Unknown calling...

53. Rejection Stings

🤍🖤🤍 Natalie 🤍🖤🤍

“I really enjoy your company, Natalie… I was wondering if you’d like to go out with me?”

I think I gaped at him for at least a minute. Or maybe more... Or maybe time stopped. I am not even sure what happened.

“You want to date me?” I ask in shock.

“Yes..”

Is this really happening?

I fancy him. I like him. But do I want to date him?

He is asking me for a date. If he had asked me this question a few months ago. I would probably have said yes. I wanted to be in a relationship then. But now…

I am not sure anymore.

We are leaving for college in five months. Different cities. I don’t even remember where he is going… But it’s certainly a different city.

I don’t have any experience with long-distance things but people say it’s pain, misery, and eventual death of a relationship.

Five months are not enough to know each other. I knew West and Jake for more than 7-8 months. Still, they kicked me out of their lives so easily. Getting into a relationship now would be like hitting my foot on an ax.

And let’s not forget people leave me. I don’t think I can stomach another rejection or cold treatment. He might be serious now, but he will leave me. That’s what everyone does.

But Wait!

Why does he want to date me?

Is this some prank or something?

Fuck.

I realize and turn red. Not with anger, but with embarrassment.

He is joking.

He must be… like he did when he sent me that ‘Bad thoughts’ text from campsite. Here I am getting myself worked up on details of an imaginary relationship.

I almost fall for it again.

Fuck I am stupid.

I grab the cushion behind my back, smack it on his head and say, laughing, “Can you quit joking for once!”

“Wha..” He says trying to hold the cushion, trying to save his head.

I smack him again and say, “I fell for it once. I am not falling for it again.”

“Natalie…” Dad’s voice booms from behind me and Jacob looks towards the door in a panic.

Oops.

I turn to notice Dad looking at us with suspicion.

He says,” We are leaving in half-hour. Probably you should get ready.”

I glance at my watch and realize we have been studying for more than an hour.

Dad doesn’t move from the door after delivering the message.

I want to say again, ‘Dad!!! Stop embarrassing me...’

Jacob clears his throat and says,” I should leave now. See you on Monday?”

I nod and Dad escorts Jacob out.

…………………..…………..

🤍🖤💜 Jacob 💜🖤🤍

…………………..…………..

I swear to God I saw ‘No’ written all over her face. Barely five minutes ago, I was so sure I want to know if she was interested in me or not. I thought if she says no I will take it like a man. I will probably stop meeting her or something.

Who am I kidding? Possibility of rejection made me feel like a little boy again.

I am not prepared to stop seeing her yet.

I want to spend some time with her. She finally agreed to meet me every evening for studies. I cannot let it go.

I am not even sure If I should be happy or furious about that drunk message I had sent her that night. I had told her it was a ‘lame joke’ made by my ‘drunk brain’. Obviously, she thinks I am joking even now.

She didn’t say ‘no’ to my face, but the realization that she doesn’t like me doesn’t sting any less.

I reach home and hear Hanna laughing in June’s room. I don’t want to talk to anyone right now, So I quietly enter my room and slump in my bed.

God, I could use a hug. I wish Coco was here with me right now.

After a while, Hanna enters my room and smacks a pillow on my head.

What’s up with everyone smacking pillows today?

“You asshole. That girl… your classmate!! She is your crush!!!” she states and smacks me again and I don’t protest. She looks at my face and sits next to me.

“What happened?”

“I thought you would be gone by now,” I ask her instead of answering.

She rolls her eyes,” I will leave... but you could have told me who she was. I am fucking furious!”

I glance at her face. She doesn’t look furious. I know her furious face. It’s not pretty. She once set Sadie in her place with her furious face.

She smacks my arm and asks, “Speak up! What happened?”

I tell her my sob story, and she thinks for a while.

“We will do something about it. Don’t worry.”

I want to roll my eyes but I don’t have the energy to do even that!

She opens her mouth to say something. Probably more words of sympathy and I sigh inwardly, hoping something would shut her up. I need to be alone right now.

To my luck, her phone rings, and she says. “Oh, my ride is here.”

She kisses my forehead and runs out of the room, saying, “Don’t worry, we will do something.”

What’s the point?

That’s not going to make Natalie like me. Just let me sleep for a few days, then maybe… I would feel better.

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54. Unknown calling...

🤍🖤🤍 Natalie 🤍🖤🤍

Going away on our short family trip and being away from Jacob for two days gave me plenty of time to think. After all, he wasn’t around to cloud my judgment with his perfectly stupid face, his stupid smile, and his stupid dimple.

I know it’s not gonna happen, but still, I let my imagination run wild. I let myself imagine what would have happened if he had asked me out for real. What would have happened if I wasn’t reeling with doubts?

and I liked the possibilities.

I liked it a lot.

I know it’s probably wrong. But couldn’t help but compare him with West. Would West come to help me in the middle of the night? Especially if I was hanging out with another boy?

I don’t think so.

Jacob is kind and considerate. He didn’t owe me anything to help me that night. He still came.

I am comparing them to find his flaws. It’s twisted. As If I am trying to find a way to protect myself from being hurt again. This is funny enough, because ‘I and Jacob’ won’t happen.

But something has changed. I am finally seeing him above his looks and, to be honest; I am intrigued to know him more.

As I am lost in my thoughts, my phone rings.

Unknown calling….

“Hello.”

“Hey girl, how are you doing?”

I frown, “Who is this?” The voice sounds vaguely familiar.

“Oh girl… don’t tell me you forgot your first boyfriend.”

I freeze in my spot. The nerve of this guy.

“ohh.” That’s all that comes out of my mouth.

I know I should cut this call. But why has he called me? I will die of curiosity if I put the phone down now.

To apologize or to explain why he ghosted?

I am all ears if he wants to explain. I won’t believe him, though. But I do want to understand the mindset of a ghost.

“How are you?” He asks.

“Good.”

“How are things in town?”

“Why? Haven’t you been around? Or you ghosted every single person you knew?”

He chuckles and goes quiet for a moment, then says, “I shouldn’t have… I miss you, though.”

Is this an apology? I don’t think so. Apology usually contains the golden word ‘Sorry’ in it.

“So… Have you been dating someone?” He asks.

What? Don’t tell me it’s some Let’s-get-back-together bullshit call. But I am still curious.

“No,” I tell him.

“Wow. Thank God… I didn’t expect that, but good... Girls like you are hard to find. You have no idea how much I missed you .”

I go quiet as he says this. Are my ears ringing or am I hallucinating?

“Tell me you have missed me. Never found any wild girl like you, Natalie… I am coming to town next week. Maybe we could meet… Get dirty again.”

What!!

Is he suggesting what I think he is?

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t be so crude Natalie… You know what I mean…” He says in a suggestive tone. “I missed your lips around my dick so much. Let’s catch up and I would pound you just the way you like.”

I am shocked and seething with anger. My throat goes tight with rage.

“Fuck off Jake,” I somehow choke out the words and I cut the call. I wanted to give him a whole earful, but there is no point.

I shouldn’t have talked to him. Fucking curiosity killed me.

My phone pings with a text message.

Unknown: ‘Come on… Don’t you miss my thick cock? I still remember how you used to come around my dick. I got hard even by talking to you.’

To my dismay, he sends me a pic.

Me: That’s disgusting Jake. Never felt this before but I regret it now.

I delete the image and block his number. But my brain is traumatized by his unsolicited dick pic.

God, I can’t believe I dated him... I indeed have bad taste in men. Why would he think it’s ok to call and talk like this, even when he ghosted me?

Am I that easy?

Why did he think it was ok to do this? Or does he treat every girl in his life this way?

I lay in my bed, trying to recall if he was always like this. To my horror, I realize, just like West, I ignored bad signs in Jake too. It was stupid of me to expect an apology from him. Or expect a normal conversation, for that matter.

“So… have you been dating someone?” He had asked me before spilling his filthy talk on me.

As if knowing I am with another man is more important than my consent to hear him talk dirty or see his genitals.

God, I am annoyed right now. Completely disgusted.

I get up to take a bath as if it would wash away the revulsion I am feeling.

But I do understand one thing now. I was too young when I dated Jake and didn’t know any better. Now I know the difference. It’s high time I start noticing people’s personalities and pay less attention to their freaking looks.