4dB
738Please respect copyright.PENANAzH4SFdxSXq
"What the fuck, Nic? You stole my baby? Are you fucking me over, right now?! I told you I have a date tonight."738Please respect copyright.PENANAjLtmgSUGZz
738Please respect copyright.PENANAqOj2rzXM8r
738Please respect copyright.PENANAuM9NddPVuf
He did?738Please respect copyright.PENANAQp10qLjvWN
738Please respect copyright.PENANAAhHxMBabqw
738Please respect copyright.PENANAbXvSbWOc87
"Calm down, bastard, I'm on my way back."738Please respect copyright.PENANAUTzuHS9lZ5
738Please respect copyright.PENANACfZM9eyNZu
738Please respect copyright.PENANAeMhp1KGgY9
"You better be here before I tie my shoelaces," and he hangs up.738Please respect copyright.PENANAQeflpGrLbf
738Please respect copyright.PENANAMhDoKjMAzS
738Please respect copyright.PENANAQnTO52c8as
"He really needs to see a doctor," I sigh.