YOU AND I

Ignoring game

Chapter twenty:

IGNORING GAME

Emarald's POV:-

Monday morning, I woke up with a jolt which was half because of another crappy nightmare and half because I was late for school.

You tossed and turned all night, not sleeping till 3 in the morning, of course you were late.

Shut up, I don't need you right now.

I ran to the bathroom to do my daily routine much faster and wore the first piece of cloth I found in my closet which were luckily a black tank top, a dark blue hoodie that was perfect to swallow me whole in it, black Jeans and my black converse. I threw my hair in a messy bun while going downstairs in the kitchen to take a granola bar. Throwing my bag on my shoulders, taking my phone in one hand, I locked the main door and ran go school.

I reached there just when the bell to first period rang and I again ran to my locker to take my books. The hallway was almost empty and I could only see the hall monitors so I made my way towards my class speedily. I walked in as the teacher glared at me and made my way to the second last empty bench on the window side row.

When will she leave this school?

Concentrating when so much was on my mind was impossible so I ran my eyes on the rest of the students.

He wasn't here.

Must be late. But as much as I wanted to believe that, I couldn't. He didn't come late too and as the day went I got to know he wasn't at school at all today. Neither did he come the next day.

Wednesday, he came in limping with a black eye that was not that black now and was a little purplish brown and a bruised jaw in chemistry while I was all but yelling and jumping at him to tell me what happened.

What happened anyway? Did he fight? What happened Sunday night? I didn't ask. It wasn't anything about my ego but I wanted to smack his head so many times on the desk when he ignored me. Like not the 'We're in a class so we can't talk' but the 'I won't even look your way and if I do I'll just behave that I didn't' kind of ignoring.

So I too went on with the rest of the day but the urge to smash his head when he even ignored me in the hallways was ten folded and the number was increasing, I mean I didn't say anything that personal and if he did find it personal then he should have said so.

He didn't come to school on Thursday and Friday too, I tried to drop a message to ask him his whereabouts but whenever I wrote something I just erased it again and again. I tried not to pay that much heed about it by drowning myself in more and more work whole of Saturday. Sunday came and I did a face call to Ben while sitting cross-legged on my bed with a bowl of strawberry vanilla ice cream.

"Hey, big brother?" I sort of waved at him all the while balancing the ice-cream bowl on my lap.

"You're not sleeping again?" His tone was worried, he was also on his queen sized bed with an ice-cream bowl which I knew was filled with his favourite chocolate chip butterscotch ice cream that I despised.

"I try but I've been busy with school work lately."

"Liar. So, what's bothering you?" Rolling my eyes, I took a bite.

"Nothing is, stop worrying yourself." He shook his head in a disappointed manner. Drama queen.

"You know you can't lie to me so just give up the act and spill."

"Why are you so gay today?" Gay as in the happy kind not the 'I like boys' kind.

"Met a girl or a boy?" He mock glared at me at the last option.

"Stop doubting my masculinity, sister and yes, I met a girl. I don't know who she is but I met her in my literature class yesterday and Emma, she is so cute like so goddamn cute." I grinned evilly at him.

"All the details, I want all the details."

"I was walking to my literature class when I bumped into her and all of our books fell on the ground and then we started to collect them and fortunately I took the wrong book with me which she came to return after class and then I asked for her number and we are going on a date this Friday." He explained to me, with the biggest grin I have ever seen on him.

"I am happy for you." I told him truthfully, smiling. I so made him forget his questioning round with me.

"Then let me be happy for you too and just tell me what happened?" I so did not.

"It's seriously nothing okay, stop worrying!!" I said exasperatedly.

"I can't kiddo, you're more than family to me." He got me. He should stop saying these kinds of things or I'll turn into a giant Marshmello.

So I went on with the story of my life, which I know is too dramatic to talk about because it wasn't that big of a deal that I was being ignored by one of my friends and I was again getting those nightmares every single night since Sunday.

"It will be okay. Everything will be okay." My brother's soothing voice said.

"When, Ben when?" Rhetorical questions were my every day deal.

"Wow, it rhymed." And again I thought about Brett and the first night when he stayed at my house.

In the same bed as you.

So not the point here, Brain.

"How's he?" He knew who I was talking about just by tone.

"You know I want to tell you..."

"But you won't." I looked up at the roof of my room trying so hard not to burst into tears. I missed him. He was my brother. Real brother. As much as I loved Ben and Justin, I knew nobody could take his place. Nobody.

"Tell him... tell him I... miss him and I'm sorry... I am so so sorry and if I could I would take it all on me, please.... Bye." My voice kept breaking and I cut the call before hearing him say anything.

Even if it was just six in the evening I cried myself to sleep.

The next week went by swiftly too and I was happy that at least Jake wasn't ignoring me like his oh so arrogant best friend and now it was Friday and I was being convinced to go the the party at one of the cheerleader's house. It was the top of the topic this week so almost the whole senior crowd was attending the party and I had no say in the matter.

The stubborn ass I was I tried faking sickness which was way too cliché but it got ruined when everyone came to my house to check up on me.

The doorbell rang and I took my butt downstairs, rubbing my eyes to make my acting more natural and opened the door.

"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" Checking up doesn't take more than one person and here I got six.

"We came here to check up on you." Mike said. Of course, was what I wanted to say, "And now you are leaving?" was what I said.

"Stop acting! We know you're not sick." Hannah smacked my head, rolling her eyes.

"You don't had to act, you should have just said." They were looking so down because of me and I hated it.

I'll regret it.

Oh, you will.

"So, who's helping me get ready?" I smiled. Got six grins in return to it.

Hannah, Anne and Bianca helped me choose an outfit on which we settled on a black off shoulder one piece which came till mid thigh that had net lines in the stomach area and black wedgies with my hair in a high ponytail ending with ringlets, which were perfectly done by Anne. Bianca did my make up which was smokey eyes and a blood red lipstick because apparently I rocked red lips.

We came down to find the boys hoarding my kitchen like jungle book and I knew I had a lot of cleaning up to do. I was greatful that none of my chocolate goodness was caught by them because I didn't keep a lot of my chocolates in the refrigerator, my stash was hidden in the last shelf of my closet.

"Guys, enough. I think we should get going and by the way I'm getting two kit kats each. No questions." I said that and made my way smugly to the main door, all of them groaning and trailing behind me.

We went there in two cars, me, Mike, Bianca in one and the rest in the other. By the time we reached there the party was in full swing and more cups and drunken teenagers were present there, dancing or singing more like yelling out of there minds. Tell me why I agreed?

You're insane?

Your brain capacity has been damaged?

You wanted to maybe see if he came?

You are....

Okay shut up.

We crossed the supposed dance floor to go the kitchen. It was filled with people too who were drinking or just hanging around the bar. I was so not drinking today. Like not at all. I was dragged after a few minutes to the dance floor by the girls and we danced, bobbing our heads, moving from side to side and basically doing any moves that we could think of. It may have been an hour before I again retired in the kitchen with a sealed bottle of water that Joey gracefully supplied me with. He was so cute, in a brotherly way and I also saw a lot of chemistry between him and Hannah. Shipping.

I drank out of it and nobody in our group was present with me, the girls were dancing, Joey and Jasper were with some of the jocks football team and I saw Mike taking a random girl upstairs. Ladies man.

Where was Brett anyways? He should be attending these kinds of parties right? And why am I thinking about Mr. I ignore people for no such reasons? Ugh. That infuriating little chicken. He's doomed. Like he can't ignore me for nothing serious, he has to talk to me whether he likes it or not. His ignoring game is over.

I sat on one of the seats placed in front of the bar counter with my back pressed against it, my gaze set on the floor.

"You want a drink, babe?" Came a voice above me. I looked above and a creepy looking guy was looking at me like well I was a food, meat to be precise.

"No." I declined trying my best to be polite.

"Let me fast forward, we can go somewhere then." He grinned sickly, he was looking high too.

"I said no." I gritted my teeth.

"Oh, common." He clutched my hand.

"No, means no." I snatched my hand from his hold and went to find a washroom and fortunately found one on the first floor. I did my business and went out in the lobby when my hand was caught in someone else's and I was pulled inside one of the rooms. It was dark but I could make out a silhouette of a person in front of me. I was pulled in a chest very rudely and the person clutched my back to his body. Yuk.

"Shouldn't have said no." I recognised the voice immediately, he was the same guy I met a few minutes ago downstairs. What the hell?

"Leave me alone." I yelled. He hardened his hands around me.

"I said leave me!!" I couldn't do anything, he was very muscled.

"No can do babe." His creepy voice said in the darkness. I freaking hated dark, I was frightened to death, I tried to break free of his arms but it was becoming difficult as he was tightening his hold on me.

"Please, don't touch me." My was begging and breaking at the same time. He didn't let go but started laughing. It was torturous.

"Please, please!!" I begged.

"I think I know the exact thing you should beg for." He answered laughing, maniacly.

"Plea...." The guy's arms loosened around me suddenly so I kicked him where the sun doesn't shine and ran out of there.

Just as I opened the door, I saw him. Brett. He was here. And I was fine. I threw myself at him and hugged him with all that I could and I..... The rest of my thoughts jumbled when I left consciousness, in his arms.