Broken by Vic Johnson (accelerated reader books txt) 📕

‘I was cold’

‘When we face timed on Sunday night you were wearing it’

Shit was I? I can’t even remember. I didn’t say anything.

‘When Brooke started speaking today you held his hand’ he looked at the table. ‘How long had you known him when you slept with him?’

‘A couple of weeks’ I decided to answer honestly

‘I’m not saying that I wanted us to have sex right away but you wouldn’t even let me touch you and we have been dating for like 10 weeks’ I didn’t know what to say. ‘I can’t be with someone who is clearly in love with someone else’

‘I’m not in love with him’ I wasn’t. I had strong feelings for him but that’s all.

‘Well you can keep telling yourself that but I’m out’ he stood up and started to walk away.

‘Freddie’ I said standing up. He turned around ‘I’m really sorry’

‘Me too. I thought we were going to be great together’

‘I never wanted you to get hurt’

‘Bit late for that’ he turned and walked back in the school.

I wasn’t going back in there today. I started to walk to the school gates. I got out my phone to text Brooke and see if she wanted to ditch. A car pulled up beside me as I pressed send.

‘Wanna ditch?’ Brooke said through her window.

‘Great minds’ I said smiling as her phone went off receiving my text.

‘I was just about to leave when I saw you talking to Freddie. Did you dump him?’

‘No’ I said. She shook her head. ‘He dumped me’

‘Wow. I didn’t think he had it in him. Wanna go get smashed’

‘Why not’

Brooke had gotten us fake IDs a few weeks ago and she wanted to try them out. I was surprised when they actually worked.

‘How you doing?’ I asked when we sat down.

She shrugged he shoulders.

‘I’m sorry I wasn’t there last night’

‘Don’t worry. Besides you had trouble with your two boyfriends’ she smiled which was good to see.

‘Ouch’ I said laughing.

‘What you gonna do now Freddie is out of the picture?’

This time I shrugged my shoulders.

‘You’re a fool if you don’t at least try with Jackson’

‘I know that Jackson will love me unconditionally for ever if I let him’

‘So what’s the problem?’

‘I don’t know. I don’t understand what is holding me back from him. The annoying thing is how badly I want him. I mean one look from him and I just melt.’

‘Give him a chance. I think you will surprise yourself at how easily you love him’

‘Maybe. We’ll see huh?’

She looked really sad again.

‘Are you going to be ok?’

‘Eventually I guess but right now I just feel like I can’t breathe’ her voice broke at the end and she started to cry. I moved to the chair next to her and hugged her. ‘I don’t understand how they could both do this to me. I loved them both so much. How could they hurt me like this? How? Why? I just don’t understand’ she cried for a long time.

Knowing Beth had changed me. It was Friday night and I was in my room reading. I had never read a book in my life and I was on my second one in as many weeks. They book I finished last night made me think a lot about Beth and me. I think that’s why I gave her that stupid all or nothing speech.

There was a knock at my door and Charlie put his head round.

‘Do you hate me?’ he asked.

‘No’ I said and he smiled. ‘I don’t like you right now though’ his smiled disappeared.

‘I know I fucked up’

‘Fucked up? Mate you dropped a bomb. You will never be able to pick up all the pieces of this mess you’ve made’

‘I know and I’ve lost the only person I have ever loved’ he shook his head. ‘Do you think she will ever forgive me?’

‘Right now no. But in the future once she has calmed down and you have done some serious grovelling then who knows’

‘I think I should leave her alone for a few days though right?’

‘I would’

‘Ok’ he said getting up and walking round the room. ‘Things are looking up for you though’

‘How’s that?’ I asked

‘Beth dumped Freddie’

‘What? When?’ how did I not know this?

‘Today at some point. After she did it she and Brooke ditched.

‘I didn’t even know. Everyone has just been talking about you’

‘I guess when I was in the room they talked about Beth’ he shook his head. ‘There is even a rumour that now Brooke is single that Beth dumped Freddie so she could be with Brooke’

I actually laughed out loud. ‘That’s funny’

Just then my phone rang. It was Beth

‘Hi’ I said feeling a bit nervous. Was she phoning so we could talk?

‘I need a favour’ she said

‘Anything’ I said and then kicked myself for being desperate.

‘Me and Brooke are in this bar on Main Street. It’s an Irish bar I think. Anyway Brooke is wasted and I can’t drive her car and I can’t get a taxi because I don’t know her address or how to get there from here and I can’t take her to my house because well you know Jessica will flip out and….’

‘….im on my way ok? Take her outside’

‘I will thank you so much. You’re my hero’

I’m not gonna lie that last comment made feel about 10 feet tall

‘I’m off to pick up Beth. We will talk again soon ok?’

‘Is Brooke ok?’

‘She had a bit to drink that’s all. You can’t come before you ask. She won’t want to see you and you will make it worse.’

‘Will you at least text me and let me know she is ok?’ he looked really sad.

‘Of course I will’.

As I’m leaving my mum shouts me.

‘Is Charlie ok he looked down’ she says to me.

‘He cheated on his girlfriend and got caught’

‘Oh’ she said looking disappointed. She had known Charlie a long time. ‘Well I will have a word with him next time he is here. I’m sure his own mother hasn’t even noticed’

‘Probably not’ I said feeling kinda sorry for him now. ‘I gotta bounce’

‘Where you going I’m making dinner?’

‘Im off to pick up Beth’

‘I thought she had a boyfriend?’

‘Not anymore but after tonight I am hoping it will be me’

‘Be careful’

‘I will’ I kissed her cheek and ran out the door.

When I got to the place Beth described I could see her outside holding back Brookes hair while she puked. Nice! I had some towels in the back so I laid them out across the back seat so she did not ruin my seat covers.

Beth looked so relieved when I got there. I helped get her in the car and set off for her house.

We didn’t speak in the car. Beth was too concerned about Brooke which I didn’t mind.

When we got to Brookes we went round the back hoping we wouldn’t run in to her parents. We got her to her room and Beth changed her clothes while I waited in the hall. I helped her get her into bed and I washed the sick from her mouth while Beth put the waste bin next to her bed in case she had to hurl again.

As we were closing the door her mum came round the corner. We both stopped dead.

‘Is she drunk?’ She asked. She did not look happy.

‘She will be fine’ Beth answered.

‘She rang me from a bar crying saying she had a broken heart and why didn’t I love her like I should. The stupid girl’

Beth stepped forward and I got a little tense. Beth had a temper. ‘Your daughter, yes daughter caught her best friend and her boyfriend in bed together. Her heart is broken. She is devastated and you’re upset cos she phoned you. Who else would she call?’

‘Is that true?’

‘Yeah’ I said.

‘You can leave her I will look after her’

‘You better’ Beth said.

As we left I could tell Beth didn’t really want to leave.

‘She will be fine’ I said. She just nodded. ‘Are you hungry?’

‘Starved’ she says smiling.

‘I know the perfect place’

We were sat in a little Italian Bistro overlooking the lake. Beth looked beautiful in this lighting. We had ordered our food and I had text Charlie to let him know Brooke was home safe.

‘How did you find this place?’ Beth asked

‘My parents brought me here for a birthday once’

‘It’s nice’

I really wanted to ask her about Freddie but I didn’t know if I should wait to see if she brought it up.

‘So the rumour mill at school is spinning fast’

‘Yeah’ she smiled. ‘What are people saying?

‘Well my personal favourite is that you dumped Freddie because Brooke is now single and you ditched today so you could try and get with her’

‘Are you serious?’ she asked laughing. ‘Wait till I tell Brooke that. Maybe we could walk down the corridors holding hands and put a bit of fuel on the fire’

I laughed.

‘Anyway I didn’t dump Freddie’

My heart sank. ‘Oh’

‘He dumped me’

‘What? Seriously?’

‘Yeah said he was sick of coming second to you’

‘Really? You haven’t put me first at all’

‘I still have your Jacket. I didn’t realise and I was wearing it the other day when he face timed me. I think that was the icing on the cake’

‘Was he mad?’

‘Not hopping mad but he wasn’t happy’ she sighed ‘it was unfair what I did to him. I never should have agreed to that first date but I was so mad at you.’ I went to say something but she stopped me ‘as soon as I found out what Jessica did all my anger just vanished. I should have ended things with Freddie then. I knew you were who I wanted to be with I just didn’t have the guts to end it with him. Not at first anyway. I would have done it by the weekend.’ She paused for a long time but I didn’t disturb her while she collected her thoughts. Our food came and we started to eat. After 10 minutes I had to speak.

‘What do you want to do now?’

‘After we have eaten?’

‘No I mean with us. What do you want to do now?’

‘Oh’

‘We don’t have to talk about it now if you don’t want’

‘We need to talk about it’ she put down her fork. ‘I’m scared Jackson’

‘Scared of what?’

‘You’

What? How could she be scared of me ‘why?’

‘Ok please just listen, don’t interrupt I know you love to do that’

I smiled ‘I promise’

‘Do you remember our first ‘date’ if that what it was?’

‘When I took you to the beach?’

‘Yes’ she paused while she figured out what to say. I waited. ‘Ok do you remember what you said to me?’

‘I said you always looked sad even when you smiled’

‘No after that. I said I was broken’

‘Ah yes I said I was going to fix you’

‘I said I was unfixable’

‘I said I was still going to try’ she had looked so surprised when I said that to her. I remember that was the moment when I knew this wasn’t just any old crush and could possibly be the real deal.

‘I felt like you saw deep into my soul, into my heart that day. I was scared that day because I believed you. I