Our Toxic Love 2

Chapter Four

-Ariana-

When I wake up for school the next day, I feel like a zombie. I had to mentally wrestle myself out of bed and I look like I just crawled out of my own grave.

I take a quick shower and get dressed. I then add some mascara, concealor, and eyeliner to at least look acceptable. After I'm done getting ready, I make my way downstairs and plan to have myself a quick breakfast. But I see a stack of pancakes drenched in syrup on a plate in the middle of the table instead. There's a small note next to them:

I'm sorry for yesterday. Have some pancakes and enjoy your day, sweetheart. When I come back from work, I promise we'll talk about this. I love you.
-Dad

I honestly don't really know how to feel about this. But for his sake, I had a couple of pancakes and put them away. I go walking to school since I don't enjoy taking the bus and I don't have a car.

Ten minutes later, I'm walking through the gates and the entrance. I walk past dozens of people, my eyes unintentionally scanning the whole place for none other than Ethan.

Instead, I find Danielle standing by her locker. I walk towards her, making sure to keep my temper at ease.

"Hey, Ari," she says cheerfully. "Did you get my text?"

I nod. "I got that text alright. And you know who read it?"

She paused. "You're angry."

"Ethan. Ethan read it. You know how?"

"I have a feeling I'm not gonna like the answer," she says, her voice laced with worry.

"I was at his house. I slept over. Because we got together. And he read the text!" I rub my temple, trying to calm down.

"Well, I'm sorry, I didn't know!" She defended. "You didn't tell me you two are together."

"We were," I correct her. "We're not anymore. He broke up with me." I cross my arms and purse my lips, trying not to look too emotional.

Danielle's eyes widened. "But... Do you want me to talk to him or something? I will if you want me to. Where is he?" She cranes her neck to look behind me in search of him.

"No, no," I say weakly. "It's okay. He'd probably explode if one more person tries to explain that the plan was nothing and I really do love him."

She smiled. "You love him?"

I shrug. "It doesn't matter anymore anyway. He made it clear he doesn't want to be with me at all."

"Ariana, I feel so guilty about this," she places a hand on her chest. "If I'd known you two were together, I would've automatically assumed that you wouldn't want that plan to exist anymore. But you never told me how you really felt about him, why is that?"

"Because you were so caught up with the plan and I didn't know what to say," I frown.

She sighs. "Ariana, the plan was for you not for me."

"I think it's a good thing he knows about this now anyway," I admit. "There are just some things that are bound to be found out soon. The relationship was just starting, so at least we got out of it before we got too attached to each other."

She shakes her head. "No, don't say that. Ariana, look, I haven't exactly seen you and Ethan at your best moments but I just know that you two really do get along in a sort of... Unique way, let's say. You have to be together again if you two really want to. Forget the plan. All that matters is that you love each other."

I'm just about to say something when I see Ethan crossing the hallway alone. He looks resteless -- like he hasn't slept all night. His eyes have dark circles around them and his eyelids are drooping. He wears dark-colored clothes which were obviously worn sloppily. His dark, disheveled hair is sticking out in random directions. The bruises on his face are faint but didn't completely disappear just yet. Despite all that, he still looks incredibly handsome.