The Game We Both Lost

Part 6 - Claws

"So I told him that he definitely does not have the rights to talk about you and I think it hit him because he kept quiet all the way through the ride home." Hayley was saying, laughing at the memory of it as she shook her head.

I had called her after reading her message and she'd insisted on coming over. Now we sat in front of the TV watching the first movie of the Hush Hush Saga, fangirling over the actor playing Patch all over again. Steven Strait was the perfect cast for this fallen angel. I smiled and shook my head too while she told me the whole story.

As she laughed, I silently thought of telling her the real story. All of my burden would at least be a little bit lighter if Hayley knows what I'm going through. Deciding that I should, I lightly grab Hayley's hand until she looked at me, her eyes questioning me what's wrong. So I took a breath and began spilling everything out at her, from the night I was angry at her for forgetting our date, the game I started with Noah, to how exactly we broke up.

For the whole time I was telling her, Hayley listened patiently, never interrupting me with any questions that I was pretty sure she has. When I was done, she didn't ask me anything, only nodded as if she understood the whole thing.

"So, did you lose?" She asked, grabbing a handful of popcorn and popping some into her mouth. I gaped at her. Of all the things she could ask, she asked me that?

"Um, I don't know." I frowned.

She rolled her eyes, giving me a look. "Oh, come on. Did you lose? Did you fall in love first? Wait. Let me guess. I think you did. That's why you broke up with him because you didn't want to admit it." She wiggled her brows.

I was completely lost. "No. In love with him? No way."

"Yes way. I see the way you look at him whenever you two were together."

"That was just for show, like I said."

"No. Not the look you give him. No one can pull that off."

It was my turn to roll my eyes, but I didn't get to say anything, because Hayley continued. "He told us he didn't deserve you, and you broke up with him because you finally realized that."

The whole of that night, Hayley's words repeated itself over and over again in my head. I couldn't believe her, not without hearing them myself. Is it even possible for Noah to think that he doesn't deserve anyone? Wasn't it the other way round? I could hardly sleep, and when I did, it was only for a few hours before I had to get up for school.

If I had known what would happen the next day, I think I would've done whatever it takes to stay home.

The first thing I heard the moment I stepped foot into the cafeteria was Lucy's voice, talking loudly and purposely, about me. I could feel dozens of different pairs of eyes on me, but I ignored them and walked straight to my usual seat, grateful that Hayley is beside me.

"I think if I was her, I would have a bag over my head. Save other people from seeing my face, you know?" I heard Lucy say, cheered by her group of friends, including Melissa.

I made a mistake by turning to look at them and saw that Melissa had thrown herself all over Noah, placing kisses on his face and touching him everywhere. It wasn't supposed to hurt me, but it did. I felt like I'd been stabbed in the heart with a knife over and over again. Quickly, I turned back to try and continue with my lunch. Hayley smiled at me apologetically.

"Remember what she said to me once when she was with Noah?" That was Melissa, I've sadly come to recognize her voice. "She said he got bored of me. Look who has him wrapped around her little finger now. Not her."