A/N

Possibly one of my favourite chapters I've ever written, like ever, notwithstanding the fact that it is also my favourite chapter in this story. If you've read the early iteration of Forget Me Not on my profile, then you would've definitely seen something similar to this.

Lots and lots of cameos in this one. Hope you're ready.

x Noelle

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– 5

t u l i p a

For worthiness.

(then: –5)

"HAVE YOU HEARD?" The rumours make their way over to her, even when she does her best to ignore them. She reaches for her earphones, only to pause when the person continues, excitement clear in their voice, "Dylan's breaking up with Flo right now."

Oh.

Her feet come to a halt. A group of freshmen hurries past her, chattering and giggling along the way. She bites her lip and hesitates. She is headed in that direction—it's the closest exit to the parking lot anyway, but does she really want to witness their breakup? She watches a few more students rush past her in the same direction as the freshmen.

Oh, screw it, she does.

She takes a deep breath and follows them. It's really just the most convenient way, she tells herself, as she turns the corner. Already, there's a babble of noise in the background, but above all is the sound of wretched sobs.

"—it was a mistake! A terrible, terrible mistake, but you have to believe me..."

As the person in front of her moves aside, she finally catches a glimpse of the scene that's making everyone watch with wide eyes and slack jaws. To say that Florence Aryton looks like a mess is an understatement. Tears and mascara stream down her face as she sobs openly, and when she drags a hand through her hair, she somehow manages to make it even more frazzled than before.

Dylan, on the other hand, is the epitome of calm in the face of a storm. He's standing in an almost defensive posture, with his arms folded across his chest. Every now and then, he glances over at the crowd, then back at Flo. It's clear that he's aware a crowd has gathered around them to watch, and seems utterly uncomfortable with the attention.

"I believe you." Dylan's voice is low, if a bit strangled. "It's just something that I can't let slide. Not when it's happened three times."

Emma blinks in surprise. Based on what Dylan's told her, she only knows that it happened once before. But three times? Briefly, she wonders how someone as intelligent and honest as him can put up with that. Then again, she reminds herself, you of all people should know how much a person can tolerate if they really want to.

The gasps and murmurs grow at Dylan's revelation, and she can understand perfectly why. It is a big deal that the football captain and head cheerleader are breaking up. They were the cliché; the star couple; each other's first loves; high school sweethearts—but now that illusion has been shattered.

For a moment, she wonders what everyone would think if they found out that the other couple they believed in—the one where the bad boy fell madly in love with the good girl—was all a lie too.

She lets out a slow breath and pulls herself together. When she focuses back on the scene at hand, Flo is still crying. "—we were drunk that first time, Dyl, it didn't mean anything! That second time was a mistake, just a mistake—"

"A mistake?" someone from the crowd echoes mockingly. "You mean you accidentally began riding him because you thought he was a horse?"

There are degrading laughs at this, but one sharp look from Dylan makes them fall silent. He sweeps a warning glance across the crowd, as though daring them to say anything more. And then, suddenly, his gaze lands on her.

Emma freezes. Is he really looking at her, or someone behind her? His gaze is steady and clear, so much like the night they almost kissed. A familiar heat rises to her cheeks and she looks away.

"Hey, Torres!"

Vince Raillor pushes his way through the crowd like he owns the whole damn school. She's been to enough football games to know that he's a liability to the team. Whenever he plays, he loses more often than he wins, and so he's benched half the season, but he still acts like he's God's gift to the world. Greg Simmons—head of the notorious frat Corvus—has an arm around Vince's shoulder. Then there's Callum Wright, the one she saw at the party, looking bored as hell but still having his friends' backs regardless, and that's why she's always so wary of him. The devil with a charming smirk, Keith Jacobs, rounds out the group, surveying the scene before him with a general air of amusement.

Fresh tension fills the atmosphere at their arrival, and, immediately, several of Dylan's friends move forward. Meanwhile, her breath catches in her throat, and her gaze instinctively flits towards the nearest exit. But the crowd is pressed so close that there's no way for her to squeeze through without being utterly noticeable.

A hush falls over the crowd as Vince stops right in front of Dylan. He tries to stare Dylan down, but the latter only meets his gaze without flinching. "What the hell are you doing to my girl?" Vince demands sharply.

"I'm not your girl—" Flo starts weakly, but Dylan's voice, calm and quiet, cuts in before she can say anything else.

"I was always under the impression that we didn't own them. I don't know what kind of backward, Neanderthal way of thinking you have, but I've no intention of dropping my pants and pissing all over just to mark my territory. If you want to be with her, ask her. But that's no longer my problem because Flo and I aren't dating anymore."

Flo's features begin to crumple. "You don't mean that—"

But Vince steps up to Dylan; a deep-set scowl on his face. "Don't talk down to me, you shit," he growls. "You're just sore about it because she knows that I'm a better fuck than you ever were. And now you're playing the victim just because you couldn't get it up—"

Dylan moves so quickly that Emma almost doesn't catch it. One moment he and Vince are standing eye to eye; the next Dylan slams Vince against the nearest row of lockers. Vince's friends immediately move forward, only to be stopped by other guys in football jackets.

For the first time, she sees Dylan's anger. His eyes are narrowed; his jaw set. He presses an arm down on Vince's chest to keep the latter from moving, but even then—even then, he doesn't hit Vince. He keeps his anger in check with his other hand curled into a fist, and he swallows several times before speaking.

"It's not enough that you fucked my girlfriend three times," he snarls. "But you fucked her in my house, on my bed, and sent pictures to the football team to brag about it. I tried not to make a scene by breaking up with her in private," he adds, throwing a glare at Flo over his shoulder, who seems to shrink at his words. "But she followed me, crying about how I was unfair to her, when she was the one who asked for exclusivity in our relationship. And now you dare to put your filthy presense in my line of vision, and tell me that having sex with Flo is a competition you've won. And maybe you're right—maybe you've won. Because you clearly have as massive a dick as you're behaving right now, and you feel the need to stroke your own ego by humiliating someone else. But you will dig deep into that black hole you call your heart, and show me some fucking respect because I am your captain. And if you make one more move or sound to piss me off, I will make you regret it."

A stunned silence reigns in the wake of his words. Dylan moves away from Vince and turns to Flo, who stares up at him with wide eyes. "And you," he continues, a little quieter now. "I'll give you a week to move your things out of my place. There're a couple of rooms on campus if you want, or I can pull some strings and get you an apartment elsewhere. But I don't want to see or speak to you unless necessary."

Flo lets out a choked sob and reaches for Dylan, but he sidesteps her and turns to leave. As if on second thought, he suddenly stops and glances back.

"I accept your apology, and I think that, in time, I could come to forgive you," he tells her. His voice is quiet, and if Emma weren't standing within that part of the crowd, she would've missed it entirely. "But I'll never forget what you did, or the hurt that you caused me." A flicker of vulnerability crosses his face— so similar to the one that Emma saw on him that night of the party—but it's over in a flash. "Goodbye, Flo."

He turns to leave, with several of his friends following, and the crowd automatically parts for them. As he draws near, Emma finds herself holding her breath. Somehow, she's not surprised when his gaze locks on hers. That spark in his eyes is back; one corner of his lips lift in a hint of a smile. It's a discreet action that no one else seems to notice; secret that's just between them.

She very nearly smiles.

As Dylan and his friends leave, the rest of the crowd begins to disperse, and Emma heads for the parking lot. But something in her peripheral vision catches her eye, and her feet come to a halt. She looks up over to the right, where Vince and his friends are still talking among themselves. But there's one person who stands apart, and he's looking directly at her.

Keith.

He doesn't react, save to raise one eyebrow. Not a silent question; a mocking gesture. Her heart leaps to her throat and she quickly spins on her heels and leaves. Surely, surely, he hasn't noticed the interaction between her and Dylan? She's safe, isn't she?

(she isn't.

and he has.)