𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒔 // 𝙰𝚗𝚝𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝙶𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚣𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚗

Chapter 23 - Fall Apart

𝑬𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒐 𝒃𝒍𝒖𝒆
𝑰 𝒅𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒏.

Reese's Perspective

Brooke calls me one night, and I can't believe when she says right away, as soon as I pick up, "I feel bad for Antoine."

I stare at her, jaw dropped and limp in awe. "How could you say that? Did he strike you with some freaking spell or something?"

"No, no. I'm still going through with what I promised you. I got a recording of a video call with me and Antoine. I edited it to make him seem worse than he is. Good gossip meat. And I posted it. And sent it to a bunch of people. But there is something about him... Something he said, but it didn't come out of his mouth. I'm going to send you the unedited recording. You tell me what you think about it is all."

I nod, saying, "Okay..." I hang up. I'm just excited that our plan has officially been succeeded.

I watch the recording Brooke sends me.

I see the way his hair was a mess on top of his head. The way his eyebrows were curled up, so concerned. The red spot on his cheek. The way he keeps nervously licking his lips. The flatness of his voice, that he seems to try to use to hide some sort of hurt, underneath.

It's like I have a small battle with myself that I don't even notice. I don't even realise the fight between my soft side and my anger. A side of me wants to feel bad for him. Wonder if there is a reason for what he has done. Feel bad for what I've done.

But the stronger part of me would never let that happen. Bad past or not, that is no excuse. I don't care what goes on at home with him. He still ruined my life. If his life sucks, that no excuse to make my life suck, too. He doesn't deserve sympathy, and especially not mine. Never mine. I will die before I feel sympathy for Antoine. I can't let myself feel bad for my comeback, because he deserves it all. He's useless and worthless, and as far as I'm concerned, he shouldn't have any friends. I'm glad Brooke is breaking up with him so bad. Maybe if something he's so attached to gets taken away from him, he'll finally understand. Maybe. So I can't feel bad for my righteous anger.

Brooke also sends me the video she sent to the rest of the world. It is golden. On social media, I can already see it working. It's wonderful, exciting, at how well it is working. My plan, our plan, was perfect.

Our plan to ruin Antoine Griezmann might just work.

This might finally be his downfall.

Antoine's Perspective

This might finally be my downfall.

When I see what has happened at first, I freeze. Literally. I fight to breathe. And it is hard. Almost too hard. Because some part of me wants to die. So much. And I'm not quiet sure who on earth would be upset about my death, too, anyway. They'd cry at the funeral, and move on. Because they don't care. Merely the concept of a teenage guy committing suicide would make them cry. Not the concept of Antoine Griezmann being dead.

But before I could act on any of those wants, the phone call came. From Brooke. No voice call this time. Her voice only said to me, so cold, I think my fingers hurt, "Antoine, it is over. Bye. I have got myself a better man." Then she hangs up.

I send her 'F*** you' and block her number and Snapchat.

It is like everything just fell apart in a matter of days.

I build my castle so tall, every time. And the higher I keep building it, the more destruction it causes when it topples down.

I can't breathe, but I don't cry. My whole body shakes. I freak out. I think I am not only like my father, but also a lot like my mother. Neither of them are good to be like.

I actually find out about it a few days after. When Henri punches me at school, saying, "Why the hell did you do that to Brooke?!" I was confused. I understood that night when I got her phone call.

I understood she is a faker, liar, horrible person, too, just like everyone. No one is on my side. I think someone has wanted me dead. All this bad luck, over and over, and I don't even know why.

I can hide emotions, until I can't. For a few days after I find out, I try to hide it at school. But it is hard when less and less of my friends want to hang around me.

At football practice, the coach pulls me aside again. "Griezmann, did something happen?" he asks.

It takes everything in me not to freak out. Break down. Look insane, like I really am, inside.

I stare at him, and I know he can see why I don't speak. I can't let tears out. He sees the watering in my eyes. After a few seconds, he repeats his question. It takes everything in me to say, "Some faker messed me up."

He looks at me a few seconds, before saying, "High school drama?"

"More than 'high school drama'. Lies spread about me. This time it wasn't even true. Actually, most of the time it isn't true. Well, it was true... Some of it..." I swallow. Talking about it makes me realise she has a real recording of me. Of course it is true. Obviously. I suck. I should know by now that it is not far from my flawed, messed up life to say such things.

"Griezmann?" he asks, concerned. 

"A girl made me seem like an abusive guy, first off. Cheated. I was dating her. Faked being wonderful. Took something I said out of context out of anger and wanting her to like me more and told the whole school. I threw everyone under the bus, Coach. Now I'm suffering the punishment. It is all my fault. I really do deserve it all." He looks concerned, but he doesn't say anything more. And we just join the rest at practice. I can tell by the way they glance at me that they were talking about me.

I wish I could say I don't care.

But I care so, so much.

So much that soon I am going to finally just fall apart.

~ Author's Note ~

Thank you for enjoying this so much. I'm actually really proud of this book so far.

This song, Overwhelmed by Ryan Mack, also kind of reminds me of Antoine in this fan fiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcMwQPYYKec