Fairytale Green
: Chapter 20

The stairs dug into my back as I waited patiently for Lana to arrive. I was deep in thought as I sat and arranged my hair into a side-braid.

I was still left with so many unanswered questions from the day before. A million thoughts had kept me up at night. My brain had constantly been making theories about where the leather jacket-wearing giant had disappeared to.

All my theories were the same. My conclusion was there was no place he had to be.

He just needed to go somewhere that I was not.

I planned to avoid the large man like the plague.

After I tied my hair into a side-fishtail and fixed the stray hairs, I returned my gaze to the parking lot as I waited for my best friend.

Lana had texted me in the morning telling me to meet her earlier at school. She sounded urgent and stressed out. It was unlike her, so I was instantly concerned.

To keep myself entertained, I counted the cars in the lot. My counting resulted in me missing Kermit more. I had still not got my little green car back because it was still being repaired.

Stone had driven me to school every morning except this one. I had decided to leave my house early in hope that I would not cross his path.

I did not know why I was acting in such a frantic way. I had kissed many boys and never spoke to them after.

This felt like a different situation entirely. The kiss was different.

The cobbled steps tapped under Lana’s cherry pattered shoes as she hurried in my direction. She raced over my way before joining me on the cement stairs leading up to the school building.

Her smile was strained, and it did not look genuine.

Scooting closer to her, I put my arm around her shoulder and asked softly ‘What is wrong, Barbie?’

She shot me another fake smile before assuring ‘Nothing, Freak Show.’

‘Out with it.’ I said sternly, concerned about her ‘I know something is wrong. I can read you like a book.’

‘And you do read a lot of those.’ She commented with a small laugh.

I stuck my tongue out at her and then realised she was still trying to deflect the conversation away from what was bothering her.

‘What is going on?’ I asked again.

‘Brennan and I were sitting having lunch yesterday and he just got up and left.’ She sighed like she was tired ‘No explanation. He just ran out of school to go somewhere.’

I realised that was similar timing to when Stone dropped me off at my apartment building and left.

A small exhale of relief left me that he had not entirely left me because of the kiss.

I focused again on the very distraught Lana and squeezed her to my side as I offered her a reassuring smile.

‘You know what he is like. He has done this a few times now so it must be important.’ I tried to keep my voice strong while I spoke ‘Have you asked him why he leaves so out of the blue?’

She shook her head.

‘It is not just Brennan’s disappearing that has me doubting our relationship.’ Lana added.

‘Then what is it?’ I asked softly.

Her expression went sheepish as she revealed while playing with the bottom of her white summer dress ‘I feel like sometimes there is so much awkward silence between us. Sometimes when we are hanging out, we just run out of things to talk about.’

I had noticed their awkward silences, but I never brought it up with her. I just thought that maybe I had picked up the wrong signal from them which was usually the case.

‘I feel like I have to put so much effort in to talk to him. It does not flow naturally.’ She revealed before uttering ‘Not like you and Stone.’

I choked on the air ‘What?’

She laughed at my expression before pointing out ‘You two never run out of things to talk about. He looks like he hangs on to every single word you speak and that he would die to hear a word from your lips.’

No reply left my mouth because it was hung open in shock at her statement.

‘You two always seem to be talking.’ She stated.

‘That is because we are always arguing.’

‘You don’t argue.’ She corrected ‘You bicker.’

‘There is not a difference.’

‘Drizella Anastasia Miller, queen of all things nerdy and the English language.’ Lana scolded while tutting ‘You know there is a massive difference’

I shushed her ‘Never use my full in name in public. It is bad enough that I know my name and am constantly tortured by it.’

We laugh before the amusement died out and we get back to the problem at hand. It had become my problem now because any problem that was hers was mine and I would always try and help her.

‘I want more affection.’ She revealed before giving an example ‘I want a cute nickname. You get a cute nickname.’

I rose an eyebrow at her while asking ‘What cute nickname?’

‘Medusa.’

‘An ugly monster in mythology.’ I added before asking ‘How is that cute?’

‘It is.’ She argued.

‘You get called Lovely Lana. That is cute.’ I pointed out before mentioning ‘Nobody has ever found me lovely.’

‘Lovely is just bleh.’ The blonde said before she thought of something else and spoke again ‘I don’t know if Brennan and I have chemistry.’

‘Sure, you do.’ I quickly replied but then I wondered if what I said was the truth.

Lana was shy to people she did not know but when she was comfortable was when she showed her personality. She was funny and sassy when she felt at ease.

I wondered if she would ever show the true side of herself with Brennan or not.

‘We don’t hold a candle to you and Stone.’ Lana quietly murmured.

I blinked a few times in shock at her statement.

‘Stone and me? Chemistry?’ I scoffed in hope she would believe me, and I would believe myself ‘Nope. No. Na-da. There is nothing between us.’

I wanted to tell her about the kiss. I needed someone to talk to about it but it was not the time. Not when she was dealing with her own problems.

Lana shook her laughing before she started tapping a beat on her knee ‘I know I sound ungrateful, but I just want more.’

‘That is not ungrateful.’ I told her, squeezing her closer ‘If that is how you feel then that is how you feel. You don’t need to feel bad about your feelings.’

‘What am I going to do?’ She questioned, looking off into the distance as she sulked.

‘You like Brennan. That is obvious. You just need to replace something to talk about. Even if it is the most bizarre thing ever. Talk about anything. The crazier the better.’ I suggested to her and then added some more advice ‘In the meantime, write a song about what you are feeling. You said you were struggling to replace your muse, and this is it. Every flaw in Taylor Swift’s relationship was written down as a song. If you do write a song, then tell Brennan about it and that gives you something to talk about.’

She smiled gratefully before nudging me with her elbow “When did you become such a love guru?’

I rolled my eyes before nudging her back.

‘For that advice, I am expecting a song dedicated to me when you become famous.’ I told her seriously ‘Actually screw that. I want a whole album dedicated to me.’

She giggled but then stopped herself like she had just remembered something.

‘Are you okay?’ I asked her.

‘Do you think I should…’ She spoke up but could not finish her sentence, so she instead moved her fingers around in a suggestive motion.

I tilted my head to the side and gave her a confused look.

Lana let out a frustrated sigh before she blurted out ‘Do you think I should have sex with him?’

‘Only you can know if you are ready to take your relationship to the next stage. It should be when you are ready and when you one hundred percent want to.’ I gave her the best advice I could ‘This is one thing that I can’t tell you what to do. It should be solely up to you.

‘Please.’ She pleaded ‘I want your opinion.’

‘I’m not some sort of sex-expert.’ I laughed the words out ‘I’m not a relationship-expert either.’

‘You are more experienced than me.’ Lana mentioned.

‘I have fooled around.’ I murmured, ‘But I have not went all the way to pound-town.’

Her lip quivered before she burst out into a fit of laughter ‘Pound-town?’

I bit my lip to contain my own laughter before I told her ‘I think that the fact that you are asking me about whether or not you should sleep with him is an answer in itself.’

She nodded before her attention went to something in the distance.

A familiar black truck was pulling up into the parking lot.

My heels twitched and I had the urge to run away.

‘Brennan is in the car too.’ Lana observed as she stared at Stone’s truck.

I stood up abruptly from the stairs and quickly blurted out ‘I will leave you to it. I need to go to my locker anyway.’

‘Any last advice?’

‘Make conversation with him. Just not about the menstrual cycle.’ I joked ‘Guys get really creeped out about it for some reason.’

‘Can we have a girl’s day tomorrow?’ Lana asked, her head tilting up so that she could look at me ‘Just the two of us. I have really missed watching TV and eating junk food with you.’

‘Definitely.’ I agreed and offered her a smile.

I set off in a small run so that I could get away from the two men before they came over. More specifically to get away before Stone came over.

I sped walked through the corridors of the empty school. It turned out most people were not in the mood to arrive at school early and I could not blame them.

Thinking about Lana and Brennan as I scurried further away from the entrance of the school, I truly hoped that everything worked out between them.

I wanted the group to stay intact, and it was not just for the two of them. I had another selfishly confusing motive that had to do with the other giant male at the table.

Opening the door to my locker, I was about to pick up a folder when a body leaned against the wall next to me.

Chase pretended to reach out to try and give me a hug.

‘Get away!’ I swatted him with one of my jotters ‘You are all sweaty.’

‘I had football practise.’ He laughed before rubbing his arm over his forehead ‘Why are you so early today?’

‘I had to meet Lana.’ I replied while taking what I needed from the small compartment before closing the locker and facing him completely ‘I’m sorry for what happened at the ice cream place. I hope you managed to do more of your essay.’

‘It is not your fault.’ Chase said while waving my apology off ‘I am actually surprised that your pet monster is not here now.’

My mouth opened and then closed.

‘My pet monster?’ I repeated quietly.

‘He is always watching you.’ He said like it was an observation rather than an exaggeration ‘He follows you around like your very own pet monster. He looks ready to rip apart anybody that comes close to you.’

I had no clue what to reply to him so I changed the subject and offered him ‘I could send you some of my class notes on Shakespeare if you want.’

Chase’s attention went to something or someone over my shoulder before he replied.

‘I have looked at notes online. I just can’t seem to take them in.’ The quarterback informed before proposing ‘I was thinking another study session one on one would help me.’

‘Sure.’ I agreed, not thinking much about it.

His tone changed from serious to flirty as his eyes flicked over my shoulder again ‘My house straight after school? I would have done later but I am going to the beach tonight—’

I should have known who was standing behind me by the huge shadow cast on the lockers and the chill that went down my spine at his presence.

The temperature had risen significantly at his arrival and his fury.

Turning around, I faced the giant bulldozer of a man who lurked behind me.

Stone’s face was completely emotionless, yet the stance of his large form gave away that he was furious. His anger was not directed towards me, however. His eyes flicked over the blonde quarterback while the veins in his neck bulged in an angry rhythm.

The scowl had to have been his scariest yet. It had the capability of making the devil cower before him.

Even I was a little taken aback by how petrifying he looked.

Chase did not address the murderous one and instead spoke to me ‘I will see you tonight.’

The ground shook for a split second as Stone neared him and gnarled ‘No. You fucking won’t.’

The jock laughed at him before he swaggered away. He seemed to walk away a little faster than normal which was probably because of the dark pair of eyes watching him as if they were about to incinerate him.

Stone slowly turned his head until our gazes locked. The dark emotion still swirled around in his irises as he stole a step of the distance between us.

Unlike the way he looked at Chase like he wanted to snap his neck, the heated wrath changed when he peered at me. He still appeared seething, and he looked down upon me as if he wanted to tie me to his bed and leave me there to rot.

I was trapped by his gaze, and I did not move. Even if the best plan was to break out into a supersonic run.

We took turns taking a step. He took a step towards me, and I took a step back away from him.

When my back hit the locker was when he prowled. His body pressed against mine and both of his hands slammed up until they were at each side of my head.

His head lowered until his warm breath tickled my neck, leaving me entrapped and vulnerable.

I eventually had no choice but to meet his pitch-black eyes.

‘Hi, Lurch.’ I greeted him, pretending as if I did not feel him everywhere.

‘You are not going to his house.’ He growled, not bothering with pleasantries.

Crossing my arms, I challenged ‘Oh really?’

His response was to lean closer and harshly whisper ‘I think you are just meeting him to piss me off.’

‘I think you are giving yourself far too much credit for my decision making.’ I rebutted ‘I don’t make choices and keep you in the front of mind as I do so.’

Still being mad at him for ditching me at the beach might have played a small part in my decision but I was not telling him that.

Frustration radiated from him. From his harsh pants of breath to his ticking jaw and to the veins bulging in his arm and in the hands on the locker next to my head.

‘Has it occurred to you that I actually need to tutor Chase?’ I mentioned to him.

‘You are not going.’ He repeated, his guttural command shaking his chest.

‘I really think I am getting through to him. He even made this comment about pasta and Shakespeare.’ I changed tactics and pointed out that the meeting was entirely educational ‘We have spent so much time studying together that he is starting to sound like me.

Stone gnarled ‘What part of that sentence was meant to make me feel better?’

‘I am going.’ I argued, rising on my toes.

‘You are not.’ He grumbled, flicking his attention from my glare to my lips.

‘It is none of your business.’ I told him.

He chuckled humourlessly and then it died out as he gritted out ‘Say that again.’

‘Am I speaking Swahili?’ I deadpanned before repeating ‘It is none of your business.’

‘You are my business.’

One of the large hands on the locker lowered until it brushed against my green plait.

Wondering why I was still choosing to remain in his hold, I ducked under his arm so that I was no longer cornered by him.

His vein-struck hands remained on the locker for a second longer before he dropped them and faced me.

‘I am going.’ I stated and made it final ‘Mr Dankworth trusted me to help him so that is what I am going to do.’

The sharp jawline ticked until he spoke again in his rough voice ‘It is not happening.’

‘What are you going to?’ I mocked, waving my hands around in the air dramatically ‘Stop me?’

An evil smirk graced his features. He nodded once, a declaration of way.

‘Game on, Medusa.’ He promised darkly.

After what felt like an eternity of him studying me, his gaze softened as he noticed my crossed arms and my angry pout.

I was left speculating what his next move would be as I walked away from him.