Chapter Twenty-Seven

                                    

                                          
Chapter Twenty-Seven
                          
Walking down the halls to my Sunday class, emptiness grew with every heavy step. Things with Dom had gotten far worse, and thoughts of him invaded others, sending pangs of hurt down with every breath. I didn't see where I was going, bumping into people and just ignoring them without even glaring once in their direction. My feet automatically took me to my class and into a chair someone had prepared for me, ignoring the strange stares that followed me down the corridor.
                          
Sinking gratefully into the hard, uncomfortable chair, Natalie obviously didn't seem to notice my distress. "Xavier was looking for you during camp," she piped up, nonchalantly picking at her nails and missing the face I shot her.
                          
"Oh, is that so?" I asked, massaging my temples and trying to feel better, but obviously she missed the sarcasm my voice was practically dripping with. "And why is that?"
                          
"I dunno. We told him you weren't coming and he gave us this look and said you're gonna die the next time he sees you," she replied the bored,  uninterested question.
                          
A corner of my lips shot up slightly in amusement - that sounded so like him. And I had no doubt he was serious. He was always serious when it came to me. Something in me triumphed - he would definitely be talking to me today.
                          
Things between us were a little less than strange. He would say hi nearly every Sunday, and I would go home disappointed if he didn't talk to me that weekend. Every time I saw him with that familiar cheeky grin, or heard his loud voice (followed shortly after my a very infectious laugh) my heart would thump faster at the thought of him being near, while my mind would conjure up a memory of his confession so many years ago; and that would follow shortly with a pang of hurt and guilt, alongside happiness. Unexplained and unmentioned, but welcome and familiar.
                          
Since things had worsened with that asshole of a boyfriend and his new girl on the side, I clung to him like a last hope of love. He'd always been there for me, maybe give it some time and... No, no, no, Adrianne, stop it! I nearly slapped myself in frustration. You promised yourself to Dom and vice versa, you can't be thinking all this about Xavier.
                          
But, a voice whispered, Dom's leaving too. Stephanie's prettier, funnier, closer to his age, and a whole lot more. Just that thought made me want to pull Xavier aside and tell him I need him. Which was true, but love was a different matter. I don't even know how exactly he regards me or just how much I mean to him. Me, the stupid naive girl who thought every love would last, is just as messed up as before.
                          
Xavier and Dom battled it out in my mind, but before a clear winner could be determined, one of the teachers walked in. "Eight-graders, join with the next class, your teacher's absent today," she announced professionally before walking back out.
                          
The next class? I thought, heart dropping. Oh, no. I don't need this right now, damn it! I almost cursed. Practically snatching up my chair and dragging it noisily along the floor to the ninth grade class, I tried dispelling thoughts of Xavier where it extended to something further than just friendship, reasoning that it was only because I was desperate and Dom was on the verge of leaving.
                          
Desperate Adrianne with a loving Xavier. No, I thought firmly, destroying all thoughts of a relationship with Xavier and committing to my current - albeit ending - relationship with Dom until it actually ended. Then, if I could recover, maybe there was a chance for Xavier and I. Maybe best friends could become closer and closer, and maybe this time, knowing and clicking with him for so long, things could work.
                          
The minute I walked into class, his head swiveled around to glare at me, lips set in a straight line. Despite my knowing it was serious, I had to surpress laughter. It was pretty much like that throughout the entire class - watching Xavier closely as he turned back to stare at me, resisting the urge to go right up to him and engage him in conversation.