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.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zAUmhxcCP
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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.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSAM5an0QA
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"It's good to have some femininity among the group for once," Cody said.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7KbDEIg06G
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"Say that again and slit your throat," I reply with a sarcastic, sweet smile.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6BzR3pPpIu
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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.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBG9u1z1FR
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"They're Otakus," Veronica said.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGqrtFKIuU
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"Oh-Tacos?" I marvel at the unfamiliar word.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXI9rfQgnc8
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"Yeah, I thought it was food, too," Denise said.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxhqhBGeYM
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"It means their strong anime fans," Veronica clarified.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxERmeax5YG
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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.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5REHahOeYR
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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.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKLd2qeGCer
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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.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfND8BCtxNA
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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.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡem40QXUVIo
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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.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OM11vPXkn
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"You still ignoring him?" Denise asks.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡccWIYcaHEm
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"Kinda."919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVXWwJNpeh
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"Kinda? Girl, you're totally shutting the poor guy off."919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdASwiuPSMr
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"Well, he deserves it, "I shrug, sipping from my coke, "And are you taking his side?"919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5a4pWyJmR
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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.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rQmP5u3pc
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"He's making me regret worrying about him," I explain, "Like it's my fault at the end."919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhkGa3VYE0v
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"Maybe he just needs time before telling you what happened to him."919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdM98BxBQ8
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"How much time? He needs to know that I'm not a patient person."919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpMg45Ibv0
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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."919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsuo0su30Ld
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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.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd7OUSHcsaB
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"Maybe you're right."919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0WuEptSHVu
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"Like hell I'm right! I'm Denise McQueen, Nicky."919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZ4myHmWdn
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"What's up with the new nickname?"919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvxGq4hR9CG
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"I just felt like it'd time I have a different name for ya."919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUgE1YORe9d
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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.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJLGI5gdxq
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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.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx6ZTJQupSW
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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.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMuVp4ZY4BP
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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.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMwp2cdEd3B
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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...919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ5uIGdL1c1
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Shit, I'm really bad at this!919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIsrYtRt5I2
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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?"919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdsNIMn7Njb
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"Matilda, who is that?" A woman yells from inside.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrpNXqAw3WG
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"It's a friend of Mr. Ryan, Ma'am," Matilda calls back.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjP7mkJVOp0
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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...919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6eX8WmkQFl
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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.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWppc8ANrnR
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"Shadow."919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrvzsigzg5P
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"Ryan."919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ1siu5fDE5
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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.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhPz74Ox9Hz
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And then I recall what I'd been reciting since yesterday.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKKTmR8PlV2
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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?919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzXk2QZ0u6
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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.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfktOtCAIQm
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"But this is not my pen," he raises an eye brow, humor and amusement simultaneously evident on his face.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0Nu7n9fOL
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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.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zXt0peUY7
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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.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjdPxoEgdvh
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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."919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzU4UuSxfTb
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"You don't say."919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzs3x8AdwL8
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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—"919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTnbfgBbCkq
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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."919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpRGVem6k7
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"Huh?" I say, breathless.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdw3PoI8u6
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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."919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgbdJ9W03z
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"I'm sorry, Ryan."919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4g6LxeoKOR
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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."919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2m9ru4vkUC
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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."919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWElx4Pq4pU
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"How sweet of you," he says sarcastically, rubbing circles around his chest. "Now, don't you wanna come in?"919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0Xf92avOU
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"No, I better go back before Cody realizes I stole his car."919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh1j2bIetje
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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.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB29FsjX7JN
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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."919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM6VjV00H4B
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He did?919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaE9yZXFcxq
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"Calm down, bastard, I'm on my way back."919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyP03Fx5NCj
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"You better be here before I tie my shoelaces," and he hangs up.919Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClaLuBMTIG
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"He really needs to see a doctor," I sigh.
