PDA
#MORNING#
CINDY'S PERSPECTIVE
"Ugh, why is he still not picking up my calls?" I exclaimed in frustration, my eyes glued to the screen of my phone. Here I was, standing outside with Martha, anxiously waiting for Dylan to show up. He hadn’t answered any of my calls, and an unsettling mix of worry and anxiety was creeping in.
"Just take a breath, Cindy... Maybe he’s preoccupied with something important. I’m sure when he gets a chance, he’ll call you back," Martha suggested. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her response.
"Oh, come on, Martha, you can't honestly believe that! Are you implying that he hasn't seen all my missed calls since yesterday? He’s ignoring me, and I can feel it. Honestly, I just hope he doesn't want to end things between us," I murmured, biting my lip in anxiety.
“Cindy, please just take a deep breath and calm down,” Martha said with a reassuring tone, her words softening the tension that had bubbled up inside me. I inhaled deeply and gave her a tiny nod, attempting to steady my racing heart.
“I can hardly contain my excitement! I just can't wait to see him,” I confessed with a small giggle, playfully planting a kiss on the screen of my phone, which proudly displayed his handsome face as my wallpaper.
“You will see him soon enough, so there's no need to stress yourself out,” Martha replied with a reassuring smile.
“When he arrives, you can ask him anything that's been on your mind. But, you know…” Her expression shifted slightly as she continued,
“I did warn you about Dylan.”
Instantly, my expression faltered, and I furrowed my brow at her.
“What do you mean by that?” I demanded, my eyes narrowing as I looked at her, trying to gauge the seriousness of her words.
“Well,” she began, choosing her words carefully,
“you know how Dylan has this habit of moving from one girlfriend to another at lightning speed? It's almost like a revolving door for him. I mean, he's dated nearly half of our female classmates, and guess what happens next… he usually ends things after just a week. When you told me that he asked you out, I urged you to think twice before saying yes. There's a pretty good chance he might not be looking for anything serious with you,” she explained, her voice tinged with concern.
I couldn't help but let out an incredulous scoff, feeling a surge of anger rise within me.
“Dylan is different with me!” I retorted.
“He told me I’m not like the other girls, and he promised that he wouldn't treat me the way he did with the rest of his admirers!”
Martha burst into laughter, clearly finding humor in the situation. Her laughter hung in the air, filling the space between us with a combination of amusement and unease.
“Oh, really? He actually said all of that?” she replied, her arms crossed tightly across her chest as if trying to shield herself from the conversation.
“Well, let me tell you something important. He told Sandy, Lola, Mandy, and a few other girls the same exact things he’s been telling you, and they all believed him!”
I couldn't suppress a nervous whisper,
“Dylan would never do that to me,” as I bit my lower lip in frustration, trying to grasp the weight of her words.
She raised an eyebrow, a skeptical look dancing across her face.
“Oh really? If he wouldn't do that, then why has he been insisting that you keep your relationship under wraps, just like he has with all those other girls? Honestly, Cindy, the pattern is pretty clear. Dylan has never once been public about any of his relationships. He keeps everything on the down-low, and we only find out he was seeing someone when he breaks things off. It hurts me to say this, but it looks like you might just be another name on his list, too.” Her words landed like a heavy stone in my gut, and I gasped in realization. It was becoming painfully evident that Dylan only seemed to want me around for his own selfish pleasures.
“Honestly, if he shows up, you should try to, you know, engage in some public displays of affection with him—just to see how he reacts,” she suggested, her voice carrying a hint of mischief. Just as I was about to respond, a chorus of excited screams caused us both to look up. I could see Dylan's car pulling into the school parking lot, surrounded by his friends, and my heart raced.
“Speak of the devil,” she muttered under her breath, and I clenched my fists at my sides, a mixture of anticipation and dread swirling within me. It was almost as if my emotions were at war, battling between the thrill of seeing him and the anxiety of what might really be going on in his mind.
I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there’s this nagging feeling deep within me that Martha might actually be right. You see, Dylan had been very explicit in communicating his feelings about our relationship and had made it clear that I should keep our romance under wraps. He didn’t want anyone to know that we were together, which honestly left me feeling a bit stifled.
But then again, there’s this rebellious side of me that was ready to burst free. I found myself thinking, No, I refuse to hide in the shadows! I’m going to proudly claim my place in his life and let the entire school know that I belong to him. Before I even realized what I was doing, my feet started to move towards him in a determined yet unhurried gait, almost as if I were wading through the bustling crowd that filled the hallway.
With each step, I felt a mix of excitement and anxiety swirling in my stomach, but nothing could deter me.
I finally traversed through the throngs of students and came to a halt right in front of him and his friends. Without another moment's hesitation, I closed the distance between us, leaning in and pressing my lips against his in a kiss that was meant to declare our connection. The reaction from those around us was immediate; a chorus of gasps and shouts erupted from the crowd, and I could feel Dylan’s bewildered gaze on me as I pulled away slightly, relishing the thrill of the moment.
However, just as I was basking in the sweetness of our little display, something happened that completely turned my world upside down. In an unexpected and startling move, he pushed me away with such force that I stumbled backwards and hit the ground with a hard thud. I was utterly shocked, left lying there on the floor, trying to wrap my head around what had just unfolded.