𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐄𝐗, 𝖼𝗁𝗋𝗂𝗌 𝗌𝗍𝗎𝗋𝗇𝗂𝗈𝗅𝗈 ✓

005, 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐭-𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐫

DEAR, EX

scarlett walks in to her second period, chorus, sighing as mia lee approaches her.

"scarlett," she asks worryingly. "are you okay...?"

"yeah, why?" scarlett asks.

"you've been quiet today." she shrugs. "thinking?"

"yeah." scarlett nods, pulling out her binder as the two walk to the soprano section and take a seat. as they begin singing their song for the fall concert, someone taps her.

scarlett stops singing and turns behind her to row 5, seeing an alto who she's never met. she doubts she's even seen her. "scarlett," she whispers. "stop it with—"

"lindsey! scarlett!" ms. rome exclaims, catching the two's attention. "to the office, now."

"what? why?" scarlett asks.

"disrupting the class. i've been sick and tired of this class interrupting. we have two weeks until the concert and the altos haven't even finished learning their part. you've gotten on my last nerve, now go." she snaps.

"ma'am, i wasn't even talking." she says.

"go." the teacher demands, and scar turns around to glare at who she assumes to be lindsey, and the two girls walk off of the risers and out of the room. "pick ups to measure 34." they both hear ms. rome say as scar shuts the door and they begin walking into the hallway.

"no wonder she's single." lindsey grumbles, causing scar to roll her eyes at her bothersome voice.

"what were you even trying to say anyways?" scarlett asks.

"i was gonna tell you to stop it because chris—" she starts, but immediately cuts herself off as a brunette emerges from the boy's bathroom, staring at the duo having heard his name. and his furrowed expression lightens but grows anxious as he notices who the girl is. scarlett. and lindsey, who he met a few weeks ago.

"oh, hey, chris." lindsey awkwardly says as all three of them stop in their tracks.

"hey..." chris says to lindsey, staring at scar, who's staring at him, utterly dumbfounded.

"well, we have to go to the office." lindsey says.

chris furrows his brows again. "office?" scar never got sent to the office, besides that one time in 6th grade.

but then again, this is a different scar. not the one he knows at all. lindsey nods before obnoxiously grabbing scar's hand, pulling her away. when the two and chris get far apart, she starts again. "stop leading chris on."

scarlett quickly turns to her. "okay. what?"

"you're leading him on."

"did he tell you that?"

"well, no, but—"

"so i'm not leading him on."

"but—"

"lindsey," scar sighs. "i haven't spoken to chris in months." plus, you can't lead someone on if you're in love with him.

"oh." she says. "sorry, i thought chris liked you but you didn't like him."

"and why is that...?" scar asks hesitantly.

"i don't know. the way he looked at you in the hall and then you laughed at looked away." she says. "i try to read people. i'm not that good at it."

"clearly." scarlett scoffs, and as they reach the office, lindsey opens the door and they walk in.

chris walks back into his second period, sitting down in his seat. what was that? why was scar going to the office? why were they talking about him? maybe it was a different chris. there's no way it was a different chris! is there even a relevant other chris at the school?

it didn't matter. scarlett's his ex, he shouldn't think about it too hard. probably shit talking him. that's what ex's do right?

but chris never shit talk her. and scarlett wasn't the type of girl to shit talk anyone besides a celebrity. or a rando walking down the street. never someone she knew personally.

but then again, this wasn't his scar.

"you got sent the the office?!" liam exclaims to scarlett, who rolls her eyes.

"liam. it was because of how strict ms. rome is! i went to the office, and right as the administrator heard 'ms. rome' she scoffed and left us with a warning." scarlett says as they walk outside of the school building since liam offered a ride.

"i don't blame ms. rome for being so rude." liam says as they approach his silver-painted car. he pulls his car keys out of his pocket and simply presses a button, causing it to unlock.

"why?" scarlett asks as she gets into the passenger seat, throwing her bag into the back next to liam's. she shuts her door as liam shuts his on the driver's side.

"you're a chorus kid," he says, inserting his key into the car. it turns on. "and you don't know?"

"no...?" she asks.

he sighs. "yearssss ago, her husband cheated on her and she had to take custody of their 3 kids and kept the two dogs, so she had to become a teacher to make a living. even though she hates anything school related! and her kids hate her. and so do her students."

"oh." scar shrugs. "can we get going? i need to study for a quiz before the party."

"oh, yeah—" he starts, but is cut off by the dinging of his phone. "shit."

"what?" scar asks.

"uhm..." he exhales. "the triplets need a ride."

as their walking into the school to find the triplets, scar continues her complaining. "why do they even need a ride?! matt can drive!"

"maia drove them and went home all pissy, forgetting about them." he explains to her.

typical maia. scar rolls her eyes. "but everyone else that i know has already gone home. i can't be in a car with him. a house at a party is fine. this draws the line!"

"scar, chill. you can walk the 7 miles home if that's what you want." he says.

the ride to their house is shorter. that means less time with chris. "just drop them off first."

"deal," he says. "i was planning on going home with toy and giving you no chance to debate."

she sighs. "do they know i'm with you?"

"they do." he says.

"they couldn't have called their mom?" she asks.

"chris isn't a pussy," he informs her. "unlike you."

but chris had no idea that she was approaching.