stomach. I leaned back, the bend of my legs tightened on the edge of the bench to keep me from falling. The image of my back smacking against the concrete
couldn't disturb me, nothing would. I was too happy to form words. I was going to see one of my favorite bands with my three best friends. We'd been to numerous concerts before, but never one for The Masquerade. The tickets were
usually sold out within the first hour of their release. Three unsuccessful years of attempts yielded only heatbreak. The night of a band's performance and you're stuck at home, knowing exactly what you're missing, is a fate worse than
death.
Adam and I jumped onto our seats, standing above the crowd of students eating outside. People turned and stared with open mouths, some full of food. Shiloh and Hayley looked up expectantly.
"Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention
please!" I shouted, grinning.
"We have tickets to see The Masquerade tonight!" Adam yelled and jumped up. When he landed, his feet hit the wooden seat and the
entire bench, along with Hayley, shook. She shot him a glare and shoved him off the seat. He stumbled when he landed on the ground, but leaned forward to bow anyway.
"Who?" Someone shouted in response.
Another voice, belonging to a catty cheerleader, nearly
split the air with its high pitch. "Seriously, no one cares."
Hayley recognized the girl and flipped her the bird. Shiloh shot across the table and grabbed her hand to restrain her middle finger before
an administrator caught her. Our school wasn't very strict, but because we lived in the south, they had absolutely no tolerance for vulgarity.
When I realized I was still standing on top of the bench, a
pair of familiar eyes met mine. The joy, erupting inside of me, ceased. The smile fell from my face as I stared at my ex-boyfriend across the patio. He sat with his group of friends, the friends that were the very reason that tore us apart. Realizing Eli's was distracted from their conversation, two of them
looked over their shoulders and stared at me with narrowed eyes. I ignored them and focused on Eli, his brown eyes held my gaze with a force I used to think was sexy. I swallowed hard and pried my eyes away from his, before I bent down
and sat in my seat. I adjusted my posture, one elbow on the table to avoid any more collisions with his eyes.
His stare still gave me butterflies, but now there was a shard of ice in my chest to accompany the jitters. He chose his side, the friends who were notorious for getting into trouble with the police. Despite how much I cared for him, it wasn't enough. I faced that inevitable truth the week before school started. To save myself from more heartbreak, I broke it off. I didn't
realize I would feel pain every time I saw him, knowing he was no longer mine and I his. He changed, but my feelings for him never did.
Hayley's voice snapped me out of my trance. "I hate
that bitch."
"She probably feels the same about you."
I looked at Hayley who was feigning surprise in response to Shiloh's statement. Her hand touched her chest dramatically. "Why, on
Earth, would she hate me?"
"Isn't that Marcie Asher?" Adam asked, looking at the girl who Hayley politely displayed her middle finger to. With her hair coiffed in an obnoxious bow and a painted on cheerleader suit, she looked over
her shoulder, her eyes, like daggers at our table. Adam turned back to Hayley with a raised eyebrow. "I thought you slept with her boyfriend?"
"Ex-boyfriend and no," Hayley corrected. She
paused, "I slept with her best friend's boyfriend."
"Good Lord," Shiloh mumbled.
Adam's attention turned in the direction of Eli's table. He looked at me and back at their table. "Ella," he said slowly.
"I know." I groaned and wished he would drop it.
He stared at me with scrutinizing eyes. "Want me to take care of them for you?"
I shook my head, pressing my lips together to hide my smile.
The thought of Adam trying to stand up to one of Eli's buddies
couldn't disturb me, nothing would. I was too happy to form words. I was going to see one of my favorite bands with my three best friends. We'd been to numerous concerts before, but never one for The Masquerade. The tickets were
usually sold out within the first hour of their release. Three unsuccessful years of attempts yielded only heatbreak. The night of a band's performance and you're stuck at home, knowing exactly what you're missing, is a fate worse than
death.
Adam and I jumped onto our seats, standing above the crowd of students eating outside. People turned and stared with open mouths, some full of food. Shiloh and Hayley looked up expectantly.
"Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention
please!" I shouted, grinning.
"We have tickets to see The Masquerade tonight!" Adam yelled and jumped up. When he landed, his feet hit the wooden seat and the
entire bench, along with Hayley, shook. She shot him a glare and shoved him off the seat. He stumbled when he landed on the ground, but leaned forward to bow anyway.
"Who?" Someone shouted in response.
Another voice, belonging to a catty cheerleader, nearly
split the air with its high pitch. "Seriously, no one cares."
Hayley recognized the girl and flipped her the bird. Shiloh shot across the table and grabbed her hand to restrain her middle finger before
an administrator caught her. Our school wasn't very strict, but because we lived in the south, they had absolutely no tolerance for vulgarity.
When I realized I was still standing on top of the bench, a
pair of familiar eyes met mine. The joy, erupting inside of me, ceased. The smile fell from my face as I stared at my ex-boyfriend across the patio. He sat with his group of friends, the friends that were the very reason that tore us apart. Realizing Eli's was distracted from their conversation, two of them
looked over their shoulders and stared at me with narrowed eyes. I ignored them and focused on Eli, his brown eyes held my gaze with a force I used to think was sexy. I swallowed hard and pried my eyes away from his, before I bent down
and sat in my seat. I adjusted my posture, one elbow on the table to avoid any more collisions with his eyes.
His stare still gave me butterflies, but now there was a shard of ice in my chest to accompany the jitters. He chose his side, the friends who were notorious for getting into trouble with the police. Despite how much I cared for him, it wasn't enough. I faced that inevitable truth the week before school started. To save myself from more heartbreak, I broke it off. I didn't
realize I would feel pain every time I saw him, knowing he was no longer mine and I his. He changed, but my feelings for him never did.
Hayley's voice snapped me out of my trance. "I hate
that bitch."
"She probably feels the same about you."
I looked at Hayley who was feigning surprise in response to Shiloh's statement. Her hand touched her chest dramatically. "Why, on
Earth, would she hate me?"
"Isn't that Marcie Asher?" Adam asked, looking at the girl who Hayley politely displayed her middle finger to. With her hair coiffed in an obnoxious bow and a painted on cheerleader suit, she looked over
her shoulder, her eyes, like daggers at our table. Adam turned back to Hayley with a raised eyebrow. "I thought you slept with her boyfriend?"
"Ex-boyfriend and no," Hayley corrected. She
paused, "I slept with her best friend's boyfriend."
"Good Lord," Shiloh mumbled.
Adam's attention turned in the direction of Eli's table. He looked at me and back at their table. "Ella," he said slowly.
"I know." I groaned and wished he would drop it.
He stared at me with scrutinizing eyes. "Want me to take care of them for you?"
I shook my head, pressing my lips together to hide my smile.
The thought of Adam trying to stand up to one of Eli's buddies
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