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Chapter 20: Treacherous Teardrops of Betrayal

It's not about how long I've known you or how many years of memories that we have together. It's the fact that you came and never left.

~Starlight24

"That," said Hailey, shaking her head in disbelief. "Was so rude! Did he really say that?"

I nodded. I'd just told everyone about what Max had said last night. It had really hurt me.

"Why didn't you call one of us?" asked Deeds bitterly.

"I don't know. I thought boyfriends were supposed to be there for you and all that! He said all I ever was and ever am is selfish. Am I really?" I asked, shaking my head.

"No you're not. Max is just a jerk." Marie said, putting an arm around me. "I told you that you'd be better off with Jase."

"Yeah, but I don't get it," I murmured, remembering what he'd said exactly. I'd conveniently forgotten to mention the whole Popcorned thing because that would lead to another lie about Starlight which I really didn't need right now. "He said, 'This is not what I signed up for,'. What does that mean?"

"Well maybe he was just tired and annoyed, Day," Hailey said calming me.

"Don't read between the lines. Sometimes they're nonexistent." Marie said knowledgably.

"Yeah, but what Day's trying to say kind of makes sense," Deeds paused thoughtfully. "What if this was some kind of plan?"

"Deeds!" hissed Hailey, shaking her head in disbelief. "Not everyone here is a scheming two faced moron, okay? Maybe he was just sleepy. I say weird things when I'm sleeping." She defended hotly.

"Oh and did Damon tell you that you did?" asked Marie cheekily, sticking her tongue out, causing Hailey to smack her arm in annoyance.

"Yeah... But don't you think he's just too perfect? I mean, one day he's telling Day about his undying love for her and the next he's completely cold. What even?" asked Deeds.

"Maybe he's bipolar. Poor guy." Hailey muttered.

"Oh Hails, always seeing the best in people," Marie muttered sarcastically, clearly disbelieving of Hailey's revelation. "You really need to face life with practicality sometimes, okay?"

"What if he is!?" asked Hailey, now looking panicked. "Ohmigosh Day what if your boyfriend is seriously bipolar and he hasn't figured out yet!? You need to be by his side!"

I shook my head in disbelief. Only my friends were capable of having such diverse opinions and weird theories. Only my friends, I tell you.

"You know what Day?" asked Deeds thoughtfully. "Why don't you go talk it out with him? I'll drop you at his house and you go confront him for his bad attitude, okay?"

I nodded. For some reason, I felt a rock lodge itself in my throat and these weird fluttery feelings in my stomach. It wasn't butterflies in my stomach. They were swarms and swarms of bugs crawling.

*****

The ride to his house was quiet, mostly with Deeds telling what to and what not to say to him. I was way too nervous and I kept biting my nails. I really felt like I was going to throw up, and I didn't even know why. "I'm getting bad vibes, Deeds," I admitted, resting my chest over my stomach and looking at my feet. "I don't even know why."

"They're probably just nervous and jittery feelings. Trust me." Deeds assured, smiling a little.

I tried giving her a weak smile but it slid off my face as we neared his house.

"You want me to wait for you?" she asked, her eyes swimming with concern.

"No—" I took one look at her expression that told me that she wasn't just saying it to be polite. This time I gave her a big, genuine smile. "Thanks so much, Deeds. I'll be back before you know it."

I scampered out of the car as she gave me a flying kiss, which I caught and put to my heart. She winked and shoved me in with the hand gestures, and I walked towards his door.

I rang the doorbell and waited. No one answered.

"Max?" I called. No answer again.

I leaned against the door to try and hear, and to my surprise it gave way and I tumbled in. Extremely embarrassed, I turned to walk away, when I heard voices.

Curiosity took over me and I walked towards the sound of his voices.

Towards his bedroom.

*****

Max's POV:

"You're kidding. Tell me you're kidding." The annoyed girl paced across the length of my room, tapping her fingers agitatedly against her phone as she did.

She looked beautiful, as usual, with her short brown hair sweeping over her eyes and the tips dyed like fire licking her neck. Her pale face was more worn than usual and the ovular sketch of her cheekbones seemed jagged and not her usual— elegant. Her mere appearance always did have its effect on me, but ever since Day got bumped into my life, her influence and beauty seemed to have dimmed.

"It was your idea, Nat," I muttered, shaking my head. Why did she always need to be so difficult?

"No, this was not my idea!" she hissed, turning around swiftly and walking towards me with strong, purposeful strides, her eyes ablaze. "You were supposed to break her heart! That was the plan! I don't remember incorporating the whole drama of you falling for her too!"

I shrugged. "Nat, I don't get why you hate her so much. She's actually a pretty likable person."

"You," she hissed, coming close to me, a long fingernail on my Adam's apple. "Don't tell me what to do, alright Max dear?"

"Nat, you can't keep ruling over me, you know." I sighed, defeated.

"Well unless you want everyone to find out that your dad was a drug smuggler who went to jail then yes, I will keep ruling over you. So shut the hell up and listen to me for a change." I huffed. A change indeed. I always listened to that tyrant of a girl.
Nat folded her arms and sat on my bed, paused in thought. Then she looked up at me and cocked her head, looking like a confused puppy. A confused puppy with the brains of an evil mastermind, that is. "So now what?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked, crossing my arms and staring out of my window. An unfamiliar convertible pulled up on my driveway. Probably some guests.

"What are you going to do now? Actually start liking her and get together?" Nat asked, a defeated look in her eyes.

"Well—" I looked at her reaction and something inside me snapped. I couldn't let her rule over me because of that one stupid secret anymore. I'd open up and tell everyone. I was sick and tired of her blackmailing me to get what she wanted. "Yeah, I guess I will do that. I mean, Day really likes me and you told me to be mean so I snubbed her last night. I should apologize."

"No you won't." A sneer appeared on her perfect features. "I won't let you get your heart broken by some bitch."

"Oh wait, are we talking about you?" I snarkily replied.

"Max," she said warningly. She was a scary person, that girl was. "I know her type. She'll be happier off with Jase or—"

"Dylan?" I asked, knowing I'd hit a touchy topic. "Would she be better off with Dylan, Natalie Spencer?"

"No," whispered Nat, looking at the floor. "Dylan deserves better."

Something tugged at my heart. As much as I'd like to say I was completely over her, I couldn't. Nat still had her claws firmly rooted inside me. Although her grip wasn't as strong now, it was still there like a constant reminder that I wasn't just doing this because she held a secret. I did what she wanted because I- as much as I'd like to deny it- still loved her. It was easy to change an opinion in the mind but it was a whole different concept to change the heart.

"Max?" came a voice from downstairs. We both froze. I could recognize that voice from a mile away. It was sweet and soft and nothing like anyone else's. It was high pitched sometimes, but in an endearing way. Her melodious lilt carried through the house like the sound of a songbird.

"It's Day," I hissed, my hands on my face. "Shit. Hide, please."

For a second, Nat looked like she would go under my bed. Then she stopped herself. "No."

"Max?" came the voice again. I could hear her soft footsteps on the stairs.

"Nat!" I hissed again, shoving her. "Please go!"

"Max! Are you okay?" called Day again. I could hear her concern.

"No, I won't let you go back to her." She looked defiant, and I could feel my heart falling to my feet. I was going to be sick.

"Nat please! It'll break her heart, please!" I was literally begging now, holding my hands out and trying to push her into my bathroom.

"That's the whole point, dear. Girls like her need their hearts broken." Nat had such an evil glint now that I was scared, and I backed up against my wardrobe.

The doorknob moved slightly. "Max? You in there?" Day's voice was a whisper now, and I could hear the waver in it. She was scared and hurt about what she might find behind the doors. She didn't trust me right now, and I was just going to hurt her more.

I shoved Nat down and pushed her onto my bed, not before she grabbed the round necked collar of my t-shirt and pulled me down on top of her.

Her grip was tight and fierce, and one hand was on my shirt and the other on the steady pulse on my wrist. "This is for your own good, Max," she whispered, her minty breath fanning my face. "Remember that after you start hating me."

Puzzled, I looked at her with an eyebrow raised as I tried to shun the rapid beating of my heart: Our proximity and how much I knew this was wrong. The adrenalin rush was going to kill me.

Just as the door began to open, Nat pulled me down and put her bony hands on the back of my head, crashing it down to her own with so much force I could feel my head throbbing. Then, she pulled me in for a kiss.

Although before I'd been dreaming of this moment, now it just seemed wrong. I think I heard a scream behind me, but it was like all my senses had been put on a lockdown.

I thought I'd feel sparks.

I felt nothing.

*****

Day's POV

I'd always liked Max's house. It wasn't the most decorative or the fanciest, but it was neat and homely. Everything was put in a particular place and order. I always felt welcome here.

There was a rug under my feet that was soft and led up the stairs. I felt really horrible about just walking into someone's house. I'd never thought I'd do something like this. Ever.

Max's voice was distinct, but it sounded like he was arguing. He was panicked. There was another feminine voice that brought chills down my back. She sounded like a serpent.

"Max?" I called again, the nervousness building like blocks.

I refused to allow the jittery feeling to spread around my body like some disease.

"Please go!" I could hear Max's voice rising with alarm.

"Max! Are you okay?" I asked, a bubble of fear coming up inside me. What was going on?

Maybe it's just some cousin who's visiting. Maybe Max and her don't get along. Max loves you. He told you so himself and you were the one who didn't say it back. Not the other way around.

I tried to convince myself, but I knew otherwise.

I touched the doorknob, feeling every magnetic force in the world repelling me from opening it.

"Max?" I whispered, trying to open the door but I just couldn't. I don't know why. "You in there?"

Suddenly I heard a thump from inside and the serpentine whisper. What in the world was going on!?

I pushed against the door and stepped in.

I think I was going to throw up.

Nothing in the world had braced me enough to face my arch enemy and my boyfriend making out on Max's bed. I felt as if someone had taken a wrecking ball and attacked me with it.

Tears escaped my eyes for the first time in a really long time. They were the treacherous teardrops of betrayal. I simply couldn't wrap my head around this.

I tried to stifle it but a scream of agony escaped my lips as Nat drew him further in, clinging onto his shirt like it was her lifeline.

It was then that my knees buckled and I collapsed into a useless, wailing heap on the floor.

A/N:

I liked that pic of Day. Idk why.

Dun dun dun dun...

Dramatic moments be like what even is this life xD

So... did you expect that? Honestly, who all expected that? A show of hands please ;P

So what do you think will happen next?

Teaser: Day's life is spinning out of control, and she decides that two can play at the game Max had. Will she come out alive?

Song of the day: Someone You Like by The Girl and the Dreamcatcher

Anyway... hope you liked that chapter, as heartbreaking as it may have been!

I don't know when I'll update next, but I'll make the deadline ASAP.

Who all want to kill Nat right now? I sure as hell want to. 

800th vote gets a dedication

Love you all,

~Lexi