I didn't answer or reply to any of Ryan's calls or texts. I decided to pay him back for what he did I didn't answer or reply to any of Ryan's calls or texts. I decided to pay him back for what he did by playing his own game but with my way. While he kept his phone off, I kept mine on and straight out ignored his calls.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0x2SoaMj7
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It's Saturday, so naturally our usual coffee shop is hosting a karaoke night tonight. We'd often go there and conquer the place like it's ours. The guys suggested doing so tonight, and I couldn't agree more. It was a good distraction to lighten my mood a little. I invited Denise, who invited Charlotte and Veronica. I was a little surprised when Denise told me she's friends with the twins. Apparently, they all went to gymnastics classes together since the beginning of high school. They're really "dope" people, she told me. I didn't mind extra company anyway, and neither did the guys. They were actually pretty cool about it when I told them about the girls coming, especially Cody.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4bhtu4N1Tg
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"It's good to have some femininity among the group for once," Cody said.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhr3Yxk3vcQ
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"Say that again and slit your throat," I reply with a sarcastic, sweet smile.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8YBBUBQOm
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We went and greeted the workers like they're old friends. The whole group was there, even Amber (yay!), but I didn't see Charlotte around. I asked her sister, who told me that Saturdays are anime marathon nights, in which charlotte and her boyfriend, Luke, would watch anime shows all night.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKhNnkvUCb
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"They're Otakus," Veronica said.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMIT9nPQ4lT
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"Oh-Tacos?" I marvel at the unfamiliar word.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcrGxIGKYv
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"Yeah, I thought it was food, too," Denise said.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzliQlhvZs
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"It means their strong anime fans," Veronica clarified.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwGvafIlbg
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We started singing solos, duets, and even as groups. We didn't care about the people watching us as we sing unattractively. The boys would choose Taylor Swift or Katy Perry and sing along to the lyrics in their own girlish ways, and the girls would score their impersonation accordingly. I rapped along with Jordan and Cody a couple times and was crowned Queen of Rap by Denise, much to everyone's opposition.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJze8GXKX2
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We disturbed a lot of costumers and workers, who kept telling us to keep it down. That only made us sing worse and louder than before, earning more complains as a result. One of us earned a few claps from the audience: Tyler. He surely can sing like a pro, and he never ceases to impress us every time we hear him. Of course, whenever he held the microphone, Amber would cheer for him dramatically as if he's singing in a concert.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡinj25wHgLw
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I felt carefree, just doing what I wanted, careless of others' opinions and thoughts of me. I ignored everything else and focused on having fun. I pushed all the drama and troubles out of my mind. I didn't think of Ryan just once.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8eXIGTFnM
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Denise invited herself over to spend the night, much to Cody's satisfaction. I didn't mind her at all. Although I only met her two days ago, she's treating me like we're old buddies. She burrowed a pair of orange shorts and a spaghetti white shirt from my wardrobe and made herself at home. We grabbed junk food and drinks before going to the living room to watch a movie. Cody and Will were playing FIFA before we turned it off to watch our movie. We settled on Magic Mike because why not? Cody and Will cringed from the thought, so they moved to Cody's room to continue their game there. Kat and Rosie went to sleep early tonight, saying that they're going house shopping tomorrow early for Rosie since Kat had no work.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC5nosG37KQ
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My phone rang in the middle of the movie, lighting up with Ryan's picture. I silent it and go back to the movie.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkq8KavnAEs
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"You still ignoring him?" Denise asks.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWcLF5l3xSZ
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"Kinda."931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtM7GobqGbi
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"Kinda? Girl, you're totally shutting the poor guy off."931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQGxrCYlRF2
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"Well, he deserves it, "I shrug, sipping from my coke, "And are you taking his side?"931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ527BP5EZLX
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"I ain't takin' nobody's side, sister. All I'm saying is give him a chance and listen to what he has to say, you know?" She answers, quickly taking defense mode.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0q1KwzFhUX
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"He's making me regret worrying about him," I explain, "Like it's my fault at the end."931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAcXXrAdiZB
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"Maybe he just needs time before telling you what happened to him."931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡasc5V0jLWm
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQhjQNm6P8y
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"How much time? He needs to know that I'm not a patient person."931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0N0majmJXk
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"Well, then be patient for, Nicky, and maybe he'll be patient for you when you need time one of these days."931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWvH3Dt7xwu
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She rests her hand on top of mine and looks at me assuringly. I t feels nice just having someone like her to talk to when I need it. I never had a girlfriend before, so having Denise treat me like that is something new to me coming from a girl, yet it has some familiarity to it in some way.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0xie49ETRa
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"Maybe you're right."931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfXcTSe9zXK
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"Like hell I'm right! I'm Denise McQueen, Nicky."931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeLncFJ8Fqw
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGazev4TNU
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"What's up with the new nickname?"931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRpVVNbYRa
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVU3I5H8b5O
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"I just felt like it'd time I have a different name for ya."931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZLH8jp6Ou
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVshEnPAuat
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdyPLCHcPcz
After Denise left the next day, I spent my day in an inner battle with myself and debating whether or not to pay Ryan a visit to talk. Denise had me thinking about what she said all night last night till I came to the decision: I should go open up the topic with him. And yet I was never more hesitant about it. Even after getting his address from Dylan, who I figured would have it, I was still not close to decisive.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQNz7M2Mno
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I ended up taking Cody's car and waiting outside his house for 25 minutes, doing nothing. I took a deep breath before I left the car to walk towards his mansion. Oh, did I mention that he lives in a fucking mansion? The thing is so huge it can fit the whole school in it.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeKIRfEzr8P
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I pass by two guards, who don't bother to ask me who I am. They need to do something about their security. I mean, one of the guards just grinned at me like it's my place.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrdFMSb27k
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I reach for the doorbell, and as I wait for it to open, I recite what I was planning to say one more time.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSUZLSVlqBr
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡluJcBj9sLk
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Ryan, I know that there are things you prefer to keep hidden from me, but I want you to know that I care about you because you're my boyfriend and I care about you...931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVj8owjmiq5
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Shit, I'm really bad at this!931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlGlqP7lMk6
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The door opens, and I hold my breath in anticipation. A pretty lady in a maid uniform opens the door with a smile and my heart beats go back to normal. She asks who I am and I respond back, "I'm Nicole. Is Ryan here?"931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSBa076XmpS
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"Matilda, who is that?" A woman yells from inside.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡra13X303Al
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"It's a friend of Mr. Ryan, Ma'am," Matilda calls back.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9eS55A5dSK
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Listen, Ryan, I get that you wanna keep things from me, but you need to know that I only wanna help you...931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpz2REzWaL
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhcNerL2m2Z
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"I'll take care of it, Matilda. You can go now," Ryan opens the door wider. He was wearing a sleeveless tank with dark blue shorts and looked like he was in the middle of a tough workout session.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMOlAlmgwmi
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOwL5XnO9Dt
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"Shadow."931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe19BhEad03
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDwucSRPA1p
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"Ryan."931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSe1o5uItqd
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He waits for me to start, and for a few seconds, I forget why I came here in the first place. I guess it's because he looks like fucking beast with his muscles flexing and sweat dripping from his body that I got lost for words.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWRKcCtS18m
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And then I recall what I'd been reciting since yesterday.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmSJCJJspC
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"Oh, you um...forgot you pen with me." That's it Nicole, smoother than silk. What the fuck is wrong with me?931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgHXOWsMzY
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I point the pen in my hand at him, "I came to return it." I try hard to avoid his hard gaze that's piercing through my body.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvdOyeSOEYl
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"But this is not my pen," he raises an eye brow, humor and amusement simultaneously evident on his face.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvUxpcaoKN
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzc5IKoRzL
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"Yeah," I lift my hat up, brush my hair to the back then put it back on—an action I unintentionally do when nervous—and mentally curse myself and my damn dignity. The whole thought of apologizing or even admitting anything I've done wrong is not exactly something innate in me. Yes, it's selfish and not right, especially when it's really me at fault, but I can't bring myself to do it.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZuX5Kcerx
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Then again, for certain people in your life, you'd do whatever it takes to fix your relationship with them, even if it means bringing your stupid ego below their feet.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTX4IYSBGUx
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"It's actually Cody's; I found it in his car, and..." I trail off and watch his expression getting more and more humorous. "Look, I'm really bad at this."931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVlEKJ8y7Q
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhW0jpx2X4z
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"You don't say."931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0OZsYSI6v
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931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxs2zuidGR
"Please, just go with it as it is," I take a short breath. "I know I've been a little pushy lately. And I know that even if I'm you girlfriend, I shouldn't be like that. I also know that there are some things you don't want me to know. But I don't give a crap about all of this because I care about you. So can you just please let me in? I know I might be asking too much, but like I said before, I don't care about—"931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8uoD4w27Y8
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He cuts me off abruptly, holding my face with both his hands and kissing me intently. I kiss him back with similar affection, taken a bit off guard by the sudden gesture. He pulls apart a couple seconds into the kiss to look me in the eyes and say, "you know nothing, Shadow."931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlJ2hYbBBK
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"Huh?" I say, breathless.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxPOVkyM9T
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"I said you know nothing. All you said might be true to some other guys, but not to me. In fact, I wanna share with you everything about me—all my problems and stress. I was planning on telling you everything in the right time, but you never gave me a chance."931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5k6r29r9G
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡECmNJXRC3E
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"I'm sorry, Ryan."931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1jhwSIl3E
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaii5q9GuPl
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjhp4Vpnzi
"There's nothing to be sorry for. We both just had to get each other better, that's all," he then pulls me into a hug. "I know I can be really understanding, babe."931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx3dlrqBc5f
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNxFVMMPp06
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I push him away, "Don't get too full of yourself, Hastings." Then I punch his chest, "This is for interrupting me earlier," I punch him again, "and this is for hugging me while you're sweaty."931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDghbJCNd9
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"How sweet of you," he says sarcastically, rubbing circles around his chest. "Now, don't you wanna come in?"931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu6Ex0IDGfs
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"No, I better go back before Cody realizes I stole his car."931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5lnobfsYVY
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Right on cue, Cody's stupid face lights up on my phone screen. Ryan leans against the doorframe while I answer, only to earn myself a shitload of yells from my dear friend.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQfV6X09it
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCw2PycW5im
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"What the fuck, Nic? You stole my baby? Are you fucking me over, right now?! I told you I have a date tonight."931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiZJ4GFOW3
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He did?931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsqH1WLz5R
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"Calm down, bastard, I'm on my way back."931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV060bEN0V4
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"You better be here before I tie my shoelaces," and he hangs up.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZC4QDUSBwK
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"He really needs to see a doctor," I sigh.
