Chapter 63 The Choice Is Mine

Chapter 63 The Choice Is Mine
Mayzie checked her watch as she waited for Dalton to pick her up. Every time she looked away from her wrist, her eyes darted back and forth across the empty walkway. He was ten minutes late, and the driver hadn't shown up yet. She was starting to wonder if he had completely forgotten about her.

As she glanced down at her watch once more, she sensed two figures stepping up beside her. Looking up, she wasn't surprised to see the twins. She glared first at Ariel, then turned her frustration toward Arking.

"Need a ride?" Arking asked, offering a warm smile.

"No." Mayzie crossed her arms, holding her ground. "Please leave. Seeing you two will only upset Dalton, and he'll be here any second."

"We already told him you left with Clyde," Ariel chimed in calmly.

Mayzie's eyes snapped toward him. "You did what?" She quickly reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone.

Arkin placed a gentle hand over hers, covering the device. "We just want to talk to you. We need to explain everything so you actually understand what's going on."

She yanked her hand back. "I have nothing to say to either of you." She flipped the phone open and hit a fast speed-dial.

Before she could bring it to her ear, Arking snatched the phone away and snapped it shut. "That's not fair to us. Why won't you just let us explain?"

"Not fair to you?" Mayzie's mouth dropped open. "Are you serious? Do you have any idea how unfair this whole thing has been to me? Life isn't fair, and I learned that a long time ago."

Her phone suddenly rang in Arking's palm. He looked down, saw Dalton's name on the screen, and immediately sent the call to voicemail. "Mayzie, please, we really need to—"

Her fist slammed hard into his shoulder, and she ripped the phone out of his hand. "This is mine! Don't touch it, and definitely don't mess with my calls!" She struck his shoulder a second time for good measure.

"Hey, stop hitting me!" Arking barked, rubbing his arm.

Mayzie checked the call log, her cheeks flushing with anger. "Do you realize how terrible it looks to call my boss and immediately send him to voicemail? He's going to think I'm playing games, you idiot!"

"There's no need for name-calling," Arking countered, while Ariel stood by without a word. "Besides, what we need to say is way more important."

Mayzie dialed the number again and brought the phone to her ear. When Arking reached for it a second time, she raised a stern fist in warning.

"What kind of game are you playing?" Dalton's harsh voice barked through the speaker the moment he answered.

"I'm not playing games!" Mayzie snapped back. "I'm still at school! You left without me!"

"I was told you went home with Clyde."

She let out a heavy sigh. "Don't you think I would've called to tell you so you wouldn't waste a trip? Have I ever been that careless with your time?"

"Those damn twins," Dalton muttered under his breath. He paused, clearly annoyed. "So now what? I'm already halfway home."

"You're the one who should've called me to double-check instead of taking their word for it! Turn the car around and come get me, or I swear I'll spike your breakfast with hot sauce tomorrow morning."

"Walk," he said plainly, and hung up.

Mayzie stared at her screen in utter disbelief. She immediately pressed redial. "Come get me right now!" she yelled into the phone, slamming it shut before he could reply.

Ariel turned his head to hide a smirk, while Arking stood quietly, stunned by the informal, loud way Mayzie spoke to her boss.

"When did you become so hot-tempered?" Arking grunted, shaking his head. "You used to be so soft-spoken. He's really bad for you." He glanced down the path just to avoid her gaze. "Is this really how you want to act?"

"Oh, please! Don't stand there looking disappointed in me like I'm the one who did something wrong," Mayzie snapped. "I'm furious, and you two are the main reason why. Just leave me alone."

"I sent you away, so Dalton could have a chance with you!" Arking burst out. "Ask Ariel, he knows! I only said those awful things so you'd stop being my friend, because everyone is always stepping aside for Dalton. I was sick of it. I know I was wrong, and I should've been honest with you. You're an adult; you deserve the truth."

Mayzie blinked, caught off guard. "Excuse me?"

"But Dalton says he doesn't want to be with you anyway," Arking continued, reaching out for her elbow. "He claims the drama of dating one of us would be too much, so he stepped back and asked me to do the same."

Mayzie pulled her arm away and looked over at Ariel. "Is that true?"

Ariel gave a quiet nod. "Yes."

Mayzie went completely still, silence settling over them for a long moment.

"Are you going to say something?" Arking asked as she finally turned and walked toward the main sidewalk.

She stopped and turned back to face them. "That makes it so much worse," she said quietly.

Arking frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You three decided to leave me out of my own life," Mayzie replied, her voice firm. "I choose who I date. I choose what challenges I'm willing to handle in a relationship. How dare any of you take that choice away from me? I make my own decisions, and nobody gets to control that."

"So where does that leave us?" Arking asked, his tone laced with sudden uncertainty.

"It means there is no 'us,'" she said, shaking her head. "It means I don't even want to be your friend. Your whole life is built on secrets, lies, and mind games."

"Mayzie, wait—"

She held up a single hand. "Just pretend we never met."

"What about Dalton?" Arking challenged. "Didn't he do the exact same thing to you?"

Mayzie let out a small, tired laugh. "He just backed off. He didn't plot behind my back to push me away."

"And what about when he turned the whole school against you? What was that?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "I'll ask him directly instead of guessing his motives."

"Have you completely forgotten how much he hurt you?" Arking stepped forward, but she took a step back.

"When you were busy pushing me away, he was holding my hand in the garden," Mayzie said softly, a subtle smile touching her lips. "When you were scheming, he let me sleep in his bed with his dog because I was too tired to walk to my own room. When my heart was broken by you and Alonso, he took me out to watch the fireworks just to make me smile. And when you were confusing me with mixed signals, he sat with me and let me cry without asking a single question."

She looked straight at Arking. "So yes, I've forgiven him. He proved to me that he made a mistake and grew from it. You won't even own up to yours."

"Mayzie, I—"

"Let's go, Mayzie," a deep voice called out from behind them.

She turned to see Dalton standing near the curb, hands tucked casually into his pockets. A quick smile flashed across her face before she turned back to the twins one last time.

"I have to go. Don't bring this up again. My decision is final."

Without waiting for a response, she spun around and walked toward Dalton. He glanced briefly at Arking before turning to follow her down the path. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He had caught the end of their conversation, including Mayzie's quiet defense of him. While he’d never admit to hearing it, knowing how she felt put a slight bounce in his step.

Mayzie marched ahead of him with brisk, annoyed strides.

"Hey, slow down," Dalton called out, catching up easily. "You walk like you've got daddy long-legs. It's ridiculous."

Mayzie stopped and spun around, her jaw dropping slightly. "Are you calling me a spider?"

"You're too slow to be a spider," he teased, walking right past her toward the front gate where his car was parked. "More like a turtle."

Mayzie watched his back, biting her lip to hide a smile as she shook her head and followed him out.

· · ─────── · 𓅪 · ─────── · ·

Bellatrix sighed and checked her watch. She was waiting for Mayzie, but Clyde hadn't shown up yet either. She wondered if she had misread the time, but it had already been ten minutes. She leaned against the brick wall, covering a faint yawn with her hand before staring back down at her shoes.

"Bellatrix!" a voice called out.

Bellatrix looked up to see Elvira approaching. "Hey! It's been a while. How have you been?"

Bellatrix smiled warmly. "I'm good! What are you still doing at school this late?"

"Working on a group project," Elvira explained. "The rest of the Destitutes is here too. We usually team up since we share the same major."

"Oh, right! What's your major again?"

"Design," Elvira said with a grin.

"Design? What kind of—" Bellatrix began, but her question was cut short by a chorus of familiar voices calling Elvira's name.

Darrold tossed an arm around Elvira's shoulders, laughing, as Irvin and Calvin caught up with them. Calvin was carrying a heavy cardboard box, while Waynona walked beside him with a shopping bag tucked under her arm.

"Hey, Bellatrix," Darrold greeted her with a wave. The rest of the group chimed in, offering warm smiles.

"We haven't seen you since that night at the club," Waynona said with a soft pout. "Are you avoiding us?"

"Not at all," Bellatrix reassured her. "Work and life have just been really busy lately. How are you guys?"

"We're actually on our way to celebrating finishing the project," Calvin said, offering a welcoming smile. "Want to go and join us?"

"I'd love to, but I'm waiting for friends right now. Maybe next time?"

Elvira nodded in understanding. "Waynona and I are going shopping tomorrow after class anyway. Do you want to join us?"

"Sure, that sounds like fun!" Bellatrix replied.

Calvin immediately stepped closer, throwing an arm over Bellatrix's shoulder. "Well, if Bellatrix's going, then we all have to go!"

Waynona clapped her hands together. "Awesome! It's going to be so much fun."

Bellatrix shifted slightly under the weight of Calvin's arm. "Wouldn't it be better if it was just a girls' trip? Do you guys actually like shopping?"

"Of course we do," Calvin laughed, giving her shoulder a light pat before dropping his hand.

"Great! We'll meet right here after our last class tomorrow, okay?" Waynona confirmed.

Bellatrix nodded, and the group gathered their things to head toward the parking lot. "What a strange group," Bellatrix murmured to herself, watching them walk away. She turned back toward the main pathway just in time to see Clyde heading her way. Her face brightened... until she noticed Ember trotting closely behind him.

Bellatrix watched as Ember reached out to grab Clyde's arm, only for him to pull away abruptly. They were too far for her to hear their words, but their body language made it clear they were arguing.

"You've been sticking to me all day!" Clyde snapped, keeping his stride. "Didn't you have your own classes to attend?"

"Of course I did," Ember said defensively, holding up a folder. "Look, I even have homework."

Clyde brushed the paper out of his face. "Why are you acting like this? You were so grounded back on the island. Today you're acting completely differently. You know this fake dating thing is just an act, right? You don't need to pretend when Bellatrix isn't standing right next to us."

Ember clasped her hands together. "Can't we at least pretend it's real for the two months, like Bellatrix thinks it is? What's so terrible about giving me a real chance?"

"That wasn't the deal," Clyde replied flatly. "This whole thing was just to make Bellatrix jealous. Stop doing this. You're making me regret agreeing to it."

Before he could step away, Ember dropped her books onto the pavement, grabbed his face with both hands, and pulled him into a sudden kiss. Clyde quickly took hold of her wrists and pushed her back to create space between them.

"Are you crazy?" he muttered, scowling. "You're making me really uncomfortable."

Ember glanced over his shoulder. "Bellatrix is standing right over there watching us," she whispered. "I didn't want her to think we were fighting, but you ruined it."

Clyde forced a tight smile, exhaling slowly. "You should've just said so." He paused, his expression softening into something more serious. "Ember... you're a great girl, but I'm never going to see you that way."

"Why not?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly.

"Because you're not Bellatrix."

Ember's heart sank. "No, I'm Ember," she said quietly. "I've never hurt you the way she has. I've been a good friend to you, and I think I deserve an honest chance. Don't you?"

"No." Clyde looked down at the ground, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Listen, I don't want to lead you on or make you think there's a future for us, so let's just stop this here. I'm waiting for Bellatrix. Even if she turns me down a thousand times, or runs off with a thousand different guys, I'm still going to wait for her. She can treat me however she wants, it doesn't change how I feel."

"Why would you let someone walk all over you like that?" Ember asked, looking down at her scattered books. "You deserve so much better."

"I do it because, in my entire life, she's the only person who truly gets me," Clyde said softly. "She's the only one who listens, and the only one who's been there to save me when things get rough. Sometimes people talk about soulmates, but when I think of Bellatrix, I don't think that's how it works. I think our souls are separate, and every now and then, mine just gravitates toward hers. Her soul is far too good for mine, but if she looks my way even once in a while, that's enough for me. That's all I want... for her to notice I'm here. Maybe one day she'll realize how brightly my world lights up because of her."

Ember shook her head sadly. "You're just going to end up hurt and lonely. I hope one day she hurts you so badly that you finally wake up."

"I'll always forgive her," Clyde said simply. "No matter how many times she pushes me away, I'll keep coming back."

Ember took a deep breath. "Fine. I don't like it, but I get it. We don't have to end our deal, though. I'll go back to being the girl from the island. But you have to promise to still be my friend when Bellatrix isn't looking. That seems fair."

Clyde nodded slowly. "Deal."

He leaned down, gathered her books from the ground, and stacked them neatly before handing them back.

As she took them, Ember leaned in and brushed a quick kiss against his cheek. "For Bellatrix's sake," she offered with a faint smile, before turning around and walking away.

Clyde watched her leave for a brief moment, then turned around to face the woman he had been waiting for all along.