The Only Exception

Waking up the next morning with a throbbing head and stuffy nose definitely wasn’t something on my to-do list. Of course, the one night that isn’t freezing cold and I manage to walk in gets me sick. Trying to breathe through my nose, and failing horribly I might add, I make way to the bathroom where I splash lukewarm water on my face.

The water drips from my hair and I look at my paler than normal face and rosy nose. Grunting, I push my aching limbs up and back to my room because there is no way in hell I’m going to school today and if I’m not better by this afternoon I’ll call off work.

The carpet tickles my feet while I drag them across it. Out of the corner of my eye, I see something yellow and my entire body comes to a stop. Although my bed is calling for me to jump beneath its covers and bury myself within them, I don’t and instead walk to the window and just across the road is…

Simon’s car. He’s home. He’s back from wherever the hell he went! His kitchen, living room, and bedroom lights are on. My legs nearly carry me out my room to dart to his front door and pound on it until he gets his confusing ass to answer it but I remember how early it is and how rude that would be.

Haven’t I promised myself not to be a nosy bastard like the others? I have and I will keep that promise. That thought doesn’t keep me from wondering though and I bite my lip at the movement coming from the upstairs window and the kitchen.

I blink to make sure I’m seeing correctly. Narrowing my eyes, I look into the kitchen to just barely see Harper’s bare back. My eyes go to the upstairs where I see a shadow through the curtain and the light flicks off. Turning my line of sight back to Harper, I watch him walk to the kitchen window where he shuts the black curtains so I see nothing.

Damn it. Once again I’m left here clueless of Harper and his strange, strange ways. I shouldn’t be practically stalking him though. It doesn’t matter who is at his housein his bedroom. It could just be a friend that he brought along with him. It’s none of my business, none at all.

…or is it?

I mean, he did kiss me, as in he kissed me first. He was the one who pressed his mouth to mine. He was the one who dived back in for a second kiss and he was the one who deepened it. It was Harper and sure, I could have stopped him. Actually, I should have but lets pretend I didn’t bring that up.

Shouldn’t he be telling me what’s going on? Shouldn’t he be explaining to me why he did what he did? How can he expect me to go on without knowing why he did that or how he really feels? For all I know he could have done it just because he hasn’t gotten any in a while and thought I’d be easy!I sure was acting easy.

That thought pains me and I flinch at the feeling. It feels like someone is continuously stabbing me in the back, laughing while doing it. It’s a pain that I don’t want to feel so I close my eyes and shake my head of those thoughts because really, there’s no way Harper would do that. I mean…it’s Harper. He wouldn’t use someone…

But then again, I don’t know everything about him. For all I know he could be in some gang or he could be a total asshole and is only acting nice to me for some reason. Maybe he really would use me for something like that but…I want to think that he wouldn’t. I want to continue imagining that he’s a nice guy who would never do such a thing.

Sometimes ignorance really is bliss.

My tired body drags itself back to bed where it lies itself down and buries itself in the covers. Sniffling, I close my eyes and easily drift off into a dreamless sleep and when I wake up later that afternoon still feeling terrible, I call off work. The adults of this household are out working, shocker there. I’m grateful that they are because I hate staying home sick with those assholes around.

I walk into the kitchen where I make myself the typical chicken noodle soup. The moment I take a bite of it, it soothes my throat and I moan at the delicious taste. Really, I am a fucking amazing cook. Maybe I should become a chef or something…

While thinking this random thought, I hear the roar of an engine. My head turns to look out the open window and suddenly, I’m sitting straight and staring curiously at the sight across the road. Harper is in a rather heavy jacket to keep himself safe from the cold. He slams his door shut and jogs back into the house. Moments later an unfamiliar man walks out and stomps, almost angrily, to the car. Just as he gets in Harper appears from the house and what I see following behind him makes my heart shatter.

A beautiful girl with flowing brown hair has her hand in his. She’s smiling from ear to ear and holding a hand over her stomach, which is huge, signaling that she’s incredibly close to giving birth. Harper opens the passenger door for her and thefat bitch girl slides into the seat and after that I don’t really know what else happens because my brain is replaying what happened before.

Her small hand in his, her smile, his smile, how perfect they looked together, the woman’s enlarging stomach, all of it keeps slapping me over and over again in the face. Each time is worse than the last and finally my stomach is starting to twist and I feel sick, not just because of what I've seen but what happened before. I let a man who not only has a girlfriend, but a pregnant one, use me as some type of toy. Harper just cheated on his girlfriend with me.

A kiss or a fuck, it’s cheating either way.

The lunch I had made myself is suddenly in the toilet and I continue to cough until every content within my stomach is out. After regaining my breath, I wash my face and slide to the ground. The coolness of the tile sinks in through my clothes, sending a shiver down my spine but I don’t move because my body feels so numb.

I should have known. Why would someone so perfect like Harper want someone like me? A kid that is nothing but trouble. He obviously has a beautiful girlfriend who is bearing him the child that he probably has always wanted. I couldn’t do that. I wouldn’t be able to do that, bear a child. It’s so obvious that Harper wouldn’t want me.

Harper really was using me. I’m just his annoying next door neighbor and nothing more. The kiss was probably just because he doesn’t get much time to do it with his girlfriend. I was just a substitute and nothing more.

I’m so stupid…so unbelievably stupid…