Reputation
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PHASE TWO
Not even an hour after I get home, Weston is knocking at me door, desperately begging me to let him in. I stand in the kitchen, cutting apple slices with a knife, humming his pleading voice out of my head. He can stand there and bang on the door all night, but I refuse to open it. There’s no excuse in the world that can justify what he said.
“Addelyn, I told you. I didn’t mean it. The guys didn’t believe that I had cut off all ties with you, so I had to be convincing. They wanted me to insult you, so I did! That’s it! Now, let me in.” He says, and I shake my head.
“Well, couldn’t you’ve insulted me the way you usually do? Like comparing me to Sasquatch, or a Woolly Mammoth? Did you really have to go so far as to comment on my lack of help in certain bodily areas?” I say loud enough for him to hear on outside. I really shouldn’t be talking to him. The silent treatment might get him off my doorstep.
“I thought I was insulting you the way I usually do!” He replies. “At the beginning of this year I specifically remember congratulating you for graduating from a training bra. And all you did was scowl and walk away? Why make such a big deal of it now?”
Part of me can’t believe that he asked that question. Why make such a big deal out of it? It’s quite obvious to me that Weston doesn’t really understand female emotions, and I can’t help but mentally kick myself for desiring to be with him. I could be crying my eyes out, and he’d probably throw me a stick to comfort me.
“Maybe I’m making a big deal out of it because I had gotten the impression from yesterday that you cared about me. But my mistake! Maybe I do need to check into the mental hotline!” I crunch down on an apple slice as hard as I possibly can.
“I do care about you! I just can’t act like I do at school!” He yells.
I roll my eyes. This ‘plan’ is no excuse for the way he decided to talk to me, no matter what he says. I’m insisting respect from him, from here on out. I set down the apple, and consider bringing the knife, but I think better of it. Invigorated and furious, I walk to the front door, and twist the door knob, opening the door. Weston’s face brightens when he sees that I’ve opened.
“Look, Weston, I don’t forgive you.” I say. “But this will in no way stop the plan that you want me to be involved in.”
I can see his shoulders relax a little.
“But I’ve considered the conversation we had last night, and I’ve decided that I’m not ready to get involved with you. At least, not until you appreciate me. Because if you appreciated me, whether you were faking or not, you would not make the statement you made earlier today. I understand that many girls could care less about how you degrade them, just as long as they get your attention for a few hours, but sadly, I’m not one of those girls. So if you want to be with me, you’re going to have to work.”
His eyes glint with the idea of a challenge, but he doesn’t say anything.
“Now, aside from our personal issues, you have two minutes to explain what you want to do for Phase Two.” I step outside the house, and shut the door behind me, leading him to the sitting area on the porch. He’s still a little shaken up from my sudden burst of courage, and it takes him a few seconds to speak.
YOU ARE READING
Strictly Business
Teen Fiction"It's so simple," I say. "All we have to do is pretend we're in love with each other. You know, hold hands, share Eskimo kisses and all that crap. And at the same time, we'll destroy Jackson and Kristina's relationship. Make them think that thei...
