Chapter 9 of Never Really Real

A New Beginning

“No."

"What?" Jacob asked, honestly surprised at my answer.

"No," I repeated.

"But why not?"

The room had faded to just him and me. Annabelle and Harlow were still there but I couldn't focus on anything other than Jacob.

"Why not?" I asked, astonished. "I'll tell you why not. You broke up with me not that long ago because we were 'too different'." I did air quotes around the words. "And you're dating Danielle. I hate her and yeah, maybe that's something she would do, but I will not sink to that level."

"Maya, please?"

I laughed at his persistence. "No. Jacob, no."

He threw his feet over the side of the bed and walked over to me.

"I can break up with Danielle. And I was just so upset because you are so amazing and I don't deserve you."

I crossed my arms. "I know you don't deserve me. I believe I realized it shortly after you broke up with me."

"Maya."

I shook my head. "I need to get to school."

I spun on my heel and left. One more minute in that room and he was going to see me cry. I heard someone running after me and I started running. I used the back of my hand to brush the tears away so I could see but my eyes filled up again quickly. I pushed through the doors, someone still running after me. I fell to the warm sidewalk, crying. I couldn't hold back the sobs anymore. Jacob was a stupid idiot!

Arms wrapped around me and I heard Annabelle's voice. "Calm down. It's going to be okay."

I shook my head. "I couldn't say yes."

She tucked my head under her chin. "I know. But that's okay. I don't have to put the shovel away right away."

I laughed, sniffling. "Please don't kill anyone. I don't want to go to jail."

She looked at me. "You wouldn't. I would."

"And I would have to commit a crime to join you because I can't leave you alone."

She nodded. "I understand.

"Good."

"Do you still want to go to school?"

I wiped my eyes. "Yeah."

" 'Kay. Harlow will get a ride home. Mom will take us to school."

I nodded again and we stood up. "Thanks."

Annabelle shrugged. "Hey, if I had stayed in there, Jacob might not have lived and I wouldn't have needed a shovel."

I laughed. "Well, I guess it's a good thing you had to run after me."

"Yeah." We were silent as we walked to the car. "But do you really mean it when you say that you don't hate him?"

"Yeah, I mean it. Maybe he broke up with me, but like I said, it was never really real. Maybe if it was, maybe I would have said yes. But it wasn't. And since it was never real, I don't hate him for it."

We stopped to open the door to the van and Annabelle hugged me. "Good. Not about it never being real, but good about not hating people."

I shrugged. "It'll be real one day."

Annabelle tried to talk as she dug into the salad they had served at lunch. "Woen ou ink aco coin ba ta hool?"

"What?" I asked, laughing.

She swallowed and waved her fork in the air. "When do you think Jacob will come back to school?"

I shrugged. "Probably a few days."

She nodded and ate more salad. I took a bite of my own lunch and made a face. Onions. I put my fork down and began to pick each tiny piece out. Annabelle took them from my plate when the teacher wasn't looking. We weren't supposed to share food at school because people might have allergies or some nonsense like that, but Annabelle and I still shared. It's not like either of us was allergic to anything.

"Do you want to stay over at my house this weekend?"

I looked up. "I'd have to ask my mom but probably."

Annabelle nodded. "We can go see that movie that's coming out then. Um... what was it called?"

I closed my eyes trying to remember the name of it. It wasn't coming to mind. "Dang it! I don't remember. But I know what you're talking about. Yeah. Let's go see it."

I went back to picking out the onions and we ate in silence for a moment. Then someone slid into the seat next to me.

"Hi, Maya."

I looked up in surprise at the niceness of the voice. It was Danielle!

"Hi," I replied cautiously.

She smiled hesitantly. "So, I was standing outside the door at the hospital."

I nodded slowly. Where was this conversation going? "Okay..."

"I broke up with Jacob before he could break up with me."

"Oh." That was all I could think I could say.

"Yeah. I always thought he was so cute but the fact that he was willing to break up with me that easily?" She shook her head. "I didn't really like that."

Annabelle was staring at her outright and I was really surprised. "Have you recently encountered a sorcerer or swallowed a strange substance?" I asked.

Danielle looked at me strangely. Like she didn't know what I was talking about.

I sighed. "You are acting very differently."

She looked down. "Oh. Yeah, I have been a little mean."

I looked at her like I was thinking about the honestly of her statement. "Yeah," I said after a while. "Just a little."

"Sorry."

I stared at Annabelle. "Did-did she just... apologize?"

Annabelle nodded.

We turned to Danielle. She smiled, but it looked a little scared.

I sighed, weighing the options of what I was about to do. Then I rolled my eyes, hoping I wasn't about to regret this. I stuck my hand out. "Hi, I'm Maya. That's Annabelle. What's your name?"

She looked confused and happy. "Hi. I'm Dani. Nice to meet you."

"You, too," Annabelle said.

"Now, there was our new beginning. No more bad feelings?"

Danielle- Dani- nodded. "Yeah. Bad feelings are gone."