Every Mistake That I Make
Chapter Twelve
It was the next day, and Dallas began to make her way out of the school. She’d had detention again for cheeking her English teacher but this time, she’d requested that her friends didn’t wait for her. Dallas knew she could have done with the walk home alone.
So it surprised her when she looked to the school gates and saw Gerard stood there, dropping his cigarette to the ground and stepping on it with his heel. He waved at her and began to move towards her.
“Hey, Dallas!”
“I asked you not to wait,” she reminded him as they began to walk away from the school. “Are the rest of them hiding in bushes?”
“No, I offered to stay behind and wait for you.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re a friend and I can’t just let you walk on your own...”
Dallas rolled her eyes.
“And I need to talk to you,” Gerard added.
“Oh?” Dallas slowed down and turned her head to look at him. “What about?”
“Rachael.”
Dallas didn’t reply.
“Look, she told me what you said to her in the toilets yesterday...”
“I should have known she’d come running to you,” Dallas interrupted. “It’s a typical girl reaction that; when someone’s upset you go to the most influential male figure in your life...” She shrugged. “I’m surprised she didn’t go running to daddy...but no, I guess you’re better, seeing as you’re my best friend –”
“Dallas, don’t be like that...Look, Rachael was genuinely upset by it all. She doesn’t know where it came from and...”
“Oh my God, Gerard! She’s cheating on you! I saw her kiss Mikey! Anya saw! A whole bunch of people know because she told them –”
Gerard looked away. “She’s not.”
“She is!”
“No, she’s not. Look, I’ve talked to her about this, and she’s not, and quite frankly she seems upset that anyone could accuse her of doing that,” Gerard informed her.
“What, so Anya’s lying? All Rachael’s friends are lying? Hell, I’m lying? Fuck, Gerard, me and Anya saw.”
“Look, Dallas...right now, I’m really not interested in whatever you and everyone else is willing to believe...I’m just going to warn you. You know what Rachael is like...you know what she can do,” Gerard said in a tone that clearly said he was ignoring her, “So just be careful. Don’t push her.”
“You’re taking her side over me.”
“I’m not taking anyone’s side –”
“Well, you clearly are.” Dallas sighed heavily and began to walk faster than him.
What made Dallas really sad though was that Gerard made no attempt to catch up with her.
So it surprised her when she looked to the school gates and saw Gerard stood there, dropping his cigarette to the ground and stepping on it with his heel. He waved at her and began to move towards her.
“Hey, Dallas!”
“I asked you not to wait,” she reminded him as they began to walk away from the school. “Are the rest of them hiding in bushes?”
“No, I offered to stay behind and wait for you.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re a friend and I can’t just let you walk on your own...”
Dallas rolled her eyes.
“And I need to talk to you,” Gerard added.
“Oh?” Dallas slowed down and turned her head to look at him. “What about?”
“Rachael.”
Dallas didn’t reply.
“Look, she told me what you said to her in the toilets yesterday...”
“I should have known she’d come running to you,” Dallas interrupted. “It’s a typical girl reaction that; when someone’s upset you go to the most influential male figure in your life...” She shrugged. “I’m surprised she didn’t go running to daddy...but no, I guess you’re better, seeing as you’re my best friend –”
“Dallas, don’t be like that...Look, Rachael was genuinely upset by it all. She doesn’t know where it came from and...”
“Oh my God, Gerard! She’s cheating on you! I saw her kiss Mikey! Anya saw! A whole bunch of people know because she told them –”
Gerard looked away. “She’s not.”
“She is!”
“No, she’s not. Look, I’ve talked to her about this, and she’s not, and quite frankly she seems upset that anyone could accuse her of doing that,” Gerard informed her.
“What, so Anya’s lying? All Rachael’s friends are lying? Hell, I’m lying? Fuck, Gerard, me and Anya saw.”
“Look, Dallas...right now, I’m really not interested in whatever you and everyone else is willing to believe...I’m just going to warn you. You know what Rachael is like...you know what she can do,” Gerard said in a tone that clearly said he was ignoring her, “So just be careful. Don’t push her.”
“You’re taking her side over me.”
“I’m not taking anyone’s side –”
“Well, you clearly are.” Dallas sighed heavily and began to walk faster than him.
What made Dallas really sad though was that Gerard made no attempt to catch up with her.