Chapter Two

Tatiana's POV

I wake up with a striking headache due to all the crying I did yesterday. I still feel very bad about Jo's death and it's going to take a very long time before I get over it but I need to be strong for Josie.

I stand up from my bed and walk to the bathroom, wash off the salt on my face. My long blonde hair seriously need washing at least I need to look best for Josie, I say to myself.

My closet is a mess, I really need to arrange them but I will do that later. I walk out of the bathroom after my warm bath and head to the closet to find a perfect outfit to cheer me up. Does clothes cheer people up? I do wonder. I put on a white crop top and a black skinny jeans. I have no time to dry my hair so I pack it in a messy bun grabbing my puffer coat. As I am about to stepling out of the room, I see the ankle boots. The brown ankle boots Jo gave me last year May for my birthday. I remember I had stop wearing it when we fell out. I am glad I still have something that connects me to Josie. I put it on quickly and rush to the kitchen to grab breakfast, I am running a little late today.

"Good morning baby" Mom and Dad says almost together. They are cuddling and drinking coffee.

"Good morning"I grab a pack of my favorite cereal with a carton of milk and pour them into a bowl consuming them within a twinkle of an eye. Not like that is possible.

" slow down honey" mum says and snatch the almost empty bowl from my grasp. I giggle and kiss her goodbye,. giving dad a hug I head out.

The cold February wind hits me so hard as I step outside causing me to shiver. At least it isn't snowing but it is really cold. I zip up my coat and warmth feels my body. My gaze flick to the bicycle at the edge of the house and my eyes gets teary. it had two sits, and Josie and I always rode to school together but now it's gone. I get the saying now, you should truly enjoy the moments while it last. I dab at my eyes and open my car turning on the heat and hum quietly placing my head on the steering wheel forcing the tears back. After about ten minutes I finally calm myself but I don't feel like driving anymore. I climb out from the car and take my beanie from my bag and wear it on my head. I shove my hand into my pocket and starts the walk to school not for once minding the distance.

I finally get to school but my legs ache so bad and I am certain the second bell has been rung and now I have geometry. I groan in frustration. I really hate geometry. Coul this day get any more worse?.

I drag myself to my geometry class and luckily for me Mr Locke doesn't even spare me a glance. I sit at the last chair at the back and put my head on my desk zoning out whatever Mr Locke was saying. I know this behavior isn't right but I can help but remember how Jo being present at geometry always made me happy. I think I might lose my mind pretty soon.

The bell rings and I stand up yawning ready to leave until Mr Locke says in his annoying voice"everyone out , Miss Sanders wait behind"..Like I said earlier, today is so frustrating.

"Miss Sanders" he motions for me to come to the front

"What is going on?" I give him a confuse look. Did I tell him something was up?

" You didn't pay attention at all throughout the lesson"

"Nothing. just tired" I really want to get out of here.

"If it is about Josie you can talk to Selena like the school..."

"Nothing is going on. I am totally fine. Thanks Mr Locke" I say gritting my teeth and I walk to the door

"I didn't say you could leave" he says. Are you kidding me.

" you know, I never expected it to hurt you this much afterall you guys stopped being friends few months ago" I look at him in annoyance clenching my fist

"you just don't get it sir. Maybe you should try loving someone else more than yourself, maybe then you will understand that it doesn't take just four months to get over somebody you truly loved" I say and walk out of the class not seeing where I was going due to the tears forming in my eyes causing me to collide with someone or something. I almost fall but a ladylike hand holds me in place. I breathe in and look up to see Lucinda with a concerned look on her face.

" hey sweetheart" she hugs me "are you okay" I nod hugging her back and not letting go.

"I miss you and I am sorry. I broke the three of us and I know that" I say trying not to sob. she pats my back"you know that's not true"

"it is. it is all my fault" I insist. She breaks the hug and look me in the eyes " things happen sweetheart and most times we can't change the outcome but we can at least try to fix what is broken. What do you say about ditching school?" I sniff and give a curt nod.One day absence from school won't kill me besides I don't think I will be able to concentrate throughout the day.

We walk into the café where Lucy works and I take a sit as she go gets us coffee and a muffin for me. I pull out my phone from my jeans pocket. The time is just 9:30 and the day is already so boring. Lucy comes back with two go coffee cups in her hand and a muffin in the other. she is allergic to muffin. She sits and pass me a coffee. it smells heavenly. I take a sip and tears fills my eyes. I look at her.

"you remember?"

"of course" she says and then we both say at the same time"a raspberry caramel macchiato" we laugh

"you really love it" She says taking a sip of her hot cappuccino. I take it from my hand taking a sip myself then giving her back.

"all thanks to Jo" I never even liked coffee to begin with until Jo forces me to try it one day and since then, I have been in love. We sit in silence, the both of us probably thinking about the same thing

"I miss her you know" Lucy starts " we were perfect and I still can't believe she killed herself"

"Me too. I was at her house yesterday together with her mom, Caleb and Recca with Pat"

"I was going to come but got caught up here. So what did you guys do?"

"we went through old pictures and look at some of her old stuff and we found her diary. funny right?"

"I wouldn't have given much thought to the fact that somebody was going to end up figuring out where it was. She kept it goddamn well" Lucy says and give a little laugh "so did you guys read it?". I remember yesterday and how I felt when I realized that I should have listened to Josie and Jake that day. I can't tell Lucy. she will probably think I caused it and hate me so I lie"no". she stare at me not certain if I am lying or not.

" no shit Sherlock. stop staring at me that way. Her mom told me she wanted to you and I to be the only one reading it" I say trying to sound convincing.

" I would have really loved to go with you today but I have to attend May's ballet dance and after then off to work" thank goodness. At least she wouldn't know what we actually read yesterday. I really need an after school job to get my mind off things.

"I need a job. Any open spots?"

" I can speak to Rick for you but then you have to deal with you know who" she winks. yeah awkward boy from last night.

" He actually gave me a doughnut and a drink last night when I came looking for you" I tell her and she laughs" no shit. he's really into you and I don't think he will get any work done" that's true. maybe working here is a bad idea.

" I wouldn't want to be the reason he is fired" I say in all honesty. Lucy continues to laugh but then she finally stops as she sees someone or something. She smirks and say " or you can tell hot piece of cake at your back to land you a job at his dad's cinema" I immediately know who she is talking about. Jake. I don't turn but Lucy waves him over.

"Hey Tatiana" he sits on the other side of where I was sitted. I am nervous and I just nod. why won't I be? you don't just get over a two year relationship especially one that happens to be your first love in four months. And now that I know that what happened wasn't actually his fault, I can't help but wish things never went down that drain. I stare at him, his brown hair tousled up on his head but actually looks good and his icy blue eyes twinkling as he chuckled to whatever Lucy was saying. Cut it off Lucy. He catches my eyes on him and holds my gaze in a stare down contest. I finally give in and raise an eyebrow

"what?"

"you were the one staring at me"

"that's because nobody wants you here. who even invited you to sit with us " I say not that I mean it but my ego is so high that I can't seem to reason what I am saying. He looks at me for long and gets up " okay then. see you later Lucy" he tells Lucy and walk away and I feel the sharp pain in my chest and I almost call him back that I was only messing with him but instead I stay glued to the chair blinking my eyes furiously to avoid any unnecessary tears. Lucy looks at me and sighs " I just don't understand relationship but what I do have an idea on, is how to have fun. Let's go" she drags me up and I grasp on to the table

"if your idea of fun involves playing video games, count me out" she stills and shrugs

"it could be fun you know, what can be better than a game of fortnite" I hate video games and she knows it but she is so much obsessed with them but as it is right now, I will do anything to get my mind off Josie and Jake so I let her pull me along.

JAKE'S POV

I seriously don't know why Tatiana keep acting this way.Fine, I know I fucked up but it wasn't really my fault. I mean if not for that stupid dare.... actually the dare wasn't debatable. The team played a game of dare and whosoever didn't do what was asked wasn't going to play in the next match and even though I was the captain of the captain of the blue devil's, I was no exception. I was dared to kiss Josie and I was an idiot to do so. I guess guys are just like that you don't want anything tainting your ego and I didn't want to be cut off from the match. It was later I figured out that the reason Simon dared me to kiss Josie was so he could get a shot of it and send it to Tatiana but as fate would have it, he didn't even need to take a picture because Tatiana was there and saw everything and ever since then, I have always regretted listening to Simon but one thing I didn't regret was breaking Simon's nose after the incident.

My phone vibrates in my back pocket, checking the caller ID it is Watson.

"Hey Wat" I greet and sit in the driver sit of my Mercedes Benz c300 sedan. Cool right? Of course.

"Ralphy my boy...I have been standing at the airport for five minutes now". seriously man, just five minutes. Was I supposed to go wait at the airport till the plane lands? he infuriates me so much and likes to be bossy and he is not even my dad. Mom and Dad are no longer together. Trust my dad not to tell you to come pick him up at the airport, he had drivers for that and from what I heard him say, he's thinking of buying a private jet. He is currently in Europe as that is where he is from. He is British and the name 'Atkinson' is well known around London and I am stuck here with Mom. I like it here, I really do. I have friends and I have things I love here like football and then there used to be Tatiana compared to London. The eleven years I lived in London, I had only two friends and they were the nanny and her daughter who was two years older than I was. Mum couldn't cope. She loved dad but she craved for the attention but dad couldn't give it to her as he was always out of the country and at the end the marriage didn't work and they went their separate ways because Dad wasn't ready to limit his travel and Mom wasn't just there for the money. She could manage herself. She moved back to Ohio where she is from and brought me with her but that doesn't mean I don't see Dad. I go to London every holiday and in fact even though Mom and Dad are no longer together, they are still good friends. Mom met Watson three years ago and Mom is with him because she says he is so romantic which in actual fact what I will call it is boring.

I arrive at the airport forty five minutes later but I don't let Wat know and decide to wait outside for twenty minutes. I look at my wrist watch and fifteen minutes have passed. I guess that's enough. I give him a text telling him am outside. Two minutes later he sits in the passenger seat after putting his bags in the trunk.

"You are late" he says

"You do realize it is a school day right? and I went out of my way to come pick you up" he is so annoying. He should be grateful I decided to come pick me up. mom was supposed to do it but she wants to give me a welcome surprise. Whatever that is.

"Hey son" He grins after some minutes looking at me.

"yeah ..hey"

"Ralph" he calls and I don't answer

"Ralph" he calls again and I don't answer and focus my eyes on the road. He taps me on the hand and I turn to him raising an eyebrow

"Why are you not answering, I have been calling your name"

"I actually can't recall my father naming me Ralph" I smirk at him.

"But as your step dad, I have a right to give you a name"

"you are not my step dad, was not and won't ever be" I say as a matter of fact. I just wish he would shut up but knowing Watson he won't.

"She hasn't told you yet?" He asks me. what is he saying this time around.

"Who hasn't told me what"

"Your mom and I will tie the knot this year. " he smiles. Wonderful. Just wonderful.

"I don't give a fuck about you and my mom. I really don't care" it's so frustrating.

" Well even though you don't care, I still get to be your step dad and we can have father and son time" I step on the break pedal and the car comes to an halt. I turn to him taking a deep breath" I DON'T GIVE A FUCK" I ive him a sly smile "Now get out of my car" I can see the shock evident on his face. He get down and grab his suitcase, his face red with anger. I pull away and drive off with the thought of Tatiana clouding my mind