Stay With Me

Once I was in my car, I just sat there with the goofiest smile on my face with one question. What just happened ?

Olivia was a great person. She was definitely different from all the other girls. That was the best thing about her. One of the reasons why I wanted her, badly.

My phone began to buzz. I already knew who it was, I just didn’t want to talk to her. Five missed calls. 14 unread messages.

“Baby ! Where are you ?! Where have you been ?! Who are you with ?!” Shelby’s list of questions went on and on.

“Shelby. Shut up, I’m going home. I forgot my textbooks in my locker and I went back to get them.”

There was a long pause followed by her annoying crying. She hung up after that and I wasn’t planning on calling her back. I looked up at the mirror, I felt sick looking at the picture of me and Shelby. I reached out and remembered something from that day.

That was the day before my friend Jared’s birthday. I remembered Jared wanting a specific dog tag. Shelby immediately got bored the minute we stepped into the store and begged me if she could leave and look around elsewhere. “Yea sure, that’s fine. I’ll catch up with you later on,” I said, but she was already out of the store.

“Hi Sir. Is there anything I could help you with,” The clerk asked. I returned the smile and pointed at the dog tag in the glass case. “Nice choice,” she said opening up the case, giving me a better look at the dog tag.

“Is there any way for me to add something to it?”

She looked up at me. Smiled and nodded, “What would you like to add?”

“I wanted to see if I could get something engraved in the back. Would that be possible?”

“Of course, what would you want to put the back,” she asked before turning around and taking me to the opposite side of the shop.

“I wanted to know if you could engrave the image of an anchor on the back,” I asked nervous hoping it was possible. If it was, Jared would be so happy. That’s all I wanted for him. He deserved to be happy, after everything he’s been through.

She put the dog tag into a weird machine and clicked on an image of an anchor, “Would this be alright?” A big smile appeared on my face as I nodded. It’s perfect. After a few minutes she took it out, shined it a bit before giving it to me. She gave me a slight smile as I paid and left the store. I put Jared’s gift in my pocket while I started looking for Shelby.

In a corner by the restrooms I saw a couple making out and tapped on the guy’s shoulder asking him if he saw Shelby. The girl looked at me. Found her.

“Baby! It’s not what it looks like! He kissed me first and I couldn’t get him off of me,” She yelled pushing the guy off of her and running to hide behind me.

“Dude, that’s your chick? Sorry bro, I didn’t know,” he said quickly before running off.

“Baby, I promise that’s how it happened.” For some reason I believed her.

Now that I think of it. I was stupid to believe her all those times. Always running off to some random guy then running back to me claiming it was their fault. How could I not see it? I was so stupid.

I ripped up the photo of me and Shelby and threw the pieces out of the window before starting my car and finally leaving school campus, still thinking of the times before with Shelby.

At first our relationship was going great. Then it took a rough turn when Shelby began taking over my whole life. Everyone that wanted to talk to me, had to go through her first. Anyone that wanted to hang out with me, had to have permission from Shelby first. She was like a mom, and I had enough. The smallest thoughts of her made me sick to my stomach. I decided not to go straight home, but to the lake behind the pavilion where I lived. Maybe that would clear my mind.

The sun made the lake look so amazing. The lake was calm, yet it sparkled like Christmas lights. I sat at the end of the dock letting my legs dangle above the water letting my mind wander and replay what happened back at school, finally ignoring the thoughts of Shelby. I’ve known Olivia ever since we were little. We basically grew up together. She was always there for me. A lot of people at school don’t even pay attention to her. She’s just another student in their class. Just another girl that attends the same school as them. No one really pays attention to her… Other than her friends. But I pay attention. I’ve always paid attention to her.

One new voicemail. I finally returned her call, furious with her. “Shelby I’m done. Just leave me alone. I don’t want anything to do with you. Got it ?” I didn’t even wait for her to respond, I just shut my phone, glad I got that off my chest. I didn’t even realize that it was beginning to get dark until I felt a tap on my shoulder.

“You’re going to catch a cold if you stay out here when it gets dark Jason.” Her voice sang to me. “C’mon, it’s getting late. You should be heading inside now.”