Page 87 of I Shouldn't Feel This Way

By the time I stepped out on the sidewalk, the rain had stopped. I was trying my best to remember all the important advice Doctor Grey had given me when suddenly my cellphone vibrated:

I miss u.

I couldn’t help but smile. It was from Aria. Immediately, I responded:

I miss you more, beautiful.

I hit Send and as soon as I did, I cursed under my breath. A part of me knew that I should have been more careful with how I expressed my affection to her. I didn’t want to give her the wrong impression and confuse her any more than I already was.

Another incoming message arrived:

Pick me up 4 lunch 2day?

Hesitant at first, I held my breath for a couple seconds as I read her text, and then I exhaled loudly when my lungs couldn’t take it.

Yes, take her out. You miss her. You hardly got to see her this morning.

No, remember what Doctor Grey said? If you take her out to lunch, you’d be doing it for all the wrong reasons, Noah.

I guess this was the part where I was supposed to become consciously aware of “the id and superego” duking it out, one on one. I hated watching myself trying to choose between right and wrong. It was as if I was already pledging allegiance to the dark side.

Indecisive about answering her text, I got inside my car and turned on the ignition, when my cellphone vibrated again:

Plz?

Releasing an extended sigh, I started punching some letters on the screen. It was impossible to ignore her. I didn’t have the heart to do it. I was a softie when it came to her.

Okay, princess.

Id: 2

Superego: 0

End of round one.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

aria

Chemistry class was a bore. Mr. Reese always cracked a joke right before dismissal. Today it was “What show do cesium and iodine love watching?CSI!”

Yeah … Hopefully, he didn’t tell those jokes out on dates. Anyway, I was about to walk out of my high school when someone called out my name.

“Aria, wait up!”

I stopped in the hallway and turned around. “Hi, Ryan.” I met his eyes with a shy smile.

Please don’t bring up that picture I sent you last night. It was entirely impulsive!

“Are you going out for lunch?” he asked.

“Yeah. Noah—my dad’s waiting for me outside.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Did you need something?” I tried to read his bashful expression. Ryan had short, blond hair, and really cute dimples when he smiled. All the girls wanted to date him because he was the fittest guy at school. There was a certain charm in those gray eyes that always made me blush a bit.

“I was wondering if you’d be interested in coming with me to the Sunset Festival,” he said.

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