I didn't answer or reply to any of Ryan's calls or texts. I decided to pay him back for what he did I didn't answer or reply to any of Ryan's calls or texts. I decided to pay him back for what he did by playing his own game but with my way. While he kept his phone off, I kept mine on and straight out ignored his calls.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2LuLax0aW
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It's Saturday, so naturally our usual coffee shop is hosting a karaoke night tonight. We'd often go there and conquer the place like it's ours. The guys suggested doing so tonight, and I couldn't agree more. It was a good distraction to lighten my mood a little. I invited Denise, who invited Charlotte and Veronica. I was a little surprised when Denise told me she's friends with the twins. Apparently, they all went to gymnastics classes together since the beginning of high school. They're really "dope" people, she told me. I didn't mind extra company anyway, and neither did the guys. They were actually pretty cool about it when I told them about the girls coming, especially Cody.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24DiDPUUm9
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"It's good to have some femininity among the group for once," Cody said.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1z2MzbqnQK
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"Say that again and slit your throat," I reply with a sarcastic, sweet smile.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiL2i1tji3H
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We went and greeted the workers like they're old friends. The whole group was there, even Amber (yay!), but I didn't see Charlotte around. I asked her sister, who told me that Saturdays are anime marathon nights, in which charlotte and her boyfriend, Luke, would watch anime shows all night.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGoTPlVYuTf
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"They're Otakus," Veronica said.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHF92YN4MnO
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"Oh-Tacos?" I marvel at the unfamiliar word.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDHtcl4Vfj
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"Yeah, I thought it was food, too," Denise said.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZEQ2HZaFk
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"It means their strong anime fans," Veronica clarified.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkm1V1QCAX
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We started singing solos, duets, and even as groups. We didn't care about the people watching us as we sing unattractively. The boys would choose Taylor Swift or Katy Perry and sing along to the lyrics in their own girlish ways, and the girls would score their impersonation accordingly. I rapped along with Jordan and Cody a couple times and was crowned Queen of Rap by Denise, much to everyone's opposition.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQyTDvkWp45
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We disturbed a lot of costumers and workers, who kept telling us to keep it down. That only made us sing worse and louder than before, earning more complains as a result. One of us earned a few claps from the audience: Tyler. He surely can sing like a pro, and he never ceases to impress us every time we hear him. Of course, whenever he held the microphone, Amber would cheer for him dramatically as if he's singing in a concert.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjmq53CX534
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I felt carefree, just doing what I wanted, careless of others' opinions and thoughts of me. I ignored everything else and focused on having fun. I pushed all the drama and troubles out of my mind. I didn't think of Ryan just once.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJSae4GW4qb
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Denise invited herself over to spend the night, much to Cody's satisfaction. I didn't mind her at all. Although I only met her two days ago, she's treating me like we're old buddies. She burrowed a pair of orange shorts and a spaghetti white shirt from my wardrobe and made herself at home. We grabbed junk food and drinks before going to the living room to watch a movie. Cody and Will were playing FIFA before we turned it off to watch our movie. We settled on Magic Mike because why not? Cody and Will cringed from the thought, so they moved to Cody's room to continue their game there. Kat and Rosie went to sleep early tonight, saying that they're going house shopping tomorrow early for Rosie since Kat had no work.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpeh5qYI1P
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My phone rang in the middle of the movie, lighting up with Ryan's picture. I silent it and go back to the movie.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUJPbfrmMQ
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"You still ignoring him?" Denise asks.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0U0Yz0Xtz4
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"Kinda."1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhy77nubEid
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"Kinda? Girl, you're totally shutting the poor guy off."1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYqfCBKsBoT
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"Well, he deserves it, "I shrug, sipping from my coke, "And are you taking his side?"1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlCzSfFXYzf
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"I ain't takin' nobody's side, sister. All I'm saying is give him a chance and listen to what he has to say, you know?" She answers, quickly taking defense mode.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1YM7GToKSv
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"He's making me regret worrying about him," I explain, "Like it's my fault at the end."1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jzjHQJtSA
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"Maybe he just needs time before telling you what happened to him."1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDPaGVcKWk
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"How much time? He needs to know that I'm not a patient person."1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡayY1EvjAWL
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"Well, then be patient for, Nicky, and maybe he'll be patient for you when you need time one of these days."1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmFoHK3LtqX
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She rests her hand on top of mine and looks at me assuringly. I t feels nice just having someone like her to talk to when I need it. I never had a girlfriend before, so having Denise treat me like that is something new to me coming from a girl, yet it has some familiarity to it in some way.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY4jfUueRoy
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"Maybe you're right."1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCflqe8cXA
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"Like hell I'm right! I'm Denise McQueen, Nicky."1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡflcnWGNmOZ
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"What's up with the new nickname?"1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAMAodT7rVN
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"I just felt like it'd time I have a different name for ya."1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSCa3HX4z7C
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After Denise left the next day, I spent my day in an inner battle with myself and debating whether or not to pay Ryan a visit to talk. Denise had me thinking about what she said all night last night till I came to the decision: I should go open up the topic with him. And yet I was never more hesitant about it. Even after getting his address from Dylan, who I figured would have it, I was still not close to decisive.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcY06c20GTH
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I ended up taking Cody's car and waiting outside his house for 25 minutes, doing nothing. I took a deep breath before I left the car to walk towards his mansion. Oh, did I mention that he lives in a fucking mansion? The thing is so huge it can fit the whole school in it.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkdNmf7IxqJ
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I pass by two guards, who don't bother to ask me who I am. They need to do something about their security. I mean, one of the guards just grinned at me like it's my place.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsktXgMwVw
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I reach for the doorbell, and as I wait for it to open, I recite what I was planning to say one more time.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3M9bJKQ7g
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Ryan, I know that there are things you prefer to keep hidden from me, but I want you to know that I care about you because you're my boyfriend and I care about you...1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTqSxywROz
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Shit, I'm really bad at this!1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTj3olb597j
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The door opens, and I hold my breath in anticipation. A pretty lady in a maid uniform opens the door with a smile and my heart beats go back to normal. She asks who I am and I respond back, "I'm Nicole. Is Ryan here?"1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUkDwmBkHh
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"Matilda, who is that?" A woman yells from inside.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1OaxAYykxf
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"It's a friend of Mr. Ryan, Ma'am," Matilda calls back.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7RsURVC6c
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Listen, Ryan, I get that you wanna keep things from me, but you need to know that I only wanna help you...1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE0yrayS0E7
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"I'll take care of it, Matilda. You can go now," Ryan opens the door wider. He was wearing a sleeveless tank with dark blue shorts and looked like he was in the middle of a tough workout session.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTm0cmtxeCD
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"Shadow."1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUiaaGGvRP
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"Ryan."1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbV834twZ2
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He waits for me to start, and for a few seconds, I forget why I came here in the first place. I guess it's because he looks like fucking beast with his muscles flexing and sweat dripping from his body that I got lost for words.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8g0G70OwO2
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And then I recall what I'd been reciting since yesterday.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPeiH6U7lV
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"Oh, you um...forgot you pen with me." That's it Nicole, smoother than silk. What the fuck is wrong with me?1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQOJkvDLiiw
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I point the pen in my hand at him, "I came to return it." I try hard to avoid his hard gaze that's piercing through my body.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJR9WzdQuy7
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"But this is not my pen," he raises an eye brow, humor and amusement simultaneously evident on his face.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ598S5n7Cyd
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"Yeah," I lift my hat up, brush my hair to the back then put it back on—an action I unintentionally do when nervous—and mentally curse myself and my damn dignity. The whole thought of apologizing or even admitting anything I've done wrong is not exactly something innate in me. Yes, it's selfish and not right, especially when it's really me at fault, but I can't bring myself to do it.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQvz6wRZA9i
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Then again, for certain people in your life, you'd do whatever it takes to fix your relationship with them, even if it means bringing your stupid ego below their feet.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9JmTM3Yz9
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"It's actually Cody's; I found it in his car, and..." I trail off and watch his expression getting more and more humorous. "Look, I'm really bad at this."1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMf0IkzI72Y
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"You don't say."1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHUtQLOiJQ
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"Please, just go with it as it is," I take a short breath. "I know I've been a little pushy lately. And I know that even if I'm you girlfriend, I shouldn't be like that. I also know that there are some things you don't want me to know. But I don't give a crap about all of this because I care about you. So can you just please let me in? I know I might be asking too much, but like I said before, I don't care about—"1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP6WF1CtjLF
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He cuts me off abruptly, holding my face with both his hands and kissing me intently. I kiss him back with similar affection, taken a bit off guard by the sudden gesture. He pulls apart a couple seconds into the kiss to look me in the eyes and say, "you know nothing, Shadow."1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMoFx6snZFw
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"Huh?" I say, breathless.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXjzsq0hTm
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"I said you know nothing. All you said might be true to some other guys, but not to me. In fact, I wanna share with you everything about me—all my problems and stress. I was planning on telling you everything in the right time, but you never gave me a chance."1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5vmz1pZQ9c
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"I'm sorry, Ryan."1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzhNTjGytT
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"There's nothing to be sorry for. We both just had to get each other better, that's all," he then pulls me into a hug. "I know I can be really understanding, babe."1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlhPLbHxbq
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I push him away, "Don't get too full of yourself, Hastings." Then I punch his chest, "This is for interrupting me earlier," I punch him again, "and this is for hugging me while you're sweaty."1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UnLiY3rwH
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"How sweet of you," he says sarcastically, rubbing circles around his chest. "Now, don't you wanna come in?"1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUVNRu0cgf
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"No, I better go back before Cody realizes I stole his car."1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBnNPZIUkRg
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Right on cue, Cody's stupid face lights up on my phone screen. Ryan leans against the doorframe while I answer, only to earn myself a shitload of yells from my dear friend.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHTQ7g0RYM
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"What the fuck, Nic? You stole my baby? Are you fucking me over, right now?! I told you I have a date tonight."1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ77mC5xwTMJ
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He did?1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmRcdj5dSR
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"Calm down, bastard, I'm on my way back."1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgDkdCKZTrx
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"You better be here before I tie my shoelaces," and he hangs up.1034Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHp0M77LKQm
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"He really needs to see a doctor," I sigh.
