Ezra's house was not our usual meeting place since Peter was the one with the game room. It's quite simple really, to play games we would go to Peter's, to swim they came to mine, to watch films we met at Ezra's and on the rare occasion of Walt's parents being out of town, we would go to his. Yupe Walt had it all, but it's of forbidden passage.
I was not the last one to arrive, but I had to pick up Téa on my way here since they insisted for her to come. Ezra had taken a liking to her, mostly because she cut the sandwiches in triangles. So he invited her and force me to bring her.
"Hi!" she beamed as we entered the large room where the boys and Vanessa were already in.
"Téa!" Ezra called for her "Come here, I have something for you to try"
With her giddy smile on her face, she sat by his side in front of a table with a thousand different samples of desserts. Vanessa rolled her eyes as soon as she set eyes on her. I ignored it and sat by her side, dodging Peter and Walt, who entertained each other.
"She dresses like a clown," she muttered when I reached her.
It was Sunday, which means she went to Leah's grave, probably to tell her about the misfortunes of the past week. Now she is considering going back there to tell her of the hideous dress Téa was wearing.
"Maybe," I shrugged, "But just because you can't go shopping with her doesn't mean you can't befriend her"
"I don't think so." she scrunched her nose "My bracelet costs more than her entire outfit"
I rolled my eyes "Don't be so mean"
Vanessa sighed in defeat and leaned her head on my shoulder.
"Where are Kenzie and Emily?" she mumbled.
Almost as if hearing their cue, they walked in with pizza boxes in hand.
"Who's hungry?" Kenzie asked, and Ezra jumped off the couch, which earned him an eye roll "As expected"
She put the pizza on the table and sat with Emily on the vacant sofa.
I have been avoiding her for weeks, and she is cooperating better than I expected. I thought after that night she would try to talk to me again, maybe apologise for her childish behaviour, but we are never alone and when we are all together, she doesn't even look at me. Can't say if it's a shame, or she just doesn't care.
"Emily! Sit with me," Ezra demanded, and she ignored him "Please!"
Sighing, she took her place by his side and he put his arm around her, being pushed off the second after. It's sad. I thought they had confessed their feelings for each other.
"What are we watching?" I asked.
The white screen on the wall was showing Netflix's red symbol on pause, but I didn't know what was about to play.
"Netflix films suck," Kenzie complained "If you make me watch The Kissing Booth I'm out of here"
Deep in me, I just know Leah's ghost is going to hunt her down forever just for that simple phrase.
"It's The Babysitter actually," Peter said.
"Cool," Emily said, and leaned down on the sofa. Seconds later, Ezra's arm was finding its way back to her shoulders.
I leaned back too, alone on one sofa with Vanessa. She enveloped the blanket around both of us and leaned against my chest. The film started and I could feel her already tense. She hated this kind of film, she always has, and it prepared me for the little jumps at every scare. I held her tight and kissed her forehead lightly, easing her spirit.
"Don't be so stressed. You still have about fifteen minutes before it starts," I whispered in her ear.
"And it lasts almost two hours," she answered bitterly before cooling for good, as I did.
It all felt quicker than I expected, her trembling something far away when the lights were once again turned on. The film ended, and she separated herself from me, going to the bathroom and leaving me missing her warmth.
I took a slice of the already cold pizza that Ezra hadn't yet spotted and took a bite, quite hungry suddenly.
"It's already dark outside," Ezra noted sulking "Do you want to stay over?"
"I can't," Walt answered "My parents grounded me, they think this is a study group. My grades aren't spectacular right now. "
"Yeah, I think Vanessa and I are going home soon, too," Peter complained.
"Emily!" he didn't even pay attention to me "Do you want to stay?"
She glared at him "Kenzie isn't staying, so I'm not staying either"
"Oh no," Kenzie corrected her. "I'm not going anywhere anymore. We can stay if you want"
"Where were you going?" I asked before I could help it.
She looked at me apprehensively "I had a date. He couldn't make it"
I just stared at her, speechless. I knew this day would come, but I didn't want it. Even if it's hypocrisy from my side, the idea of her with someone else just made me want to punch a wall. Kenzie, my Kenzie, laughing with someone else, kissing someone else.
"Uh! Mackie has a hot date," Peter laughed "Who's the lucky bastard?"
"Is it Theo?" I asked, remembering the day they were having fun together.
"Of course not!" she complained. "You told me not to talk to him so I did"
It's surprising to know that she listened and complied. It almost made me smile that she paid attention. Yet she was still seeing another person and that shouldn't make me as irritated as I was.
"Well, who is he?" Peter insisted-
"No one you know," she shrugged "And he cancelled it"
Ezra clapped. "Then it's settled. You two stay here tonight. And so does Will"
"I never said I would stay," I noted. Poor Kenzie does not deserve to be third-wheeling those two, but I don't feel like being alone with her either.
Vanessa comes back and sits beside me once again, this time typing on her phone. I swear I don't understand why did it become so interesting out of a sudden. It annoys me I ask and ask and she never tells me who is she texting. I know I should respect her privacy, but there is this gut feeling telling me I'm being fooled.
"But you will" Ezra glared at me.
"Either way," Kenzie got up. "We should..." I looked at her to see why she stopped talking. She was staring at Vanessa's phone with a very serious expression. "Ness, can we talk for a second?"
"Mm? Sure"
I watched them intently as they left the room and couldn't help that doubt taking control of me.
"Well, I think I'm going..." Walt excused himself, kissing Peter goodbye, and leaving us.
Peter looked like a sad puppy. I wondered if he knew why her sister was always on her phone.
"What do you think they're talking about?" I asked to none of them in particular.
"Girl stuff?" he offered.
I looked at Emily and she cocked a brow. If she thinks I don't know that she knows, or at least guessed, she's wrong. There is not one thing Kenzie does Emily doesn't know about.
"Do you know who she has been texting?" I pressed.
"Oh, it's that girl, Melissa," Peter said "They've become friends lately. I think she is in your photography class."
I stared at him. Who is Melissa?
"Melissa?" Ezra asked. "They know each other?"
Am I the only one who doesn't know Melissa? And that she is in my photography class?
Not holding back my curiosity, I said I had to go to the bathroom and went looking for them.
Ezra's house was a veritable labyrinth where I could have easily got lost. Luckily, they weren't far, talking in the kitchen a little too loudly. The argument was getting heated, and I was about to interrupt them when I heard Kenzie's disturbed voice.
"What about Will?"
Of course, it was about me. They loved hiding things about me from me. It would be so much easier if they just told me things instead of me finding out like this.
"What about Will?" Vanessa asked.
"Are you joking? Ness, you're dating him!" she exclaimed "Look, when I met him I let you carry on with the total lying because it was not my place to tell him but now you are his girlfriend! It's wrong"
"If it's so wrong, why haven't you told him yet?"
"Because I thought I was doing the right thing!" Kenzie exploded "I was doing what I thought was best for you! Dating him was the worst decision you ever made, but at least you could have stayed faithful! Do you have absolutely no respect for him?"
I knew it, no matter how I tried to ignore it, I already suspected. Still, the confirmation hurt. She has been cheating on me this whole time when she knows I dedicated all my life to her and only her... until Kenzie...
"Of course I respect him. But would he respect me if I told him the truth?" Vanessa asked "Mackie, only you know, you and Emily. No one else can know"
"You think your brother wouldn't understand? Wouldn't accept it? I can't believe Leah didn't think of making gossip out of it"
"Don't say her name!" Vanessa cried "She wouldn't do that to me"
"Ness, you need to talk to Will. You're not being fair to him, you never were"
"I can't tell him"
"Stop being a bitch, all you have to tell him is that you like girls." she was getting worked up "Stop pretending!"
She likes girls? Since when? How did I not know?
A thousand questions came rushing. Hurt flashes through me, but anger replaces it quick. Anger at both of them for not telling me. Vanessa has had me wrapped around her pinky since we were children, and yet she kept me fooled even when she realised she would never love me. Kenzie could've told me before.~
You're not her type.
That's what she meant all along. She has been telling me every chance she gets, and I never listened because I knew best. Turns out she was right about everything.
"It's not that simple," Vanessa cried.
Done listening, I appeared in the kitchen, staring at both girls. I clenched my teeth in anger and made sure it shocked them all to see me. Fear shone in Vanessa's eyes. Or maybe regret. I hope it was both.
"Kenzie, get out," I said calmly.
She stared at me and shook her head.
"Kenzie, please, get out, I have to talk to my girlfriend," I repeated, emphasising the last word.,
Glaring at me, she left with a last "You dug your own hole" directed to Vanessa.
I leaned against the wall, staring at her on the other side of the kitchen, bracing herself in a corner.
"You have about five seconds to come up with a good excuse"
She blinked "You have to understand if my parents knew..."
"So you just assumed I would go tell your parents as soon as I found out?"
"No, I-I never wanted to hurt you, I didn't want to break your heart"
I laughed humourlessly "Congratulations, you just did"
She looked down, maybe in shame.
"Look at me," I demanded, my voice colder than I expected "I refused every girl that came my way because of you. I spent all my days thinking of ways to please you, to convince you to be my girlfriend!" I sighed "Now I can't get those years back"
"I'm sorry"
I ignored her and kept going "While I was trying to please you, you were out there, getting to know new people, maybe dating some of them... What about Melissa? Was Kenzie right when she said you were fucking someone else? Was it her?"
Her eyes widened "How do you know about Melissa?"
"Peter told me. I guess he doesn't know what you've been doing either"
"Please don't tell him!" she begged.
"I won't. It's quite ridiculous, don't you think? The closeted gay sister is afraid her gay brother won't accept her"
She kept quiet.
"I should've listened to Kenzie," I exhaled "She's the only person I truly liked, even with your lies"
She stared, her face black "What do you mean? You don't like Kenzie"
"I do" my eyes met hers.
"But she doesn't like you back"
I smiled cooly "Yes, she does. We were together last summer, all behind your back"
She covered her ears "You're lying! She wouldn't like you!"
"Why not? You were anxious when I met her,"
"Mackie can't like you! She promised you were just a friend! She promised"
"Well, she lied"
Her reaction told me everything I needed to know. It all made sense now.
"I probably don't need to tell you this, but we're breaking up. I hope I never have to see you again. Have a nice day"
I would have to see her again at school, yet I didn't want to think about it right now. I left her in the kitchen and went back to the cinema room where only Kenzie was in, eating popcorn and watching some other film.
I sat by her side, feeling like shit.
"Where is everyone?"
"Peter went looking for Ness and Ezra is showing the bedrooms to Emily. I bet he'll show her his bedroom and she'll hit him where the sun never shines"
I nodded silently and leaned against the sofa. I pulled a blanket over me and made myself comfortable. If I am staying here, I might as well be here until Vanessa leaves.
"How are you holding up?" Kenzie asked.
"I'm not sure who I want to hang off a window, head down, me or her," I sighed "Also want to hide in a hole and never come back to the real world"
"It's okay if you want to cry, she was your childhood love"
"I don't want to cry"
I leaned my head against her shoulder and let her console me.
"She is in love with you," I told her.
"I know," she mumbled back.
I was selfish enough to think all the times she wanted me away from Kenzie was because she wanted me for herself. Was I not so blind would've known she only wanted Kenzie.
"Do you...do you like girls too?" I asked her "Do you like Vanessa?"
She shook her head "No to both. She knows I see her only as a friend"
I nodded and felt a small tear making its way down my face. It hurt more than I could ever imagine. The thought of being betrayed like that, fooled again and again. I can almost imagine her mocking me behind my back, about how easily she played me.
"You like me, right?" I asked, "That is not a lie?"
She hugged me "I liked you, Will, and that is not a lie"
Liked, not like.
"Pinky promise?"
She smiled and entwined her pinky with mine "I promise"
I nodded and buried my head in her shoulder. She smelled like vanilla.
"Thank you for never lying to me," I murmured.
She tensed.
🧡🧡🧡
I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE!
Who saw it coming?
Does anyone remember Melissa? I didn't, but I mention her in chap 7
This chap is not very well written in my critical sense, it was boring to write, and all I ever wanted when I started this book was to get to this chapter
Sad...