With 100% conviction behind my attitude I knew Stefan had a one in a million chance of making things right. Little did I know then that he would be that one-he would always be that one in a million. And as I stared I suddenly became lost in a memory of the most unexpected and epic apology I had ever received.
A weekend had passed-not a lifetime or anything-but it felt like it. The fight and break-up I went through with Stefan on Friday had been absolutely devastating. Thanks to having an older brother that was loved by the teaching staff, I was able to ditch the rest of the day and not receive any sort of detention. I burrowed myself in my room, in my blankets and refused to answer the phone. I told my family I didn't want to know if anyone called for me, because I wasn't going to take the call anyway. All weekend passed with me in a daze, it wasn't until this morning while Jayden drove us to school that he filled me in on just how many times that boy had called. 50. Seriously?? Who manages to call someone fifty times in a single weekend when there was no promised hope of a return call?
"Give him a break, Grey, he would never do anything to hurt you." Jay spoke up as we waited for the light to change.
"But he did hurt me." He cast his eyes from the road and gave me a pleading look.
"Maybe he did, but you should see him now. I've never seen the man like this-just talk to him. I promise he would never do anything with her."
The familiar tug at my heart warned me that more tears were on their way, if I couldn't grab hold of my control. Looking out the window at least kept Jayden's sorrow-filled gaze from breaking through my own. Rain pelted against the windows, for some strange reason I felt this gloomy weather was in place for us today. My heart was sad without Stefan, but even more hurt by what may have happened. While Stefan was supposedly aching from our time apart as well.
The first half of my day passed with my nerves churning anxiously around in my stomach. Stefan and I have just about every class together, with our seats either next to each other, or just about. I bobbed my knee, tapped my pencil and watched the clock at the start of every period. Yet, he never showed. There I sat, baggy hoody, and too dark eyeliner that I caked on purposely to shield myself from others. At this point I looked like a complete fool-sitting here in my misery with Stefan missing in action.
God-I was seriously an idiot. The whispers grew louder as each hour came to an end and I sunk lower into my seat. The whole morning I cursed Jayden for ever forcing me out of bed today. Lunch came and after I grabbed my tray and took a seat away from as many people as possible. I decided I was going back to bed the second I left the cafeteria. It didn't matter if I had to walk home-as long as I wasn't here-it would be worth it.
My fork poked around at the mashed potato-like substance while I tuned out everything around me. The ear-piercing sound of the speakers screeching drew me from my thoughts. Immediately I looked around and noticed other people covering their ears. All of us wondering what was going on. Just as I was about to avert my attention back to the mush on my tray, I heard an all-too familiar voice. It wasn't coming from the space next to me, but instead, it was surrounding me.
My head instantly snapped up to see where Stefan's voice was coming from, when I saw him standing at the front of the cafeteria with a microphone in hand. Typically, it was used for the teachers in the cafeteria to get student's attention without screaming over everyone. From the look on our supervising teacher's face, this was not the use Stefan intended for it.
"Excuse me everyone while I interrupt your fine meal but I have something very important to say. This past Friday the woman I love with all my heart saw a horrible sight, and was left with the wrong impression. I want her to know, with all of you as my witness, that I would never ever do anything in this world to hurt her. What she saw was nothing more than an unfortunate and highly unwanted advance of another. I've called repeatedly but since my beautiful girl won't talk to me, I had to resort to something a little more drastic."
My mouth hung open as I watched Stefan turn and nod at someone behind him. I followed his eye line and saw none other than my brother with a guitar slung over his shoulder and a walkie-talkie in his hand. Jay said something directly into it and moments later it wasn't just the cafeteria speakers that were taken over-it was the entire sound system for the school. A song began playing and less than ten seconds in, I knew exactly what it was. 'I'll Be' by Edwin McCain was one of my favorite songs and Stefan knew this.
My trance was returned to Stefan just as he caught my eye, winked, and put the mic to his lips to sing. The song played over the speakers, Jayden chimed in with guitar, but the only thing I could focus on was the voice of the guy I knew without a single hesitation, was meant for me.