You Belong With Me Chapter 1

Chapter 1



“No, no, Stephenie! It was a joke! I was just joking!”
I peeked up over my book as my best friend, Matt was on the phone with his girlfriend, Stephenie. She was upset about something stupid. Again.
“What? Where on earth did you hear that? Oh, come on Steph! It was a joke!”
I could hear Stephenie crying on the other side of the phone line. And I couldn’t really say I felt bad…
“Steph come on! Steph? Steph? Oh, you have to be kidding me!”
I peeked over my book again and saw Matt hanging up his cell. He turned around and looked at me, tilting his head to one side.
“So…” I said slowly, “What happened.”
“I made a joke at school the other day.” Matt snorted, “and she took it seriously.”
I sighed and sat up.
“Matt,” I said, “If you want to continue dating Stephenie, you’re going to have to understand that she gets more upset than normal people do.”
Matt plopped himself on my bed next to me. I felt myself go up a little because of his weight.
“Taylor,” he said to me, “Why can’t all girls be like you?”
“What? Gorgeous and understanding?” I said with a grin.
Matt reached over and pinched my arm.
“Ow!” I cried, rubbing my arm, “That hurt!”
Matt rolled his eyes at me. “You know what I meant.”
“No, actually. I don’t. Please enlighten me.”
Matt sighed, “You get my jokes! You think they’re funny.”
I glared at him, “Matthew Andrew Lewiston, what did you say this time.”
“Nothing! It was just a joke!”
I glared harder at him. I knew from experience that with this look, I could weasel anything I wanted out of him.
“Okay! I said to Danny, you know, my buddy on the football team?”
I nodded and urged him to go on.
“Well, I said that once Steph and I broke up, I was gonna go out with Gabriella.”
I blinked, “Who?”
Matt sighed, “Your sister.”
“My sister…. Oh, my gosh! Matt, Gabbie’s barely a year old!”
Matt laughed and ran his fingers through his hair. I loved it when he did that. I had been in love with Matt since, well, who knows when. Practically forever. And here he was dating Stephenie. For goodness sakes, he and Stephenie were pretty much polar opposites.
“Well,” He said, “I always said she was a pretty baby…”
I grabbed one of my pillows and smacked it against his face.
“You loser!” I laughed, “You’re such a dork!”
Matt laughed again. Then a sad look came over his face.
“I guess she didn’t know that Gabby’s a baby. She knew it was your sister, and that made her even more mad.”
I patted Matt on the back. Then he looked up at me.
“Do you think it’s funny?” He asked slowly.
“Well, yeah!” I said, “You said you were going to date a baby!”
Matt laughed, “I only wish that Stephenie gets my humor like you do.”
Ugh. Why was he dating that witch anyway?! Was it because of her stupid short skirts and heels? I had to admit, they made her legs look pretty much amazing. But, still. He never had a problem with my t-shirts and sneakers before Stephenie came along. When Stephenie became head of the cheer squad, everything changed. I remember being at Matt’s football game, like always, sitting on the bleachers, cheering for his team when I saw Stephenie, who is the size of a toothpick, run onto the field during a break and give Matt a big, sloppy kiss.
It was the most sickening thing I have seen in my life. And I’ve seen some pretty sickening things in my seventeen years. Including my mom having to give birth to my sister Gabbie on the couch. Talk about sick.
I cleared my throat, “Why are you dating Stephenie, anyway.”
Matt looked at me, “Well, she’s a good person!”
I snorted.
Matt kicked me, “What? She is!”
I rolled my eyes, “I’m pretty sure that getting kicked out of three schools doesn’t count as being a good person.”
Matt groaned, “It was only one school! And it was unjust that she was expelled, too!”
I blinked, “She stole money from the Christmas gift fund.”
Matt glared at me, “Well of course you’d believe that! That’s what the newspapers said. Steph told me she was just framed!”
Than Matt’s phone began to ring.
Stephenie’s ringtone was that fluffy country song, Amazed.
Oh, my gosh.
Matt jumped onto his feet and flipped open his phone, “Hello?! Steph?!”
I groaned and put my pillow over my face.
“Yeah, I’m sorry babe. I’ll never say that again. I love you so much, too.”
I wanted to gag. Stephenie’s shallow brain didn’t have the capacity to feel love.
“I love you too, yeah let’s meet tonight.”
This time, I did gag. Matt turned to me and shot me his “shut up or die” look.
“Alright Babe. Bye, beautiful.”
Matt hung up the phone and swung around to face me.
“YES!! She’s taking me back! We’re meeting tonight at Longbrook park!
My heart sunk. Longbrook park was Matt’s and mine special hangout place. I couldn’t believe he was taking her there! It wasn’t fair.
“Tay? Taylor? You ‘kay?”
“Um, yeah.” I said, “I’m fine. Have fun with Steph.”
Matt’s goofy grin that I loved so much spread over his face.
“Thanks, Tay! Love ya!”
He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. That was normal for us. We were able to kiss eachother on the cheek or hold hands and it was totally normal for us. I also always sat on his lap, the whole school was used to our crazy antics. The only person who wasn’t used to it was Stephenie, and she threw a fit when we held hands or did any of our normal activities.
Matt gathered his things and waved with his cute, big goofy smile taking over his face as he exited my room.
I sighed and went over to my window and watched him as he yelled goodbye to my parents and run to his car.
Gosh, why can’t he see that he belongs with me?