Rollercoaster Ride

Neyla
The next following days were awful. Daphne was completely ignoring me and Garrett even when we were sitting at the same table. I didn’t know for how long this would go. She did this for three years; maybe she wouldn’t want to talk to me anymore for the rest of our lives because I made thesame slightly different mistake.

It was Thursday night and I was watching TV in the living room. The doorbell rang as I was getting comfortable in my position.

“Honey, would you open the door?” Mom asked from the kitchen.

I groaned in annoyance. “I was just getting comfy!” I replied.

“Hon, it won’t take an hour.” I could feel her rolling her eyes.

I sighed and got up to open the door.

My heartbeat quickened when I saw Kennedy’s face.

“Hey,” he smiled a bit.

“Hey, what’s up?”

He shrugged. His hazel eyes stared softly into mine as the smile never left his face.

“Wanna go for a walk?” he offered, nodding his head towards the road.

I nodded. “Mom, I’m gonna go for a bit!”

A while later, Mom showed up with a basket of clothes in her hands. “Oh hello, Kennedy,” she smiled. “Make sure you bring her home before dinner.”

“I will.” Kennedy held out his hand and I gladly took it. “See you later, Mrs. Smiths,” he said before we left hand-in-hand.

I noticed his car wasn’t parked in our driveway and was nowhere to be seen, so I asked, “Did you come here by walking?”

He nodded. “Wanna get some ice cream? My treat,” he offered, pointing his thumb to an ice cream truck near us.

“Sure. I hope it’s not a pedobear truck,” I said.

He chuckled as we walked closer to the truck. He got me a fudgesicle and himself a creamsicle. He paid for it and then we continued to walk, eating our ice cream.

I realized Kennedy was weird today. Usually he was all talkative and kept on saying silly stuff to keep me laughing; right now he was silent.

“Kennedy? You okay?” I asked when we were done eating our ice cream. He seemed to snap out of his mind. He looked down at me and shifted his weight from one foot to another, looking uneasy.

“I actually want to talk to you.”

My smile faded. “What is it?”

“A few days ago Daphne got home, looking really furious. She screamed at me, wondering why I am still with you, why every guy around her likes you, why you’re always out of your mind. I asked her why she was so angry, and she said I should ask you about it. And I don’t get why she said you were slutty.”

I gulped a big lump in my throat.

“You know anything?” he asked.

I nodded.

“What is it?” He lowered his head so his eyes were right in front of mine.

I didn’t answer.

He waited.

“Well,” I managed to start. “The reason she stopped talking to me three years ago was that I dated John behind her back… when I knew she had a crush on him. And now I’m making the similar mistake.”

He scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion. Goddammit, it was so cute. “What do you mean?” he asked.

“I…”

I couldn’t look away from his eyes. They were hypnotizing.

“I…”

He still waited.

“OH LOOK, FLYING PIGS!” I shouted, pointing at the sky.

He chuckled, shaking his head. “Don’t try to distract me, Neyla. I just need you to be honest.” His eyes stared deeply into mine, searching for an answer.

Help.

Daphne
I was playing Tap Tap Revenge against John and our foreheads were pressing against each other as we were playing. The front door clicked open and I heard footsteps going upstairs. I decided to exit the game and followed my brother into his room.

“You okay?” I asked and I could feel John behind me.

Kennedy just stared at me. “We broke it off,” he muttered, throwing his wallet onto the desk.

“WHAT?!” John shouted right behind my ears. I slapped his arm. “Why?” he asked after giving me an apologizing look.

Kennedy only shrugged. “Just leave me alone, will you guys?” he asked.

“Okay,” I replied before closing his bedroom door.

“What’s happening?” John asked.

“Neyla cheated on him,” I muttered as we were going back downstairs.

“Really?”

I nodded. “She told me herself. Pretty much the reason why I’m ignoring her.”

“Wait, if she’s the one who cheats on him, then why are you ignoring Garr –“ he cut off himself as realization hit him. “Oh my god.”

“Yeah,” I sighed. “I wish she could stop sneaking behind people’s back, you know.”

He looked confused.

“I know about you and her three years ago, okay?”

“Oh man,” he groaned. “Daph, it’s three years ago.”

“I know. I’m not thinking about it anymore. But then again she disappoints me,” I replied.

“Just let it be,” he said, wrapping his arms around me and placed his chin on top of my head. “I know you’re angry that she was sneaking behind your brother with his bestfriend…”

“But?”

“But what you’re doing is hurting her.”

“I know,” I murmured against his chest.

“No, you don’t. You ignore her before you two even have the chance to talk.”

I pulled away. “Which side are you on, John?”

“I’m not on anyone’s side!” he denied. “It just kills me seeing you both like this, okay? She’s my good friend, you’re my girlfriend, and you guys are bestfriends.”

“Are you sure it’s not because she’s your ex?”

He groaned. “Of course not! Why would you think that’s the reason?”

I only shrugged, looking away.

He sighed and lifted my chin using his thumb. “You’re the only one, okay? I mean it when I said I wanted to protect you and be there whenever you want me to.”

I nodded my head.

“Do you trust me?”

“…Yeah,” I answered.

“You were hesitating,” he pouted his lower lip, revealing his LIVE tattoo. “Do you trust me?” he asked again.

“Yes,” I answered again.

“I can’t hear you,” he smirked.

“Yes, I trust you with all my heart, John Ohh the fifth!” I shouted.

He laughed and pecked my lips before hugging me tightly. He murmured something into my hear and I couldn’t hear what was that, so I asked him to say it again.

“I really like you,” he muttered next to my ear.

“I really like you too,” I replied.

Somehow I thought he said another word instead of ‘like’.