20 || A tragedy

                                    

                                          
20 || A tragedy
                          
I'm determined not to let my feelings change anything between Carter and I. Ivy is totally against it but she doesn't push the issue which I'm grateful for. 
                          
However Ivy refuses to keep it from the girls. 
                          
"I don't understand why you can't do this one thing for me," I plead with her on Monday. "You know how Nikole and Chanel are. They may accidentally blurt it out or something!"
                          
Ivy gives me a level look. "Aubrey I respected your descison not to tell Carter. But I can't keep this from the girls. You know I hate secrets. Please respect my decision."
                          
"But it's not your secret to tell!" I exclaim frustrated. Ugh I should've never told her. 
                          
"They won't tell," she reassures me. "Trust me."
                          
We meet Chanel and Nikole in the quad before school. Thankfully the guys are nowhere to be found. 
                          
"Where are your boy toys?" I ask. 
                          
Chanel shrugs. "Doing whatever boys do."
                          
"Well I have news," Ivy announces. They immediately drop their stuff and look at Ivy like dogs waiting for scraps. I sigh. 
                          
"Aubrey has finally admitted she has feelings for Carter!"
                          
"OMG!" Chanel screams. She covers her mouth.
                          
I want to bang my head against the concrete. 
                          
"Finally!" Nikole grins like the Chesire cat. "I've been coming up with ship names for you guys. I can't choose between Carbrey or Auter."
                          
"Definitely Carbrey," Chanel nods.  
                          
"Both sound equally horrible," I say. "And please don't make a big deal out of this."
                          
"Aubrey has decided not to tell Carter she likes him," Ivy frowns as she says this. 
                          
"I totally understand Aub," Chanel says sincerely. "Rejection stings."
                          
"Thank you," I smile gratefully at her. 
                          
"I personally think you should tell him," Nikole adds in. "But I see your point of view and it's your choice."
                          
"You guys have to promise not to tell anyone else," I look at them seriously. "This stays between the four of us."
                          
We all look at each other solemnly and interlock our four pinkies together. 
                          
"We now pledge the oath of secrecy," Ivy, Chanel, and Nikole chant together. 
                          
This is another one of our little rituals we perform when an important secret needs to be kept. If anyone breaks the oath serious repercussions follow. Luckily it's never happened before. 
                          
I just hope it doesn't happen now.  
                          
💗💗💗
                          
"What is a tragedy?" Mrs. Faye writes on the board. She turns to us. "Anyone?"
                          
"A tragedy is when the school runs out of ketchup!" A male voice called out. The class erupted in laughter. 
                          
"Yes James, that is quite tragic," she smiles thinly at him. "But unfortunately that's not the definition I'm looking for."
                          
A tragedy is when you have an unrequited crush.  
                          
I stared at the back of Carter's head. He was slumped over his desk sleeping. 
                          
"A tragedy," Mrs. Faye sweeps out her arms dramatically. "A tragedy is a drama or literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness, or inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances. It can be a genre made up of such works. Or the art or theory of writing or producing these works."