Episode 12

"August!" Eric yelled from down the stairs.

Although my stomach grumbled, I stormed out of my bedroom and headed immediately for the front door, my school bag strapped to my back. He threw me an apple and I caught it, and began chewing on it as we headed towards his race car.

"Being late on your first day isn't cool," he said as he drifted from the driveway and heading down the street. He pulled a rolled blunt from behind his ear and asked me to reach for his lighter. As he held the blunt to his mouth, I lit the end, and he took a hit, coughing slightly as he attempted to pass it to me. "You want some?"

I shook my head, "Appreciate it, but I'm not showing up high at my first class."

"It's just to relax," he told me, "Not really to have a buzz more to just feel chill."

"Still, no thanks."

"It's all good," he said. I reached for the radio to turn the volume up, but he slapped my hand. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Yes?" I was curious as to what he wanted to speak to me about.

He cleared his throat, taking another hit and blowing out the window before saying. "What's going on between you and Mike? By the looks of it, you really hurt his feelings."

I frowned, "I hurt his feelings?"

He nodded, "Yea Mike doesn't really express his feelings well. That's why he just insults the shit out of you. But I can read him like a book, and by the looks of it, you did hurt him pretty bad."

I paused for a moment, staring at the road. He did not seem hurt to me, he appeared to be the same cocky bastard that I could not help myself to miss. I hated seeing him around the house acting as if I did not exist, and every time my name was mentioned in a conversation he would frown in confusion, stare at Mr. Hawk and say, "Who?" Maybe I had hurt him, but I should be the one upset with the way he treated me.

"He called me so many names," I murmured, and I raised an eyebrow when Eric chuckled, glancing towards me as if to see if I was serious. When he saw my look fail to falter, he returned his gaze onto the road, shuffling in his seat.

"You serious? Mike calls me every single name in the book, that's just how he is. That's how he shows his affection. But what he said at the table after our pool party, calling you a slut, he seriously meant that. What did you do to make him that angry?"

"He said him and Cole are good-"

"Him and Cole are not good," Eric laughed, shaking his head, "It's obvious they're not on good terms. They were good friends for a while too, I'm surprised. Now," he glanced in my direction, "Either you tell me what you did, or I'm going to find out on my own and hear a different story that will not get backed up by you."

I crossed my arms; maybe talking with Eric was a better idea. I knew I had done something wrong, but Cole was the better logical pick. He's kind and sweet to be around, and he did not deserve a heart break. I placed a palm on my forehead, allowing a sigh to escape my mouth before I began. "Mike and I had sex like two times, and then I started talking to Cole, because Mike has a girlfriend so I didn't think anything more could possibly happen. Then at the party, I went upstairs with Cole-"

"I saw that," Eric nodded, "We all saw you guys when you walked in and he loosened your bathing suit and everyone saw the way he was grabbing your ass."

My cheeks started to feel warm, embarrassed by that fact. "Anyways, I went upstairs with Cole, and he forgot a condom."

"Cole does seem like the type of guy to forget condoms."

I shook my head, "You wouldn't run back if you forgot condoms too?"

"I never forget condoms, you always have to be prepared. That's like knowing your period is coming and not bringing a tampon."

"To be fair, I have forgotten tampons a bunch of times."

"Just continue the story."

I cleared my throat, glancing towards him as he took a hit of his blunt. "Then he ran out of the room to get condoms, Mike came in and we started fucking, then Cole came back while we were fucking, and I ran after him."

"So you chose Cole over Mike?" I paused before slowly nodding my head. "Well that's why he's hurt. That's why he's not talking to you, because you're being an asshole."

"How am I being an asshole?"

Eric scoffed, attempting to pass his blunt to me again and I shook my head. "I know Mike like I know the back of my hand. Did he ever ask you like which one of them you like better? Or which one of them you want more?" I nodded my head, and he continued, "Who did you say?"

"Your brother."

"Then you lied to him," Eric shrugged. "That's one thing Mike cannot forgive, and it's liars."

I raised an eyebrow, "I didn't lie though."

"Then why did you run after Cole instead of staying with Mike?"

"Because he deserved an explanation," I argued. "And he's a great guy."

"Whatever the reason, I'm only telling you how Mike feels, which now makes sense why he's not talking to you. If you want to fix it, you can. I don't care about your situations anyways." We pulled into the student parking lots and descended from the car. I began to follow Eric and he stopped in his tracks, throwing the end of his blunt to the side and examining me. He then locked eyes with me and did not say anything, while simply staring me with a confused look.

"What?" I asked, staring at my clothes, "Something on me?"

"Where are you going?"

I frowned, "To class?"

"Okay, then walk away from me," he hissed, beginning to distance himself from me. I sent him the middle finger, and he chuckled, yelling from far, "Don't tell people we're step-siblings, it'll only be embarrassing for me."

"Yea, fuck you," I shouted back, continuing the opposite direction. The University was gigantic, three castles connected to one another. This much be a rich kids University, and I made my way inside the building, hoping that I would not be as humiliated as I was when Cole opened the door and my legs were wide opened for Mike.

***

I continued calling Eric's cellphone, but there was no answer.

It's Eric, leave a message.

"Eric, I'm done, when are we going home? Call me back, thanks," and I hung up. I waited at benches outside the University, staring at Eric's car with no sight of him anywhere. The day had been slow and long, and I very much wanted to head back to the mansion and relax in my room. The professors appeared strict, most of them talking about their syllabus and crying about how they hate cellphones in classes. They all irritated me, since they were different from the ones in Eastbound. The instance my last class finished, I raced from the classroom and headed outside for some air. I had seen none of the people I know, but seeing a text from Cole saying, Have a nice day!, did make it a little bit easier.

Suddenly, a familiar Hummer drove within the parking lot and stopped in front of where I was seated. A curse escaped my breath when they rolled down their window; Alyssa waved from the driver's seat and Mike glanced my direction from the passenger seat.

I raised an eyebrow, "What are you doing here?"

"Mr. Hawk said that when Eric finishes late, Mike needs to pick you up."

Mr. Hawk had mentioned something along those lines. However, I shook my head. "It's okay, I can wait."

"You're not getting in?" she puckered her lips.

I waved a hand, "I rather wait."

"Okay," Alyssa shrugged her shoulders and was prepared to drive-off, when Mike's hand stopped her. He whispered something in Alyssa's ear and she rolled her eyes annoyed. She turned towards me, and that's when the loud honking began. He placed his hand on the honk and pressed, and I frowned, staring at them but equally feeling embarrassed. Alyssa shouted, "He won't stop until you're in the car."

I would not have cared if we were at any other place than a University parking lot. However, other students glanced in my direction, professors who were coming out of the building did as well. I was terribly embarrassed that I rushed towards the car, climbing inside and closed the door, biting my tongue to hold back insults that I wish I could rage at both of them. As I settled into the backseat, Mike releasing his palm from the honk, I observed Alyssa smirk in her mirror as she began driving, and Mike, as he smoked a blunt in the passenger seat, stared outside the window and did not once glance in my direction.

Staring at his golden locks from the back made me wish I could feel his cuddles once again as he squeezed his head against my stomach, peacefully snoring. I wish I could wake him up, have him call me annoying, but at least talk to me or get angry with me. However, he was seriously ignoring me, as if my existence never meant anything. Alyssa soon pulled to a house, but it was not ours. It was definitely as huge, maybe bigger, but as Mike exhaled his last breath of weed, he threw the end onto the sidewalk and turned to Alyssa.

"What are you getting again?" he asked, sending a hand through his hair.

She pulled off her seatbelt, "A few things. I'll be back in a minute." She leaned over to him and placed a peck on puckered lips, but he soon reached forward and grabbed her jaw as she was pulling away, and deepened the kiss with an entire make-out session directly at my face. I scoffed, turning my head elsewhere but unable to stop their sounds as she softly moaned from his hands reaching elsewhere. Soon, she exited the car and he licked his lips. This was the only chance I had to talk to him, without him being able to leave.

I cleared my throat, but I was unsure what to say. Did he deserve an apology? Because I deserved one too. I bit my bottom lip; I was the only one who could possibly make civility between us return, since I knew his pride was way over his head. Finally, I said, my voice cracking, "Hey Mike."

It was no surprise when he did not answer, however he did not react to it either. There was no scoff, no chuckle, not a single sound nor word escape his mouth. He did not even shuffle in his seat, he remained quiet, staring outside his window.

"Listen," I began, "I know you don't want to talk to me. I know I hurt your feelings, but—"

"You didn't hurt my feelings, don't flatter yourself."

He spoke. His voice was lower than usual, but I had missed hearing him speak to me.

I shook my head; I needed to fix this on my own. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I don't want to keep going like this, with you avoiding me every chance you get, ignoring me and acting like I don't exist. I didn't mean for all of what happened to go down the way it did, but I wish you could understand where I was coming from. But even so, I'm still sorry Mike."

I raised an eyebrow, waiting for an answer. "I kind of miss you," I murmured under my breath, but I did notice a reaction from that. His ears perked, and a little hope rose into my stomach.

He did not reply for a moment, and neither did I say anything more. However, when he did, it was filled with cold, and a fury behind his tone that I wondered if we would ever return to normal.

"You lied to me."

I felt a shiver run through my bones, and I sat up straight. "I didn't mean to—"

"Doesn't matter," he interrupted without care, "You did. I was lied to my whole life, by Nina, someone who was supposed to take care of me and that I believed loved me," he shook his head, leaning against the side of the window, "I'm not letting that shit happen again."

"It wasn't the same thing—"

"You don't know a god damn thing you're talking about!" he roared, and I felt my entire body freeze in fear. He breathed heavily, but his pitch returned to a low growl, "I asked you if it was me or Cole, and you said me. But the moment you had to make that decision, you went to Cole."

"But you have a girlfriend."

"Did I ever tell you I didn't?" He scoffed, "I had sex with you yea big deal, but if you had asked me if I was single or had a girlfriend, I would have told you the truth."

"Why do you cheat if you expect me to be loyal to you?"

"I don't expect you to do anything August," he hissed, "I expect you to do what you tell me you're going to do. But you fucking tricked me, and you lied to me."

I shook my head, pressing my palm on my forehead. "But you have a girlfriend—"

"What the fuck does that have to do with anything, August?"

"What does it matter if I'm with Cole, why do you care?!" I shouted, my threshold of calm being crossed.

"Because I fucking like you August!" he screamed back, turning around to face me. However, when he realized what he said, he opened the car door instantly and slammed it shut.

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