HIS UNMATCHED AFFECTION

Chapter 5

Eric's POV

I've been checking my watch. James said thirty minutes and it's five minutes now past the deadline there's no sign of them. I'll hate it when she gets suspended for skipping school when I had the power to stop it. I can take on James any day any time. Am Pacing up and down at the back of the class. Mrs. Miller is already at the door. If she marks her absent it might get her in trouble in addition to the lack of concentration saga a few weeks ago. I get out my phone and text her.

E: where you at?

She reads but doesn't answer. Why the heck is she ignoring me? Did James do something to her? I text again. This time with the red angry emojis.

E: Mrs. Miller is already here get your ass in class Stacy.

S: Don't you give up??

E: No I don't.

S: it's time you did. I told you. You don't have to protect me anymore. You're not my father.

That's mean. I stare at my phone. I don't know what to text her back. Clearly she is not herself. I can't judge her anyway if I don't know what's going on. And from the look of things she can't talk about it via text. I need to get to her quickly.

"Eric Brown what did I say about cell phones in my class?" Mrs. Miller says adjusting her spectacles to look at me.

"Am sorry Mrs. Miller it won't happen again" I say keeping my phone away.

"Bring it over here. Am tired of your empty promises", She says.

No way she can confiscate my phone. How will I get to Stacy when she has my phone? But If I don't hand it to her I might risk disciplinary action so I don't have an option here. I need to get out of this class. I walk towards her desk in front of the class with my phone at hand. She snatches it and keeps it in the drawers.

"Good see me after class", She says as I walk back.

Am seated on my chair but my mind is far away. Miller looks around the class. She already knows everyone and am sure she can tell Stacy is missing. All the other members of the fairest five are present.

"Where's Stacy Author?" Mrs. Miller asks.

"She went to the library, I was actually texting her before you confiscated my phone", I say confidently.

"Why don't you go get her, am not giving you the phone if that's what you think", Mrs. Miller says.

Even better. I walk out of the class. I have to find a phone and call her first. I have a friend in the library who can lend me one. Am on my way to the library when James pulls over. He gets out of the car banging the door. There is no sight of Stacy. The i***t son of a b***h left her. I March right towards him. My hands clenched into a ball of burning fists. The anger that's building up in my chest needs a punching bag and there's one right in front of me.

"Where is she?" I asks keeping distance.

James stops. He looks angry and confused too. I pity him. She must have told him about Jake. He has every right to be angry but we both knew it wasn't going to last. James and I are quiet similar. We work twice as hard for the same things other people like Jake get easily.

"I don't want to see that w***e", He says angrily.

"Watch your words James or I'll make you eat them", I threaten.

"You act like you scare me Eric. The only reason I've been buying your bullshit is because she sees you like a brother. But now. Now that chance is over" He says charging towards me.

Am already in a lot of trouble. My phone is confiscated, I might miss miller's class on top of lying to her where Stacy is and now James is looking for a fight. He swoops me off my feet. This is tough tuckle. Lucky for us no one is watching. We going to beat the crap out of each other. James sends heavy rights to my face. I keep blocking them until one misses and lands on a stone. He groans in pain and I get an opportunity to send an upper cut right under his chin. He is bleeding but am not done. I put him in a head lock. He taps quickly gasping for air.

"At the sea", He says coughing and handing me his car keys.

"See it isn't that hard", I say smiling.

Stacy's POV

I can't believe James admitted he doesn't trust me after all this time. I get it he was mad but telling me in my face that he doesn't trust me hurt my feelings. To make matters worse he left me here all alone. With my bag pack after bringing me all this way. It's the worst break up I've ever seen. Why bring me all this way? For the record I never admitted I like Jake but now I can say it in his face. Am now free which gives me more freedom to kiss him whenever I want. When he kissed that girl I never asked him if he liked her or not. I stayed mad at him for a week and let it slide. Now he is treating my f**k up as a felony.

This whole day is ruined now. I just want to finish my milkshake and enjoy the view of the sea the whole day. Right now I need peace. I need to stay far away from boys for some time. All of them including Eric who can't stop reminding me of a stupid class. It hurts to find out that someone you love doesn't trust you when he was the first one to beak the trust and you had the audacity to pick the pieces of your broken heart and put them together again. When it's your broken heart that was still beating for them. Then one slip is enough to make them go away and pretend like you don't exist.

When I walked away on him I expected James to put on some kind of a fight. I know I messed up and I have some regrets but now I don't.

"Hey, he told me what happened are you okay?"

A familiar voice asks from behind. Eric is like a pack of hyenas. No matter how tough a lion might be they can't just let it go until they have their own share. I ignore him sobbing silently with my head berbercued between my legs. My phone beeps.

" Get out of here Eric I told you you're not my father, how mean can a person be?"I ask checking my phone

The Browns are like little bugs that you can't just squash. Every time you try they slip through your fingers.

J: I can see James isn't himself everything okay?

I can't talk to him right now. Clearly he is the one who told him. The one behind me can't go behind my back that's why am friends with him.

"Well am not leaving without you", He says seating besides me.

"You're seriously going to stay here with me coz am not leaving", I say

On second thought Jake might have just set me free from a relationship without trust. I owe him an angry girl lecture and the meeting he requested. This time I'm not kissing him. Boys are toxic. But I have to text this one back.

S: You told him even after I made you swear. I was going to tell him myself you dumbass.

"try me. What happened?"Eric asks.

" Your brother told him we kissed and he asked me if I like him I didn't say anthying Instead I asked if he doesn't trust me and the he said yes right in front of my face! "

"Calm down" Eric says.

His tone suddenly changes from confident to a weak and uninterested one. I have alot on my plate right now I don't have time to worry about him.

J: He was going to find out anway. I did you a favor. You still coming at the pool?

"Keeping quiet when he asked if you liked him sounded like a yes", Eric says.

"So you are on his side?" I ask staring at him before I text his i***t brother back.

S: Will come.

"No, who are you texting in the middle of a break up anyway?", He asks curiously.

Right now I don't care what he thinks. Am not lying about s**t just to massage his make ego. Am a free spirit.

"Am texting Jake", I say confidently.

The expression on his face changes instantly. He is suppressing his anger. He better does. I didn't ask him to come. As a matter of fact I warned him not to.