Chapter 23: You'd Be Surprised

"Why are you being so quiet?" Mason asks me as he hands me a cup of hot chocolate that I had not so politely requested.

"I'm just..." I trail off weakly, unsure.

"You can tell me," Mason assures me with gentleness, "I've changed."

It's only been a few days...

"I just feel lost at times," I confess the truth aloud to someone for the first time ever. I never thought it would be to my arch-nemesis of all people. Nonetheless, life is too short to hold grudges.

Mason nods understandingly. "Been there."

His sentence hangs in the air, creating a thick atmosphere between us. There's a moment of silence as I contemplate his words. I impulsively rupture the moment, "Mason? When you told me it's always been me, what exactly did you mean by that?" I ask bluntly.

He remains silent and I somehow feel like I've just trodden onto desolate grounds. 

"We were six and you were sitting in the sandbox. You were trying to create a 'sandman' along with sand angels," he eventually summons the courage to speak.

I smile, vaguely remembering it.

"You were wearing a green dress and you had your hair up. I was only six but I couldn't take my eyes off of you. I couldn't find any solid reason to start talking to you so I approached you in an unorthodox manner. I broke your sandman and wiped out your sand angels like the immature kid I was and still am. You were furious and when you looked up at me for the first time with those big hazel eyes, I knew that I was a goner. It was the first day I met you."

My head snaps up in a rush at hearing Mason's confession. My eyes meet his chocolate brown ones, his gaze filled with sincerity. I open my mouth to speak only to come up short. It takes me a couple of seconds to readjust and find words. "Mason..." I make an attempt to speak, "I-I didn't realize...I...." I falter, unable to come up with a coherent sentence.

"I treated you like garbage and bullied you relentlessly for your entire childhood. It's my fault," he admits softly, finally telling me how he feels. "Over the years I thought I'd get over you, but the more I was around you, the harder I fell. When we were thirteen I came up with a solution to be closer to you-"

I cut him off as it dawns on me. "Bells," I finish for him. "You hurt her, Mason, you really hurt her. You led her on for years," I mumble, annoyed.

"I know. I was stupid but I'm trying to change now. Besides, I didn't lead Bells on for five years. Somewhere along the line, I grew to like her. She made me forget about you for a long time and I was happy, but then Jay came into the picture and when you started gushing about him it just reopened everything I tried to bury. That's when I realized I had to break it off with Bells," Mason carefully elaborates.

"Mase, you should have told me," I tell him sternly.

He shrugs. "I was a coward. Last year at junior prom, I almost manned up and told you. I was with Bells when you made your entrance alone, dateless-"

I narrow my eyes at him. "Yeah, I know. You made fun of me for a week straight for going by myself when I was only trying to insert female independence."

He merely continues, "Anyway, you stood out, at least to me you did. You took my breath away and for a moment I swear my heart stopped beating." 

Cheesy!

He flashes me a cheeky smile, distracting me. "Why do you think I wanted to dance with you that night? I was going to tell you everything, but then..." he swallows and averts his gaze. 

"But then?" I coax gently.

"Then I woke up," he breathes out in defeat. "You were never going to accept me after everything. I gave up before even trying. It's why I tripped you on the dance floor instead. Hurting you was the only way I knew how to connect with you because talking just wasn't..." he trails off in thought, "well, let's face it, talking never works between us."

I shake my head, disagreeing. "It's working now."

Every mean thing that Mason has ever done to me has always been behind this hidden motive that he actually cares for me. Talk about contradictory.

"Why me?" I ask bluntly. "Why? I'm ordin-"

Mason stops me right there, "You're anything but ordinary, Aqueela. You never seem to get that. You're so oblivious, but it's okay, it's a cute look on you."

I sigh. "You're so stupid, Mason. So very stupid."

He takes my joke as encouragement. "I've never given up on you, Aqueela. I'm not about to start now."

"You should," I reply, giving him a reality check, "you should give up on me."

He shakes his head. "Jay will stuff up because guys like him always do. And I'll be waiting. It's not an ultimatum. I just thought it's time you finally know how I feel about you, how I've always felt about you. I will wait an eternity for you."

Then he's going to be a ghost.

"Don't criticize Jay. You don't even know him," I say quietly, barely restraining myself.

He scoffs. "You'd be surprised, Aqueela."

"If more people believed in Jay then maybe he'd be a more considerate and nicer person. It's people like you who constantly make guys like Jay stuff up because you make people like him feel insecure and worthless," I say angrily. I come to my senses and get up. "I should go." 

"Do you need a lift?" Mason asks me as I make my way to the door, unimpressed with attitude. He clearly hasn't changed.

I think I've finally found my answers by meeting up with Mason. I dreaded seeing him after everything because I felt conflicted, but it was him who gave me my answers. He opened my eyes and though my heart somewhat bleeds for him, I just don't feel the same. 

"Aqueela?" Mason asks, bringing me out of my thoughts.

It's then that I realize that leading Mason on is wrong. It will only hurt him more in the long run. Life is too short to stay stuck on one person. He may not see it now but I'm not the one for him. "Mason..." I start, trying to find the most appropriate words to use, "I care about you, just not in the way you want me to. It's always going to be-"

"Jay," he finishes for me with a sad smile that I manage to see through. "I know," he confirms, "but I'm not giving up on you. I've waited too long to give up."

I shake my head at him in pity, not wasting another second to be back in Jay's presence.

*~*~*~**~*~*~*   

I open the door to Jay's house. I'm so relieved that he kept his door unlocked. He usually locks the front door. He obviously knew I'd come back. 

I shut the door quietly behind me, astound to find the lights still on. It's then that I see Jay about to drift off into sleep. I wince when he stirs awake, slowly sitting up before rubbing at his eyes, resembling a cute little child.

I can't stop the smile from spreading across my face. I think he'll always be the only one for me.

Everything registers in his head as his innocent blue eyes transform into a darker hue of blue and a frown evades his previously puzzled expression. Immediately, he stands up and rushes over to me. "Where have you been?" he asks, frantic. "You weren't answering your damn phone!"

"Were you worried?" I question as I sidestep him, unfazed. 

He ceases me in place by gripping onto my wrist, reflecting his panic. "Where. Were. You. Aqueela?" he asks slowly through clenched teeth, completely evading my question. 

I'm going to take that as a 'yes'. He was definitely worried about me.

"Jay, you're hurting me," I reply softly, growing uncomfortable.

My voice seems to break the spell he's under as he comes out of it, releasing me and stepping back. "I need you to be here, safe, with me," Jay whispers, taking an entirely different tone, his anger having diminished alarmingly quicker than expected at the realization that he was hurting me. "I worry if you're not here," he says, motioning to the scars on my arms. 

A ghostly smile takes over my features at his concern. "I'm fine," I reassure him.

"Then why can't you tell me who you were with?" he presses, not letting it go.

"I went to see Mason," I reply truthfully, point-blank, unable to lie to him, nor do I want to. 

He falls dead silent at my words. It might've been a mistake to tell him. He narrows his blue eyes at me as a scowl forms on his face. I can see in his eyes the control he's trying to keep, except, he fails and ends up smashing his fist against the wall, cursing beneath his breath.

I roll my eyes. Typical of him.

"Jay-" I start, hoping to apologize for earlier.

He cuts me off, frustrated. "You've been with him for the past three hours. What were you doing all this time?" he asks, his tone accusing.

"If you even have to ask such a question then you can forget getting a legitimate answer!" I hiss as I turn my back on him, aware of what he's implying. I reach for the door instead, more than willing to join Oog in the tree house.

I hear him sigh in regret from behind me before he wraps his arm around my waist and turns me back around to face him. "I didn't mean to imply that," he breathes out quietly, truly apologetic.

He needs to do better. I don't do subtle.

"You're not my boyfriend, Jay," I remind him, harsh on him. He does not get do this. 

"Yeah, nor am I the one leading on two people at once," he mutters quietly, but I hear him. I hear it loud and clear. "You owe me this. Just tell me what he said to you. I can bet he mentioned me."

"He said that you'd stuff up," I tell him bluntly. "I guess he was right."

Jay averts his gaze as if ashamed of his actions. He sighs. "Aqueela," he drawls, "I'm-"

"Clearly, I'm not welcome here," I finish coldly, deeply offended by his words.

His eyes flash with determination as he takes a step toward me. "Aqueela, you're right. You don't deserve any of this. I'm so-"

"Save it, Jay." I put my hand up, motioning to him to stop talking altogether. "You're a jackass. You're the one who knows how I feel about you, yet you still sauntered after FeeBee right in front of me, completely humiliating me. I understand that you don't feel the same way about me as I do you, but don't toy with my emotions." I shove him away when he tries to close the distance. "You made me go to Mason."

His temper, as always, gets the best of him. "I'm not responsible for the decisions you make, Aqueela," he answers gruffly.

I shake my head. "Mason's right about, Jay Taylor. You're a jerk. It's like you're incapable of keeping a friend."

"That's the problem!" he snaps at me, taking offense. "You go to Mason when you have a problem with me. If you have a problem with me, tell me, not him. Come to me. Speak to me about it. Don't leave me guessing. Just be upfront." 

"Well, you looked too busy conversing with FeeBee. To be frank, I didn't think you'd even notice that I was gone. You selfish, conceited moron!" I shout back, irritated that he's irritated. He's acting like we're in a relationship. I can't think straight because I'm so mad.

"Don't make this about FeeBee. This is about me and you," he says before leaving the house and slamming the door shut after him, forgetting that this is his house that he's dramatically exiting.

Yet he's the one that keeps bringing Mason into it.

"That's right, storm out of your own house! I win!" I yell after him before the guilt sinks in. I'm feeling remorseful.

I glance around the silent house, wondering if he'll realize that he just left his own house. I already miss him.

Here's hoping that his fridge is at least filled with food.

*~**~*

Hey, guys :)

Thanks for all your support!

1. Who do you blame for this fight?

2. What do you think's going on with FeeBee and Jay?

3. Which character do you hate the most and why?