The Boyfriend Project

Chapter 51

The next morning, I woke thirty minutes before my alarm went off. I fell asleep last night after tossing and turning for about three hours. I turned my alarm off on my phone and slid my feet out from underneath my comforter. I sat on the edge of my bed, letting my feet dangle over the side as my toes brushed the top of my area rug. I grabbed my phone to see if, by some wild chance, I had a message from Easton, and just as I figured, nothing. I eased open my door and went to the bathroom to shower before Sam got up.

I finished showering and returned to my room before her alarm went off. I stood in front of my closet, staring at my clothes as if something would fly out and land on my bed. After a few more minutes of staring into the void of my closet, I finally picked out an outfit to wear. I dressed, sat in my vanity chair, and worked on the dark circles under my eyes. Dark Circles had become a permanent fixture under my eyes lately because of the lack of sleep. 

Once I was ready to head downstairs for breakfast, I took one last look around my room to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything because I didn't feel like walking back up here. I closed the door partway behind me and headed down to the kitchen to join my parents. 

"Morning, Chelsi." Mom handed me a plate of fruit and a blueberry muffin. Then, she told me to sit down and that she'd get me a glass of orange juice. 

"Morning, Mom. Thanks." I hopped up on the stool and stared down at my plate. I wasn't hungry, but Mom would start with the questions if I didn't eat some of it. So I took a few bites of fruit and muffin and drank some of my juice. 

"Morning, everyone," Sam said, walking into the kitchen. She hopped up on the stool next to me. "Your makeup looks pretty today." She took a drink of her orange juice. 

"Thanks. Do you want to ride to school with me today?" I asked, taking another bite of honeydew melon. 

"Sure." She smiled. 

                                                                                             *****

I pulled into the school parking lot and spotted Blakely's car toward the back of the lot. I drove over there and parked next to her. Before Sam got out of the car, I reminded her that Mom was still picking her up after school today. She got out and headed off to meet up with her friends. I turned and grabbed my book bag and purse from the backseat. I reached for my phone and decided not to check it because, deep down, I knew there was nothing from Easton. 

Blakely was still in her car, looking down at her phone, when I tapped on her driver's side window. She held up her index finger without taking her eyes off her phone, then went right back to texting. I stepped away from her window and leaned back against my car, waiting for her to get out. A few minutes later, she put her phone away in her purse, grabbed her book bag, and got out of her car. 

"Sorry, Gavin was texting me about last night." 

I looked down at my black flats, then shifted my eyes toward the school. "He texted you about it?" 

"Chelsi, he realized that you obviously don't feel the same way. But he still wants to be your friend; that will never change. I told him that it might have worked out differently if it wasn't because you two have been friends for so long." 

"Is he mad at me?" I forced myself to look at Blakely. 

"Nooo... He feels bad for trying to rush you into a relationship with him, is all." She caressed my arm, trying to comfort me. "We need to get going before we're late for class." She motioned toward the school. 

I dabbed around the corners of my eyes and started to walk with Blakely to the front of the school. I scanned the parking lot for Easton's car as we walked but didn't see it anywhere. Which meant he probably wasn't at school today. So we went to our lockers, swapped our books, and headed to English class. I walked into class, and my heart sank when I saw Easton's empty seat. I slid into my seat and glanced back at his empty chair, then over at the door, hoping he was just running late today. The minute Mr. Scott walked into the room and closed the door behind him, I just wanted to run out of the room and look for Easton. I didn't want to sit here for an hour and listen to Mr. Scott ramble on about the books we would start reading in the next few weeks. I just wanted to know where Easton was. I sat there watching the clock, hands tickling by slowly around the numbers, until the bell finally rang, letting us know the day's first class was over. I gathered up my things and walked out of English with Blakely. 

"Chelsi, what's going on? You fidgeted in your seat the entire time. I know something is wrong. Now, what is it?" Her brow furrowed. 

"I texted Easton last night, and he hasn't responded to my text." I sighed, looking down at my phone. 

"You what?" Blakely's eyes were wide. "Why in the hell would you text him?" 

I just looked up at her and walked off down the hall. I wasn't in the mood for one of Blakey's lectures right now. I was halfway down the hall when she started calling after me to wait up. After a couple more steps, I paused in the middle, where the hall branches off to the left and right, waiting for her to catch up. She apologized for starting to lecture me and promised that she wouldn't do it for the rest of the day. I think she realized I wasn't going to listen to her lecture me because I had never walked away from her like that before in our entire friendship. I didn't like walking away from her, but I wasn't going to listen to her either. I didn't need to be lectured right now; I needed a shoulder to lean on instead. We walked to our lockers, then I went to Spanish class, and I told Blakely I'd see her later at lunch. 

Author's Notes:

Chelsi can't catch a break! Wonder where Easton's at and if she'll be able to find him? 

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