Chapter 22 Shrek
"You won't believe this," Stephanie says to Brooke as they're standing in front of her locker.
"What?" Brooke replies, shutting her locker to face her.
"I'm babysitting Christopher's sister," Steph says.
"Quit joking around Steph," Brooke scolds.
"I'm serious, B. I went to babysit yesterday and found out it was Chris' little sister, Emily." Steph explains in a casual tone.
"Oh my Gosh!" Brooke squeals. "This is a sign Steph. A fucking Sign," she grins.
"Ah, geez!" Steph exclaims with a facepalm. "What sign?"
"This is a sign that the universe wants you and Chris to be together," Brooke babbles.
Steph groans unattractively and glares at Brooke.
"Don't you see it? You're babysitting his sister. That means seeing each other more often and talking. Then boom - the feelings step in and then you're a couple. Holy Molly! This is great news," Brooke gushes to Steph's irritation.
"You're insane," Steph tells her dryly.
"You are too if you aren't seeing what I'm seeing. You guys would be the cutest couple ever," Brooke grins widely like a Cheshire cat.
"Ship names, ship names for the ship about to sail," Brooke says in a sing-song tone and joins her hands.
"There won't be any ship names and no, no ship is about to sail," Steph shudders.
Just then, Luke and Cole join them.
"Hey girls," Luke says.
Cole who is staring at Brooke with the huge grin she has on her face says, "Hey Brooke," totally forgetting that Steph is present.
"Hey Cole," Brooke replies to him.
Cole and Brooke continue to stare at each other, smiling.
Luke and Stephanie exchange amused looks.
"You guys should date already," Steph groans in exasperation, throwing her hands in the air dramatically. The items in her hands fall to the ground and Luke chuckles. When she realizes what has happened, she becomes mortified.
Cole and Brooke stare at Steph as she bends to pick up her books with Luke helping her.
"Thanks."
"Since Cole looks like he's in a daze, I'll do the talking," Luke declares.
"Okay?"
"Are you guys still in for tomorrow's plans?" Luke asks.
"Yeah," Brooke grins. "Wouldn't miss it."
Steph rolls her eyes at Brooke's answer.
"Steph?"
"Yeah," she answers Luke.
"Cool," he pulls out his phone, unlocks it, and hands it over to her. "Can I get your number?"
Steph doesn't hide the surprise on her face and Luke notices. He quickly adds, "So I can text you when and where we'll meet tomorrow."
Steph nods and slowly dials her digits on his phone before saving it under her name.
She hands his phone back to him and turns to see Brooke doing the same with Cole.
Wait, they haven't exchanged numbers before?
"Where should we go? The movies? Park? Mall?" Brooke asks.
"Let's go to an amusement park."
"Let's go see a movie. Aladdin maybe."
Brooke and Steph suggest at the same time.
"I'll agree with Brooke," Cole says.
Steph rolls at that. Of course, he'd agree with anything Brooke says.
"What about you Luke?" Brooke questions.
"We could do both. Go to the park and then go see a movie," Luke counters.
"That's a good idea," Steph agrees.
"Yeah," Cole and Brooke say in unison.
"Cool. We'll talk later," Cole says just as the bell rings.
"Okay, bye," Brooke says as they go their separate ways.
It's another History class and Mrs. Greene is teaching. Stephanie is seated at the same spot she did the last time she had this class - when she got detention; and Christopher is seated beside her again - much to her chagrin. And yet again, just like the last time - the lesson is boring.
Stephanie finds herself doodling yet again and luckily for her, Chris hasn't bothered her since the class started. She glances his way and finds him busy with his pencil with a serious look on his face.
Seems like the lesson isn't boring to him this time around. She exhales and goes back to scribbling. She wouldn't wanna do anything to annoy Mrs. Greene. Look what happened the last time.
"Psst," she hears from beside her.
Gosh! Why does he love doing that?
"Psst," he does it again.
She turns to face Chris.
"Look it's a drawing of Mrs. Greene," he whispers and slightly lifts his notebook to show her a drawing.
Steph stares at the drawing that looks nothing like their history teacher. It kinda looks like Ogre Princess Fiona from Shrek. Stephanie begins to chuckle at that thought. She looks forward just as Mrs. Greene notices her. She immediately turns her chuckles into coughs and pretends to be in slight pain.
Chris tries not to smile, opening his notebook to the next page in case Mrs. Greene decides to walk over.
"What is it, Valentine?" Mrs. Greene asks with displeasure.
"I'm sorry ma'am. I choked on my saliva," Steph lies, letting out a few more fake coughs.
Mrs. Greene gives her a disapproving look and decides not to say anything. She instead continues with her teaching.
Steph turns to glower at Chris and he gives her a sheepish smile. She has no idea when her lips break into a smile of their own.
He wasn't concentrating after all. Just busy drawing an ogre-like version of Mrs. Greene.
Minutes later, class is over and it is the last class for today. Students file out after the teacher but Stephanie stays put in her seat, carefully and sluggishly packing her things. Chris stays back too and immediately after the last person walks out the door, he speaks up.
"So how do you like my drawing of Greene?" He asks, smirking.
"I swear it's like you wanna get my name in Mrs. Greene's black book and I don't want that. And I think drawing is not one of the things you're good at," she replies as she stands.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that if I were you. Didn't you see my awesome drawing?" He remarks. He turns the pages of his notebook and tears out the page with the drawing.
"Here," he stretches it to her. "You can have my amazing work of art. You can ask for my autograph another time," he grins.
"No thank you. It's very awful for something called art."
"No, it is not," he disagrees.
"It looks like Fiona from Shrek," she tells him, watching him rise to his feet.
She seems to be in a good mood today, Chris concludes in his head.
"No, it doesn't. Wasn't Fiona the princess that was trapped in a tower?"
"Your drawing looks like her when she turned into an Ogre," she chuckles, heading out of the classroom.
Chris stares at his drawing. "Oh, now I see it," he says right behind her.
He squeezes the paper and chucks it into a trash can.
"I have Basketball practice. See you at my house, Hazel." He winks, walking backward in another direction.
"Don't be so smug about that," Steph replies in monotone.
'Hey. Can we meet?'
Jason receives a text from Hayley, his girlfriend.
He smiles before replying:
'Sure. Should I come over?'
A minute later, she texts back.
'No. Can we meet at that Ice cream place near my school?'
He replies:
'Sure. I'll be there in ten.'
She texts back.
'Thanks.'
She shouldn't be thanking him. Jason is glad she wants to meet up. They don't see each other as much as they would if they go to the same school.
Most times, he wishes they attend the same school but there's nothing he can do. He met her at a party one time when they were juniors and they got to know each other. Fast forward to some weeks later, he asked her out and they've been dating since then.
About five minutes later, Jason exits his room with his car keys and phone in hand.
"Dad," he yells as he descends the stairs.
"Stop yelling. I'm here," his dad replies in the living room.
"Oh okay. I'm heading out," he informs his dad who is watching a football match on the TV.
"Where to?"
"Hayley asked to meet at an ice cream place," he answers.
"Hayley. Say hi to her," his dad tells him.
"Sure," he replies as she walks out of the house. He hops into his car and drives off.
Jason lives with his Dad and he's an only child. His mum and dad are separated and his mum moved to another part of the world after the divorce. He didn't go with her even though she begged him to. He has friends here, a girlfriend, and well- everything else. He couldn't give that up. And he's glad he made that decision because his dad is the best. So yeah, he and Chris both have single parents.
He arrives at his destination and parks his car. He gets out of his car and enters the ice cream parlor, the bell chiming as he gets in. He seats in a booth close to the entrance and faces that direction.
He pulls out his phone to text Hayley but decides against it. He finds himself clicking on his Twitter app instead. Every time the bell chimes when someone walks in, he looks to see if it's her.
Finally, Jason looks up after the bell chimes and sees Hayley. His girlfriend. The most beautiful blonde he has ever seen. She looks around and sights Jason. She walks up to him and he stands to hug her.
"Hey babe," he coos with a grin on his face, inhaling the sweet scent of her perfume.
"Hi," she forces the word out of her mouth. She feels like breaking down at the mention of that name he usually calls her.
They disengage from the embrace and she sits opposite him in the booth.
"How are you?" He asks her, smiling.
She smiles at him - a sad one and it doesn't go unnoticed by Jason.
"What's wrong babe?" He questions in concern.
That's how Jason is. Always quick to notice when something's wrong. Especially when it concerns her.
She removes her joined hands from under the table and rests them on the table then she exhales.
"I....I......" She finds herself stuttering, fidgeting with her fingers.
That only confirms Jason's suspicion. She never stutters.
"What's wrong Hayley?" He calls her by her name this time.
"You know you can tell me anything," he says reassuringly, reaching a hand out across the table to catch one of hers. His skin is warm and careful as his fingers intertwine with hers.
She focuses her electric blue eyes on their joined fingers, trying to bring the words out of her mouth - the words she knows will break his heart.
"I have something to tell you," she tells him quietly.
"Go ahead. Tell me," he gives her hand a reassuring squeeze.
Hayley studies this face, all his features because he might never want to see her after this.
"I...I'm breaking up with you," she mutters under her breath but loud enough for him to hear. She looks down in mortification. She won't be able to bear the look on his face. It would break her and can make her change her mind. And that wouldn't be good for either of them. Jason has been nothing but a great boyfriend to her and she can't believe they're ending like this.
"What?" Jason croaks. He probably didn't hear that right.
She exhales and reiterates, more loudly and firmly. "I'm breaking up with you."
Almost immediately, he withdraws his hands from hers.
"This is some sick joke, right?" He frets, not believing her.
She shakes her head negatively in response.
Jason feels like his entire world has just been torn apart. He feels like he's in a horrible nightmare. His hands form fists on his lap.
"Why?" He asks.
"I'm so sorry Jay. I didn't want this to happen," she says sadly, almost sobbing as she tries to reach across to touch him.
He leans back in repulsion and she drops her hands to her side in defeat.
"Just tell me why," he bawls.
She hesitates, contemplating whether to tell him or not but he deserves to know. She owes him that for this heartbreak.
"I'm sorry. It's not you, it's me." She quotes the famous punch line that heartbreakers always say.
"Don't give me that shit," Jason says through gritted teeth. He's trying to keep his anger at bay. He can't afford to get mad at her. Even if she's breaking his heart. All he needs is to know why she's doing this.
"It's just that I like someone else and......." Her voice cracks. "I don't want to string you along. I started having feelings for someone else and it wouldn't be fair to keep dating you," she explains, already sobbing.
"Who's it?"
He watches tears roll down her cheeks. If there's anyone that should be crying in this situation, it should be him. He's the victim here and she's the one ending things so why the tears?
"I can't tell you," she whimpers.
"Why?"
"I'm sorry, I just can't. It's better if you do not know," she blubbers.
"I...I can't do this anymore." She says and hurriedly walks out.
He covers his face with both hands after some seconds of staring at the exit. Why does it feel like she just walked out of his life? Maybe because she did.
He props his elbows on the table.
Minutes later, he's in that same position as Piper walks in. She notices him and walks to his booth.
"Jason?" She calls with uncertainty.
He hears his name, looks up reluctantly, and sees Piper.
"What's wrong?" She asks in concern. "Can I sit?"
He sighs and gestures for her to sit. She sits exactly where Hayley did.
She waits patiently for him to speak but he doesn't. She decides to get ice cream.
"Want some ice cream?" She asks as she stands.
He nods.
"What flavor?"
"Mint Chocolate," he replies with another sigh.
It isn't the end of the world. He just needs time to heal.
She goes to get them ice cream at the counter. She returns to the table with a bowl of chocolate mint for him and strawberry for her.
"Wanna talk about it?" She asks after sitting.
He hesitates and stares into her eyes. They do say a problem shared is half solved. And besides, what does he have to lose? So he tells her.
"My girlfriend just broke up with me," he laments.
"I'm so sorry," she mumbles.
So he had a girlfriend?
"It's not your fault. I didn't think Hayley would ever do this...."
"Hayley? That goes in my school?" Piper interrupts.
Jason nods.
"Wow. So how did you guys meet?" Piper inquires and just like that- a conversation begins.
Eventually, they graduated from topics about Hayley to other things, and at the end of their conversation, Jason finds himself smiling - feeling a lot better.