Planning on Forever (7 page)

“Dude...are
you okay...I totally didn’t mean to start shit...” Travis walks towards me on
the dock.

“You
didn't want to start shit…” Yup, I am pissed. “What did you think was going to
happen when you said that?” I ask standing up and looking him in the eyes. “Did
you think she was just going to just shake it off...SHE LEFT ME, ASSHOLE!” I
move in closer to him, our faces only inches apart. I shove him. “She fucking
left me because you couldn't keep your fucking mouth shut!” I shove him back
again.

“I
don't know what to say dude, I'm sorry...”

And
then I snap, punching him square in the face. He falls backwards, almost
falling off the dock. “Are you kidding me man!” he yells, holding his face
where I hit him.

“Get
the fuck off my property, you piece of shit. You're dead to me!” I yell, then
walk back down to my spot on the dock. Who the hell does he think he is? You
fuck up my relationship and then all you can say is “I'm sorry.” Fuck you!

– ALEXA –

Amanda
and I drive back to my house in silence. I stare out the window the whole way,
not saying a word. I can't even tell you what I’m thinking. I’m numb and have
been since finding out about Collin and Nicole. Even though Amanda is
skeptical, I tell her she doesn’t have to stay; I’d rather be by myself right
now. I turn off my phone, knowing that it’s going to start ringing off the hook
soon from not only Collin, but by anyone that gets wind of what is going on.
That's the only downfall about being popular; your life is always being
broadcast and everyone always wants the inside scoop.

Walking
into my bathroom, I strip off my tainted dress, and take a long, warm shower.
After drying off, I put on my favorite flannel pajamas and then crawl into bed.
Curling up to my pillows, I allow myself to cry.

The
next morning, I wake up in the same position I fell asleep in and I
feel...good. I feel awake and I feel, fine. Am I in denial? Well, whatever it
is, I'll take it. Last night I felt like my whole world had ended, like someone
pulled my heart from my chest and stomped all over it. I don't know what is
going on this morning, but I will take it.

Dressing
in my favorite jean skirt, and halter top, I pull my hair up in a messy bun,
put on a little makeup, and decide I’m going to go shopping. When life throws
you lemons…you go shopping! Walking out my bedroom door and down the hall, I
come to a screeching halt. In front of me is Collin, sitting in my living room,
talking to my parents.

“What
are you doing here?” I yell.

He
looks like crap. His eyes are blood shot, and he looks like he hasn't slept in
days. His hair looks like it has been through a tornado, and his hand is
wrapped in a bandage. Good! Not that I am the type of person who wish
unhappiness on another, but when you find out that your boyfriend of two years
cheated on you, it kind of makes you smile when you see him looking like shit.

“Honey,
Collin told us what happened, and I think you guys need to sit down and talk,”
my mom softly tells me.

He
told my parents what happened? I highly doubt it. Did he tell them how “well”
he knows Nicole? I’m guessing that answer is a big, fat no.

“I
don't think there is anything to discuss and I’m actually on my way out. I have
plans.”
Yea, go me!
There isn't anything to talk about. I have the only
answers I need; I don't need to know anything else. I’m in a good state of mind
right now and talking to Collin is just going to bring me down. He cheated on
me; nothing is going to change that. I don't care how he did it, where he did
it, and why he did it. The only thing that matters to me is that
he did it
.

I
am sorry Collin West, but I need to let go.

– COLLIN –

Last
night was the worst night of my life. I lost the love of my life; one of my
best friends, and my future; the future I thought I had all planned out with
Alexa. Since she wouldn’t talk to me last night, I get up early and wait for
her to wake up at her house. She’d have to talk to me.

Sitting
in her living room, I tell her parents everything. Well, not the specifics, but
I tell them I made some wrong choices with Nicole, but I didn’t technically
cheat on Alexa. Nothing of mine ever went into anything of Nicole’s.

I
continue telling them how much I love their daughter, and how I plan on someday
marrying Alexa. However, when she walks out of her bedroom, she blows me off.
She looks beautiful as usual, but also unaffected. She is dressed, hair and
makeup done, and she says she had plans. Plans? It’s been less than twenty-four
hours since finding out and she already has plans? Does she even care? How can
you be madly in love with somebody one minute, and then basically say
“peace-out” the next?

She
looked destroyed yesterday. She couldn't even look me in the eyes when she left
my house. She has to be hurting, but the way she looks and the way she looks at
me this morning, she looks...fine. I sit there for a second, speechless. Her
parents are talking to me about something, but I have no clue what they are
saying–I am numb. Standing up, not making eye contact, I whisper, “Thank
you...but I have to go.”

I
let myself out, and drove home. I don't even remember the drive, I’m just numb.
After arriving at my house, I walk up the stairs, and lay in my bed, staring at
the ceiling. I lay there for a while, thinking about nothing in particular. I
must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I know, I’m startled with a
loud knock on my door. Jumping out of bed, I hope that maybe, just maybe, Alexa
has finally decided to come over and talk. However, when I open the door, it’s
just Matt. I frown and walk back to my original spot on my bed.

“Wow,
nice to see you too, buddy,” Matt says, trying to lighten the mood.

“Sorry,
bro, I thought you might have been Alexa,” I say, still staring at the ceiling.

“Still
nothing?” he asks.

“Nope.
I went to her house this morning and waited for her to get up, but she wouldn't
talk to me...she said she had plans, and then left. Like nothing ever
happened.”

We
sat there in silence for a few minutes. Me staring at the ceiling, and Matt
sitting in the chair in front of my desk, probably trying to think of something
to say. But there isn't anything to say. I screwed up and she won't even give
me the time of day. What else can we do?

“You
wanna go get something to eat? We can go down to the school and throw around
the football after?” Matt asks, breaking the silence.

I
guess I’m kind of hungry. I haven't eaten anything since the party yesterday.
“Yeah, why not.”

Not
even caring about a shower or bothering to change my clothes, I pull on my
sneakers and head to the car
.

– COLLIN –

“Hey
boys, help yourself to a table, I'll be right over.” Louise shouts to us from
behind the counter.

The
diner is the place we all go for food, coffee, or to just chill with friends or
today, in my case, it’s to wallow in my misery. They are open twenty-four hours
a day, seven days a week, and have the best food in the area.

“So,
did you get your training schedule for football yet?” Matt asks, breaking the
silence.

Matt
is going to a school down state. Although we’ve always planned to go to college
together and play football for all four years, we both received full
scholarships to separate schools that we couldn’t pass up.

“Yeah,
I am supposed to start it Monday...workouts every morning for at least two
hours, and then weightlifting at night.” I couldn’t care less about it, though.
For the first time in my life, I couldn’t care less about football. “We have to
be on campus August fifth to start two-a-days.”

Two-a-days
are two hour practices in the morning and two hour practices in the evening.
The practice in the morning is focused on your specific position or group,
offense or defense and the practice in the evening is usually as a team. We fit
in gym and strength building somewhere in there as well.

Exhausting.

“Yeah,
that's pretty much my schedule too...You want me to pick you up Monday? We can
go work out at the school together?” Matt continues.

Our
high school coach said we could use the gym at the school throughout the summer
as long as we pick up after ourselves and lock up once we're done. They have
all the exercise equipment we need, and we can use the bleachers for our daily
stair climbing, too.

“Sounds
good, bro.”