Page 142 of Withered

How could she be that calm? And don’t worry… I’m doing the exact opposite of what she told me to do. With each passing day, I become more concerned and agitated.

She believes Jake is still with Tyler. Even his best friend, Tyler, is unaware of him, which seems crazy to me. They’d been together for years; how could he not call Tyler? People normally call their closest friends first, don’t they?

It’s Friday, and I’m in the last class of the day. Thankfully, I had some time to get my mind off Jake yesterday when I went to the mall to get my dress. The fittings took nearly an hour since I had to twirl around so many times to get them right.

As I make my way to the parking lot, I see Tyler talking to someone near my car, and I recognize the figure right away. My legs pick up speed and carry me there before my mind can send them the signal.

Tyler turns his head, and I get the perfect view of that familiar face.

Tyler steps aside, and I angrily swing my bag, hitting Jake on his hand.

“You… where the hell were you?” I shout at him. All my pent-up anger is taking over.

People around me become silent, and the majority of them stare at us. They can, however, wait because the show has only just begun.

“Ah, you’re here.” Jake rubs his hand, and I hit him again.

“Answer me first. Did your phone break or something? Why didn’t you respond to my texts or calls?” I yell.

My voice comes across as shrill, but I don’t mind. This boy drives me insane and drives me to do crazy things.

Tyler tries to step between us, but I give him the death glare. “Stay out of this.”

My patience is gone, and I’m annoyed beyond my limit. I turn my attention to Jake, who rubs his hand. “Answer me. You owe an explanation.”

Kristy arrives and stands beside Tyler.

Jake speaks up: “Let’s go somewhere.”

I shake my head, clearly telling him I’m not moving. “Tell me right here. Otherwise, I’m not going anywhere.”

Jake rakes his hand through his hair and says, “I’ll tell you. Just get in the car.”

“Nope,” I say, not moving an inch.

Jake grabs my hand and begins to pull me away. I try to pry away from his grip, but he’s stronger.

I turn to Tyler and say, “Help me.”

Tyler takes a step forward to help me, but his steps halt as his eyes shift to Jake’s, who says, “Man, stay out of this. I’ll handle this one.”

I pinch Jake, and he whines in pain. “Leave me. I’ll follow you in my car.”

“I know you won’t,” Jake says. He isn’t wrong, though.

Kristy walks over and stands in front of Jake. “Dude, leave her alone right now, okay? She’s been worried sick for you. You don’t deserve to treat her that way when all she does is care for you. Stop being such a jerk.”

If it weren’t for the situation, tears would undoubtedly well up in my eyes. That’s my best friend.

Jake scoffs, “You done?”

Tyler drags Kristy out of the path in the blink of an eye. “They both told me to stay out of this. We’ll go somewhere; come on.”

“This is what I get to do to make friends,” he says as he drags Kristy away.

I let out a chuckle before Jake pulls me once more. “What about my car?”

“We will come back later to get it.” He opens the passenger door for me.

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