Aaron
"I'm not sulking," I exclaimed, puffing out my chest.
"You're totally sulking," Macie insisted, with a roll of her eyes. "Right guys?" she turned to Jake and Jane.
"He's definitely sulking," they chimed in chorus.
I scowled at their agreement, but deep down, I knew they were right.
I sighed. It has been a month since I last talked to Bella. Ever since then, I have barely seen her. I'd try to say hi, but she gave me a half-assed wave and left. She must really hate me now. I was really mean to her, after all.
"I tried so hard to change since I was such a jerk in high school. I thought I was better, but I just exploded and yelled at Bella the other day. And now she hates me," I said.
"She doesn't hate you," Macie said reassuringly, but I wasn't convinced.
"How would you know that?" I sulked some more.
"Why are you suddenly thinking about her now? I thought you said she was so annoying. You should be relieved," Jake said.
"I am relieved," I protested.
"Sure, you are. Anyway, Zack will be home soon, so I better go. You guys have a nice day," Macie got up and walked away.
Even though Macie and I had just broken up, we remained friends. She started to date some guy named Zack after a couple of weeks and asked me if it bothered me, but funny enough. It didn't. They got along great, so why not? So now, she was hanging out with Jake, Jane and me at my parents' house as they were out of town.
"For God's sake, if it bothers you so much, just go talk to Bella. Tell her you were sorry about hurting her feelings again, but to tell you the truth, you weren't completely wrong," Jane said.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I mean, you weren't wrong for telling her off. She was acting like a crazy stalker. I tried to tell her to tone it down, but she never listened. She needed a reality check, and you gave it to her. So let's just move on," Jane said.
I wailed, "I know, but since that day, she's been different, and I can't stand it!"
"What?" Jake squinted at me. "What sort of change are you talking about?"
"It's been so...quiet. She no longer looks happy when she sees me. She doesn't beam at me anymore, and she won't even meet my gaze," I groaned. "She doesn't even glance at my direction," I added.
"Oh, Aaron, you are a goddamn mess," Jake remarked.
"Fuck off," I said.
"He is right. The girl pined for you for years, and you paid no attention to her. Now that she has finally moved on, it is a problem for you? You are so arrogant. Just leave her alone. She will find someone eventually who she doesn't have to work so hard for. Someone who will accept her craziness," Jane said.
She was right. But I still had an uneasy feeling in my heart. What if I didn't want her to find someone else?
Leave her alone, Aaron. This is what you wanted, remember? I told myself. I should be happy she was off my back, but I ended up becoming even more miserable. Maybe I was just lonely.
I decided to go for a long drive to clear my head. I paused as I saw a slight movement under my car. A small furry tail was sticking out from underneath. What the hell?
I crouched down and smirked as I saw a small orange cat staring back at me.
"Hey, little buddy, what are you doing under there? Do you have a death wish?" I asked and reached for it and grabbed it before it had the chance to run away. I expected it to scratch me, but it was compliant.
"Tabitha!"
I looked as I saw Bella running toward me. I forgot she was still living with her aunt, who lived right across from my parents' house. She stopped in front of me, panting.
"Thanks, I was looking for her. She grabbed the cat and held it against her chest.
"You named your cat Tabitha?" I smirked.
"Because she is a Tabby cat. Get it?" she chirped.
I couldn't help but smile. She is so cute.
Wait...cute? What am I thinking? Annoying, more like it.
Her face turned dark again. "I'll go back inside. Thanks for finding my cat again," she said.
"Wait...um...do you want to hang out sometime?" I asked. What am I doing? Why am I asking her that?
Those questions kept popping up in my head. For years, I've been trying to get rid of her, and now that I finally did, I'm asking her to hang out with me. What was wrong with me!?
Bella looked at me with surprise.
"I can't. Bye, Aaron," she said and ran off with her cat. She went inside her house and closed the door without looking back.
My heart twitched. Was I expecting her to say yes just because I asked? Jane was right. I'm an arrogant asshole.
I turned and stormed off. Ten minutes later, I threw my keys on the counter and slumped down on the couch.
My mind kept thinking about Bella. Why was this bothering me so much? Why did I care what she thought of me? Why did I even ask her to hang out with me anyway?
Those thoughts were driving me crazy. I knew she had a good heart. She would forgive me for my short and boorish attitude. I wanted to be good for once.