PLAY THE PART | mileven

one

this situation shouldn't have surprised her -- i mean, max called her as soon as she heard the news to prepare her for whatever was to come with it.

she knew that kai already moved on with another girl but somehow, no mental scenario could've prepared her to actually see him walking around the campus with his fingers intertwined with layla's.

it seemed like a sick joke but rather than making her laugh, it made her want to throw up.

how could he act this way? how could he walk with his new girl as if he didn't step out of a three-years long relationship? as if they never happened in the first place?

merely two days passed since they broke up. two!

he took her out for dinner just to say that they're not working anymore, that it'd be better if they separated their ways.

she thought that the thing they had was stable and lasting; how foolish of her to entertain such thoughts.

"ellie.." max sighed next to her, squeezing her arm gently to snap her out of her thoughts. "i know it's hard but letting him see you like this will make him feel like he managed to break you."

"what do you mean?" she answered in a high-pitched voice but cleared her throat right after, "i'm doing great, i'm not sad over him."

she held her books close to her chest as he came nearer towards her direction.

panic was flooding her system and her brain-short-circuited — literally.

because she has no idea what possessed her into doing what she did next.

when he was close enough, she took a step closer and made him halt his steps. a forced smile settled on her features. "oh, hey kai. so you're actually with layla? how... cute! you guys make a lovely couple together."

visible discomfort was etched on his face and that gave her major satisfaction. "thanks, el." he avoided her gaze, huffing a breath out. "i'm sorry again for ending it abruptly and leaving you all... alone. it's great how understanding you were though."

"alone? not at all." she laughed and threw her hair over her shoulders, "i actually have someone that i'm talking to, too."

"you have?" his brows creased, "who?"

fuck. fuck.

why did she say that? why couldn't she simply shut up and stay in her own way? why did she feel like putting something in front of him that isn't even there? god, she was so damn stupid.

"can't tell yet." she simply said, pressing her lips into a tight smile. "still in the talking stage and all, you'll see at some point."

"oh, that's good." he forced a smile out, "i'm happy for you, el. glad that you have someone, too."

and with those words, his new girlfriend tugged on his hand and made them both walk away.

she blinked a couple times to let the lie she effortlessly said sink in, the more time passed, the more she hated herself for it.

"what the fuck?!" max whisper-yelled at her and pinched her arm, "why didn't you tell me you have someone you talk to?!"

what kind of fucking mess did she create? she should just tell max that she panicked and lied about it to come clean.

"because it's new, it's evolving just.. slowly." but her mouth betrayed her by feeding more and more into the lie.

the redhead's face was painted in shock, entirely taken aback by the words of her best friend. "tell me who it is at least. is it sean? or wait, that other guy, what was his name? uh.. kyle! i saw how he checked you out earlier."