My Year in Chicago - Carl Gallagher

Pathetic

It was another day of pretending, another day of Carl slinging his arm around my shoulder like it belonged there. But today felt different, like there was something in the air, and I couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to go south.

Carl seemed completely comfortable with our act now. He was playing the part too well, and if I was being honest, it was getting harder to remind myself that it was just an act. When he brushed his hand against mine as we walked down the hallway, I couldn't help but glance up at him, wondering if he was even pretending anymore.

"Are you coming to lunch, babe?" he asked casually, his eyes twinkling.

"Yeah," I said, trying to play it cool, though my heart still stuttered at the way he said "babe" so easily now. It was like he'd completely forgotten this was all to mess with Lexi, like this was our new reality.

But as soon as we entered the cafeteria, I could feel the tension shift. Lexi was there, sitting with her group of friends at their usual table, and her eyes locked onto us the second we walked in. Her expression was sharp, colder than I'd ever seen it.

Carl didn't seem to notice. Or maybe he just didn't care.

We sat down at our usual spot with Tori, and Carl immediately settled into his routine of sitting a little too close, his hand resting on my leg under the table. I tried to ignore it, focusing instead on my sandwich, but I couldn't shake the feeling that Lexi's eyes were boring into me from across the room.

Tori glanced between me and Carl, her brow raised. "You two are really committing to this, huh?"

"Yeah," I mumbled, not really wanting to get into it. I was already confused enough without having to explain this whole mess again.

Suddenly, I heard Lexi's voice from across the room, louder than usual, clearly meant for us to hear.

"So pathetic," she said, her tone dripping with venom. "Some people will do anything for attention."

I froze, my stomach twisting. I didn't have to look to know she was talking about me.

Carl stiffened beside me, but he didn't say anything. Tori shot me a concerned glance, but before I could respond, Lexi stood up from her table and started walking toward us, her heels clicking loudly on the tile floor.

Oh no.

She stopped right in front of our table, her arms crossed over her chest, eyes narrowed. "You think you're clever, huh?"

I looked up at her, confused. "What are you talking about?"

Lexi scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Don't play dumb. You think you can just swoop in and take what's mine?"

I blinked, taken aback. "I'm not—"

"Oh, please," she cut me off, glaring. "You're such a fake, Anabelle. Acting like you're all innocent when everyone knows you're just trying to get Carl's attention."

My heart pounded in my chest, but I forced myself to stay calm. "It's not like that."

"Yeah? Then what is it like?" Lexi challenged, stepping closer. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're desperate for him."

Carl shifted beside me, clearly uncomfortable, but he still didn't say anything. I could feel the eyes of everyone in the cafeteria on us now, the tension thick in the air. Lexi wasn't going to let this go.

"I'm not desperate," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "This was never about you."

Lexi's eyes flashed with anger. "Oh, really? Then why do you keep parading around with *my* guy?"

Before I could respond, Lexi did something I never saw coming. She turned to Carl, her eyes softening for a split second, and then, without warning, she grabbed his face and kissed him.

Right there, in front of everyone.

It was like a punch to the gut. I sat there, frozen in shock, my mind racing to catch up with what was happening. Carl didn't push her away immediately, and for a second, I felt like I couldn't breathe.

When Carl finally did pull back, his expression was a mixture of confusion and frustration. "Lexi, what the hell?"

Lexi smirked, clearly pleased with herself. "Just reminding you what you're missing."

I could feel my face burning, a mix of embarrassment and anger swirling inside me. Was this really happening? Was she seriously trying to use Carl like a pawn in whatever game she thought we were playing?

Carl looked at me, and for a second, I thought I saw something like regret in his eyes, but it didn't last long. He stood up, running a hand through his hair, clearly annoyed.

"Lexi, we're done. You don't get to pull this crap," Carl snapped, his voice sharp.

But Lexi wasn't backing down. She turned back to me, her eyes full of disdain. "You think you've won, don't you? You think this little act of yours is gonna make him actually care about you? Please."

I stood up, my hands clenched into fists. "I'm not trying to win anything, Lexi. This was never about you."

"Whatever," Lexi spat, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "You're just jealous because he'll never actually be into you."

With that, she turned and stormed off, leaving me standing there in the middle of the cafeteria, feeling humiliated and furious.

I glanced at Carl, expecting him to say something—anything—but he just looked away, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Look, let's just get out of here," Carl muttered, clearly done with the whole situation.

I wanted to say something, to yell at him for not defending me, for letting Lexi get to me like that. But I was too angry, too hurt to even form the words. Instead, I grabbed my bag and walked out of the cafeteria without looking back.

---

The rest of the day was a blur. I couldn't focus in class, my mind racing with everything that had happened. Lexi's words echoed in my head, making me doubt everything. Was I just some joke to Carl? Was this whole thing—our fake relationship—just a game to him?

When the final bell rang, I bolted out of school as fast as I could, not even waiting for Carl. I needed to clear my head, to figure out what the hell I was doing.

But one thing was for sure—I wasn't going to let Lexi get to me. Not again.

As I walked home, I tried to push away the sinking feeling in my chest, but it lingered, like a storm cloud I couldn't shake. And worse, I couldn't stop thinking about that kiss. How for a second, I'd actually felt... jealous.

What was happening to me?