A not-so Easy Way Out

𝟎.𝟐

The two seats in the front were occupied by my friends as I stayed slumped in the backseat. The leftovers wallowed side to side from every sharp turn Liam made. The only noise heard was the engine of Liam's car and the radio that repeatedly played the same 5 songs.

Finally, after 15 or so minutes, Liam broke the silence.

"So.." he paused as he glimpsed at me from the rearview mirror for a split second, "What are you guys going to wear for the game today?"

Fuck me. I 100% forgot that it was game day. It would be the second game of the season. Our campus football team, The Mavericks, was going up against our rival—the Rangers.

Paige thankfully answered first, "I think I'm going to wear some leggings and your old football jersey that I never gave back."

"You need to compensate me." Liam huffed, but he let her continue.

"And I think I'm also going to wear red vans." She thought for a moment and continued. "And my famous half-up, half-down hairstyle."

Unlike my straight and lifeless brown hair, Paige had long, dark beautiful loose curls that complimented her semi-tan skin and light blue eyes. It also helped that she was built with voluptuous curves, making every girl want to be her.

"As you guys know, I'll be on the field in my football uniform." Liam chuckled as Paige rolled her eyes at the obvious answer.

Liam also looked handsome with his tan skin, mostly a result of his many hours of football in the sun. He was a typical football guy with blond hair and an impressive build. The only thing that separated him from others was his heterochromia. One eye lay dark brown while the other was black. It wasn't as noticeable as he thought.

My pale skin made me look like a ghost between them. I had some curvature going on, but it mostly lay in my rear area. My chest wasn't as defined and my waist was not as snatched as Paige's. The only pride I had was my eyes. They lay a mixture of light brown and grey. I would also say that I had a pair of big eyes. They weren't bug-eyed, but they packed a punch.

"What about you Leah?" Paige asked as she looked back at me expectantly.

"Oh," I was so caught up in my self-loathing that I didn't realize the conversation shifted onto me, "I think I'll just sit this one out." I grimaced as I saw Paige look at me bewildered.

"There's no way you're staying home." She proclaimed at me, furrowing her eyebrows in annoyance.

"Yeah Lee, don't you want to support me?" Liam tapped his fingers on the steering wheel showing impatience, the red light being the direct cause.

I was about to answer when Paige butted in. "You can't say it's because Bartholomew is going to be there; or the fact that his friends are going to be there; or because you're on your period because I know that it already passed."

I silently let out a 'please' hoping to escape. Sadly, Paige stood her ground and I huffed in defeat.

"Fine, I'll go."

"YAY!" Paige jumped over the middle console to hug me. Liam didn't appreciate the act, but he didn't say anything. "Look girl, I know mission: avoid Bartholomew and all, but you must start showing him that you can survive and thrive without him. He seems confident right now that you can't."

"At least he's right about one thing.." I sighed as I fell back on the soft fleece fabric of the car seats.

"No, he's not right about that," Liam said as he was turning left. The muscles on his forearm flexed as a Nissan got a little too close to his prized possession, "Bartholomew can go suck it for all I care. He's the one who won't let you go, Lee."

"What do you mean?"

He hesitates for a second. His fingers tapped on the steering wheel again, not because of frustration, but because he was deep in thought.

"He..." Liam glances back at me after he pulled into the front of my dorm complex, "He keeps saying that you were a one-hit-wonder, that you're washed up and unusable. He... likes that he was the first to 'take' you."

My stomach dropped completely to the ground. The hamburger $5 meal deal would've said hi to me again if I didn't swallow it down at the last second.

"He's absolutely diabolical!" Paige roared out as she slammed the front headboard. Liam shot her a serious glare and she quietly apologized.

I was scared to ask when he said that, but I just had to know. "When did he say all of this?"

Liam leaned back and closed his eyes as he slowly tried to organize his thoughts. "The day you guys broke up."

Amazing.

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.

.

Shopping with Paige was an experience that I dreaded. She would dress me up in whichever way she wanted, meanwhile, I had to accept it silently.

Sadly for me, the football game presented a new opportunity to buy new accessories.

We were in our 4th store when I saw it.

"Paige," I whispered, hoping to overpower the white girl music blasting in the store, "PAIGE!"

She turned around, a little shocked. "What? Why are we whispering?!" She waved her hands around, the earrings in her hands clanking together.

"SHHH," I quickly held the jewelry together, attempting to cease the noise, "Look over there. Shoe section, size 10, pink skirt."

Paige questionably followed my instructions.

Her eyes vividly shot wide open with the sight before us.

Aaliyah with Bartholomew, shoe shopping. Man, she has some big feet.

Paige looked back at me with a knowing look and I nodded.

Time to escape.

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.

.

"I'm telling you, Liam, we BOTH saw it." As soon as we got back from the mall, Paige dialed thing 3. She left her phone on speaker as she fixed her, already perfect, blush.

"It's not that I don't believe you," Liam said. His voice echoed through my room, "I just find it hard that Bartholomew would be out with Luka's girl."

"They're both cheaters," My roommate, Liz, walked in to join the drama, "It would make sense. Aaliyah has a record of doing these type of things since high school."

Liz pulled out her phone and left.

"Wouldn't put her past it," Paige whispered under her breath.

My stomach churned as I replayed the scene.

Aaliyah. Bartholomew. Paige. Me. Taylor Swift in the background. The size 10 shoes she was holding up.

"Look, you guys going to the football game or not?" Liam said in an annoyed tone, "The game is about to start and I don't have my two favorite cheerleaders here."

"We're on our way."