“You are acting strange,” Maria comments.
We are back to being best friends but I can’t say the same for her and Daniel, she doesn’t want to hear his name, doesn’t want to talk about him or the cancelled date. The video is still out there, she will die if it goes viral. Secretly, I am hoping she comes around so her newfound interest in Ben will fade. I am not sure it’s out of real concern for me but she has been updating me on his whereabouts. Right now, he’s in detention. He might spend another week there and I think I like that fact. I like that I don’t have to see him because my brain turns to jelly whenever he is close to me and I don’t even like the guy.
I pretend to mull over her words, she slaps my forehead, I yelp. I definitely didn’t miss this part of her.
“How strange?” I finally ask. We take the stairs two at a time. My attention is partially on her and the people rushing past us to the cafeteria. My eyes linger on some of the mal
Maria is still not here. I send her another text, she replies with a red face emoji and a wink. I should have come with my car. My gaze drifts to the brown building in front of the parking lot. The library is behind it. I am tempted to return inside and retrieve the note but I am too scared of him finding me in there.What if he’s someone I hate? I have considered the possibility of it being someone I’m mean to but what if he’s someone who has been mean to me? I go out of my way to keep to myself, for me to react, I must have been provoked. I rest my head on the hood of Maria’s car and try not to think of him. He deserves a reply, it’s the least I owe him after taking his letter.A tug on my back has me raising my head, I look behind to see Maria grinning like she didn’t keep me waiting. If she wasn’t my best friend, I would have knocked some of her teeth out. She taps on her car fob, a beep follows and I unlock the passe
I don’t get another reply from Let until Friday.Let: I don’t need your pity. I don’t need your wishes. You can keep the fucking letter.Me: I’ve never been to a high school party before. I’ve never dated or kissed anyone, I think I might die celibate because no one ever looks at me like they want me. I’m not sure what alcohol tastes like. My parents see me as this innocent child and I don’t want to ruin that image for them. Daddy is busy all the time but he tries to be there for me. Sometimes I wish he will lose his job so I can see him more often. Lol.At school, I am bullied. I try to be tough when the pranks and bullying start but it really gets to me. My best friend tries but sometimes it’s not enough. I go home thinking, wondering if they will still bully me if I looked a little more like them and less of myself. But then, I like how I am, at least for most part of the time.Sorry for takin
I fiddle with my new bracelet, trace the tiny letter beads with my name on it while waiting for my turn. Miss Jota takes note as Whitney performs. Much to my annoyance, Whitney’s red pointed heels connect hard to the wooden floor of the stage, producing ear-scratching sounds. I focus on Miss Jota’s face, trying to tell if she’s pleased with Whitney’s performance but she gives nothing away. Whitney finishes with a mock bow, her friends clap and she climbs down the stage. Miss Jota picks a sheet from the table, squinting at the list. “Theresa Mower?” I raise a hand. “Your turn.” My heart thumps against my ribcage, I rumple the script and shuffle to the stage. Twice, I almost trip and the girls seated behind me giggle. I release my breath when I make it to the stage, turning to face the small crowd. “You are auditioning for the role of Juliet?” “Yes,” I answer with a nod, very much aware Whitney also auditioned for that role. I must get it. Miss Jota recli
Let: I’m sorry you get bullied. And I understand how you feel about your dad, I know that feeling all too well. Daddy used to be so busy but he tried to be there for us as much as he could. I miss him sometimes, we both do. Some days hurt more than others but we do our best to survive. The divorce hit him so bad he spiralled out of control, was always in and out of rehab. The few times he was sober, he was the best dad a kid could ever ask for. Daddy didn’t want the divorce but mom did, she wasn’t happy in the marriage anymore. We all knew, their fights became more frequent but we hoped she would change her mind.It’s funny how no one asks the kids what they want, they don’t care how the separation affects us. We didn’t even ask to be brought into this fucking world. It’s unfair of them and maybe selfish of me to wish she stayed with him a little longer until AJ and I were much older to handle the divorce but I wish she did. Maybe he
Music booms from the earbuds plugged into my ears, I slap a hand against my hip in rhythm to the song infiltrating my mind. My head bobs, I nudge the door to the drama room open with my foot and stop.Everyone is here.Well, not everyone but half of the school football team is present. I yank the earpiece out and shove my phone into my back pocket. My feet refuse to function, I lick my lips, praying for my brain to send signals to them but they remain glued to the floor. The room is packed with tall walls of bricks in the form of jocks, I can almost touch the testosterone in the air. Their heads snap to me in unison, my eyes find my sneakers.What are they doing here?“Tessa, nice of you to finally join us,” Miss Jota says. The cheeriness in her voice washes off some of the awkwardness, I smile and walk briskly to where she’s seated. I am only a few minutes late so I know she won’t reprimand me but the unwar
A hush falls over the hall, I start for the stage, nearly exploding with anxiety. My heart beats against my chest, I feel eyes on the back of my head and all I want to do is scream, instead, I hurry to join Miss Jota. She points to a line in her script. Scene two. “We can start from here today,” she says. Unable to talk, I nod. Her hand lowers, she frowns. “Where’s your script?” I swallow, my finger juts in the direction of my school bag and she lifts a tiny brow, probably wondering why I left it there. In my hurry, I forgot it. “Do you know the lines?” I don’t know how I manage to nod but I do and she walks off the stage. “Start.” Blondie puts two fingers in his mouth to let out a whistle of support, Miss Jota’s stern gaze lands on him. “Quiet.” He offers a sheepish apology and her eyes fall back to me. “Tessa, over to you. We are waiting.” Ben is alone on the first row with the others seated behind him. He frowns when I delay to start and I lose
It is stupid. I can be prosecuted for this but I still think of it. How Ben’s finger felt against my lips. Gosh, I’m so hopeless and foolish for thinking about kissing the guy who treats me like gum on his shoe. Last night, I had a dream where he asked me out. I press another finger to my lips, trace the Cupid bow like Ben did. Butterflies flutter in my belly at the thought of kissing him on stage, he has to play Romeo, I’ll be Juliet. My inner voice mocks my fairytale and a soft sigh escapes me. I am getting ahead of myself again. Maria nudges my shoulder, I snap out of my reverie, trying desperately to wipe the smug smile off my face but it sticks. “What?” I yell when she wiggles her eyebrows suggestively like she caught me with a hand in the cookie jar. “Maria. Speak now or forever hold your peace.” Her brows only shoot higher, she winks and I roll my eyes. She does this a lot, makes you so antsy you start confessing to unknown crimes. “Fine, don’t say
“Your shirt is hot,” Blondie tells me.My head lowers, I smoothen the front of the white shirt I borrowed from Maria. “Um, thanks.” He winks, my fake smile widens. After Olivia made a mess of my shirt, I had to get a new one and the only thing my best friend found was a skin-tight top highlighting the shape of my upper body. I don’t need to look hard enough to see the outline of my bra and I know that’s what drew Blondie’s eyes to me. I need to stop calling the poor boy by his hair colour. Shouldn’t he be with the set design group? “Where’s Miss Jota?”After giving instructions to the set design group, she left without a word. He shrugs. “Dunno.”Ben is not here. Has he seen that stupid video? How did he react? He must have laughed his heart out. Someone chuckles behind me, my neck twists to get a look of the culprit and Noah winks at me. I quickly avert my gaze, eyes
I feel like sexual assault against the male genders is not talked about as much as in the case of the female genders. As a friend to a few males who have been molested by people who were supposed to care for them, I knew I had to write about it someday. And I hope I was able to bring awareness to this, however little, through Ben. It’s never okay to molest a child. It’s never okay to molest anyone. That being said, here are some fun facts about this book; 1. It’s my first attempt at teenfiction. I was almost certain readers would notice and call me out on that. 2. BBTB was supposed to be a short story project. I was so worried it would be a flop so I planned to make it between 40-80 chapters. But the story grew wings and took off on its own. 3. This is the longest story I have ever written. I am just as surprised as you are and I was pleasantly shocked to see comments wanting their lovestory to go on for much longer. Those comments kept me going even on the bad days. So, thank y
It hurts too much. My body is on fire and it’s not yet right to push. Why isn’t it time? I need them to get the baby out of me. Not later, now. Sweat drips down my forehead and my eyes sting with tears. The doctor has stopped the bleeding. I have been cleaned up, changed into a hospital gown. They say everything is fine but it’s not. The contractions are ripping me from inside out and all Ben does is mutter unintelligible gibberish. He put the baby inside me, he should experience the pain too. “Are you okay?” Ben asks. I glare at him. How can I be okay? Whatever the doctor gave me is keeping me awake so I have no respite from the pain. Ben pushes my hair away from my sweaty forehead and I lean into him for comfort. I’m tired but I’m glad our son is okay. “I’m sorry, Gracie,” my husband says. Pushing past my pain, I offer him a questioning glance. Maddie is fine, right? My parents are okay too, right? Ben wipes the tears spill
I am packing up for Maddie’s weekend getaway when Ben strolls into her room. He picks a toy from the floor, tosses it into the air and catches it. I stall when he crosses over to me. All his attempts to take over the packing from me are futile. He protests by shaking his head. I am pregnant, not handicapped.When the bag is zipped up, I lower myself to the bed to catch my breath. Maybe I should have let him do it. But he never lets me do anything.Worried eyes stare into mine as Ben kneels between my legs. I’m fine, just tired. I pick the stuffed bear he dropped on the bed and sniff it. It smells like Maddie. And if I listen closely, I’ll hear her voice as she sings along with her favourite characters on TV.Maddie’s grandparents—my parents are in town because I’m due next week. They don’t want to miss it. She’s spending the weekend with them.Ben pries the bear from me and traces the
Laughter erupts from the living room, a kid’s voice follows and my lips curve in a smile. I pause the YuuTube tutorial I’m watching and set my tab down on the counter. I’m trying a new recipe I found online. Ben has been working extra hours so he can’t cook as much anymore and I’m tired of takeouts for dinner.With a hand under my belly, I meander to the living room. Maddie is on her feet, clapping and giggling at the television. There’s an old show playing. A family series I starred in one year after graduation. I clear my throat and my baby girl spins to face me. She grins and everything feels right. The nine hours of labour, the screams, the pain. They don’t matter.Running towards me, she stops a few inches from me and grabs my hand. “See Mummy,” she says, pointing at the television. I’m helping the second male lead set up his outfit for work. Her blue eyes flash with childlike innocence when she run
I feel the stare before I turn to Maria. “Will you stop?” I mutter. She says nothing but her eyes lower to my swollen belly, making it so obvious she had been staring. “Maria Vega.”“Theresa Carter.”Pink colours my cheeks. I hide my face in my palms and she bursts out laughing. It still feels so surreal being Mrs Carter, Ben’s wife. Our wedding was small and private like we both wanted. Aside from our family, we had our friends. Maria. Leah. Mira. Calum. Olivia also showed up. She and Ben are still in contact. We are kind of cool.Thinking about the wedding makes me smile and I twist the ring on my forth finger. My promise ring remains on my middle finger.I sit up and cross my legs. There are some pictures from the wedding scattered all over the living room floor. Maria didn’t get a chance to see them before her flight. She had a concert that day. I rub a hand over my stomach. Ben didn’t
Where is Ben? We will be late.I step out of the bathroom in only a towel and sashay to the wardrobe to get the gown for our date. There are a few options but I select a navy blue off-shoulder gown. Flipping through my playlist, I settle on Maria’s new single and settle down in front of the vanity to make myself up.A smile curves my lips as I brush my hair. I don’t look so bad at all. The makeup tutorial classes on YuuTube and Maria’s extra sessions come in handy as I apply foundation to my face. My gaze flies to the door. I’m in my room. Ben wasn’t in his room when I checked but he should be getting ready.The door creaks. I look up but Ben doesn’t walk in. My eye makeup is done. I apply a bright red lipstick and the door finally opens. Ben stalks into the room wearing a tux. My man is hot but in a suit and Oxford leather shoes, he is hotter. He closes the door with his foot and leans on it so I can assess
The drive to Ben’s office is a blur. I’m out of the car and in front of his office in a flash. I miss him. And I haven’t seen him in eight hours.I knock once on the door and open before he ushers me inside. Locking the door behind me, I bridge the gap between us and crush him in a hug. We live in the same house but God, I want to be in his presence all the time.“You’re back so early,” Ben says against my lips. I kiss him hard to make up for the hours without any kisses. Ben chuckles and hoists me on the edge of his desk. Then, he stands between my legs. “I missed you too, babe.”I grin. “I missed you more.”Ben touches his forehead to mine. “You’re here,” he says. His smile is sad. I nod against his body and his hands slip into my gown. I help him with the zip and pout. “I didn’t think you would make it today.”I had a pho
The mixer whirrs to life. I throw in more flour, add three eggs and whisk the batter into a smooth mix. Calum, my unwilling apprentice, watches from behind the counter. He came in last night. On my command, Calum oils the pans for the cake and turns on the oven. Done, he edges close to me. I swat his hand before he dips his finger into the mix. “Come on, Tessa. I came all this way, let me have some.” I roll my eyes. He came all this way, uninvited but I’m happy to see him. I empty the batter into the small pan. We will eat from that. “Just a taste.” “Fine.” I shove the spatula in his face and he snatches it from me. My face scrunches in disgust when he licks the spatula clean like a hungry dog. “Calum, what’s wrong with you?” He shrugs. “Nothing?” It feels like there’s something but I continue emptying the batter into the pans. When I’m done, I bring out the ingredients for the icing. Today is Ben’s
A look of fear flashes across her face. She levels me with a stare that shows she’s trying to control her temper. It’s unfair that I have to watch her kiss other guys under the guise of it being part of the job. “You are just making up scenarios that don’t exist,” she says. “Your job doesn’t even require it, Benny.” “But your job does...” I twist my hands so hard they ache. She doesn’t get it. “...and I don’t like it, Gracie.” Various emotions flicker on her face. She opens and closes her mouth twice without saying a word. The third time, she murmurs, “You asked me to trust you when Elena was involved, right?” I did. And I’ve established boundaries at the office, at school too. For fuck’s sake, she’s my screensaver, I wear my ring. They know I belong to Gracie. “So, can you please trust me on this one? It’s just a job, babe.” “Babe, it’s not the same.” Gracie stomps her feet in annoyance. I grit my teeth. She’s not the only one getti