CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE;
BALLPARK ESTIMATE.

"do you know a blonde girl named lucy?" it was the first thing to leave el's mouth as soon as she spotted the familiar red locks when she entered her biology class.

max looked over her shoulder, slightly surprised, "well, hello to you, too." el gave her a pointed look that had max growing a bit concerned, "lucy? i know a lucy dillard, why? what about her?"

she gestured for el to take the seat beside her and she complied, not bothering to consider who's seat she might be stealing in the process because she was far too focused on this lucy dillard and what she could've possibly meant in reference to her boyfriend. the truth of the matter is that no matter how hard el tried not to dwell on her words first period, her mind was relentless. it took everything she had in her not to tap the girl on the shoulder and demand an explanation.

"what's she to mike?" the question was immediate.

by the way max's eyes widened, she knew there was certainly a correlation between the two. "why do you ask?" max didn't seem like she was trying to stall, she seemed actually confused.

"she's in my first period, and she told me to steer clear of mike wheeler. obviously, she didn't know that said mike is my mike, but still. why would she say that?" she implored breathlessly, trying to hurry this conversation along before the bell for class to begin could cut them off.

the ginger grimaced slightly, choosing her words, "lucy is... she's weird, okay? i'm not sure what the whole story is because i never took much interest in mike's conquests before — well, before you, but i think they had a thing before he started dating maggie. somehow lucy got it in her head that mike stole her virginity and then ghosted her and now she hates him. though, i think she's actually just obsessed with him and is pretending to hate him because he doesn't care about her."

el's eyes were wide like doe's. "wait, he stole her-"

"el, hey!" will chirped as he approached the lab desk for two. "wow, way to give away my seat," he tossed max a playful glare. he didn't seem to actually mind as he perched himself on the stool in front of them. still trying to come down from all the information max just loaded onto her, el removed her glasses and sunk her face into her palms. will mouthed an, "is she okay?" to max to which he received a strong nod.

while max knew it was unlikely that will would blabber to mike about anything, she decided against bringing the whole lucy thing back up in front of him. she softly patted el's back with a sympathetic expression as mr. chu walked in to begin a riveting lesson on mitosis. of course, not before having a very unwilling el stand up and share about herself.

if her boyfriend's track record with pretty blondes didn't kill her on her first day, the humiliation of introducing herself to classrooms full of people would.

halfway into the class, she felt her phone buzz in her back pocket. mike hadn't texted since before first period and she wondered if maybe it was him again. that theory was shut down when she felt a nudge from beside her and glanced to see max holding her phone below the desk, gesturing for her to check the text.

max🤩

u look like ur gonna throw up

she flickered her gaze back to her new lab partner and gave her a 'what do you mean' expression. she quickly received an eye roll and watched as max typed on her phone.

just text
chu wont notice
he's too busy geeking out abt cells and shit

i'm not going to throw up

ok but u look like u are
i assume it's abt the mike and lucy thing ???

u assume correctly

i thought u knew abt him and all those girls before u

i did
he said he has 5 exes
he also said i probably wouldn't meet one
guess i'm a little shocked i did
and that she talks abt him w anyone bringing him up

but lucy was never his gf
they just hooked up once at a party
she isn't an ex

somehow that only made the unsettling in stomach worse, like a million times worse.

ok u really really look like ur abt to throw up 😳😳
look don't worry abt lucy
it was a long time ago

they didn't date?
but he slept with her??
he took her virginity?

first of all let's not forget that virginity is a social construct created by men to shame women for having sex

max

just know mike used to be very different w girls
let's just say he was in high demand
i really don't know how
he looks like a very pale victorian orphan boy in my opinion

el couldn't help but huff at the way max described him. while he was undeniably pale, the rest seemed like an insult.

um hello???
that is my boyfriend ur insulting

oh pls u know what i mean
anyway my point is
mike isn't like that anymore
so don't stress abt it
definitely don't stress abt lucy
she's sweet but she's v annoying

ok will u answer one thing

yeah?

how many girls was he like that with

wdym

i mean he told me he has 5 exes
but lucy isn't included in that yet he slept with her
how many other girls was he w

wait are u asking me mike's body count ????
um 🤮🤮
now i could throw up

pls just tell me

i can't
i don't even know
i typically try to tune out those conversations when i'm around to hear them
and i definitely wasn't keeping track of the ones i did hear abt

um well do u have an estimate

el
don't ask me that
ask mike
i'm surprised u guys haven't talk abt this before

ok well he said he had 5 exes and now i'm learning that his definition and my definition of ex are very different

maybe it's not ur definition of ex that's different but ur views on casual sex

why did u have to type it
see i was ok w implying it but like now u typed it and i have to admit that mike has done a lot more w a lot more ppl than i ever imagined

ok but like i told u he was a manwhore like months ago soooo

max
how many girls
ballpark estimate

😳😳
don't make me

el was staring at the girl beside her with so much desperation, she was shocked everyone in the class remained oblivious to the exchange. max lightly sighed and looked back down are her screen.

including his exes?
my guess is 10-15
ish
could be less tho !!
BUT HEY I DONT KNOW
DONT QUOTE ME

oh my
is that a lot
for guys
his age

ummmm
depends on the guy really

well what abt lucas?

well lucas and i have been together on and off for 4 years
i'm his only

oh
oh god
so that means there's 15 girls in this school rn that have been w him in that way
in a way i haven't
now i actually might throw up

ok i said 10-15
ur rounding up
also they don't all go here
some of them go to kelton high
it's a town over

i want to die 😥

well don't die here at school
that'd be depressing

not helping

want me to help?
don't worry about who or what mike did before u met him
bc it doesn't matter
take it from someone who has heard him whine and complain for MONTHS abt missing u
he is stupid in love
emphasis on the stupid

thank u❤️
that helped
not the stupid part
stop insulting him 😤

i will never stop insulting him
it's a hobby of mine

i should talk to him

i thought u guys were fighting
i say drag it out 💅🏼💅🏼
make him suffer more ✨
especially w what he said

but i said stuff too
and i rly don't like fighting w him ☹️
especially today of all days

that's understandable ig

i just need to talk to him
should i ask him abt lucy?

u could
see lucy makes it sound like he's a bad guy
i admit he's annoying but he isn't a bad guy and he's never been the type to use girls and ghost them
there's probably more to the story than i remember but it was almost 2 years ago

so i should talk to him abt it?

if it bothers u, yes

ok
thank u
💖💖

max gave her a soft, reassuring smile and slipped her phone away, putting an end to their sneaky texting. she was right about the teacher. he was oblivious.

for the short rest of class, el tried not to let her mind dwell on the mike that existed before they met. she couldn't exactly hold it against him.

and max was right, he was different now. very different. she just hoped the past mike, the mike that the girls here were well acquainted with, wouldn't become an issue in the future.

...

a/n: crappy chapter abt exposing mike as a retired lady killer lmao. i promise mileven will be in the next chapter tho!! idk what i'm doing at this point w this story but i'm sure everything will work out !! ok thx for reading!! hope u enjoyed? x

word count: 1611