Don't Expect A Fairytale.

6. NOW WE GOT BAD BLOOD

*EVA'S POV*

The bell rang and it was time to finally go home after a hellish day. I had decided to walk out of my last class a little early with the excuse of a headache. But, rather than sitting in the sick bay, I took a painkiller from the desk and walked right out.

I hadn't realized how many of my classes Michael was in until today. It was weird how easily I could recognize the red and black hair in Psychology and Economics.

Moving into the parking lot, the first thing I noticed were Josh and Melissa together. Melissa was leaning back against Josh's car, whereas he himself was leaning over her with his hand on the previously-mentioned car. Normally, I wouldn't have found it strange as I knew their friendship went way back. But maybe it was the fact that Melissa had her arms wrapped around Josh's neck and that his body was pressed boldly against her.

'Chill Eva, you can trust Josh and moreover, Mel's a friend. Your best friend. They wouldn't do this.' I told myself. But then, she proceeded to sit inside the car and I noticed her harlot red nails pull him into the driver's set by his collar. This oddity was followed by the powerful roar of the silver Porsche's engine as they drove off together.

To say that I was stunned was an understatement. I simply stood rooted to the spot, trying to figure out what I had just witnessed. Normally, he was the one who picked me up and dropped me to and fro from school. Josh had dropped Mel a few times ago when she was unwell but never just randomly. She wasn't in the sick bay when I went and she definitely wasn't sick when she was canoodling with Josh either. He wouldn't go anywhere near me when I had a cold, and I was his girlfriend.

I notice Eric walking to his car and I decide to ask him if he knew what was up.

"Hey! Eric!" I yell and he flips around and then smiles when he notices it's me.

"Hey Eva, what's up?" He asks.

"Hey, do you know why Mel left with Josh?" I implore.

"I know Josh and Melissa went together but I have no idea why." He replies, looking puzzled himself. A dark look passes on his face but it's gone at lightning speed.

"You want me to drive you home since you don't have a ride home?" he asks kindly, looking almost sorry. Before I can answer, a deep, girly voice interrupts my chain of thought.

"Eva! Hey! Josh asked me to tell you that he took Melissa home today since she was feeling really ill and he's sorry that he couldn't tell you himself as she was borderline fainting."

It was Leena, the Indian girl on our cheer team. She looked incredibly pissed off.

"That's fine. Thanks Leena!" I say, though I'm really not fine at all. Melissa looked okay. Or, should I say, great. And I was GREATLY PISSED OFF now, with the whole lying ordeal.

***

The car ride was silent except for my thoughts which are screaming in my head. Why were they standing that close? What were they trying to do? Why did they lie? Didn't they think I'd see them? Oh wait. They didn't. My last class, political Science, was located way deep into the school. They had no idea that I left early as they weren't in that class. They thought I won't see them. No, they KNEW I wouldn't see them. It all fit, and I wished I was wrong about it.

No matter how much of an ass Josh may be, I do kind of like him, and not to mention that our relationship was like a comfortable routine to me now. So it hurts. I remember the inception of our relationship. It was just another day for me until he came over to me and asked me out in that I'm-so-popular-you-love-me-already attitude. Back then I was pretty much unimpressed by his ways.

But, I was bored.

So I said yes.

Yet, love is a feeling I don't quite understand. It is an odd concept to me. How can you find someone 'perfect' for you, especially with 7.3 billion people on the planet? How can you, almost selflessly, give everything to a person when they have the power to crush you to nothing in the blink of an eye? Why would you even trust them enough if it's all going to be used against you when you break up? Even if you don't break up and eventually get married, how can you be sure that something out of your control, out of your dimension won't come and take them away from you, like it did with my parents?

Why would you be stupid enough to fall in love when it's like saying 'Hey! I've opened my heart and soul to you, now come, make me happy and then use it all to hurt me?'

To be honest, most boys I left were nothing bad, maybe even good. But then that moment would come when they'd tell me they loved me, and I knew they meant it. I also knew that I didn't when I said it back. It all felt, became so odd; that unexplainable awkward and annoying situation when you just don't feel anything take over. No seeing the world in brighter colors. No fading away of sadness in their presence. No rushing pulse rate or time slipping slower.

I and Josh started off because of pure boredom and as of today, we were far from perfect but, we had fun. Yes, he could be a jerk to others and was a typical player but let's accept it, we were both empty. Almost every person around us was a mere shadow of our true selves. All of us said the same 'cool' things, did the same 'awesome' things, wore the same 'hot' clothes and no one challenged us how we were all clones of carefully contemplated classy coolness. No one ever asked us what was hiding behind the mask of makeup and fake smiles as they were too busy hiding behind their own shields of creams and powders and beauty.

Nobody dared to say anything else, be something different. Everyone was the same, or was trying to be.

Except for Michael. He didn't seem to care what others thought of his coloured hair. He didn't mind that he looked like a rebel but had the grades of a topper. He didn't give a shit that he sat alone at lunch. Come to think of it, I'd never even seen him in the lunch hall. He was one of the few people who dared to be different, and I decided that I, despite the whole popular-girl-not-so-popular-boy scenario, was going to try to friends with him. He had been judged enough and I was going to ignore the stereotypes. I decided liked his 'look like I care' attitude.

.

.

I snapped out of my reverie as my phone rang in my hand.

*MESSAGE FROM UNKNOWN NUMBER*

Upon opening it, it simply said: 'It's Michael.'

...and to think that he had just crossed my mind a moment ago. After saving his number, I started typing out an 'okay' when I decided to go ahead and meet him today. I was in desperate need of a break from the inevitable drama brewing between me, my so called boyfriend and best friend. So I replied with: 'Hey. Today, the park at the crossing at 5?'

His reply was a prompt: 'Okay.'

That's sorted then.

I look out the car window and notice that were moving into the driveway.

"Thanks a lot Eric!" I say cheerily, genuinely grateful and now in a much better mood.

"You're welcome." He says.

But today's surprises don't end there. As I step out he says something I didn't expect.

"I saw what you were looking at when I came. I just want to say if you don't like what you see, speak up against it. You have a voice too, you know."

I gave him a weak smile, I knew he was right, and then I walked up to the empty mansion I call home.

(A/N)

I'm so sorry for updating after over a month. I had half yearly exams :( But they're over now and I have holidays (YESSSS) so I'll be updating upto twice a week :D Also, to make up for a very late update, this is an extra long chapter :)

Thanks for reading :D