CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR;
DARKEST OF DAYS.

1 week later.

mike🤮💚

hi

hey baby
can't text right now

oh
ok
we can just talk later

is everything alright?

yeah
i'll tell u later

no
tell me now
what's up??

talk later

now

ur busy
it can wait

it's fine
i just forgot to do my homework last night so i was trying to finish before my next class but i'll just turn it in tomorrow
now tell me what's wrong

nothing
do ur hw

it's only 5 points off
it's fine
now, tell me

it's a lot

that's okay
i want to know

i'm sad

why, baby?

mean ppl

what did they do?

well
i had my phone on my desk and it fell
this girl picked it up and she saw ur pic on my lock screen
but she wouldn't give it back and showed her friends
her friends being the mean ppl
and they all started saying i was a freak bc i had a pic of a random guy on my phone
then i told them ur not random
but it only made it worse
i told them ur my bf but they just started saying really really mean things
and it just hit hard ig
so that's why i'm sad

what the fuck
i could fucking kill them
i fucking could
i hate this
i wish you lived here
you don't fucking deserve to deal with such fucking assholes
fuck
that makes me so fucking mad

so many bad words, mike
calm down

no
i'm fucking pissed
i wish i was there
or you were here
or they mysteriously disappeared

it's fine
i'm just a lil sad rn
sad boi hours ig

you don't deserve to be sad, baby
i wish i could fix it
i would do anything to fix it

u help
ok go finish ur hw
gotta keep that 1.00 gpa 😗

first of all, 3.6
second, fuck my homework

no don't do that
u will get paper cuts in all the wrong places 😳

you're so perfect
even when everyone treats you like shit, you're still you

stop it
i'm lit rally blushing rn
blushing and crying at the same time isn't a look lemme tell u

you're crying?

um
no???

incoming facetime from mike🤮💚.

el began to harshly wipe the dampness from her rosy cheeks with the ends on her sleeves. she inhaled deeply before accepting her boyfriend's request.

facetime accepted.

"hi."

her greeting was meek, just how she felt today. she watched a sad smile pull at his plump lips, noticing that he was still sitting in his car before his first class.

"hey, pretty girl. you okay?"

the nickname made her stomach flip, regardless of her not believing the words to be anything even remotely close to the truth. she nodded, replying with a faux laugh.

"i'm fine, just being dramatic."

a scowl formed at her words, not appreciating her obvious dishonesty.

"your eyes are puffy."

she squinted at the little box in the corner of her screen before huffing to find that he was telling the truth, her eyes were red and puffy with a lingering glossy lens.

"it's allergies."

she averted her eyes from her screen to her surroundings. she had made the bold decision to abandon her remaining three classes from obvious reasons and go to the park, the same one she visited with her parents when she was a child. luckily for her, the younger kids were all still at school so the park was empty on this chilly wednesday morning.

"you think i believe that shit?"

no, she didn't. she knew as soon as the words left her mouth he wouldn't believe them.

"just d-do your homework!"

at this point she was just trying to switch topics and steer away from the conversation that could likely stir up her insecurities. of course, she didn't think mike would agree. he always assured her of how beautiful he thought she was. while she didn't trust his words, she trusted that he meant them and that was enough.

"stop worrying about my homework because i'm worrying about you. look at me, el. talk to me. what all did they say?"

she bit the inside of her cheek, unsure if she was willing to repeat the words. all that would come of it was her getting upset all over again and mike being mad while he's two hours away. she shook her head.

"don't worry about it, mike. i'm-i'm fine."

he narrowed his eyes, not accepting her attempt to brush the situation off.

"baby, you aren't fine. what'd they say?"

it was that stupid nickname he had picked up for her. he knew it made her melt and give in just as his heart emojis made her.

"they just... they stuff like, 'oh, right! your boyfriend, i'm sure. as if this guy would want you,' and then these girls started saying i'm a freak and i'm shaped like an anorexic fridge -- which i'm not entirely sure what that means. then, they said my dress was cute, but i didn't have the face for it so i shouldn't even try. finally, the teacher told them to stop, but it was no use. they kept whispering and giggling. i could hear them still, so..."

she trailed off, knowing her eyes had watered up all over again. she chose to leave out the details of kelly drake saying, 'no guy that looks like that needs a suicidal whack job like her.' it wasn't a comment she felt ready to explain to him. not yet.

she finally looked back to her phone to find his own eyes filled with tears, his lips parted as devastation swept his chiseled features.

"fuck, el. i hate this so much... so, so fucking much."

his tone carried his pain for her. he didn't understand how she could hear this words so regularly but seem so untainted most of the time. surely such offenses would wear on anyone, even someone as strong as his el.

"i wish i could change this. i wish i could make it better so fucking bad. i wish i could come get you and bring you here. or i'd-i'd beat their fucking asses."

a sad smile wedged it's way only her quivering lips.

"you can't hit girls, mike."

he let out huff, before replying.

"okay, well, max can. i'd bring so she can kick their asses and i can get you and bring you home with me."

el nodded.

"i wish. i would do anything to not be here, and be with you instead, you know? i miss you like crazy."

mike inhaled deeply, trying to find the words to express how badly he missed the brunette but he couldn't. there were no words that could describe how terribly he wanted to see her, feel her, kiss her, just be with her.

"you have no idea, baby. this is killing me."

she frowned, upset at the reminder that he was suffering from it just as she was. she wiped the tears that remained on her cheeks, deeming them as her final tears of the day. she was done crying.

"we'll see each other, soon. yeah, i'm sure that thanksgiving will be here before you know it."

she hoped her optimistic attitude would wipe the grimace from his face, but it remained.

"yeah, in a month."

she rolled her eyes, but allowed a genuine smile to grace her darling features.

"you have to be positive, honey. try to look on the bright side."

her words warmed his heart. she was so angelic, so warm, so gentle. it amazed him how much of an effect she had over him through a facetime call. hell, one text from her turns his darkest of days around. he beamed at her, so infatuated with how deeply he cared for her.

"el, i-i... you're perfect."

a stutter.

a stutter she didn't think much of because they'd only been together officially for a month and known one another for three so, there was no possibly way he could've been about to confess some serious feelings.

no, definitely not.

she bit her lip, smitten by her boyfriend's words.

"thank you, mike. you're pretty perfect yourself."

she gazed at him, comforted by him gazing back. his eyes snapped forward in the direction in front of him, likely looking at something through his windshield.

"fuck. baby, i have to go. i have class. i'll call you later, yeah?"

she smiled and nodded, a deep shade of red warming the apples of her cheeks. she would never ever admit to it, but sometimes she found his profane language attractive. and mixed with the beloved nickname he had for her? she was practically puddy.

"you better. bye, mike."

he gave her one last look, smiling softly and waving in a dorky manner.

"bye, my beautiful girl."

the call ended, and she clutched her phone to her chest, sighing. just as she did for him, he brightened her darkest of days.

...

a/n: y'all this was sad and cute. i meant to update like last wednesday but my social life started suddenly?? existing? i was shocked too lol like whoa luv caugh me off guard.. anyway, hope u guys enjoyed!! lmk whatcha think, thanks for reading!! xx

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