Winning My Ex-Crush

Laird’s POV

“Why do you act like this again? Why are you still angry? Come on, don’t be angry anymore.” She held her breath while persuading me.

“I’m not angry at all.” It was a lie, and she knew it.

“Accompany me to the toy store to buy a game. Besides, fresh air would be effective in dispelling bad moods. Didn’t the Boston team lose the match earlier, too?” She asked, like she knew everything.

“Just go away, Fenella.” I tried to close the door one more time, but she pushed it anyway with her strength.

“Wait! Going to the toy store might cheer you up. Maybe you’ll find a fun game to play later.”

With enthusiasm, Fenella persuaded me at length. Even I thought she would run out of breath from talking so much.

“Go to the store by yourself. Aunt Myers and my mom are out, so there’s no one at home except me, Lloyd, and dad. I’m exhausted.”

I tried to dismiss her, but her hands insisted on pushing the door.

“You have to accompany me, Laird. Today is Adam’s birthday, so I have to give him his present today. I’m afraid to go alone.” She pursed her lips.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“Hm, especially to hand it over to Adam. I don’t think I have enough courage to come alone without you.” She pleaded again.

“Whether I accompany you or not, will there be any difference? I bet you’ll be rejected by him, so you’d better abandon your intention to buy that expensive gift for Adam. Just so you know, you’re a selfish girl.”

Damn my mouth! I knew that was outrageous, and Fenella would surely be sad after hearing that. My tone of voice was very cold, and I didn’t care about the consequences. I just wanted her to leave immediately, without having to meet my father.

Fenella finally fell silent. She lowered her hands and no longer blocked the door.

“Have you looked yourself in the mirror? Your face is so ugly. You should wipe it all off first before you become the laughingstock of the entire city.”

I firmly closed the door without any further objection from Fenella. The atmosphere was still quiet, and I took a long breath. My body leaned against the door, and I waited until she left. My hands rubbed my hair, and my eyes felt hot.

Fenella no longer cared about me. No one cared. I felt alone.

“You’re so annoying, Laird! What a jerk!” The door was kicked so hard that I flinched back.

“You’re smart and good at sports. But do you know your weaknesses? You’re just a coward who always runs away and stays silent when things don’t go your way!”

I could hear her footsteps running away. She also cries. I wouldn’t be wrong to assume that she was hurt by my words and was crying because of them.

***

Ten minutes later, I got up from my bed. My feelings worsened. The cold, overcast weather also failed to make me fall asleep. I convinced myself that I was just tired and couldn’t sleep.

Finally, I walked out of my room and opened my house door.

“Where are you going?” Lloyd asked, still sitting in his original place. His head peeked out from behind the book.

“To babysit.”

I got on my bike and immediately pedaled to the nearest toy store.

***

I leaned my bike against the toy store’s parking lot and hurried inside. Bob’s Toys sold a variety of toys, including CD console games, cards, board games, and dolls. I headed to the aisle where regular CDs were usually displayed, but there were only a few kids and teenagers I didn’t recognize.

Fenella wasn’t there. I walked around the cashier area but still couldn’t find her. Before asking, I waited until the cashier finished serving a boy who was buying an RPG game.

“Hi. Did you see a girl with blonde hair, wearing a pink dress, and buying the latest soccer console game?” I asked, gesturing at Fenella’s height, slightly above my head.

“So specific, kid. But yes, I served her earlier. She left not long ago,” the red-haired cashier replied.

“Thanks.”

I hurried back out of the store, breathing heavily. It seemed the girl had indeed mustered the courage to buy the CD game on her own. I grabbed the handlebars of my bike before mounting it.

I wondered for a moment whether I should also follow her to Adam’s house. Suddenly, I remembered Fenella’s words when she begged me to accompany her.

‘I don’t think I have enough courage to come alone without you.’

Those words had been bothering me since I left home. Her expression when she said it made me sick to my stomach. Plus, her words after I closed the door. The memory weighed heavily on my chest.

I sighed and quickly hopped on my bike. This time, I pedaled quickly to Adam’s house, feeling increasingly worried. If she was indeed rejected by Adam, she might actually cry.

Why was I so sure? I had chatted with Adam several times, and he expressed to me his discomfort with her acting so clingy to him.

Yes, I knew exactly about her over-the-top attention-seeking behavior. It made everyone uncomfortable. She always wanted to be a hero, even though she was just a spoiled girl.

So I knew that crybaby wouldn’t be able to handle rejection from Adam. It was funny, actually, to see her chasing after boys. She was such a naive girl who didn’t understand anything about love.

I also should not have paid any attention to that girl. Had Adam refused his gift, the worst that would have happened to Fenella was that she would have cried from a broken heart. It would have taken just a week to make her as cheerful as she was before. I was sure of it.

Even so, I couldn’t bring myself to leave her. Her face kept haunting me, and I was moved to speed up my bike. I pedaled until my calves started to ache.