I could hear people in the background talking and laughing.
“I decided to leave,” I said. “Where are you?”
“I’m leaving Dodds Bakery. A bunch of us came here after the pep rally,” she said. The background noise disappeared and I heard her start her car. She was alone now.
“I need to tell you something, but you have to swear not to say anything or judge me,” I began.
My stomach churned as I went to tell her my secret. I wasn’t even sure if she would believe me.
“Ok. You are freaking me out,” she chuckled.
Sighing, I gripped the steering wheel as I began. “I left school today with Ason Antoni.” I stopped talking, waiting to hear her reply.
A loud screech erupted and I almost jumped out of my seat. “Ason Antoni! Are you serious right now?”
“Yeah. I was going to hide out in the library, but he found me. We went back to his house to study...” I said, but Macy’s voice cut me off.
“You went to his house? Scarlette, I feel like I am talking to an entirely different person. What is going on?” she cried out.
“I honestly have no idea. Ason is different from what I thought. He kissed me,” I stated.
“Ok, stop talking. Are you home?” Macy rushed out.
“I’m almost home. Five minutes away.”
“I will be there in two minutes,” she yelled, then ended the call.
I laughed as I drove the rest of the way home.
“Ok, tell me everything,” Macy said, holding onto one of my decorative pillows as she sat on my bed.
I lay next to her, staring up at the ceiling as I struggled to collect my thoughts. There was so much to tell her and I didn’t even know what to say. As the words spilled out, Macy listened intently. Her smile grew wider as I talked and I could feel my cheeks blushing.
“This is beyond amazing,” Macy said. “You and Ason are dating. He popped your little virgin cherry!”
Shaking my head, I held up my hand to stop her. “We aren’t dating. We are...” Honestly, I had no idea what we were. “We are just figuring things out.”
“Scarlette, you have left me speechless. I am so proud of you. I never thought that you would skip school, but to hear that you and Ason Antoni hooked up...I am just in awe of you,” she laughed.
“Don’t be in awe of me,” I started. While I felt like I was floating on cloud nine, nothing had truly been confirmed yet. Once we got to school, in public, the truth would finally come out. “We will see how Ason reacts at school on Monday.”
“Maybe he truly likes you. I mean, Scarlette you are hot. You don’t see it, but you really are,” Macy told me.
I blushed. I never thought of myself as anything special, but maybe being with Ason made me special.
“He was the first person who ever made me feel cool for not being cool. Like not fitting in, somehow made me special in his eyes.” The words spilled out of my mouth before I could stop me.
“Scarlette, you don’t see yourself the way the rest of us do. This may be your opportunity to finally shine,” Macy said.
We spent the next few hours talking. When my parents finally got home, Macy left and begged me to call her if I heard from Ason again. After a dinner which consisted of listening to my parents go on and on about their trip, I retired to my bedroom to get some homework completed. It was almost as though the afternoon had never happened. I had been swept away by the most sought-after boy at school and then brought back to my house where I was once again, the quiet, lonely girl that no one really knew. Honestly, I was like a twisted version of Cinderella. Minus the evil stepsisters.
By ten that night, I had given up hope that I would hear from Ason.
Yawning, I packed away my school books and changed into a pair of silky red pajama shorts and a tank top. My heart hurt a little at the thought that maybe he had played me. I didn’t want to harp on it, though. If I did, it may drive me crazy. Crawling into bed, I closed my eyes and was almost asleep when I heard my phone ringing from my bed side stand. Glancing at the screen, I see Ason’s name appear.
I almost laugh as I remember the night he brought me home, drunk off my ass, and programmed his number into my phone. Answering, I wait for that deep voice that sends chills down my spine.
“Hey,” he says, sounding tired.