A Second Chance (5 page)

I hear everyone come in. So I make my way downstairs. “Hey guys.”

“Hey honey. We brought home lunch. Come eat.” My mom says, as she past me.

I walk in to the kitchen to see that my parents brought home KFC! Hell yes, my favorite! I dive right in grabbing a chicken leg and piling my plate with mash potatoes and mac-n-cheese. I haven’t eaten in two days, thanks to my parents leaving me here, and then Tate making butterflies fly all around in my stomach.

I finish eating and tell my parents that I am working on a history project if they need me. Two hours later I finish my project and take another hot bath. I get out of the tub, putting on some work out shorts along with a tank top. I lay down next to Tiny petting her. Sometimes a girl just wants to be alone with her pet.

I look at the clock and notice it’s 6. I hope Tate likes being stood up; I lie back on my bed and read my favorite book. As I’m reading, there is a knock on my door. “Yeah?” I call.

The door opens. I look up and Tate is standing there. Looking pissed. “I thought I said we had a date tonight.”

“Yeah, you did. And I didn’t agree.”

“Get dressed, let’s go.”

“Tate, I said no. I’m not your rebound, and I don’t take orders.”

“You are not my rebound, Ray. If you don’t get out of that bed and get dressed, I’ll do it myself.”

“You wouldn’t dare.” I say.

“Try me.”  Trying to be a smart ass, I decide to take him up on his ‘try me’.

I pick my book back up. “Close the door on your way out.”

Before I can fully say ‘out’ I’m up and dropped on to my feet. “What the hell, Tate!?” I yell at him.

He doesn’t say anything, just goes over to my closet, and looks through my clothes, picking out my Ke$ha T-shirt, I got from her concert that I went to last year, which is now big on me and pair of black skinny jeans. “Put them on, or I will put them on you.”

“You are such a dick.” I growl out, as I take the clothes from him and put them on. Not wanting to be manhandled again. “There happy?” I say as rudely as I can. “You know, I thought we were friends, as you said ‘bffs’, but you’re just an asshole.”

“Ray, shut up.”

“Did you just tell me to shut up?” I yell at him. “Seriously, what is your problem?”

“Ray, let’s go. Date. Now.”

“Oh, Mr. Big shot caveman.” I say sarcastically. Seriously, who does he think he is? Before I can do or even say anything, I’m up over his shoulder. “Put me down.”

“What on earth is going on?” Mom says as she takes in the scene. Dad just chuckles, I shoot him a glare.

“Taking Ray out on a date, she’s being stubborn.”

Mom laughs, “Have her back by midnight please.” What a traitor!

We walk out to his car, I’m still over his shoulder, and he tosses me in the backseat. Seriously, he tossed me in the back seat!

He quickly hops in the front seat, and starts the car, and we take off. “Why are you so insistent I go on this date with you?”

“I like you Ray. I like you a lot. Ok. I want to try this.”

“I’m not going to be your rebound Tate. I know you and Courtney just broke up. I’m won’t be that girl, and don’t you think you could have tried taking me out on a date ANOTHER WAY instead of man handling me or demanding that I go with you! That’s rude you know, considering that you say that you “like me”.”

“You aren’t my fucking rebound.” He yells.  “I like you. Courtney and I have been over a long time.”

We fall into silence until we arrive at a beach. He hops out of the car, and opens my door. “Hop out; we’re going to watch the sun set.” Oh wow, how romantic is this. I forget to be mad at him for carting me around the way he did, and ordering me about.

We start to walk towards the water line, when he grabs my hand. I don’t resist, I let him. He lets go when we reach our spot and puts down a blanket. We situate ourselves on the blanket and I lay my head on his shoulder.

“Why did you and Courtney break up?”

Tate sighs. “We just want different things now. Plus I know she’s been seeing someone else.”

“Oh, aren’t you mad she cheated on you?”

“No, actually I’m not. Ask me that a year ago, probably would have been pissed. But Courtney and I are long over. “

I just stare out over the water, as the sun starts to set. It’s beautiful. “Ray.” I hear Tate say quietly.

“Yeah?”

“Look at me.” I turn my head to look at him, and the second I do, his mouth comes crashing down against mine.  When I feel his tongue make its way into my mouth I let out a moan. He breaks the kiss. “You’re mine.” He says huskily.

“Way to ruin a good moment. You sound like an alpha male.” I stare at him for a moment. I don’t want to be his; I want to be my own person. I just got my life the way I want it. I have to draw a line with him somewhere.” Let me get something straight with you, I’m not yours. I’m my own person.” I say to him as I look into his eyes so he will know that I’m serious. He doesn’t try to disagree with me, as he goes to kiss me again, and lays me down onto the blanket. He doesn’t take it any further than just us making out.

As Tate and I head home, he holds my hand all the way. I can’t help but to have a smile on my face. I appreciate the fact that he didn’t push me. Once I get home I fall asleep fast.

The next morning I roll over and look at the time. Oh no, I have 30 minutes or I’m going to be late.

I jump up and grab a quick shower, I had no time to blow dry my hair, so I throw it up in a clip, and swiping a light amount of make up on. I grab a skirt out my closet along with my purple shirt that hangs off my shoulder.

I hear Lily honk; just as I slide my flip flops on. I grab my school bag and run down stairs, tell my parents bye.

I get outside and see not just Lily’s car but Tate’s car outside my house waiting on me.  I didn’t want to ride to school with Tate yet, not without talking to Lily.

I wave a Tate and hop in Lily’s car. As Lily starts backing out, she smirks at me.

“So are you going to tell me why Mr. Football player is waiting on you this morning?”

I blush, “Yeah, um... Tate broke up with Courtney over the weekend, and we went out on date.” I say casually.

“Wait, what happened?” Lily says slamming on breaks.

“Yeah, after that kiss that you saw. Tate came over, a little after I got home. He kissed me again in the garage and then we heard Courtney calling for him. When he left to deal with her, I went up to my room and heard them two arguing.  They broke up. The next day when I woke up, he was there standing in my kitchen, demanding that I go on a date with him. And when I wasn’t ready, he man handled me!”

Lily is bursting with laughter while I tell her what happened. “Please tell me the date was at least good.” She says between laughter.

“Oh yes, the date was awesome!” I tell her smiling at her.

“YOU DID NOT!” Lily yells.

“NO! Really that’s what you think of me?”

“No, but if it was me, I sure would have.” Lily laughs again.

I shrug off her comment, turning on the radio.

We pull into the school parking lot and I notice Tate is right behind us.  We pull into our spot and Tate parks beside us, which is weird because he usually parks closer to the school. I hop out of the car and before I even managed to get my door closed, Tate is there, pressing me into the car and kissing me. Hard. When he finally breaks the kiss he whispers “Tell Lily you don’t need rides in the morning anymore. You ride with me.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Are you asking me or telling me?”

“I’m telling you. She can drive you home on days I have practice after school.”

“Tate, you should back off, don’t you think?”

He frowns. “Why the hell would I do that? I’m pressed up against my girl. Why would I move?”

“Your girl, huh?”

He gives me a grin. “Yeah.”

“Wait, what about Courtney, you were her boyfriend on Friday, now you’re mine? That looks bad.”

“I don’t give a fuck. If I did, I wouldn’t have kissed you just now.” And once he says that, he kisses me again.

“Well, I guess my idea to make him jealous by using Ben, isn’t gonna happen now is it?” Lily says from behind us. I break the kiss, laughing.

“You were what?” Tate growls.  That makes me laugh even harder.

“Nothing, Tate, Lily was just trying to convince me to go on a date with Ben, to make you jealous.” His head whips around to Lily and his eyes narrow. “Oh would you relax. It didn’t happen. Gee.”

We start to make our way into the school, when Ben comes over to us. “Are you kidding me? First you get Courtney, now you have Rayleigh.”  Tate tenses beside me. “Does this mean I can go for Courtney now?”

“Why would you want Courtney?” I ask. “She’s a bitch.”

“Yeah but she’s hot.”  I just shake my head. What a guy.

All day all I heard was whispers about Tate and me, but mostly about me. Apparently, I’m known as the ‘boyfriend stealer’. Do you know how stupid all the girls looked today in the hallway, guarding their boyfriends from me. Hilarious! But best part is that Courtney didn’t even bother me today.

After school was over and Tate went to practice for the day, Lily took me home.

I
get home and see that both of my parents are at home, which is odd considering that my dad usually doesn’t get home till after 7.

I walk in the house and head for the stairs until my mom stops me.

“Honey, come in here please.” My mom says from behind me, I slowly turn around.

“Sure, mom. What’s up?” I ask her, as I step away from the stairs and follow her into the kitchen.

I walk into the kitchen and see my dad at the bar. Something just doesn’t feel right.

I look at both of my parents. “What’s going on?” I ask.

“I don’t know how you will take this, and I pray when we do tell you that you will open up and talk to us and not shut us out.” When my mom says that, my whole world stops.

“Just tell me, stop beating around the bush.” I tell them.

“Sweetie, your Aunt Cindy died today. She died in a car pile-up.”

Once my mom said my Aunt Cindy died, I blocked out everything. No one else knows, but my Aunt Cindy. She was the only person that knew about what I went through with all the kids picking on me. I never cried in front of the kids, but once I got home I let lose. One day, she walked in with me sobbing and I told her everything. From all the notes I got in my locker telling me I should just die already, to the ones that said no one will ever want me. Even about Randy. She was the only person that I confided in. But never once, did she tell my parents about the notes.

My parents knew I was picked on about the way I looked, but they never knew about the notes and that I came home and cried every day. They thought that I just put a brave face on and dealt with it. Once I told my Aunt Cindy about what happened, she was the person I always went to for advice. She was my mentor.

“What happened?” I asked my parents, looking at the ground, trying to hold back the tears.

“All we know at the moment is that, she was on her way to visit us, a surprise visit for you. A car slammed on its breaks in front of her and then she hit them. She would have been fine, but a tractor trailer hit the back of her, smashed her car.” My dad tells me.

I didn’t feel like talking any more, I felt sick to my stomach. After my dad tells me what happened, I run to my room, shut and lock the door. Usually, this is the time I would go take out my frustration out on my punching bag but I can’t even look at it right now. My Aunt is the one that told me about kick boxing, she is one of the few reasons I picked it up.

I lie in my rooms for hours with Tiny next to me, doing nothing but listen to music. Asking myself ‘what if’ questions every few minutes.  My parents would come every few hours to check on me or ask if I need anything. I would just tell them that I’m fine; I couldn’t tell them anything else. Tate has even tried to come by when he arrived home, but my parents told him that I wasn’t feeling well. I couldn’t bring myself to talk to any one right now. I loved my Aunt dearly and she was the only friend I had besides Tiny.

I finally start getting tired, so I tuck in next to Tiny, putting my arm around her, and then start bawling like a big baby.

I start drifting to sleep, as I hear someone come in my balcony doors. I jump up, and see Tate closing them very quietly.

“What are you doing?” I ask him.

“Your parents said you weren’t feeling well, they wouldn’t even let me in. Are you okay? Have you been crying!?” Tate rushes over to me.

“Tate, I don’t feel like talking.”

“Okay, I’ll let you be.” He starts for the doors.

“No, stay please.” I pull back the covers to let him slide in next to me.

He takes his shoes off and slides in, snuggling against me. I turn over and put my face into his chest and start crying again. Tate hugs me closer to him and rubs my back, whispering in my ear, “I’m here, I’m not going anywhere.” The last thing I remember is Tate kissing my temple as I fall asleep in his arms.

I wake up when I feel the sun hit my face.  I start to stretch out, and realize Tate is still in bed with me. Crap! I start to shake him. “Tate.” I whisper.  He starts to stir and his arms get tight around my waist.

“Mm, I love waking up next to you.” He says groggily.

“Tate, you gotta go, before my parents come up.”

He sighs, and starts to roll out of bed. “Are you coming to school today?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Can you tell me why, and also why you were so upset last night?”

I sigh deeply “Before I moved here, I was bullied. Badly. I was fat and ugly.  My aunt Cindy would always be the one I talked to, and she even encouraged this move, so I could have a new start, with my new look.” I say as I move my arm over my body. “She died in a car pile-up. I found out when I got home yesterday.” I say quietly, and start crying. Tate moves into me, pulling me close.

“Shh, babe. I’ll come home right after school today, ok?”

I pull myself together, “You need to go, or you’re going to be late, and then my parents would catch you up here.” I tell him, as I pull myself away.