4 Days before Valentine's Day.

"Remember, you have only three days left to hand-in this project. I suggest you all get a move on and get things done as soon as possible. I want these handed in, in time or it's your grades that will suffer the consequeces." Mrs. Holmes warned from the front of the classroom.

I made the mistake of making eye contact with her and her dark eyes pierced through mine as she glared back at me,  I quickly looked away to avoid her gaze. Dylan and Aaron had a football match and was missing fourth period which was Art. Emma sat next to me to avoid the shame of being sat alone. 

"Have you thought about what I said the other day?" She asked, not looking up from her painting.

"A bit," I admitted.

"And...?"

I sighed, "I might, kind of, just a bit, like Dylan." I winced, not sure of what Emma would say.

She looked up and grinned, "I knew it!" she exclaimed.

A few heads turned to look at us and I ducked down under their cold gazes. "Shush! Don't go screaming it to the entire world!" I scolded her.

Emma frowned, "Sorry," she whispered.

"Don't whisper either, it's too suspicious. Just talk quieter." I told her and she nodded.

"So what are you going to do?" Emma asked, raising her eyebrows in question.

"I don't know," I whined.

She shook her head in thought, "Well, you better figure it out." She said

"Thanks for that. That's so helpful." I said sarcastically.

"Sorry, I'm not Oprah!" 

"But, you're my bestfriend and you're supposed to help me," I argued.

"How about," she paused for a moment. "You listen to your heart." she advised.

"Wow. Great advice, Em! I definitely know what that means!" I exclaimed sarcastically and groaned.

Emma shrugged, "Yeah, that's the best I got."

"What am I going to do?!" I buried my head into my hands, letting my hair form a curtain around my face.

"Do what I told you, listen to your heart." Emma repeated. 

"It's not like I can go up to Jason and say, 'Hey, I'm sorry but I like your cousin more than I like you so I'll date him instead.' Like, that's going to end well."

"Well, you're not going to say those exact words but something along those lines," she said calmly.

I glared at her, "Really, Emma?"

"You are going to break up with him, aren't you?"

"I don't know!" I cried.

"This is far too complicated," Emma pointed out, brushing a strand of her hair out of her face.

"State the obvious much?"

"Hey! Don't give me sass. I'm trying to help," she reminded me.

"I know, sorry." I apologised. "I'm still going to have to go to the dance with him, though."

"What? Are you crazy? What are you going to do, go with him to the dance then break up with him the day after?"

"Would that be stupid?" I asked crinkling my nose.

"Extremely." Emma asnwered.

"Great. Just great. Then I don't know what I'm doing." I groaned.

"You'll figure it out," She assured me but I remained doubtful.

***   ***   ***   ***  ***

There's a war raging in my mind. Jason or Dylan? I couldn't choose. I was stuck and I didn't know what to do. I'm confused. My mind tells me to run and hide and to ignore the situation. But a part of me says that I have to deal with this and I have to deal with it, now.

After hours of thinking and brainstorming on my bed, I ended up writing a list of reasons why I should or shouldn't break up with Jason.

REASONS WHY I SHOULDN'T BREAK UP WITH HIM:

1. I like Jason, too.

2. He's a great guy.

3. He's so sweet and romantic.

4. I might hurt his feelings.

5. He makes me happy.

REASONS WHY I SHOULD BREAK UP WITH HIM:

1. I have feelings for Dylan.

2. He randomly disappears.

3. He's always busy.

4. If I stay with him, I'll hurt my feelings.

5. Dylan makes me happy.

After a while, I decided to give up on my list because it didn't seem to be going anywhere and it wasn't really helping. I've just been wasting hours of my time trying to figure out what I should do. I was confused and I had no idea what the right thing to do was, so I couldn't do that.

But my brain was fried from thinking and I was starting to get a headache. So I gave up. I'm just making the situation worse for myself by overthinking it.

In the end, I chose to just leave it and stay with Jason. Maybe this 'feeling' for Dylan is just a crush or a phase that will go away and, then I can be in a relationship with Jason in peace without any interference from inconvenient, confusing, pain-in-the-butt  'feelings' for Dylan Meyer.

Besides, I'd be an idiot if I let a perfectly good relationship go to waste by ruining it over something completely stupid and especially for someone I'm not even sure likes me back and is probably just messing with my head.

***   ***   ***   ***   ***

I decided to call Emma who answered on the first ring.

"Have you decided yet?" She immediately asked.

"What? Not even a hello first?"

"Fine, hello. Now, have you decided yet?" She insisted impatiently.

"Yeah," I paused and sighed. "I'm staying with Jason." I said. Saying the words out loud made the decision more official and permanent.

"What?!" Emma screamed throught the phone. "Why?!" she exclaimed loudly.

I pulled the phone a few centimetres away from my ears to prevent Emma frm damaging them. "I'm staying with Jason," I repeated. "Because I wouldn't have gone out with him if I didn't like him, right?"

"Yeah, but maybe you just thought that Dylan didn't like you. Or maybe Jason just beat him to it," she babbled.

"Em, I've made up my mind. Why are you so against it?"

"Because Avery Green, I know you. And I know that deep, deep, deep - how ever deep inside - You like Dylan more than Jason. Maybe you just settled for Jason." 

"That's not true," or was it? "I didn't 'settle." I protested.

"Fine, but when you realise that I was right, I'm going to say 'I told you so' so many times that you'll get sick of me." 

My phone beeped indicating another call.

"Okay, listen, I have to go I'll talk to you later. I'm getting another call and I have to get it." I explained quickly.

"I bet it's Jason!" she gasped. "Bye!"

I stood up from my bed and started pacing around my room.

"Hey," I said quietly.

"Hey, Aves. It's me"

"Jason, I know. I have caller ID," I chuckled.

"Oh, right I forgot. Are you okay?" he asked. "You sound tired."

"I'm fine, don't worry. I've just had a long day and a very long conversation with Emma." I sighed.

"That explains a lot," he laughed. "Anyways, the reason that I called is that I have a question for you. So can I ask you a question?"

Crap. Nobody wants to hear those words.

"Yeah, sure, go for it." I answered trying to sound calm and collected even though my heart race had already doubled in speed and it was pounding hard in my chest.

"What time do you want me to pick you up for the dance? I'm not sure how long you girls will take to get ready," he chuckled lightly.

I sighed deeply. Phew.

"Uh...I don't know, seven-ish?" I replied. I completely forgot that Emma and Dylan's date, whatever her name is was getting ready at my house for the dance so we could all go together.

"Okay, sounds good. I'll pick you up at around seven on Friday then."

"Okay," I said.

"I'll see you tomorrow. I have a tonne of papers to write," he groaned. "Night!"

"Goodnight." I spoke softly and hung up.

Now I just feel really guilty for even thinking about breaking up with him.

Stupid, Avery. I scolded myself. What were you thinking?

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{Unedited}

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