Every Mistake That I Make
Chapter Thirteen
“Rachael’s dumped Gerard.”
Dallas’ head snapped up from the book she was reading sat at her desk while waiting for the teacher to arrive. The whisper hadn’t been spoken to her but to the girl next to her, and she knew that Anya had heard it as well. The two friends exchanged glances and Anya even opened her mouth to question the two gossipers but then the teacher came in and any attempt to find out what was going on was squashed.
It was about two weeks after Dallas had had her slight disagreement with Gerard. After that incident, Gerard copied his little brother and ceased to hang around with Dallas at all. Dallas liked to think that Gerard knew she was right but she wasn’t so sure.
When their morning lessons were over, Anya and Dallas hurried out to the yard to see if any of their other friends had picked up on this.
They got better than that. They found Frank and Bob consoling a tearful Gerard at their usual spot by the tree.
“Rachael dumped Gerard,” Frank informed them.
Dallas sighed and sat in front of her oldest friend. Anya slipped into the arms of Bob.
“We know,” Dallas murmured. “All the girls were gossiping about it in class.”
“When did the bitch do it?” Anya asked in a cheerful voice.
“Just before first lesson,” Gerard whispered.
“The bitch,” Anya said in an only slightly sympathetic voice. “Of course, we all knew she was going to do this sooner or later – I’m just surprised she’s spread it around so quickly...Did she say why?”
“N-no. Well...Yes. She said it was because...we had nothing in common and...” he shrugged.
“Well, I now officially name Rachael Leone ‘The Bitch’,” Anya declared.
Just then, two things happened.
Mikey came out of the school doors and slowly began to amble over to them.
Rachael flitted away from her friends that were near him and intercepted Mikey, pulling him into a long, passionate kiss that ended when someone kicked a soccer ball into their legs.
Dallas glanced at Anya, who was biting her lip, and then her eyes flitted to Gerard. He was staring at Mikey and Rachael, who were now conversing. Mikey looked quite agitated, but Rachael didn’t.
“Gerard...” Dallas began, but he interrupted in an angry, bark of a voice.
“If you’re going to say ‘I told you so’, then shut up now.”
“No, I wasn’t,” Dallas exclaimed, “Nothing of the –”
Gerard made a strangled noise in his throat when Rachael and Mikey kissed once more.
“Anyway...” Gerard was on his feet now, turning away.
“Gerard,” Dallas said softly, grabbing his sleeve. “Don’t be upset. She’s not worth it.”
“You warned me,” Gerard said, his voice cracking. “You...”
“I know, I know.”
“I ignored you – I – I believed her...” his voice sounded so vulnerable, and Dallas couldn’t resist bundling him into a hug.
“Don’t,” she murmured into his ear.
“Mikey is way out of order on this one,” a normally placid Bob exploded.
“It’s not all him,” Dallas found herself defending. “Rachael started it...”
Anya nodded. “We both heard her discussing some of it. I don’t think she knew we were there.”
“But Mikey could have said no,” Bob pointed out. “Gerard is his brother and...”
Gerard was shaking his head, repeatedly. “No,” he interrupted. “No.”
“What?” Dallas frowned.
Gerard turned away and walked off, leaving them all to watch him go.
Dallas had never felt more helpless than she did then, stood there watching her oldest friend walk away, past his brother and his ex girlfriend who were kissing. She felt tears prick at her eyes, and found Anya and Frank hugging her.
“It’ll be okay,” Anya promised.
Dallas was not so reassured.
Dallas’ head snapped up from the book she was reading sat at her desk while waiting for the teacher to arrive. The whisper hadn’t been spoken to her but to the girl next to her, and she knew that Anya had heard it as well. The two friends exchanged glances and Anya even opened her mouth to question the two gossipers but then the teacher came in and any attempt to find out what was going on was squashed.
It was about two weeks after Dallas had had her slight disagreement with Gerard. After that incident, Gerard copied his little brother and ceased to hang around with Dallas at all. Dallas liked to think that Gerard knew she was right but she wasn’t so sure.
When their morning lessons were over, Anya and Dallas hurried out to the yard to see if any of their other friends had picked up on this.
They got better than that. They found Frank and Bob consoling a tearful Gerard at their usual spot by the tree.
“Rachael dumped Gerard,” Frank informed them.
Dallas sighed and sat in front of her oldest friend. Anya slipped into the arms of Bob.
“We know,” Dallas murmured. “All the girls were gossiping about it in class.”
“When did the bitch do it?” Anya asked in a cheerful voice.
“Just before first lesson,” Gerard whispered.
“The bitch,” Anya said in an only slightly sympathetic voice. “Of course, we all knew she was going to do this sooner or later – I’m just surprised she’s spread it around so quickly...Did she say why?”
“N-no. Well...Yes. She said it was because...we had nothing in common and...” he shrugged.
“Well, I now officially name Rachael Leone ‘The Bitch’,” Anya declared.
Just then, two things happened.
Mikey came out of the school doors and slowly began to amble over to them.
Rachael flitted away from her friends that were near him and intercepted Mikey, pulling him into a long, passionate kiss that ended when someone kicked a soccer ball into their legs.
Dallas glanced at Anya, who was biting her lip, and then her eyes flitted to Gerard. He was staring at Mikey and Rachael, who were now conversing. Mikey looked quite agitated, but Rachael didn’t.
“Gerard...” Dallas began, but he interrupted in an angry, bark of a voice.
“If you’re going to say ‘I told you so’, then shut up now.”
“No, I wasn’t,” Dallas exclaimed, “Nothing of the –”
Gerard made a strangled noise in his throat when Rachael and Mikey kissed once more.
“Anyway...” Gerard was on his feet now, turning away.
“Gerard,” Dallas said softly, grabbing his sleeve. “Don’t be upset. She’s not worth it.”
“You warned me,” Gerard said, his voice cracking. “You...”
“I know, I know.”
“I ignored you – I – I believed her...” his voice sounded so vulnerable, and Dallas couldn’t resist bundling him into a hug.
“Don’t,” she murmured into his ear.
“Mikey is way out of order on this one,” a normally placid Bob exploded.
“It’s not all him,” Dallas found herself defending. “Rachael started it...”
Anya nodded. “We both heard her discussing some of it. I don’t think she knew we were there.”
“But Mikey could have said no,” Bob pointed out. “Gerard is his brother and...”
Gerard was shaking his head, repeatedly. “No,” he interrupted. “No.”
“What?” Dallas frowned.
Gerard turned away and walked off, leaving them all to watch him go.
Dallas had never felt more helpless than she did then, stood there watching her oldest friend walk away, past his brother and his ex girlfriend who were kissing. She felt tears prick at her eyes, and found Anya and Frank hugging her.
“It’ll be okay,” Anya promised.
Dallas was not so reassured.