CHAPTER~6~

Chapter6~~~~~

I had been staring at my phone for what felt like an eternity. My finger hovered over the screen, scrolling through messages that hasnt been read yet. I was waiting for something or anything from Travis , no text, no quick reply, not even a simple "hey, what's up?" for hours now, weird,

I tried not to let it bother me, but as the minutes turned into hours, my mind started to race. I kept asking myself why I cared so much and why was it so important that Travis and I kept talking? After all, we were just friends… right?

Arghhh!!! Maybe I was being dramatic. It wasn't like we had been talking for that long, I mean its only been like a month, We had met through Omegle, I got it right this time.

But there was something about him, the way he spoke, the way he made me feel like I could be myself without pretending to be something I wasn't. I had grown to enjoy our conversations.

But today? He had disappeared and that made me anxious. So when my mom asked me to go to the grocery store for her, I agreed without hesitation. Anything to get my mind off the fact that Travis hadn't messaged me back.

As I walked through the aisles, picking out the usual items, milk, eggs, bread and other stuff and somehow my thoughts kept drifting back to him.

I couldn't help it and it wasn't like me to feel this way. I wasn't the type to get worked up over a guy, but there was something about him that made me feel well something, I just dont know,

I checked my phone again but still nothing, not even a single notification from him, gosh maybe I was overthinking it. He had a life outside of chatting with me, right? He was busy, naybe something had come up. Still, the doubt worried me, and I couldn't push it away.

All of a sudden I saw him.

I froze in the middle of the aisle, staring at the familiar figure standing near the end of the row, It was Travis, but he wasn't alone,

Standing next to him was a girl, a girl who looked exactly like what I would imagine an emo girl would look like. She had dark pink hair that fell in soft waves around her face, and she was wearing a big black T-shirt with a skull graphic on the front and a short jean skirt,

She looked like she had just stepped out of a goth music video or something,

I felt something tighten in my chest, why was I feeling like this? Was it Jealousy? No it couldnt be!!!!!!

But then why did it bother me that he was talking to her?

It didn't make sense and it shouldn't make sense but there was surge of discomfort and slight anger that I couldn't explain,

I stood there for a second, just watching them, they were talking and laughing together and for some reason it stung me, I didn't even know why, it wasn't like I had any claim over him, he is just my friend but something about seeing him with her, just hit me in a way I don't expect.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to move forward,

'Get a grip of yourself , you're being ridiculous' I told myself in my thoughts,

I wasn't going to stand there like some kind of weirdo staring at them so I walked over to him, hoping I didn't look as awkward as I felt,

When Travis saw me, he was kind of syprised, "Hey its you, I was expecting to see you here" he rubbed his back neck and he gave me a small casual smile, the one that always made him seem so effortlessly cool,

"Hey! I wasnt expecting to see you either," I said trying to keep my voice steady and I forced a smile, even though it didn't feel real,

"What are you doing here in Tennessee by the way, I thought you lived in Kentucky" I added as the thought came in mind,

Travis shrugged, his hands shoved into his pockets,

"Yeah I had to move here" his tone was cool in such a emo vibe way,

"Emergency stuff yeah, so I came to get some groceries and ran into my old friend" he motioned to the girl beside him, who was still standing there, crossing her arms and observing us quietly,

She gave me a short nod, maintaining that chill and uninterested expression. I tried to smile back, but it felt like my lips were frozen in place. I didn't really know how to react to her cause she was just there and somehow that made everything feel even more uncomfortable,

"This is Ellen," Travis said, as if it was supposed to make everything okay, he seemed completely at ease, his attention shifting between the two of us,

"Ellen, this is Mercedes" he introduced me, hearing him say my name made my stomach numb, in a good way though,

Ellen gave a small faint wave,

"Hey," she said and her voice soft but flat, no enthusiasm and no excitement either, she didn't seem bothered by my presence at all, which was both relieving and frustrating,

I didn't know what to say. I just stood there for a moment, feeling like an outsider. Why was I feeling like this? Why was it so hard to just be cool about the whole situation? He was just talking to his old friend, right? They were just hanging out maybe no big deal!!!

Despite what I told myself, I couldn't help but feel like I was on the outside looking in,

"Soooo…....umm Travis why did you move Tennessee all of a sudden?" I was trying to force some kind of normal conversation,

"Like I said, emergency stuff, but I'm here now, so whatever, just getting some groceries, hanging out" he shrugged,

I nodded, trying to mask the discomfort I felt creeping into my chest,

"Right… well, I should get back to shopping," I said quickly, feeling the conversation slipping away from me,

I turned to leave, but I could feel Travis gaze on me as I walked away. It was subtle, but I could tell he was watching me,'What did I just do?' I wondered, my stomach twisting. I didn't know what I expected, but I felt like I had just made things more complicated than they needed to be.

I barely heard Ellen's voice as I walked down the aisle, but I could tell she and Travis were talking again. I didn't want to be the one who overanalyzed everything, but something about it all just didn't sit right with me.

Was I jealous? Did I 'like' him that way? It felt strange to even think about it but deep down, I couldn't shake the feeling that maybe just maybe, I was starting to care more than I should,

I walked down the aisle, trying to pretend that I wasn't feeling that strange knot in my stomach, as I reached the end of the row, I glanced back one last time, only to see Travis and Ellen standing there, still deep in conversation, but this time, there was something different about their interaction. Travis looked at his phone, then at Ellen with a slightly apologetic smile,

"I've gotta go," his voice casual but his eyes meeting hers in a way that made something twist uncomfortably in my chest,

Ellen nodded, her pink hair swishing as she tucked a strand behind her ear,

"Alright, but I'll need to grab that CD playlist from you next time," she replied him and her voice cool but somehow expectant, like they had done this before, like it was something she had every right to ask for,

"Of course " he seemed unbothered,

Travis scanned everywhere until he saw me again, he casually walked up to me,

"Hey girly, I gotta go Im in a hurry, Ill text you later, we cool right" he raised his brows,

"I understand Travis, alright no problem" I tried sounding cool but there was still the burge on my chest,

Ellen, for her part, didn't seem to care at all about Travis leaving. She just gave him a small, indifferent smile, as he waved at me goodbye then her, before watching him walk out the store,

I stood there, trying not to stare, but feeling like my insides were twisting into knots,

Why did it bother me so much? They were just friends, right?, but the way she spoke to him, the familiarity in her voice it made something sharp flare in my chest,

With one final glance at Travis's retreating figure cause I could see him through the store see-through glass from inside, I watch him hop on his power bike and rode off, I forced myself to turn around and head to the checkout.

I didn't want to stand there anymore, pretending that it didn't matter. I was being ridiculous,

'Just get the groceries and go home' I told myself immediately.

**********

When I got home, I unpacked the groceries quickly, trying to push the nagging thoughts of Travis and Ellen out of my head, my mom thanked me with a quick kiss on my forehead and grabbed the bags from me, already starting to put everything, I offered her a smile, but my mind was elsewhere,

"Thanks for getting the groceries, sweetie," she faced her back to me as she organized the fridge, "You're a good girl" she added,

"Sure mum its all good" I shrugged.

No sooner I heard the doorbell ring, I raised an eyebrow, wondering who it could be, I took a quick glance out the window confirmed it and it was Miley, my best friend, standing at the door with her usual bright and energetic smile,

I opened the door for her,

"Hey, what's up Bess?" I smiled trying to look normal despite the storm of thoughts still whirling in my head,

"I came to see my favorite person, my bestie!!!", she maintained her smile as she walked past me and into the house then she kicked off her shoes, making herself comfortable like she owned the place.

I couldn't help but smile as I shook my head, Miley had that way about her, she was so effortlessly comfortable in her own skin, and I loved her for it, she flopped down onto the couch and looked up at me,

"So, tell me whats up with you" she looked concerned,

"Same as always, nothing exciting" I sighed sitting next to her,

"Right, right, but that look on your face hits different Mercei, come on I know something's up I can tell" she raised her brows,

"It's nothing, really...Just… Travis, he was at the store with some girl, and I don't know why I just felt weird about it" I revealed,

"So who's the girl?" Her eyes lit up,

"Her name's Ellen" I muttered, "She had pink hair and a huge black T-shirt, all that typical emo style, I don't know, I just...."I trailed off,

"OMG Mercei, your clearly jealous" Miley's lips curled into a sly grin,

"No, I'm not!!! It's just… I don't know It's weird, okay?" I frowned,

Miley laughed softly and shook her head,

"Girl! don't even try to deny it, I've known you forever, you like him and it's okay to admit it" she drifted closer to me,

"No, I don't!" I opposed it, "He's just a friend, and I'm just… worried, It's nothing" I trailed off again,

Miley rolled her eyes still unconvinced,

"Uh-huh, right, sure" She leaned back on the couch and gave me a knowing look,

"It's obvious Mercei, you got jealous seeing him with another girl and I'm pretty sure you've been trying to hide it from yourself" she exclaimed,

I opened my mouth to protest, but Miley cut me off with a dramatic sigh,

"Look Mercei, if you really want to know if he likes you back, here's the best way to find out, kiss him" she grinned at me,

My jaw dropped after hearing her suggestion,

"What?!! Kiss him? Mi are you out of your mind?" I yelled in shock,

Miley leaned forward more, her eyes sparkling with mischief,

"I'm serious, Mercei, if you like him that much, and you're so worried about all this back-and-forth confusion, just kiss him and see how he reacts and if he kisses you back then you've got your answer" she sounded proud and firm,

"You want me to kiss him" I stared at her eyed wide, "Miley, that's..... I can't just kiss him!" I protested,

"Oh, but you can" she said with a teasing smirk, "you should bestie you're not going to know for sure unless you take the plunge, plus, you'll know if he feels the same way about you. If he pulls back, you'll know for sure that he doesn't but if he kisses you back...." Miley's grin widened, "Then you've got yourself a real, honest-to-god crush and maybe something more" she patted my shoulders,

I was speechless, my brain trying to process what she'd just said. I'd never even considered the idea of kissing him but now that she mentioned it, I realized that maybe just maybe, it wasn't such a crazy idea,

But was I ready for that? Could I really go through with it? I had to think it through properly.

*****

It was Monday morning, I was barely thinking about anything else but the conversation with Miley. The idea of kissing Travis kept playing on repeat in my mind, but I couldn't bring myself to decide if I was really ready to do something that bold. I had never kissed anyone before and even 'liked' anyone before no one had ever made me feel like this,

Travis, the guy I'd met online on a video chat app, the one I had grown to enjoy talking to made me feel things, and what if I kissed him he doesnt feel the same way? What if I ended up ruining everything?

What if he thought I was crazy? Oh Gosh!!!!!

I wasn't even sure if he liked me like that. He'd been cool with me, we chatted and even became friends, but that didn't necessarily mean he had feelings for me, of course not,

'Maybe Miley's advice was too much too soon' I thought to myself,

But then again, Miley was always the bold one, and I wasn't as bold as her when it comes to stuff like this, I was careful, second-guessing myself, always thinking things through,

Somehow, Miley had a point though, if I didn't do something about how I felt, I might lose the chance,

As I sat in class, my mind wandered, distracted, the teacher's voice was muffled in the background, and I couldn't focus on the notes I was supposed to be taking. My thoughts kept drifting back to Travis, to the way he'd looked at me when we first met, to the way he'd smirk and tease me to the way he acted cool with his emo style gave me warm and tiggling feelings inside and I could feel it deeply, even if I wasn't ready to admit it yet,

I didn't know what I wanted. I didn't know what would happen if I kissed him, what if he doesnt want to be more than friends? What if he hated me for it? Ohhh Jeeez!!!!! My thoughts spinned inside my head and I found myself more and more uncertain.

As the bell rang, signaling the end of class, I quickly packed up my things and hurried out into the crowded hallway, I wasn't looking where I was going, I was lost in my own thoughts, when I accidentally bumped into someone,

"Oh! I'm....so sorry!" It was a very shy voice and I looked up to see a girl a little younger than my age, she had big round glasses that made her look even more timid, and long brown hair that fell in soft waves around her shoulders and she was awkwardly clutching a stack of books in her arms, which had fallen to the floor with a soft thud,

I quickly knelt down to help her pick up the books,

"Hey, it's okay! I wasn't looking where I was going, I should be the one apologizing" I said trying to ease her nervousness,

"Thanks" she mumbled, her cheeks turning pink as she tried to gather the books back together and her hands were trembling slightly, but she kept glancing up at me, clearly shy but trying to be polite,

One of the books caught my eye as I helped her, it was an art book, a collection of illustrations and paintings and I couldn't help myself I really loved art and it made me so excited seeing a book like that,

"Is that a book on art?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me, "I love art, it's one of my favorite things" I added,

The girl looked at the book, then back at me, her shyness almost making her freeze for a moment,

"Oh, yeah, my older brother got it for me, he's the one who got me into art, he's really talented, and he taught me everything I know" she looked down shyly,

I smiled, feeling a warmth spread through me,

"That's amazing, What kind of art does he do? Do you draw or paint?" I asked curiosly,

She hesitated for a moment before answering,

"He's more into digital art and graphic and gothic design, as for me I like to do traditional art and digital art" she sounded soft but confident a little as she spoke about something she clearly liked,

"That's awesome" I praised her also felt interested, "I've always wanted to try digital art but I'm not very good at it, I'm more into painting and sketching" I revealed to her,

Her eyes brightened as she held up the book a little higher,

"I love sketching too, I think the sketches in this book are incredible, they remind me of something my brother would do" she smiled innocently,

We continued talking about art, and it was so easy to get lost in the conversation with her, it felt like we'd known each other longer than just a few minutes, there was something about her and it was her quiet enthusiasm, her willingness to share her passion that made me feel like I could be myself without any judgment.

"My name's Celia" she finally introduced herself after our conversation had naturally flowed into more personal topic,

"It's nice to talk to someone who actually likes art too" she added,

"Im Mercedes" I smiled warmly, "I'm glad we ran into each other, honestly, I was feeling kind of out of place today" I sighed,

"Same here too" she admitted, "This is my first day at this school, I've been really shy about talking to anyone, but you're the first person who's actually been nice and even spoke to me, everyone else just kind of ignores me" her expression drops,

"Don't worry I'm happy to be your first friend here, I'm sure we'll get along great" I smiled brightly,

Celia's eyes lit up, and I could tell she was relieved too,

"Thanks Mercedes, I'm really glad we met" her smile lit up,

Just then, I saw Miley walking down the hallway, her hand intertwined with Josh's, she was laughing at something he said, completely lost in her boyfriend, I rolled my eyes,

'Typical love birds' I thought to myself,

I waved at them, but then quickly turned my attention back to Celia,

"You're welcome and if you ever want to talk about art, or anything really, I'm here" I added, smiling at her,

"I'll keep that in mind. I really hope we can be friends" her smile widened,

As the day went on, I felt a little lighter, it was nice having someone to talk to, someone who wasn't wrapped up in their own world like Miley and Josh were.

By the time the school day was winding down, I felt grateful for Celia's quiet presence and glad Tyler wasnt a bother for me today, I guess he was boasting to his friends how sick his lame party was, arghh!!!

Finally, it was closing time, I was standing by the entrance waiting for Miley who was caught up in a mouth to mouth session with Josh, I couldn't help but roll my eyes again,

"Ughhh! Cant these two ever be private" I thought to myself again,

Just then Celia walked up to me,

"My older brother is here to pick me up" she said while glancing over her shoulder,

"Cool!, I'll be waiting for my friend Miley, it's nice having someone to talk to" I leaned against the entrance,

As we stood there, a motorcycle roared to a stop outside the school, My heart skipped a beat when I saw the familiar bike,

'Wait a second…...' I thought, my heart was suddenly racing,

The rider hoped down and as he took off his helmet, I felt my world stop,

It was freaking Travis!!!!

My mouth dropped open in shock as I stared at him, unsure of how to react, my heart was pounding and my thoughts were spinning in every direction,

My head was also spinning with confusion and I was in disbelieve he was standing few meters away from me,

What was he doing here???

Is he really here to pick up Celia???

Is he Celia's older BROTHER????