"Aye?" Austin greets from the other line. "What d'you want? I'm driving at the moment." 

"Yeah, I know. Uh, listen--don't pick me up today, alright?" I stutter out, looking at my white ceiling.

He scoffs, his breathe muffled in the microphone. "Why's that?"

"I don't want to see Elizabeth at the--" 

"Don't be such a coward, man! I thought you were good?" 

"Yeah, I am good but not my relationship with her. . ." I sigh.

It took a while before he answers, I could hear his faint car engine noise in the background. "Okay, okay. Just go to school today, alright?" 

"I'll try," I say. 

"What do you mean by that?" he asks.

"I just don't feel like going to school today," I confess as my eyes darts at the clock that read: 7:30 A.M. 

"Can I at least have an explanation as to why?" he asks more. 

"I just need time to myself. I have to think." 

"Alright, got 'ya buddy. Have fun thinking," he chuckles.

"Yeah, thanks dad," I bid and hang up. 

I sit up and rub my tired eyes with my palms until I see black circles. 

"Shammie!" Anna calls out, making my eyeslids flicker open. "You're not going to school?" she asks as she barges inside my room in her school uniform.

I groan. "You heard that?" 

She nods a couple of times. 

I raise a brow. "And?"

"Can I. . .spend the day with you?" she asks, twirling a strand of her yellow hair with her small fingers and looks at the floor while swaying side to side. 

I groan again, louder this time. "Annabelle, I told you that you--" 

"Please?" she cries out and clasps her hands together. "There aren't any quizzes today at school, I swear!" she looks at me with her striking blue eyes-- a trait that I've always wanted to have, I've only just remembered now. Up to this day, I really hate how I look. I look like my father. Devilishly handsome. 

I remember how much she wanted to hang out with me. I've been neglecting her a lot and I don't want to be that kind of brother. Besides, mum will be back on Saturday anyway, and today's Friday. 

I roll my eyes as I felt a grin creep on my face. "Oh, alright, alright. Just don't tell mum, okay?" 

"Yes! Yes, yes!" she celebrates, wrapping her arms around my neck tightly. 

"Okay, okay. I'm going out today," I tell her with a smile. 

Her eyes glistens as her lips stretches up to form a smile. "Really? Where you going?"

"You mean, where will we go? We'll be going to the mall." 

"What for? Shopping?" she asks, dropping her school bag on the floor. 

"You could say that," I say as I stand up. "Would you kindly help me pick a gift?" 

"Gift for whom?" she asks, her smile disappearing. 

"You know for who, Anna," I tell her, resting a hand on her head. I noticed she's gotten taller than the last time I did so. "It's fine if you don't want to though, we could just watch a movie in the cinemas or something." 

She sighs. "Oh, alright. I'm fine with it. I'll help you pick and I bet it'll be the best gift she'll ever receive!"

I chuckle. "But first, let's have breakfast." 

"Clothes? Chocolates? Teddy Bear?" she suggests, skipping joyfully while her small hand was in mine. Gladly, there wasn't a lot of people in the mall at this time, which is 10 A.M. It only just opened but there are already a few shops that are accessible, thankfully.

"Those are all common gifts," I tell her as my eyes wanders around the mall. Stalls of feminine-looking shops next each other, almost like a never-ending trail. It's overwhelming. 

Elizabeth loves a lot of things. She likes movies, clothes, make-up, Dragon Ball-Z figures (although I think that isn't too romantic in my opinion), and probably other things that I don't even know about. 

"What about jewelry?" she suggests. I look down at her and she was looking straight-ahead with a grin on her face. That isn't a bad idea, actually.

"Yeah, girls love jewelry, right?" I laugh.

Anna laughs. "I love jewelry, Shammie."

So I bought Elizabeth a silver bracelet with a heart charm. It was simple but I found it pretty, like what Anna had told me. 

After buying the bracelet, we went in the arcade and ate lunch at McDonalds because I don't have a lot of money with me now, because of the fact that I've spent 1/4 of my savings on the bracelet. We then went home and watched a movie on my laptop. 

When it was 5:30 P.M., I decided to surprise Elizabeth in her house. I called Austin to pick me up and drop me off her house so that I could get there quicker.

"Good luck, Shammie! Don't stay out too long," I remember Annabelle saying that to me. She almost sounded like mum.

"So, this is it huh?" Austin tells me as he drives. 

"This is what?" I ask him. I look at the small box on my hand--the silver bracelet was inside. I wonder if she'll like it. . . or maybe she'd tell me that the heart charm's too cheesy for her. I should've probably picked the one with the feather charm instead. But that doesn't sound romantic, does it?

"Well, you guys will make up, make out, and you know--probably do it," he tells, having a quick glance towards me and then looks straight ahead on the road again. The moon's light glistens on his tanned face. 

I roll my eyes. "Is that all you think about?" 

"Whatever man, just text me if you're not staying over at her house." 

"I won't, I already told you. Annabelle's home alone," I say for the third time. 

His head tilts on one side then remains its proper posture again. "Right, right. I keep forgetting, mate." 

"Alright," he says as we park outside Elizabeth's house. "Well, the lights are on. That's a good sign." 

"Yes, 'course it is," I tell him as I unbuckle my seatbelt and exit the car, closing the car door behind me. 

I hop up to her porch and knock on the door. 

What would she say to me? I bet she'd be delighted though, because the bracelet would be the first ever gift I'll be giving to her. 

I wait for the door to open for a minute now, but still no answer. As I raise my knuckle on the door to knock again, the hinges squeak and the door swings open. My eyes assumed that it was Elizabeth, so I was focused on what seemed to be her height. But no.

I was staring at someone's built chest. Shoulders that were too broad for a female. He was a few inches taller than me.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" I say through my teeth, clutching the small box in my hand. 

He looks down at me. It was too dark to recognize his face. "Look, dude--" 

I push my way towards him and step my foot inside the house. "Who're you?" I ask him again. I can now see his face clearly. His eyebrows were thick and were shaped in an arch. His eyes were sloped downwards and he had dark lips--like someone who smoked all his life. 

"I'm her ex-boyfriend, alright?" he starts. His voice was deep and raspy. 

My pulse quickens as I take a step towards him. So many thoughts are running through my head right now.

"Look, man. Calm down, okay?" he says, standing his ground. "She needed someone. And you weren't here so--" 

This is complete, utter bullshit!

"Elizabeth?!" I call out, stomping towards her bedroom. The ex-boyfriend follows behind me and tries to grab my shoulder but misses.

"Hey, hey, buddy, stop--" 

As I kick the door open, there she was. I even chuckled internally at myself. Man, I should've known. 

There I see my lovely, dear girlfriend half-naked on the bed. I saw her naked a split second ago and now she has the covers up until her bare chest. Her hair was a mess and her cheeks were red. Her eyeliner was smudged below her eyes. Looked like she had been crying.

"O-Oh shit, shit, Sham--please, don't say anything--" she says as she stares at me with quivering lips. She frantically looks around, probably looking for her clothes.

"Don't worry, I won't," I bluntly say, putting the small box in the pocket of my jacket. I turn around and walk pass her ex-boyfriend, and I head towards the front door.

"Shamrock! Please wait!" she calls out loudly. "Please! Hold on!" she says louder this time. 

I reach for the doorknob and was about to swing it open without a doubt until I heard Elizabeth's voice inches away from my behind. 

I turn around and she was still quickly putting on her shorts, pulling it up.

"Sham, I can explain--" she says, walking towards me. 

"Cheating cannot be explained, Elizabeth," I say sternly, I stop her from coming closer by gripping her arms tightly. She looks up at me and was already tearing up. "It's a choice, Elizabeth." My throat was straining me. "A damn choice." 

Her eyes squint as a sob comes out of her mouth. "Baby, I-I am so sorry. . . "

"Tell me Elizabeth. This is so ironic, isn't it?" I say, pushing her away by her arms. 

"Hey, hey, watch it," her ex-boyfriend said. 

I look at him. "Me? You're telling me to watch it? You abused her, man! She had a fucking wound on her face because of you!" 

"Who told you that? That was an accident," he says calmly. 

"Ask your ex-girlfriend then," I snap my head towards Elizabeth. "The thing that's so ironic is that you were the one who wanted me to improve, get my grades back up, be a better man for you. I've been trying to be the boyfriend that you've always wanted but now--oh! How the table have fucking turned!" 

"Shamrock," she cries out, shaking her head. "I had needs, okay? I'm just like any other person, I had needs and you couldn't give them to me." 

"What kind of an answer is that?" I spat at her face. "Really, you're trying to explain yourself instead of saying sorry?" 

She shakes her head again, tears flowing from her eyes. I look at her ex-boyfriend, who was rubbing his eyes with his hand as his head was low. Elizabeth then starts to sob uncontrollably in front of me. "Because I don't know what else to do, Shamrock!" she manages to say. "I really like you but I--I'm a girl who--" she chokes out but then she sobs again. 

"I can't believe you did this. Out of all the people I've dated. . . I actually thought we would work out. I was going to surprise you today, damn it!" I mutter.

"Shamrock, please--don't leave me--" she rests her head on my chest gently as she grips my shirt tightly.

I couldn't hold the ache in my chest. This is too much for me.

"This is unfair, Liza. So fucking unfair." I grab her shoulders and gently push her away. "If he still makes you happy," I tell her, looking at her ex-boyfriend, who was looking at me as well, "Then you shouldn't have left him." 

"Shamrock. . . " she whispers to me. "I love you." 

Those words meant nothing to me anymore.

"I don't think so, Elizabeth. We're done."

I turn around from her and open the front door and I hear her scampering behind, following me. "Sham, please, let's t-talk!" she grabs my arm but I shake it away.

I hop in Austin's car immediately and I look outside. Elizabeth was running towards the car, still crying her eyes out but she was held back by her ex-boyfriend, hugging her waist. 

I was supposed to be jealous but I'm not anymore.

"Woah, woah, what the fuck?" Austin asks in utter confusion. 

"Start the car," I mutter.

"What?" he asks.

"Start the damn car!" I repeat as saliva flies of my mouth and my head was pounding, trying not to tear up. 

Austin doesn't respond and he only obeys, starting the engine.

Author's Note: 

I'm sorry, I'm mistaken! The book is until Chapter 36 because this chapter got too long. Aren't you guys happy?

By the way, how's the banner? :)