━━━+*:ꔫ:*+ﾟ━━━

Here you are now, calling me up, but I don't know what to say
I've been picking up the pieces of the mess you made

All You Had To Do Was Stay (Taylor Swift)

ꔫ

James was wearing his perfect suit and as always his head was held high in the clouds. No wonder his closest company was full of boys like Cyril because they were all the same copy just in different forms.

"What's he doing here?" a girl whispered in my ear but I shrugged which didn't satisfy her.

But as it turned out, James wasn't interested in me. He barely even glanced at me because his gaze was practically glued on Ruby who tried to ignore him but I assumed she also knew that there was no escaping from him. James pulled out a chair and sat down on it, his eyes still on the girl.

"Hi." I could hear some of the girls dreamlessly sigh at the sound of his voice. "Could I steal your friend here?"

James looked around.

"Of course," a girl replied, staring at him from up and down.

There was a moment of silence until Ruby finally agreed to go with him. When she struggled with picking up her bag some of the students in the room chuckled in amusement. Even the girl that was sitting beside me let out a laugh so I took my ponytail and flipped it so that it hit her in the face which made her instantly shut up.

One null for me.

ꔫ

It was a new day and the lacrosse match was just about to begin. I was standing on the field right next to Lin with my own camera in my hands, taking pictures.

"Betty, go take a few more pictures by the lockers please, will you?" she asked me and I nodded obediently.

I walked past the bleachers where Maxton Hall students were already excitedly waiting for the match to start.

When I reached my destination I could hear the cheerful and energetic yells coming from inside. I kept my camera ready and when the players started coming out, I snapped a couple of pictures of them. And they all ignored my presence. Except for one of them.

"So little Beatrice isn't only sassy but she's a stalker too," Cyril commented as he approached me with his helm in his hand. He was fully geared up, ready to play.

"It's Betty," I corrected his choice of words.

"Sassy Betty... I like the sound of that."

I tilted my head. "Just as much as the sound of dumb Cyril?"

He frowned. "Mine had a better ringtone."

It really did. "No, it didn't."

But who could come up with fitting a rhyme for Cyril?

He took a step forward. "You know it did."

"Careful there," I warned him. "Or a not so glorifying picture of you might appear for everyone to see."

He smirked. "Lucky for me there isn't one."

I looked behind his back. "Mr. Lexington!"

Cyril frowned and turned around to glance around but he soon discovered that there wasn't anyone to spot. He looked back at me but my camera was already raised and with a flashlight it perfectly captured his confused and shocked expression.

"There," I said, smiling at the picture.

"Show it to me," he demanded instantly and reached for the device but I pulled it away.

"No, no."

"Show. It."

I stepped backwards to keep the camera out of his reach and he was about to jump at me when James's voice hit our ears.

"Cyril, come on!"

Cyril's expression immediately transformed into a grumpier one and I smiled once again. "Your team's waiting."

He pointed at me. "You'll pay for this."

"I'm so afraid," I told him sarcastically.

"You just wait."

He turned around and started walking toward his friends.

"Oh, and Cyril?" I called after him. "I would've sworn your ass looked much better."

As his response I received the sight of his middle finger. And to capture that moment I instinctively raised my camera and pressed the button.

After that I finally returned to the field and watched the match begin. James was obviously the star player and he shot the first goal. However, soon enough even the opposite team scored, making us even. Numerous cheers erupted whenever one of our players got possession of the small lacrosse ball.

"Betty."

I turned around to see who was standing there. It was Paul. "What do you want?"

"Can we talk?"

"I'm busy at the moment," I declined, taking one more picture of the game.

"Are you coming to the welcome party?"

"I am one of the ones that organize it, idiot."

"Sorry."

At last I faced him, thinking if I paid him my full attention for a moment, he'd go away as soon as possible. "What does a girl have to do to make you leave her alone?"

"I'm trying to make things right, Betty," he objected.

I took a step toward him. "But you fucked up, Paul. Really fucked up. Here you are, claiming you only said what you said because you were drunk but you seem to forget that you had ghosted me even before that party. Were you drunk for that long?"

He opened his mouth, then closed it again. He was at a loss of words because finally he had no arguments to deny what I was saying.

"Now, the last question remains," I continued. "Are you here begging to talk because you realized after that party that you still like me or because of my new surname that would ring a tone in every person's mind?"

"Betty..."

"You might believe that I'm broken and vulnerable after my mom's death but if anything, I'm stronger. My teeth are as sharp as a freshly sharpened dagger and don't take my words lightly when I tell you that I'm not afraid to use them."

I could tell that he was speechless. He had never experienced what I was like when I was angry before since we only used to exchange text messages. But now we were facing each other and there was no world dividing us like it used to. Because previously I kept him in the dark about my money situation. But the more I thought about it, maybe I really was afraid of him turning his back on me once he discovered the truth about me. And when it happened, I wanted to scream. I wanted to break things. However, then the car accident happened on the same night we officially broke up with an audience. But before that, I trusted him with my whole heart. I told him things I revealed to no one else. I once told him about that one thing too which I swore I would tell no one...

We were interrupted by a sharp whistle and I quickly turned back to watch the lacrosse game. A fight started out among the teams and if I understood well, it was Alistair, one of James's friends, who was the cause of it. I lowered my camera as I felt like it wasn't the right time to take pictures of the situation. Alistair had to get off the field but the game resumed, even though things were getting visibly more violent. Players were continuously harshly bumping into each other and I was surprised no one had suffered an injury at this rate. The match didn't last long anymore and after a few minutes it ended. Maxton Hall won and cheers and applause sounded everywhere. The Maxton Hall team patted each other excitedly on the back, grinning widely. The happiness in this moment was so honest and sincere that I couldn't help but take a picture of the scene that unfolded in front of me. For this moment, the boys weren't spoiled by their family. Right now, they were simply enjoying their victory, their careless smiles only proving it.

James's back was turned to me but his friends were facing me and I saw Cyril, Alistair and another boy hugging each other. They were just... happy.

"Just think about it, okay?" Paul's voice sounded behind me.

I looked at him. "And you might check the meaning of the word no in a dictionary."

I didn't wait for his answer because I walked away, leaving the cheerful students and the others behind me. And since I wasn't in the mood for any more company for today I headed outside where Percy was already parking with the car. Automatically I sat in the front but the driver must have noticed I wasn't very talkative because he didn't say anything. And soon enough, the Beaufort twins arrived and settled down in the back. Finally the car started and James and Lydia were whispering something but I pushed them out of my mind. They were in their own world where I didn't belong. And that fact was only proved once the car stopped and we all stepped out of the vehicle and entered the mansion. I was the last one inside which meant I had a perfect view of my father and his wife welcoming their children. James started excitedly telling them about how well he scored today and for that he earned a pat on his back. Lydia hugged her mom while they greeted each other.

Meanwhile, I just stood there, unnoticed by anyone. But I didn't care. The person that used to welcome me at home wasn't here anymore. So I did what I had been doing ever since the beginning of my stay here. I silently snuck into my bedroom where I hid from the inhabitants of this house.

ꔫ

After multiple days of preparations and hard work put into it, it was the night of the welcome party. For this occasion I chose a sparkling silver dress that reached the spot just beneath my knees with bell sleeves. My hair was let down but an elegant headband was added to my hairstyle in the same color as my dress. And to end my outfit, I put on simple black high heels.

James and Lydia were coming too and I had no doubts that his friends would be waiting for him there on spot. But when we arrived I could freely depart from the twins, ignoring the looks from the bystanders I received on my way. Whether they were looks of curiosity or even appreciation for my whole look, I let them slip from my attention.

Inside, I instantly noticed how stressed Ruby was about the party so to ease her mind I helped her with making sure that everything was the way it was supposed to be. From time to time I checked on the boys to make sure they weren't causing any trouble and as far as I saw they behaved. But what I didn't admit was that I was mostly on the move to avoid Paul whom I spotted occasionally. And so far I had been successful because there was always something else that caught my attention.

However, my luck couldn't last forever because right in front of me I saw Paul as he was making his way toward me. Quickly I looked around but everything seemed to be flawless and nothing was in need of my help. So I did what another rational person would do.

I buried myself in the chattering crowd and seeked out the first room I found. And without giving it another thought, I opened the door and instantly shut it behind me.

I was just about to sigh in relief because I managed to lose Paul but my victory didn't last long because the moment I turned around I discovered that I wasn't alone in this small room. There were numerous people putting on black capes. But right before the clothing hid their bodies, I noticed the shining tops on some women and naked chests of men with a black bow around their neck.

"What the heck?" I exclaimed.

"Betty!" Cyril emerged from the crowd with a wide grin.

"What is happening here?"

I tried to look for anyone else familiar but it was only Cyril in the company of the strangers. However, something was telling me that it wasn't only him who had their hands in this.

He shushed me. "I know you love to make scenes but this time you could just enjoy the show, alright?"

I raised the volume of my voice. "There's no way I'll let you ruin this party for everyone–"

I could barely finish my sentence because before I even realized what was happening I was pushed against the nearest wall with a palm on my mouth that stopped me from uttering another word.

"Go," Cyril instructed the dressed up people who immediately left the room which led to Cyril and I being the only ones in here.

Now, Cyril's full attention was pinned on me and his brown eyes buried into mine.

I swallowed, too intensively feeling his skin on my lips. The light here wasn't very strong and only a small lamp was bringing some clearness but it was enough for me to notice even small details on his face like the small round earring in his left ear. My nose also caught the smell of his cologne. It had a trace after a woody scent but also a sign of some spice. It was different from Paul's or James's – that was for sure. But there was still his hand on my lips... his touch was warm unlike his heart.

His heart.

His cold, freezing and misogynistic heart.

Instantly I raised my arms that had been just hanging next to my body until now and I strongly pushed against his chest. Cyril didn't seem to expect this move because he immediately stumbled back and finally I could breathe properly.

"Stay away from me."

"Sassy Betty is back," he commented.

"If you touch me one more time, you won't be able to play lacrosse for at least a week," I warned him.

Now that there was a distance between us, I could fully see his outfit. Unlike other men tonight, he wasn't wearing a typical white and black combination. Under his blazer a black ornamented shirt was showing in its full parade.

Cyril raised his hands in surrender. "My hands are right here."

I clenched my fist and reached for the door to leave this room because suddenly I felt like I would suffocate if I remained here even a bit longer.

"I saw you with Paul," he stopped me.

I didn't look at him. "That's no business of yours."

"Just a heads up, he isn't someone you'd like to date," he said casually.

"Why does it feel like a lie coming from your mouth?" I asked but refused to turn around.

"I know him, you don't. It would be a shame if you fell for his empty promises."

This time I faced him. "The master speaks, right? At this point anyone would be a better person to date than you, you egoistic and selfish and..."

"And? What else, Sassy Betty?"

I took a deep breath. "Fuck you, Cyril Vega."

And with that still ringing in the room, I opened the door, slamming it behind me.

ꔫ

Hii!

I honestly love this chapter because we had more Betty & Cyril content than I expected. I just love writing their banters so much!

Anyway, feel free to let me know what you thought of this chapter and if you enjoyed the scenes with the love birds.

I hope you have a nice day/night!

Sincerely, writingmagic 🩶