by Zara Rivas
She was aware of Chris'' odd behaviour and in all honesty it hurt her a little. She had noticed the way he avoided her gaze or his sudden change in attitude. He barely called or bombarded her phone inbox with his usual quirky quote nor did he drop by for their traditional 'family' dinners on Sunday. It was as if the moment she declared Creston Spencer as her significant other, Tynan Welling had disappeared.
"Chris I don't know what's going on between me and you," she finally blurted.
Unable to reach Essa's gaze Chris turned his back towards her to refill his glass of water. They were standing in the deserted staff room in his parent's restaurant, the soft ruckus of people and footsteps echoing outside.
Drinking deeply from his cup, he remained immobile – his back profile still facing Ess. "Nothing's going on," he replied in a casual tone.
Dropping her hands onto the small table, Essa half stood from her chair. "That's exactly right Chris! I barely see or talk to you anymore!! It's as if you have vanished from my life and want nothing to do with me!" She shouted, "You've been avoiding me for the past week and it's blatantly obvious you don't want to see me because you're never at home anymore. You don't answer my calls or messages. Just what have I done?"
"Essa this isn't about you," he answered curtly, still unable to look her in the eye.
Clenching her hands into loose fists, Essa's gaze was so intense that she would have burnt holes into Chris' back. Breathing in deeply she tried to keep her emotions at bay, "Then why can't you look at me?" She questioned.
Christopher didn't understand the sudden wave of emotions that were leaking, but he knew that he could no longer hold back from expressing them. For months perhaps even years he had buried the affection for Essa and labelled it as 'brotherly love', but now that she was officially taken, he realised that his feelings for her was something more... Chris guessed that the saying 'you don't know what you have until it's gone' applied to the current situation he was in.
Shifting to face the dark headed figure, his intense blue orbs took in the image of her, able to spot the hurt smeared across her features. Breathing in, he hesitated a moment before his gaze locked with teary green-blue ones. Breaking the eye contact Chris impulsively moved forward, ready to comfort Essa – however before he made any sudden movement, he had stopped himself.
"You see Chris? You can't even look at me."
Running a hand over his tired eyes Chris shook his head. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but closed it again. It was irritating because he wasn't sure whether if he should tell her how he felt within, but he knew that if he remained silent, things would only get worse.
Breathing deeply, he noticed his hand was shaking as he slowly let the words flow. "Essa I can't look at you nor can I be around you these days because I'm scared of what I might do." He mumbled, "I don't want you or Creston near me because I just might confess my feelings for you. It's not easy for me to just stand around and watch my childhood friend – the girl which I have liked for an infinite amount of time – kiss, embrace and laugh along with my best mate. I-" Cutting himself off, Chris knew he had revealed enough. "I just need to go and I need you to give me some space." He whispered, walking past the now immobile form of Essa.
He didn't have enough courage to take one final glance, scared of what he might read from the expression across her features. Pausing at the door, he fought an inner battle before speaking his next sentence. "And Essa, if it makes things easier on your part, then just forget all that I have said tonight." With those last words, Chris stalked out of the restaurant – no longer in the mood for work.
A thousand various emotions seeped through her veins as she stood frozen. The wind had been knocked out of her at Chris' confession and yet a part of her was tingling within. Half of her wanted to run after Chris then and there, but the other half remained bolted to the floor. Even if she did go after him, what would she say?
With her heart pounding in her ears, Essa breathed in deeply in an attempt to calm her nerves. She wasn't sure whether if she and Chris could mend things between them, but all she knew now was that she had to ensure that no rivalry came out between Creston and Chris because of her...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Creston Spencer noticed the odd atmosphere that surrounded his girlfriend, and Chris. The awkward sensation had been engulfing them for the past week or so and he didn't like it one single bit. He knew that Essa was aware of the reason why and he was also alert that she wasn't willing to disclose the information she knew. It frustrated him to no end, so he had attempted to confront Chris and find out what was going on for himself.
He had contacted Chris in all forms – from calling, to visiting and stooping all the way down to stalking – but no matter how hard he tried to pursue the blonde, he would always end up with the same conclusion. Creston was sure that when Chris was ready to talk he'd approach him, so the brown headed figure decided to back down a little, though he still sent a message or two to Chris every now and then.
Now however he was busy occupying himself. If Chris hadn't set a date and time for them to meet at his place he would have gone over to Essa's to hang out for a while. As a knock resounded on his bedroom door, he hit the 'pause' button on the controller before facing the entrance to his room.
Standing in the doorway looking rather tired but less stressed then he had been for the past few days was the blue orbed figure of Tynan Welling. He smiled softly at his mate, gradually closing the distance and settling on Creston's king size bed. His brain had been working overtime for the past few weeks, and he had been trying to forget everything momentarily by drowning himself in soccer practice and work at the family restaurant. But now, Chris had finally straightened things out and he was glad for the sudden harmony with his emotions.
"Soo..." Creston drifted, trying to fill the silence.
"Just what does Essa mean to you Spence?" Chris asked. It was better to get over the nitty gritty before making amends.
Smirking, Creston's grey orbs studied the blonde. Instantaneously the grin fell from his lips as he realised Chris hadn't been playing with him. Turning off the television, he turned to face his friend who had an oddly solemn expression etched across his features.
Sighing, Creston crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you think Chris?" He enquired rhetorically.
"Well you don't really have a clean history with girls Spence, and we all know that your relationships only last for a week or so." Tynan shot back immediately, he wanted to test Creston out just so that he had the benefit of the doubt he was making the correct decision.
Getting defensive, Creston got to his feet. "Well you don't really have a clean slate with the ladies either Chris." He remarked, "And Essa's different, she's not a one week girl okay? Hell Chris! We've been dating for nearly three weeks already doesn't that say something?!" Sucking a deep breath, Creston ran a hand through his hair, his tone altering to a more serious one. "Is this why you've been M.I.A for the past few days? Is it because you're busy playing the role of overprotective-brother?"
"I'm not being overprotective Creston, and the longest lasting relationship you've had was with Cassandra and that lasted for a month." Seeing that his friend was going to cut him off Tynan placed his hands up. "And I swear if you are serious about Essa you better treat her well and not hurt her because if you do I'll hurt you in more ways than one even if you're my best friend."
As Creston began to realise the reason as to why Chris had been acting weird for the past week or so, he inwardly smiled. And just like that the tension between him and Chris had dissipated.
Arching a brow, the stormy eyed figure smirked. "And you denied being the overprotective dude," he scoffed.
"Just making sure,"
"And here I thought we were best mates. What happened to the 'bros before hoes'?"
Feeling that the mood had lightened, Chris laughed aloud whilst shaking his head. "Essa isn't a whore and you know that,"
Beam
ing, the dint in Creston's cheek was visible as his eyes drifted over to the screensaver on his laptop. It was a picture of him and Essa, a photo which the both of them had taken after school. She had been reluctant to snap the shot but after some time of coaxing and teasing he managed to get her to agree.
"But she sure as hell makes life more interesting," Creston commented.
Observing the way Creston's features softened at the sight or mention of his childhood friend, a sense of satisfaction entered Chris. Although he was still adjusting to the way he felt about both Essa and Creston dating, he knew that no guy would be as right for Ess as Creston. He had known the both of them for a long time, and he knew that they both meant a lot to him for him to break friendships.
Falling back to reality, a genuine grin lightened up the handsome features on the blonde's face. "What do you say we go for a game of soccer?" He questioned, "This time Essa's on my team though."
No words had to be exchanged between the two males as they both got to their feet. Offering his hand in a 'handshake' gesture, Chris took it and the two shook hands sharing a brotherly hug. There were some things that would never change, and both Chris and Spencer were thankful for that...
Chapter Fourteen
The brunette figure of Sophia Teague laughed aloud at the quirky statement that had escaped Trisha's lips. They had been talking about the sudden mob of enemies Essa had made ever since she became Creston's girlfriend, and Trish had made a mockery of those people. Trudging down the semi-filled school corridors, Sophia shifted and bid her female companion a quick farewell as she made her way past a few more lockers before reaching hers.
The school day had finally reached an end, however the day was far from over for Soph. With exams approaching in less than a month's time, she was beginning to cram in study wherever she could. After all, she did have a reputation to keep. Coming from a family that only consisted of her mother and her, Sophia had to study hard in order to maintain her school scholarship. She knew without a doubt that had it not been her constant studying, there was no way she'd be able to stay in Ocean High – the fees would have been too much for her mother to handle.
Entering her combination and opening her locker, she commenced packing various texts into her bag until it could hold no more. Seeing that her psychology book wouldn't fit, she decided to hold it. For some odd reason she wasn't as stressed this time around for exams. Maybe it was because of the sudden change in her school clique that had kept her laughing and happy, or maybe it was the fact that she might have found a potential good friend in Rowell Parker. Either way, Sophia felt lighter then she had in a while.
Closing her locker shut, the brunette shifted around making her way to the bus stop. For the past few weeks the original group that consisted of her, Essa and Trish expanded to include both Chris and Creston. Although now it was pretty much the five of them, every now and then people from the soccer team would join them for lunch and that included Rowell Parker who appeared to be staring at her intently during various occasions.
Although having people join their table was a fun experience, it was also mixed with some pain. Accompanied with the soccer team was Kieran Wolenski – the one person she didn't really want to take a part in her life. She had been aware of the fact that he had attempted to strike up conversation with her numerous times, but Soph had managed to flat out dodge him. In all honesty, she still ached within whenever he was near.
" Soph!"
Lifting her head to face the masculine figure that was now standing before her, Sophia paused in step. Staring at the all too familiar form of her ex-boyfriend, she managed to straighten her spine, holding herself at her full height of five foot seven with her chin held up defiantly. Although she had no idea what Kieran Wolenski would want with her, she didn't want to stay around to find out.
"How do you do Mr. Wolenski," she greeted coolly.
The brunette hadn't waited for a reply before giving him a dismissive nod, sidestepping the soccer goalie and continuing down the concrete path which led to the bus stop. She had to admit her heart was pounding in an odd rhythm and all she wanted to do right now was run away from the source of it.
Barely getting away from Kieran, Sophia felt a warm hand grasp her forearm, bringing her to a halt. It was obvious Kieran wasn't going to let her go that easily, so she threw him a look of indifference and was relieved when he had unhanded her.
Breaking the contact, Kieran could only observe as the expression across those soft features of Sophia's turned into an unreadable one as he averted his gaze down to his feet. If anything, Sophia Teague was no longer the girl he once knew. The old Sophia was soft, a bit of a push-over, and easy to read. However the girl standing before him was one that had matured, appeared to have gained more experience in life and stood her ground.
Releasing a sigh, Soph hugged her thick psychology text to her chest. "Is everything okay?" She asked, unable to continue the façade of being a bitch – unable to pretend to be impatient with the guy she still liked.
"Are you interested in Rowell Parker?" Kieran inquired flatly, his eyes reaching her chocolate brown eyes. The original plan had been to strike up casual conversation with her first before asking her such a blunt question, but Kieran couldn't hold back.
The tension still existed between him and Rowell; however his dislike of the guy had grown when he had witnessed him eying Soph for the past few weeks. It was evident that Parker still hadn't forgiven him for the black eye, but Kieran wasn't expecting that incident to ever be forgotten. To be truthful, he didn't regret punching the guy – nobody talked about his ex in a graphic fashion and got away with it.
Maybe the things Rowell said weren't too inappropriate, but it still had the power to send him in a rage. What had angered Kieran further was that Rowell wasn't even backing off from Sophia, his advances on her were becoming more profound. It had been Kieran's jealousy and frustration that triggered him to finally approach Soph now. He thought that she meant nothing to him. Heck! He had even gone out with other popular girls just to get his mind off of her, but nothing worked.
Comprehending Kieran's statement, a second lapsed before his words started to make sense. Feeling anger rise within her, Soph plodded the soft-spot she had harboured for him. She didn't understand why it would matter who she was interested in, but it definitely wasn't any of Wolenski's business.
"Excuse me?"
Clenching his jaw, a muscle flexed as he repeated himself. "Are you in-"
"I very well heard what you said," the brunette interjected, her mouth pressed tightly. "And I don't think it's any of your business either," she stated. "I don't know why you approached me out of the blue today, nor do I understand why you would ask me such a question when it's none of your concern." She scolded and fell silent as thoughts commenced rushing into her head. As if she had just touched fire, Sophia backed away a few steps. "Did you approach me to tell me to stop dreaming? To tell me that Parker's out of my league? Or did you just want to humiliate me some seeing as you haven't done so in a while?" She queried rhetorically.
As silence ensured, Sophia found herself in disbelief as she misinterpreted his silence. "I get it okay Wolenski? I totally understand that you're happy and couldn't be any more happier with Bailey Reed." She breathed in deeply, hurt pouring into her veins. "Just stay the hell away from me," she demanded.
Turning to leave, the brunette had taken barely a few steps when she felt a harsh tug on her arm, her body enveloped in Kieran's arms. Dropping her text book to the floor, she fought the arms that embraced her. Pushing and shoving, Soph tried had to free herself but Kieran wouldn't let go. As reality set in, her emotions overtaking her, Sophia felt herself settling down and relaxing against his hard body, her face buried in his chest as she took comfort in those warm arms of his.
She had missed him and yet a part of her resented him. He had been the one person she truly loved, and he had been the first guy to break her heart.
"Do you know how angry I got w
hen Rowell spoke about you in that way?" Kieran whispered into her hair.
He had missed her gentleness, the scent of her... But most of all he had missed her.
Realising what she was doing, Sophia pushed at Kieran, stepping away from him. She hated the fact that every time he was near, her senses would blur and she would end up doing something stupid as she had then. Clearing her throat and staring at him with defiance, she breathed in deeply.
"It shouldn't matter to you what other people say about me," she said. "We were through ages ago, and from memory you were the one that wanted things this way."
"Soph," Kieran breathed but she shifted away from his grasp.
Shaking her head, Sophia knew she was doing the right thing. "I'm not a charity case Kieran," she voiced, "Nor am I going to play second best. And what happens between Rowell and I is none of your business,"
With those final words, Sophia left the silent figure of Kieran, feeling a rush of freedom overtake her. For once in over a year, she felt like herself again.