the very first night, ᶜʰʳⁱˢ ˢᵗᵘʳⁿⁱᵒˡᵒ

✰. . . messed up

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
[ real life ]

real life!

"what the actual fuck just happened?" nick whispered with his mouth agape, his eyes scanning the halls. they had just watched lilah run off visibly upset with chris running desperately behind her.

no one said anything as they let the meaning of everyone's whispers sink in. matt refused to make eye contact as he let his head fall, staring at his suddenly interesting shoes.

lucy felt like she could barley breathe herself. they couldn't be true.. it had to be some corrupted rumour. right? but if it wasn't true why would delilah run off so upset?

lucy crossed her arms over her stomach, trying to push down the feeling of nausea from it possibly being true. her eyes turning to layla for comfort but instead noticed something different.

layla's expressions weren't portraying any symptoms of being shock. she just stared back at lucy with such empty eyes that it lead lucy to be more confused.

she didn't know what to think, or what to feel. she just knew she needed to talk to her best friend.

"ugh, it's such a shame what happened isn't it?" they heard a voice from beside the group, pulling their attention.

lucy's vulnerability suddenly disappeared in the face of caitlin and a brunnete girl beside her that she didn't know the name of. "what do you want?" she bit out, already frustrated by her presence.

"me? i don't want anything sweetheart. it's just so depressing to see delilah have such a downfall you know?" caitlin uttered, acting as if she was sympathising with the group when she clearly had other intentions.

matt cleared his throat "we don't even know if it's true yet" he said, trying to defend delilah. but caitlin gave him a disbelieving look.

"come on, the girl had bruises all over her body.. i mean you'd think delilah would've fought back, right?" caitlin's words were patronising and meant to sting. the brunnete girl beside her smirking slowly as she eyed the group.

"get her name out of your mouth" lucy demanded, glaring at caitlin like she was nothing but dirt on the bottom of her shoe.

"feisty are we? or do you just not want to admit the truth?" she fired back.

everyone fell silent. so many thoughts running through their heads. lucy driving herself crazy to the point where she didn't know which thought to believe. who to believe?