In the Last Chapter: 540Please respect copyright.PENANAq2RCHgB4RC
In the middle of the night, I realized I still hadn't texted Callie back, nor did I feel the need to. We never really talked too much in the first place, anyway, so it made no sense for me to have a meaningless conversation with her. 540Please respect copyright.PENANAwa1y9CNiIN
What I did do, though, was check up on Evvie. 540Please respect copyright.PENANA3lvyTIzuer
Me:
Hey. Just checking up on you.540Please respect copyright.PENANAuU1XaWFHPF
Shoot. I hope that didn’t sound too rude. All I wanted was to be a better friend than what I had been in the past. Maybe she won’t think of it as anything bad. I finished up the last bit of my homework when I got a message from both Evvie and Delcan at the same time. 540Please respect copyright.PENANA6gH8rgg9nI
Evvie:
I’m okay, Ezie. You don’t need to be so worried.540Please respect copyright.PENANA2DxriRE14P
Delcan:
Can we talk? 540Please respect copyright.PENANAARajNJRAHK
Why do I have to be faced with a hard choice? Of course, I wanted to talk to Delcan. The entire day some part of my mind as begging to know what was wrong with him today. He seemed angry like there was something that had happened before school started. Whatever it was, I wanted to make sure he was okay. But at the same time, Evvie had just told me a huge secret, and she probably needed support from me. I also had a duty to fill - becoming a better friend for her.
Then again, Delcan…
Why does life have to be so hard?
I responded to Evvie first, hoping Delcan would be okay if I didn’t respond immediately. 540Please respect copyright.PENANAHS4KImaN74
Me:
I know. But we don’t have to talk about that, of course. There are other things, too.540Please respect copyright.PENANASOu8aaQo8h
Evvie:
Other things like..? 540Please respect copyright.PENANAhfz3N9F8yG
Oh, great. Leave me with something to find out. I spent around five minutes thinking of a topic before texting my best friend back. 540Please respect copyright.PENANAplJm4EEB4U
Me:
The dance?540Please respect copyright.PENANAiawQ9fbJpx
Evvie:
Oh, no. Gosh. That’s going to be so annoying! Ugh.
Hey, are you taking anyone specific?540Please respect copyright.PENANABR17YvZFZQ
Me:
No.
I don’t even think he’s into that stuff in the first place.540Please respect copyright.PENANAVdEqM0qOj3
Evvie:
Yeah...but I wanna see him in a tux. You’re lying if you don’t wanna.
Oh! My mom said hi.540Please respect copyright.PENANAXMM9P7S02i
Me:
Tell her I said hi back.
Speaking of dancing, how are the dance squad and everything? I know Haven is the captain, but I’m sure it isn’t that bad.540Please respect copyright.PENANAVpdgKzubGn
Evvie:
No, it honestly isn’t. Haven’s not so bad when you get to know her.540Please respect copyright.PENANA5HZz5YupxL
Me:
I told you!540Please respect copyright.PENANAy1UVBL9DuD
Evvie:
Lol, you did.
Speaking of extracurricular activities, how have Adam and Thomas been? I’ve hardly been able to see them that much anymore. 540Please respect copyright.PENANA7EW0uGKAjR
Me:
I’d hate to admit that it’s kind of the same with me.
Adam has been pretty busy lately, and Thomas is acting pretty weird. He probably has a crush on someone.540Please respect copyright.PENANAbXCKV0g0rP
Evvie:
Oh, great. 540Please respect copyright.PENANAYYI19oHQus
She sent an emoji that was rolling her eyes, which I actually understood. Thomas was probably one of the only guys I knew who ignored everyone else when he had a crush on someone. He acts pretty paranoid, and also always tries to enter that person in a conversation. I haven’t been paying attention at lunch well enough to know who it could possibly be, though I’m sure it wasn’t too big of a surprise.
But on the contrary, Thomas always had more crushes than he did dates.540Please respect copyright.PENANAeGpHlXyrmC
Me:
I guess I’ll find out later or something.
Are you gonna go dress shopping or something? 540Please respect copyright.PENANAeFqmUc8Lku
Evvie:
Ha, with who?540Please respect copyright.PENANApVOxy30oZ9
Me:540Please respect copyright.PENANAgl5dJ982DV
I think Evelyn is going with Callie. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind you coming with them. 540Please respect copyright.PENANAKZJPZjAC3s
Evvie:
I think I’ll pass. Dress shopping can be so many hours. And trust me, Ez. When it’s a group, it could be an entire day. Going by myself would just be better.540Please respect copyright.PENANAdgpTlItONz
It wasn’t like I could even relate to her. I went out of her contact and texted Delcan quickly, hoping he’d respond.540Please respect copyright.PENANAQrKvyffUm7
Me:
Yeah, of course. 540Please respect copyright.PENANAI7e84cHJhm
He didn’t even read the message I sent him.
Great.
I went back into Evvie’s contact and began texting her again, sending a laughing emoji before changing the subject.540Please respect copyright.PENANARyxrUmGoVw
Me:
Yeah, that would be pretty crazy.
Have you finished your homework?540Please respect copyright.PENANACrZIhdESsp
Evvie:540Please respect copyright.PENANAsyRIb5SkTV
Holy crap. You’re so annoying!
Of course, I haven’t! I’m guessing you have…540Please respect copyright.PENANA206r1ClqsR
Me:
Well...yeah.
But while I was doing my homework, my mom said something.540Please respect copyright.PENANAqT7HaPu6yK
Evvie:
Spill it.540Please respect copyright.PENANAARmisQ8udO
Me:
She said, and I quote “If there’s anything you feel like you can’t say, I wouldn’t judge you. Nobody’s perfect, Ezra, and I don’t expect you to be either. Regardless, sweetheart, I’m still going to love you the same.”540Please respect copyright.PENANAQwaWw5CXhr
Evvie:
….
THAT’S SO SWEET OMFG.
EZ THAT PROBABLY MEANS SHE DOESN’T CARE HOLY CRAP DID YOU TELL HER?!! 540Please respect copyright.PENANAFqkjps2Fsg
I read both of her texts like she was shouting, which she probably was right now, or at least she would be smiling or jumping up and down. Evvie never let something like what my mom had just told me to go down. To be honest, though, it made me feel good to know she thought that was good.540Please respect copyright.PENANAjk1BKZdi5r
Me:
No, I didn’t.
Instead, I used the “I’m not a virgin” card on her.540Please respect copyright.PENANASEXDQuRCy1
Evvie sent three emojis with a heart that was cracked.
Evvie:
Aww. Well, you tell her when you wanna.
I still think that’s ADORABLE.
And that card? Really, dude? I’m sure she already knows.540Please respect copyright.PENANAZff6kXE8Ov
Me:
She knows because Dad made a huge announcement about it and then bought me a watch.540Please respect copyright.PENANAG3c25Ug11A
Evvie:
Lemme guess...Rolex.540Please respect copyright.PENANA1u8JI0LTjZ
Me:
Now guess the watch.540Please respect copyright.PENANAWX8WbjfzVd
Evvie:
Oh! The Oyster Perpetual?? I heard that the watch cost a lotta money.
I wasn’t ungrateful for the things my dad bought me, but I didn’t like the way he did it. For instance, there was this one time I got rewarded with a 2,000 dollar jacket after making a comment on a woman who was kissing an African American guy in public. I was really thankful, and fortunate that I was able to have such nice things - but it came at a price that made me feel like a horrible person. 540Please respect copyright.PENANA9JAFvtgv1O
Me:
Correct.540Please respect copyright.PENANAwNIqg49qYe
Evvie:
Wow. That’s crazy.
Besides that, though...did she believe you?540Please respect copyright.PENANArHCUENiGhO
Me:540Please respect copyright.PENANAXeViA2qdfc
I couldn’t tell, really. 540Please respect copyright.PENANAtm3Dqy0a2p
While I was texting the second text, Delcan responded. It had been seven minutes I had sent the message, which was exactly how long it took me to text him back. Actually, I wasn’t too mad about it.540Please respect copyright.PENANATHfmf2Su8j
Delcan:
I’m not apologizing for what happened at school today, but I do wanna talk.
Plus, I’m bored.
He wasn’t going to explain whatever the issue was this morning, which I was actually okay with. That didn’t bother me too much, but I was confused about him being bored and wanting to talk to me.
Typically, bored for Delcan meant posting a shirtless picture online with him doing something wildly inappropriate for his age. The last time he was “bored,” he posted a picture of him wearing black jeans and white underwear, which were pulled down to the point where you could almost see some type of mark he had on him. I looked at it for 30 minutes straight before giving up and going to sleep, never bothering to ask what it was.540Please respect copyright.PENANAu4YXEZOjiF
Me:
Okay.
Whatever you wanna talk about is fine, I guess. 540Please respect copyright.PENANAX4jm0SjKIZ
I sent the rest of the text to Evvie, deciding I really didn’t wanna stop texting to her and just focus on Delcan, who would probably ignore my message for a few minutes before he started talking again. 540Please respect copyright.PENANAUlzOG1k6Fm
Me:
It’s just weird, Eve. I don’t really know. 540Please respect copyright.PENANAHdljqtp0XU
Evvie sent a heart emoji of the rainbow, then following with a laughing emoji. 540Please respect copyright.PENANAKQfa3MV0HQ
Evvie:
I don’t know what’s wrong with me!
Seriously. Tonight, I might not get too much sleep.540Please respect copyright.PENANALLDk1ubklm
Delcan:
Could you please explain the homework to me? I know that I’m right, but the computer doesn’t say that. 540Please respect copyright.PENANA4IGb17kIWg
What does that even mean?
Delcan seemed to have a desire to be right, but if the online homework said that the answers were wrong, clearly, they were. I’m sure he was talking about the science class I had to take last year, which was highly consisting of online work that would take hours to finish - regardless of your knowledge.
I smiled while texting him back, feeling better that I was smarter. 540Please respect copyright.PENANAI50abO2sNJ
Me:
Well...I don’t know. Maybe they’re wrong, Delcan.540Please respect copyright.PENANAJrCE8uoedv
Delcan:
No, they aren’t! I think the program is shutting down or something. It’s an old technology programing, anyways.
Me:
That’ll be a new excuse for Mr. Forkmart. He’ll believe you.540Please respect copyright.PENANAotqLvYBkaz
Delcan:
I’m not lying! The programing is seriously 34 years old. Our parents probably used this ↹.
But...my dad kinda wants me to get good grades, so...help me.540Please respect copyright.PENANAyYNJSj5fAg
I wanted to ask how on Earth he knew how old the computer programing was, and also if that number was simply random or something - but it didn’t seem like a time to ask. On top of that, I was trying to decide if I was upset that he was asking for my help, or happy about it. 540Please respect copyright.PENANAKWizDqARsq
Me:
Why should I help you?540Please respect copyright.PENANApnyAJyYqYP
Delcan:
Oh, don’t be petty about things, Ezra. I make out with you whenever you want and the second I want something, you’ve gotta be upset? 540Please respect copyright.PENANAi6AezOm4mE
Me:
You kissed me, just for memory.540Please respect copyright.PENANAlTzjK75hMG
Delcan:
I will screenshot this.
Come on. I need your help. 540Please respect copyright.PENANA8Ip6Qotkls
Me:
What do I get out of helping you get an A?540Please respect copyright.PENANAyrMzaCCklb
Delcan:
I’m already taking guesses, but ask something, and I’ll see what I can do.540Please respect copyright.PENANAjcEhbWOxKH
See what he can do? What does that even mean?
I had already decided that I was going to help him. It would suck if he was unable to get into a college, though it was also confusing. Considering how odd he was acting - it was reminding me of Haven. She would always change her mood before I even had time to catch up with the glare she had given me 20 seconds ago.
For two minutes, I had to find the homework from last year and sent the screenshots to Delcan. 540Please respect copyright.PENANA1L9vQIgmGM
Delcan:
Thanks. I owe you.540Please respect copyright.PENANAAoBMUUHEV7
Me:
Yeah, you do.
Is that seriously what you wanted to talk about? 540Please respect copyright.PENANA6eeq3CCDd5
Delcan:
Pretty much.
And in return...
My sister has some type of casting for I don’t know what. My parents (stupidly) went with her. I say you have another 2 hours if you’re interested.540Please respect copyright.PENANA2TfIooocHM
I wanted to say yes and no at the same time.
On one side, I did like making out with Delcan. It was exciting, and it seriously got my blood pumping. But at the same time, I wasn’t sure if I was comfortable with just having a relationship that was only making out. If I ever told Adam or Thomas that, they’d probably slap me in the face.
I had a good..person I was dating. He looked much better than I did, and he was experienced enough to know how to make out with someone better than adults do. But, I didn’t want Delcan to think I wanted him for his body as others do. I did want to know him better since I was really getting confused about how desperate I have been feeling. 540Please respect copyright.PENANAJe07aYDjeE
Me:
We’re having a family dinner.540Please respect copyright.PENANAC5p3ZtKlv4
Delcan:
I have some tips on how to get out of them. I’m very good at it.540Please respect copyright.PENANASpphudN3X1
Me:
Do we have to make out?540Please respect copyright.PENANArNUgoPiTrB
Delcan:
If you’re suggesting what I think you are, the answer is no. 540Please respect copyright.PENANAhV3JWUJ17M
I scrunch my nose up, feeling my cheeks get red. The good thing is, he isn’t able to see it. I laid down on my bed, watching my hands shake as I texted back. That isn’t what I meant, I texted. You know, talking really helps relationships. He read the message but didn’t respond. Sighing, I texted Evvie back. 540Please respect copyright.PENANAUORncvmM85
Me:
Stay out of relationships, Eve. 540Please respect copyright.PENANAaErJEB3veL
Evvie:
Lol, I’m not thinking about dating for a LONG time.
Trouble in paradise?
Me:
I think there always is.
Do you think it’s bad that he just wants to make out?540Please respect copyright.PENANAijfPTNzfno
Evvie:
…
You’re complaining about making out with Delcan Heslop? Why, bro? 540Please respect copyright.PENANALpMi3eC31u
Me:
I’m not complaining! I just want something more. 540Please respect copyright.PENANAs8bs2ZS0f0
Evvie:
Then ask him! He’s done it before, Ezra. Just know that a height difference means...ya know. 540Please respect copyright.PENANAxPsL4wdOqZ
Me:
Evvie!
I meant just talking or something. Going out on a date.
(sorry for mentioning, but it needs to be relatable) I’m sure Rio took you out on dates a lot before things got more serious. We haven’t had a first date.540Please respect copyright.PENANAqd1mgAZaHn
Evvie:
Oh, okay.
What makes you think he doesn’t want a relationship, Ez?540Please respect copyright.PENANAEWpRXvSN82
Any guy would kill to be dating you.540Please respect copyright.PENANAo3zq5QkUvM
Me:
No, sorry. I shouldn’t bring this stuff on you.
Do you still like edible cookie dough?540Please respect copyright.PENANAYcvwui9WIX
Evvie:
Duh!! Ez, who doesn’t like cookie dough? Edible or not. 540Please respect copyright.PENANAOWEyd54US0
Me:
I was thinking we could spend some time together. It’d be nice to forget about boys for a while and just go back to us in 7th grade.540Please respect copyright.PENANA9Ljo0VuEOM
Evvie:
If that’s what you want, yeah. 540Please respect copyright.PENANAGMzLqzn539
She sent me a heart emoji just as Delcan responded to my message. 540Please respect copyright.PENANA4xGtiJhrqj
Evvie:
Let me see what days my mom is working.
Me:
Cool.
I gotta go.540Please respect copyright.PENANAxEjjGxNyBR
Evvie:
Okay. Bye, Ez!
Good luck with your relationship. Love ya. 540Please respect copyright.PENANAGPTC83bBY5
Me:
Love you too.540Please respect copyright.PENANA33yeyRt284
If I didn’t keep my relationship with Delcan, at least Evvie and I were still friends. It made me feel better that neither one of us were hiding too many secrets from each other anymore.
Now to deal with Delcan.540Please respect copyright.PENANAOOKwAAoYaa
Delcan:
You’re right. Family time seems pretty important. We could talk some other time. 540Please respect copyright.PENANAV0dB8BVZHx
Me:
Are you sure? I don’t mind staying up and talking afterward. 540Please respect copyright.PENANAJ8jd0jk9v9
Delcan:
Nope. I’m gonna finish this homework.
See you tomorrow. 540Please respect copyright.PENANA6rSPJWPfAJ
I didn’t respond, but I really wanted to tell him that I wouldn’t mind the two of us just talking with each other. But I knew that he probably wouldn’t listen - or care. I really hoped we weren’t fighting or something. With Haven, it was obvious to know when we're fighting (her friends would always glare at me in class before leaning into each other and talking about how horrible I was) before Haven finally told me she was angry. But with Delcan, there were hardly any hints. It was just there, and I had to try overcoming it.
Then again, I’m sure it’s not exactly great for the few hours I stay mad at him sometimes.
I stood up to put my phone on the charger, but then Delcan posted something online. He wasn’t exactly shirtless or showing his underwear lining, but there was a sense of teasing in the photo. He had taken the picture in the bathroom, his body turned so you could see how slim he was. The caption simply said “what to do…” with an emoji of a dead rose with it.
The picture isn’t what made my heart stop. Well, not exactly. It was the comment from Grayson Williams. What a beautiful burn you have, he commented, along with an emoji that was smirking and then one of those water ones. I straightened my back, feeling my breathing change.
When I looked back at the picture (which already had 2,030 views), I noticed the medium-sized burn he had on his left wrist.
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