“Let’s just go home, Peyton … I’ll take you home,” he pleads to her outside the venue.
“How could you do this to me? How could you’ve ruined Prom night for me?” she was bursting with tears.
“I’m sorry … okay, I didn’t mean to, I couldn’t stop thinking about those tickets … I mean how could you have done something like that?”
“No! How could you have done something like that? How could you have these feelings for someone else and stayed with me … was it even real? Were you just pretending to love me? Do you know how much it hurts to know this?” Her eye make-up was starting to wear off with her tears.
He covered his face and grunted, “I did … I loved you, it was real … there’s no easy way to say this, Peyton, but it’s the truth, I really wanted this to work out, I tried, I stopped going to Max’s for months, I stayed away because I want to work things out with you.”
She stared blankly for a moment and then sobbed. She realized even after he fought for it, he was fallen out of love with her. It was the worst kind of revelation.
Theo came over to hold her. He held her tightly even when she tried to break away from him. He didn’t want her to go through it alone. He owes her at least that much. “Peyton … please don’t cry, I hate to be the reason that you’re crying, let me take you home … okay?”
She hit his chest, “I hate you … this can’t be it, Theo, are you breaking up with me?”
He really hadn’t put that much thought into it. He was so angry, he could only hold it down for so long. Not long enough for his own good. Now he was in the middle of breaking Peyton’s heart, and he can’t undo what’s already done. He was going to be that guy who broke up with her on Prom night.
He thought the fact that Peyton had deliberately lost those concert tickets would make it easier for him to break up their relationship. He was wrong. It was the hardest thing he ever had to do. “I’m sorry … I know you’re going to hate me for the rest of your life, but you’ll hate me even more if I stayed and lie.”
She pushed him hard. She tried to regain her composure. “Fine … I’m not gonna cry for someone who doesn’t love me, go ahead … leave … I’m glad I lost those tickets now, you deserved it.”
He knew she didn’t mean it, she was just saying it out of spite. So he didn’t respond.
“You’ll never see me begging for your affection or anyone else in that matter … I can find someone better than you.”
He nodded, she was right. In a way, he was kind of glad she said that. It made him less evil. “I wish there’s a better way.”
“Go away, Theo … I don’t want to see you again … especially not with her, I hope you’re happy now,” she didn’t wait for his response and walked away.
He knew he wasn’t to follow this time. It was really over. There was a heaviness in his chest but also a sense of relief. He put his hands in his pockets and gaze far into the darkness of the night. There was silence as if nothing happened and all that was said and done left no trace except for the tender sore in his heart.
“You okay, man?” Max’s voice broke the silence.
He looked over his shoulder, “I just broke up with Peyton.”
“Yeah, I heard … well … half the school heard, I think she’s sobbing and telling everyone what an asshole you are for breaking up with her at Prom,” he offered him a glass of punch.
Theo took the glass, “And so it begins.” He knew he had tarnished his own reputation, and it will go on to college because Peyton will be going to the same campus.
He sat down on the side of a flower bed, Max sat next to him.
“I didn’t know it was that serious,” Max said.
He shrugged, “Apparently it’s not,” he chuckled, “Otherwise we would still be together.”
“No, I mean with Hazel … did you really broke up with her because of Hazel?”
His question took him by surprise, he looked at Max, “No …” he thought for a moment, “Yes …” he paused, “I don’t know,” he laughed lightly.
“Look, Max … I know it’s weird for you, okay, and I would’ve said something about it if I didn’t know that … do you really want to know?”
Max thought for a moment, he was like a brother to him, he was the first person he would tell him about anything. He nodded.
Theo inhaled deeply, “I’m in love with your sister.” It was finally out in the air.
Max looked down, he was taking it all in, “That is still weird … I’m not gonna lie to you.”
They laughed.
“I know … and I can’t promise you if I ask her out, or if I ask her to be my girlfriend … it will last forever, but I really want to,” Theo braved himself to open up to his best friend.
“We’re going to college, she’ll be devastated … you’ll break her heart,” Max shook his head.
Theo raised his brows, the timing sucks, he knows that “What makes you think she’s not going to be the one to break mine?” He looked at Max.
He scoffed, “Or that … either way, it will hurt me too, it’s not a good idea, Theo … if you’re asking me …”
“I’m not asking you, I’m just telling you how I feel … you’re my best friend, and I’ve been keeping this from you for a while now, I never kept anything from you.”
Max nodded, “True … I appreciate it, thanks for telling me that.” He tussled Theo’s hair. “But you better stay away from Hazel, just find some other girl in college … in a few years’ time … if you still feel that way about my sister,” he paused, “I’ll find you some other girl to date.” They laughed.
“I’m sorry, okay … it’s just not sitting right with me, I wish it could be different, Hazel is my only sister, I love her to death … you know that and you’re my brother … there are boundaries that I just can’t …”
“Hey, it’s okay, … it just feels good to finally told you that, with everything going on with Peyton, I really wanted to tell someone about it … I’ll manage … see, she’s already breaking my heart for being someone I can’t be with,” he laughed lightly although he wished Max had said something different.
Max landed on his feet and offered him a handshake, “Are we good?”
Theo took his hand and stood up to hug him, “Yeah … we’re good.”
“Good, ’cause I’m leaving for Gastonburry tomorrow, I still need you to keep an eye on her … she’ll be home alone, so don’t get any ideas,” he nudged him.
“Right … I almost forgot about that … home alone, huh?”
Max pushed him, “Don’t even think about it.”
They laughed it off.