CHAPTER TWELVE;
HEATED.

"i want to die."

el couldn't help but crack a smile as she exited her chemistry class beside her best friend. "that's the spirit, maxine," she chimes back, patting her shoulder comfortingly.

"i'm serious. everyone knows. i can't believe he told people. ugh, screw him. i have no idea what i ever saw in that piece of shit." el knew the ginger's words were rooted from a place of heartbreak and that she was still very much in love with the deep-skinned boy.

el only nods in support. "totally."

"let's eat in the courtyard. i'm scared if i see his stupid face i'll vomit on impulse," she explains, walking past the lunchroom and to the doors that led to the yard of picnic tables.

as soon as the chilly november hit her cheeks, el shivered and pulled her jacket tighter around her. "are you sure you wouldn't rather eat in the library. it's really cold, max."

max shrugged, "i like cold." unwillingly, the brunette nods and takes a seat at one of the wooden tables.

it didn't exactly take long before max started munching on el's lunch, not that she really cared.

"have you seen him?" max suddenly asks, chomping on one of el's sun chips.

"who?" she asks, genuinely confused.

the girl's piercing blue eyes roll, "lucas, of course."

"oh! uh, no. not since friday. i think mike went over to his house yesterday, but i'm not sure. apparently he never went to that party so," she trailed off, keeping her mind from lingering on the thought of that party.

max nods. "i hope he went home and cried like a fucking baby." el giggles. while she hated seeing her friend going through such heartbreak, she had to admit her fiery insults were pretty amusing.

"uh, el?" an unfamiliar voice beckons from behind her. drawing her brows together, she tosses her gaze over her shoulder to find dean clark lingering nervously. she only really knew him from a few classes she's had with him over the years, but they never actually spoke.

"hi, dean?" she returned, unsure as to why he approached her.

he smiles, scratching the back of his head. "hey, okay, i know we don't really know each so this might be really weird, but i felt like you should know."

her brows raise, glancing to max before back to him. "okay? what's up?"

"you're still dating mike wheeler, right?" he asks, taking a seat beside her. she hesitantly nods. "well, i think he's cheating on you with brooke."

el's eyes widen. she wasn't expecting him to say that, clearly. "oh?"

"yeah, i was avery's party on friday night, and i saw them go into a room together. i really didn't want to tell you, but i felt you had a right to know," he explains, apologetically.

"oh, i'm going to fucking kill him, too!" max exclaims, her already pink cheeks turning red.

el shrugs, hoping to play it off. "thank you, dean, but i think you might've misinterpreted it. they're still friends, and he told me she wanted to talk to him that night. i knew about it," she somewhat lies. "i really appreciate you telling me, though."

the boy nods, raising to his feet. "okay, but still, i'd be careful. i know brooke, and she can be manipulative," with that being said, he sauntered back into the main part of the school.

"you dumb bitch!" max insults, launching the lid of her water bottle at her friend.

"hey!" she cries out when the kid hits her between the eyes.

max dismisses it, "you can't seriously be this stupid, eleanor jane! you're letting mike be friends with brooke? of all girls you decide to trust your man with, her?! wow, i thought you smart, but maybe i'm the brains in this friendship."

el scoffs, "i can assure you, you aren't."

"no, i think i am because i would never in a million years let the guy i love be friends with his ex, especially if his ex is brooke-freaking-carters!" she shouts, ignoring the judgmental stares coming from the other kids who decided to brace the cold for lunch.

el shakes her head. "i trust mike," she lies.

max laughs. "i'm not talking about him, i'm talking about brooke! you can't trust her, she's a fucking snake!"

she knew max was correct.

but she also knew that mike wasn't actually her boyfriend, and that he loved brooke -- no matter how much she wished she could change it.

"can we just talk about anything else?" el averts, picking the crust off her sandwich.

max sighs. "i just want to protect you, el. i don't ever want you to feel how i feel right now."

el nods, not bothering to point out that she knows the feeling already. after all, it was only a few months ago that she found out about troy and shelly. nonetheless, el smiles, "thank you."

/ / /

"hey, sweetheart," a deliciously familiar voice rasps. she loads her locker with her last book before glancing beside her to find mike awaiting her. "ready to go?"

"you bet," she muses before shutting her locker. he nods, snaking his arm around her as they follow the stampede of students that were all hurrying to leave school for the day.

sometimes she forgot about the deal. sometimes, if she didn't watch herself, she believes it's all real.

normally, reality kicks in pretty quick, and that disappointment she must face is rather humbling.

but other times, she just pretends. it sounds kind of creepy if you think about it considering he was only trying to get brooke back, but she wouldn't let that minor detail burst her bubble.

this was one of those times.

he pulled her closer as two guys raced past her, nearly bumping into her. "watch out, asshats!" he half-heartedly yells, not yet letting her go from his tight hold even after they're out of sight.

she sighs, breathing in his comforting scent. her eyes bug, realizing how weird she was being by smelling him.

el slightly pulled away as they walked out of the front doors. he thoughtlessly took her hand in his, leading her to his car. on monday's he would tutor her in chemistry after school at his house.

"hey, where'd you eat lunch today?" he asked, both of them stopping in the front of the passenger door.

"we ate in the courtyard. max didn't want to see lucas," she explains, knowing he would understand -- which he did. "did he say anything about what happened?"

mike sighed, shaking his head. "no, he just sat there bitterly and didn't really say anything." she nods. "i'm assuming max had a lot to say?" they both laugh as el vehemently nods.

out of the corner of her eye, el spots shelly walking with will as they were enthralled in their own conversation. she couldn't help but roll her eyes. noticing, mike follows her gaze.

"hey, stop worrying about them," he urges, rubbing her shoulder.

she nods. "i know. they both suck, though." he nods, caressing her cheek softly. surprised by the gesture, her gaze flickers to his eyes, "mike--"

"let's make her jealous," the boy smugly whispered before hastily pressing his lips against her own. she melted into the heated kiss, bringing her hands around his neck.

she soon felt her back press against the glass of the window, and allowed it to support her as her knees grew weaker.

she let out a fairly embarrassing sound when his tongue dipped into her mouth -- something he's never done before.

el could feel the chuckle in his chest at her, but he continued to kiss her lips. his hands dipped to her hips, gripping her tightly.

something was off.

she had kissed troy countless times, but it never felt like this and this wasn't even real -- at least not for mike.

at the remembrance that this was completely artificial for him, she breathlessly pulls away.

he laughs at the sight of her reddened lips. "how's shelly look?"

el's brown eyes peeked past him to find a pissed blonde shamelessly staring at them both. "jealous."

he smirks, "you're welcome." still holding onto her hips, he pulls her away from the car and opens the door for her. "let's go, ellie."

/ / /

"you hungry?" mike asks, opening the fridge. el shrugs, not wanting to admit that she actually was really hungry. "we have jello," he notes, scanning the fridge. she nods, and he grabs them both bowls.

his house was empty as both his parents were at work and holly was at prime time.

"so do you think max and lucas will get back together?" he queries, scooping them both some jello.

el gazes up from her lab notes, still chewing on the eraser of her pencil as she ponders his question. "i really hope so. they're good for each other, even if they fight."

mike furrows his eyebrows. "you really think so? how can you be happy with someone you constantly fight with?"

el sets her pencil down. "fighting means they care, mike. didn't you and brooke fight?"

he seems to be thinking about it before shaking his head, "not really. every time she got mad or something she'd just ignore me and then pretend like it never happened. did you and troy fight a lot?"

el purses her lips, shaking her head. "no, not really, but i think that's because he never really cared to be completely honest."

mike frowns. "well, troy has shit for brains."

she giggles, "so you've told me."

he slides the bowl to her, smirking. "so do you get what you're supposed to do?" she tilts her head, perplexed. he gestures to the papers in front of her, "in chemistry."

"oh! yeah, i think i get it, actually. it's about time i finally catch on, yeah?" she jokes, scooping a spoonful of the red jello into her mouth.

he agrees, "yeah, i'm so tired of tutoring your annoying ass." she gasps, earning a loud laugh from him.

"that was so mean!" she says with pink cheeks, a small piece of vibrant jello lingering on her cupid's bow.

mike didn't even think about it as he reached forward and wiped it away with his thumb. his nonchalance angered her, almost. how could he be so casual about these things while her heart was practically beating against her ribs like an enraged prisoner?

the whites of her eyes grew when he thoughtlessly sucked the jello off his thumb before leaning over her and looking over her notes.

meanwhile, she sat there, fighting the butterflies that fluttered within her tummy.

"this all looks right, el," he comments, his dark orbs still tracing her neat handwriting. she smiles, feeling a sense of pride.

she looked up at him, surprised as to how close he was to her. "i have a good teacher, i suppose." she could feel his breath brush against her cheek as he held her gaze.

and for .01 nanoseconds, she could've sworn his eyes dropped to her lips.

... but of course, the sound of the doorbell stole them both from the daze they'd been inducted into.

"uh, i'll get it," he informs before straightening up and waltzing out of the kitchen.

she inhaled deeply, trying to control her shaky breaths at the scene that had just unfolded. she couldn't help but let a childish grin possess her lips.

"i can't really talk right now," she heard his low mumbling voice say from the entrance of his home.

curiosity got the better of her and she snuck a peek out of the kitchen to find brooke waiting at his door, eager to come in and get out of the violating weather.

"mikey, i want to talk, c'mon," she soothes with a playful smile. "i have news i think will interest you."

his curls swayed as he shook his head, "seriously, brooke. now isn't a good time."

this time, el popped more than just her head out of the kitchen. she stood fully in the doorway, "mike?"

he tossed his gaze back, "hey, i'll be right there--"

"mike!" brooke sneered as if she had taken offense to him wanting to get back to el.

he felt conflicted. there was the girl he wanted so badly that he had constructed an entire fake relationship just to get her back. but then there was his friend who he liked hanging out with.

he sighed, looking at a shivering brooke. "now isn't a good time. we can talk later," he said before closing the door with a tight-lipped smile.

and in that singular moment, el thought maybe he didn't love brooke.

...

a/n: fuck, sorry, this was pretty bad. i feel like it's too similar to the other chapters. things are about to start heating up, i promise !! thanks for reading my awful writing, x

word count: 2151