Chapter 18

"I broke my own heart by loving you"-Unknown

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Day 8

I used to be romantic by heart. The first time I laid my eyes upon Justin in 9th grade, I was awe stake by his charm and charisma. He had many friends, everyone loved him and I wondered what it felt like to be admired by everyone having an endless supply of friends and being confident. I used every cliché romantic way to meet him. I intentionally run in to him, but he ignored me and went his way while I was on the floor pushed by his brutal force. I made sure we were in the same class, and I sat next to him but he never spar me a glance. I grew desperate as time passed by while the number of girls he dated considerably grew. I was left with only one option- Love Letters. Yes you heard me. I started to write these letters when we got to sophomore year till the middle of Junior year. I wrote him short letters and left those on his bag since we shared classes it was easy to slip it in. I used the name of your secret admirer. The letters were no more than two sentences, but they bared my heart. He made fun of one of the letters, tossing it to his friends and mocking this desperate chick who is obsessed with him, but I didn't let that phase me. May be it was stupid of me, but I like to refer to my self as tolerant. In the middle of Junior year, Justin broke up with his 5th girlfriend and I thought I needed to use this opportunity so I asked him to write something and put it in the 3rd seat at the library. Then I would reveal myself to him. I knew he was reading those letters, and I almost fainted when he came to the library that day. He surveyed the area in search of me, but I was hiding behind one of the shelves. He bent to the table and wrote something on the small pink paper I sent him. I took a deep breath before I opened the letter. It simply said 'NO' in capital letters. I swallowed the lump in my throat. I cried myself to sleep that night. Justin made me hate myself, and I stopped writing the letters altogether. I lied when Isa asked me whether I wrote the letters yesterday because I didn't want her to change the plan in any way. Besides, it was a long time ago. Isa didn't believe me though, she let go of the subject but she would narrow her eyes whenever she saw me, trying to make me spit it out. Even Sam and Penny didn't know I was the secret admirer and I plan to keep it that way. Both me and Isa's phone rang inside the small car startling us. It was an incoming call for Justin. Isa picked it up while I silenced mine.

"Hey man." It was Benjamin. He and Justin call each other often.

"Hey," Justin's voice was sleepy. We were outside his house for hours on the weekend, and he is sleeping. How ironic.

"Wake up. You are losing yourself," Benjamin panted. "Come here before you lose your shape."

"I am not feeling it," Justin groaned. He was slapped, betrayed and soaked in juice in a span of a week. Of course he is feeling lazy.

"This girlfriend thing is getting out of control. I have the perfect girl for you." That pickled our attention. "But you need to come here in 30 minutes. No excuses." Benjamin disconnected the call. I don't know where here is, but I am ready to find out.

"Who did you think it is?" Isa asked, sliding her fingers across the notebook where the names of 7 girls written on with 4 names canceled out.

"I don't know. We have to wait and see I answered." within 20 minutes Justin was driving downtown. We followed him, the air tense since yesterday. Isa knows I wrote those letters and waiting for me to confess, and I on the other hand refused to budge. He parked across a huge building and went inside. He had blue backpack in his hands. I opened my door to follow him inside, but Isa also killed the ignition and came with me locking her car. I didn't ask anything when we went inside. Justin was inside a glass elevator which took him to the 34 floor. We followed suit and at last we were in a spacious hallway. The slapping of our foot was echoing throughout the space, but it got swallowed by a heavy voice coming from a room at the end of the hall. It was a glass room equipped with different machines. I recognized it was a gym. There were not many people inside so I spotted Justin easily. He was getting ready to hop on a bicycle looking thing. Benjamin was there too, talking with Justin. Noah was doing pull ups, his concentration was on what he was doing. Lucas was shirtless, his hands grabbing and lifting an impossibly heavy looking weight, his teeth grounded and his veins popping out. The only one missing was Leo. I understood where our school football team got their physique. The gym had loud music basting. It was humming with energy.

"Are you members?" asked a bluffly guy. I was thankful Isa was with me. I would have blabbed nonsense.

"No, but we would like to be.'' she smiled at him. He just grunted and pointed to a reception area where a blond sat, typing something on her computer. Surely playing a game. "Thanks," Isa said and pulled me with her to the lady who didn't lift her head, even if we were in front of her. "Hello!" Isa knocked the counter.

"Yes," she answered, still focused on her laptop. Isa took a deep breath and continued.

"We would like to have membership." Now she glanced at us, and smirked. We were two young girls dressed cheaply, and this place reeked of money.

"You can't." she popped her gum.

"Why not?" Isa shouted, angrily.

"It's too expensive for you." receptionist lady answered rather rudely.

"Let's decide that. How much for membership."

"Monthly, 3000k for 3 days a week.'' she answered, folding her arms with a smug expression.

"We will pay." Isa said, and I frowned at her. There is no way I am paying 3 grand to exercise.

"Not only that, you need to have a recommendation from one person who is already a member to get in." the lady was getting tired of the conversation.

"What is this?!" Isa raised her voice. "It's just a gym or does it turn you to a goddess for stepping inside?" she asked no one in particular. I pinched and pulled her with me towards the elevator before security threw us out.

"Isa!" I hissed when she struggled in my hold. "Why-" before I finished, someone got in the elevator with us. Someone from the gym. He was sweating, and he had his earphones on. He is so tall and muscular with tattoos adoring his arms. His hair was ink black. Me and Isa looked like dwarfs in his presence. Isa got close to him and started to analyze him, getting on his face with slit eyes. "Isa." I scolded before she freaked this man. I pulled her and she tried to wiggle free. His attention shifted to us for a second. I was pulling her and she, fighting me- Embarrassing. But he ignored us completely. The lift opened at last ,saving me any more embarrassment. "What is wrong with you?" I said when we left the building.

"I know that man." she concluded. "I know him from somewhere." Isa said when we got to our car. She was thinking out loud, I rolled my eyes at her. It is not a big deal she knows the guy or not.

"Isa." I shook her, to pull her out of her trance. "What do we do now? You heard the lady. We can't get in."

"Hmm," was what she said, her eyes fixed upon the guy who was on the elevator when he got to his truck and drove off.

"Maybe we could work as cleaners." I smiled at my idea. That would work plus we will get paid

"No I am not cleaning anyone's dirt." Isa shuddered. "You will workout there, I will make sure of that." I didn't argue because the probability of me working out paying 3k, apart from the fact that I hate sport, is small to nothing.

***

Day 10

'4 girls in a week and Justin Black had no luck with any girls. After a few days of being slapped in front of the whole school, he lost his chance with 3 girls. It's not looking good for Justin after his breakup with Georgina at the beginning of this year. His attempts with girls are looking desperate. It's true what they say, the higher the pedestal the harder the fall. Are we witnessing the fall of the great Justin Black?'