Freefall

-01-

(a/n: no character introductions because i actually need story content and filler - I only did it for S&C bc that story has so far to go content-wise)

The two of us walked down the downtown city street, holding hands, admiring how the moonlight shone on the windows of the stores nearby.

We'd stopped at a small place and gotten bowls of frozen yogurt, then we'd eaten them and had gotten up to walk around for a little while.

I was about to tell Lucas that I needed to go back to my apartment when someone called out to him.

"Hey, Ethan!" Lucas called back to him, gesturing for him to come over to the little picnic table that we'd sat down at in a little area between two of the buildings. 

I glanced back and forth between Lucas and the boy that he'd called Ethan a few times, connecting invisible dots and jumping to my own conclusions, but I stayed silent.

It felt like an edit you'd see on YouTube shorts of a TV show scene, where the audio plays and the text looks like subtitles.

Somethin' bad is 'bout to happen to me.

I got a bad feeling about this 'Ethan'.

"Who's this with you?" Ethan asked Lucas, after he'd came and sat down at our table, nodding towards me.

"Oh, just a friend of mine," Lucas replied. "Peyton, this is Lucas."

Maybe he just isn't out yet.

"Hey, Peyton," Ethan said politely, smiling. "I'm Lucas' boyfriend.

I fucking called it.

No one lights up and gets that excited when they see their homie in public.

But I had an idea.

"That's wonderful," I murmured, smiling and masking the part of me that felt insanely betrayed and angry. "You can keep him. I don't want him anymore." I got up and started walking away.

"Wait, it doesn't have to be like this-!"

I turned my head and looked back at Lucas. "Tell that to Ethan."

"What did he mean by that?" Ethan asked Lucas, sounding confused. "Why did that look like a dramatic breakup scene out of a movie?"

"I don't-"

"Because it was, just without the movie," I said, cutting Lucas off. "I advise you do the same. He's a dick."

"Hey-"

"I'm going to let my mind win over my emotions right now and listen to Peyton," Ethan agreed. "Peyton, could you also offer me a drive back to my dorm?"

I nodded. "C'mon."

I went back to my car with Ethan trailing behind me, and he got in the passenger seat while I drive. 

"By the way, you have no idea how grateful I am for you giving me the opportunity to break up with that dick on legs, Jesus Christ," I told Ethan, putting my seatbelt on and starting the car. "I'm leaving him here for the hell of it. He deserves it."

Ethan smiled. "Glad I could help, even though I didn't intend to. Yeah, he wasn't very nice to me either. I kinda suspected he was cheating for a while now, but I never thought that I'd actually run into who he was cheating with."

I chuckled. "Never thought I'd get a chance to break up with him, to be honest."

The rest of the short drive back to the college was filled with laughter and nice conversation, which was a nice distraction from the obvious.

We went back to our separate dorm buildings, but still exchanged numbers because we wanted to keep in touch, mainly because he had a lot of potential to be a good friend.

But also because I wanted someone to talk shit about my ex with that would completely understand and relate.

"What happened?" Collin, my roommate asked me, when I came in. He was sitting on the counter in the kitchen reading a book while drinking hot chocolate.

(a/n: moment of silence for one of my old best friends that I had before I switched schools, he passed away three days ago as of when I'm writing this (he passed on 01-02-24). His name was Collin, so that's why I named Peyton's roommate after him. Miss you, buddy, fly high.)

"Some dumb bitch got caught cheating, and he's single now, as far as I know," I snickered, going to the fridge and grabbing the bottle of milk, and I took the box of Reese's Puffs off the top of the fridge. "I'm friends with his other ex now. Today is a good day."

I wasn't very emotionally attached to Lucas because I had my suspicions of him cheating for a while, but I'd never been brave enough to say anything to him, because he was scary when he was angry. 

I also just didn't love him.

It wasn't like I was leading him on; I genuinely loved him in the beginning of our relationship, but it had faded out once he'd started showing his true colors, and I got too scared to break up with him.

"Ooh," Collin purred. "Is the other guy hot?"

"He's really sweet, but I'm not using him as a rebound," I replied, making my bowl of cereal. "Although that would be the fucking sweetest revenge plot ever. But I'm not doing that."

Collin hummed. "I need to be sleeping right now, but I really don't care, to be honest. I have a big lecture tomorrow."

"I get to cook for a grade tomorrow," I said cheerfully. "And I get to shoot a target with a sharp object."

"That's an interesting way to put culinary class and archery practice," Collin commented. "I might head to bed now, the hot chocolate is making me tired."

I nodded solemnly. "Goodnight."

I slowly ate my cereal while truly realizing and letting it sink in that I'd actually broken up with Lucas. I'd finally been brave enough to do it.

Then I got a text, and a second later, there was a knock on the door.

I decided to answer the door first, stupidly not even thinking about checking the peephole.

And I was met with the only face that I didn't want to see.

"If you're coming here to make up, go back to your-"

Lucas shoved me up against the closest wall and pinned me there. "You listen to everything I say, do you understand that? I have the power here, not you. You don't get to pull a stunt like that unless you want to get punished."

I could barely breathe; (a) because one of his hands was around my neck, and (b) I was scared as fuck and my heart was pounding out of my chest.

God, I'm stupid for thinking I was free.

I almost want to take Collin's name out of this, just because my heart aches every time I see it. But I won't, for his sake.

I'll stay strong for him.

Anygays, how are you, loves? Tell me all about your day.