CHAPTER THIRTEEN;
THE UNWANTED TRUTH.

el hated it.

she hated that feeling that creeps into her stomach every time his dark almond eyes meet her own. she hated the way she surrenders into him when he wraps his arm around her. she hated the way she can't contain her giggles when he makes the stupidest joke that would only make a child laugh. she hated it all.

because every time she allowed herself these simple luxuries, one thought always remained in her mind.

it's all pretend.

perhaps that's what she hated the most, that no matter how close he was to her physically, his heart lingered in another's grasp.

sometimes she questioned his devotion to the blonde, but he always reinforced his intense feelings for the girl, unknowingly hurting the brunette in the process.

she sighs, shaking away the distressing thoughts that bogged her mind.

"can i waterfall your water?" his naturally raspy tone quipped softly from beside her. she tore her gaze from the cafeteria tabletop to find his freckled-face closer to her than expected, causing her to flinch. he laughs. "did i scare you?"

"huh? oh, no, i'm just -- i've just been a little on edge recently," she explains with a tight-lipped smile. she grabs her water, "here you go." he nudged her slightly before drizzling some of the clear liquid in his mouth. el knew he was weird about drinking after people so she didn't bother questioning his method.

their friends were discussing some school drama that had conspired over the week at the table, but el wasn't really paying attention. she glances to will's empty seat, reminding her that he'd chosen to sit with shelly and her friends rather than them.

but every now and then she would look at max to find her sneaking glances at lucas, who was doing the same thing to her.

el wondered how soon it would be until she was sneaking glances across the lunchroom at mike. she knew with every passing day, she was growing closer to the end.

brooke told mike that she was ending things with her boyfriend the next time she saw him, however she wasn't sure when that would be.

she'd be lying if she said the smile his lips maintained when delivering her the information didn't sting like a bitch. she even found herself shedding a few tears that night before she fell asleep.

"el!" again, she shook away the haunting thoughts and looked to the curly-haired boy to her left.

her brows furrowed, "i'm sorry, what'd you say?"

"i asked you if you were okay. you said you were on edge. is everything alright?" he questioned, his gentle tone resembling worry.

she lied, of course, "yeah, it's just school stuff. lots of tests before holiday break, and i guess i'm just stressing myself out."

her eyes traced the slight indentation between his brows as he studied her features, probably not buying her lie. she tensed when his hand rubbed her shoulder, "if you say so."

she nodded with a small smile, grateful that he chose not to pry. she was afraid if he had, she would just burst at her seems and her forbidden feelings would come tumbling out like a broken dam.

she was surprised when his hand dropped from her shoulder only to take her hand beneath the table.

before her cheeks could turn tomato red, the most annoying voice sang, "oh, lovebirds!"

the pair found shelly standing behind them, hands behind her back and satisfying grin sweeping her excessively glossy lips.

el groaned, "what do you want, shelly?"

"i'm glad you ask, eleanor! i just wanted to come see how you two were doing? how's the relationship going?" she chirped, her eyes as wide as saucers.

"uh, good?" mike answered, puzzled by the sudden encounter.

she smirked, "aw, i'm so glad to hear that! after all, you two make such a great couple -- even if it's fake."

el's originally narrowed eyes rounded out as a chilling sensation snuck up her spine from shelly's words. "what are you talking about?" she asked, hoping her nervousness wasn't evident in her tone.

the cheerleader giggled before pulling her hands out from behind her back to reveal the red little book clutched in her fingers. "i think you know precisely what i'm talking about."

mike's eyes dipped from the unfamiliar book to el, "ignore her. she's full of shit, el."

el glances back at friends to find them all watching, forfeiting their own conversation. max gave her a 'what the hell is going on' expression, and el only shrugged trying to downplay the unexpected truth of shelly's words.

again, the girl giggles as she opens up the petite book. "i might be full of shit, but is el? after all, she's the one who wrote everything in here." mike's glare softens as he averts his gaze to el, silently asking for confirmation to which she only lowers her stare. "when we were friends, she was always so protective of this little book. she didn't know i knew where she hid it."

el shook her head, knowing where this was going, "shelly, please. don't."

she clears her throat as she stops flipping through the book once she lands a dreaded page, "hey, everyone!" as expected, the chattering students ceased their conversations and refocused their attention from their lunch to the scene unfolding at a specific table. "ah, now that i have your attention, i would like to read an excerpt written by our very own, el hopper."

mike scoots out his chair and rises to his feet, "shelly, stop. give her back the book."

she only steps back with a devious glint in her icy orbs. she reads aloud, "september 17th: i made a deal with a freckle-faced devil, today." her voice carries all throughout the lunchroom and the remaining voices of students fade out. "his name is mike wheeler, and he is my fake boyfriend."

a look of horror swept over el's delicate features and she looked to mike, feeling so stupid for ever writing about him in her journal. she felt even more stupid when his attention was on brooke, who appeared to be shocked yet satisfied. she reluctantly looked behind her to find max with her mouth agape.

"let's skip ahead," shelly chirps, thumbing forward a few pages before settling on one. el's brows furrow before she begins, "bingo, here it is! november 8th--"

"shelly, no!" el interrupts, her hazel eyes pleading, knowing very well what she wrote that day. she stands up, shaking her head, "don't do this. please, don't do this."

nevertheless, her viscous ex-best friend starts again, "november 8th: things have changed." el's stomach curled, bracing herself for impact. shelly proceeds reading, her voice filled with mocking emotions, "everything is different, and i can't stop it. i've try to deny it, but my heart seems to be stronger than my head." el shifts her gaze to the ground, too ashamed to see mike's reaction for the next words to come. "i'm falling for mike." hearing them aloud stung and she couldn't help but wince. "i know he loves brooke, but i can't help it. he's different than i ever thought, and suddenly i can't stop thinking about h--"

mike abruptly pries the journal from the cheerleader's grasp. "fuck you, shelly," he spews before redirecting his eyes to the brunette who was certainly on the verge of tears. "el?" his tender voice cooed as he rests a hand on her shoulder.

she looked up, revealing her glossy almond eyes. she shakes him away before quickly making a beeline for the exit, willing to sprint the whole 15 blocks to her home in order to escape this hell.

she knew that in the end, she would have to face this mess that had been made. everyone knew everything, now. max, brooke, shelly, troy, will; they all knew.

but the only one that mattered was mike.

he knew how she felt, and there was no lie she could muster to spin the story any other way. her feelings were out, and unless she stumbles upon a magical time machine, that wasn't bound to change.

she darts down the winding hall, willing herself closer and closer to the exit. she felt the tears that rimmed her eyes slip down her cheeks as she ran, and she instinctively wiped the back of her wrist against her damp skin.

finally, the royal blue-colored double-doors came into view, and she released an exasperated sigh of relief. before her palms could push them open, her name resonated from behind her, "el!"

of course, she placed that voice instantly. she was more than familiar with that gentle rasp. her hands froze against the metal press crash bar and her quick feet came to a halt.

"el?" this time his voice was closer, and his lack of breath was more evident. "el, please look at me." she stubbornly shook her head, knowing he was only getting closer. "why not?"

she swallowed the lump that had formed within her throat before her shaky voice replied, "because i can't, not after that just happened."

he softly turned her around, hoping to lock eyes with her but she kept hers on the ground. however, he didn't have to see her eyes to know she was crying as the fresh tear trails were a pretty dead giveaway.

"you can look at me," he responds.

again, she shakes her head. "i don't want to, mike."

he caresses her chin, tilting her head up and finally catching sight of her eyes. "we need to talk about that, el."

she sighed softly to herself before fronting a sad smile. "what's there to talk about? i think shelly said it all, don't you think? i mean, now everyone knows, don't they? so, what's there left to say, huh?" the curly-haired boy was dumbfounded by the bitterness behind her words. "look, i'm sorry you had to hear that, that way. believe me, if i could've had it my way, you would've never found out."

he shook his head, "i don't want you to apologize, el. i know that none of this is your fault. if anything, it's mine. i was the one who started this whole arrangement. you didn't want to, so i'm sorry."

her back pressed softly against the metal door as she stepped away, nodding her head awkwardly. "don't sweat it," she feigns nonchalance, despite the feeling of her heart cracking.

he tilts his head, sensing her retreat. "let me take you home. i assume you don't want to stay here after that bitch did that."

before she can deny the offer, the high-pitched voice of brooke carters chirps, "mike!" the fake couple break eye contact and find the blonde lingering at the end of the hall. she smiles at him before rushing closer, her ponytail swishing behind her. "i broke up with andrew last night," she announced happily.

el felt another tear escape her eye and trickle down her face before squeezing her eyes shut tightly. she hesitantly whispers, "i'm just going to walk home. you should stay." his eyes turn back to her, silently objecting. "i'll see you around, mike," she murmurs, her voice holding a finality that broke her own heart again.

she exited the school, instantly wrapping her arms around herself to shield from the cold. at last, she was no longer mike wheeler's fake girlfriend -- but she was something much worse.

she was a sad girl in love with mike wheeler, and he was unobtainable.

that much was clear now. it would always be girls like brooke and shelly who got the guy. it kind of sounds cliche and bullshitty, but time has told.

she was back where she started except that ache that her heart held when she learned about troy and shelly was no longer just an ache, it was a merciless wrench that pulsed with every breath.

el sucked in a sharp breath, knowing her feelings were beyond anything she ever felt for the football player.

she loves mike, and that's more obvious now than ever.

but he loves brooke, that's also very obvious.

and now, el is heartbroken.

...

a/n: this is bad lol, i'm sorry OKAY!! i dedicate this to etta, qveenofscots  !!thanks for reading. again, i'm sorry for this mess. also, i haven't proofread this yet!! pls lemme now all the typos and stuff, thanksss! okaaay, bye !! xx

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