Heartbreaker

Chapter 12: Uncovered

 A lot of you were wondering if this story is going to turn into Crystal X Gold.

My answer: NO. I cannot stress this enough; it's the first words in the description. GOLD X READER.

If you've read one of my stories before, you'll know that my plots take a looooonggggg time to develop.

It's no different for this one.
~~~


The screaming children, flashing lights, and extravagant decorations — Ah, yes, Halloween Night. It was the same every year.

(Name) bit her lip in concentration, tucking a piece of her (h/c) hair away from her face as she carefully re-read her problem. Footsteps headed in the direction of her room, and the door opened. The female turned to see her twin brother, frowning slightly.

"Wait, you aren't going out with your friends tonight?" (Name) laughed.

"No, when have I ever gone out with my friends on Halloween?"

"Well, I thought it'd be different this year. Your friends are pretty much the opposite of you; loud and obnoxious. I thought they would force you into something."

"Nah. I'm just studying. And you?" Silver coughed loudly.

"I'm going trick-or-treating with Lyra."

"That's why you're dressed up as a ketchup bottle?" His cheeks flared.

"Yes."

"And, is she mustard?"

"Yes." The girl couldn't contain her giggles.

"Well, you two have fun, then."

"Whatever." Silver had a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance on his face, as he slammed the door. Oh, Silvy. Not ten minutes had passed when the door opened again; this time, it was Ariana.

"I'm going out," she announced, training her beady eyes on her daughter. "You'll be home, right?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Move out to the kitchen table. You're in charge of handing out candy to brats tonight." (Name) scoffed, slightly irritated, but nonetheless gathered her books and obeyed her mother's orders. "Wash the dishes." SLAM! The (h/c)-haired female glanced at the sink.

Looks like a landfill of dishes. "Fun," she muttered sarcastically. "Okay, peace and quiet." Right as she uttered the words, the doorbell rang. (Name) groaned loudly, picked up her bowl of candy, and headed to the front door.

To her surprise, it wasn't a group of little children. Rather, it was just Gold, wearing a bacon costume.

"Oh, God," she stumbled out, laughs tumbling from her lips. "Bacon, really?" He crossed his arms.

"Yeah, yeah. So funny. Crystal is eggs, Morty is an English muffin, and his date, Jordan-or-whatever, is a waffle."

"What are you, the breakfast club?" (Name) couldn't stop laughing; her stomach started to ache painfully.

"Shut up," Gold snapped, before sighing and bringing his gaze to the ground. (Name)'s laughs died down, and she studied Gold, a confused expression on her face.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked gently. I've never seen him look so upset...

"I'm just..." He ran a hand through his ebony hair. "Er — nervous."

"Hey now, this is your best friend. Crystal. There's nothing to be scared of."

"It just got super awkward for me to know that she's in love with me," the male blurted. "I don't know if I like her back in that way, but I made a promise to you, and I intend to honor it, but at the same time... I'm not sure if I want to do this."

"Come on." (Name) placed her hands firmly on his shoulders. "Look at me." Slowly, he raised his head, and stared right back into her (e/c) orbs. "One chance is all I'm asking for. Give her that chance. Again, like I said earlier, you won't regret it."

"Or will I?" he asked miserably.

"No." She smiled. "Trust me. Now, go have fun before Crystal comes and gets angry because you're talking to me." Gold seemed startled, most likely because he knew that was exactly what she would do if she was here. "Tell me all about it later." (Name) waved and winked, before shutting the door, despite Gold's nervous protests. "Huh..." she muttered to herself. "I want Crystal to be happy, but it seems like in the process, Gold is being put under a lot of pressure..."

The female grabbed a bag of chips from the pantry and munched, savoring the salty taste. Maybe it'll all be for the better. Tonight will change everything, for the better... hopefully.

DING DONG!

"Ah, here they come," (Name) exclaimed, once again grabbing the candy bowl and plastering a huge, fake smile on her face as she scurried toward the door.

"Trick or treat!" shouted the small children standing on her doorstep, their greedy little hands grabbing as much candy as they could carry, despite their parents halfheartedly commanding, 'Take only one!'

The teen lost count of how many times she had to refill the candy bowl, but all she knew was that her face was starting to ache from all of her smiling, and her sanity was slowly fading as kids swarmed the neighborhood, yelling, screaming, and crying. Time slowly ticked by.

9:00 was when all of the action started to slow down. It was completely dark out, now, and it was time for all of the kids to go home and get to sleep. But (Name) knew, the night was just beginning.

Now was when all of the older kids came out; when she would have to start bracing herself for the horrifying costumes to come. The doorbell rang, and (Name) cautiously opened the door, and nearly screamed. She had let down her guard; not a smart choice on late Halloween nights.

There stood a teenage boy dressed in a zombie costume, the mask so horrifyingly detailed that it made (Name) want to run away, with fake blood dripping down all over his body, which was covered by tattered clothing.

"H-Hello," she smiled nervously, holding out the candy bowl, cursing at herself for stuttering. "H-Happy H-Halloween." The male didn't budge, however. "S-Sir?"

"(Name), is that you? Sorry, I can't see really well through this mask." He lifted off the monstrous mask, and Falkner's handsome face emerged.

"I-I..." (Name) stared in shock, before her face hardened. "You got your candy, bye now." She attempted to close the door, but he reached out a hand, stopping her. "What are you doing?!" Wicked humor danced in his eyes.

"You were so scared." He laughed. "It was cute." (Name) huffed, crossing her arms.

"Sorry, but I don't like talking to liars who spread rumors about me." His smile disappeared.

"Look, (Name), I swear it wasn't me." He seemed guilty. "I'm not exactly sure who did it, but I have a few theories. I promise, if I ever find out who, I'll kick their ass."

"Who do you think did it?" (Name) sneered slightly. "Oh, I'd like to thank them. Without them, I wouldn't have been a target for bullies and gotten injured several times. Wow, I'm so grateful!"

"Ouch. Your sarcasm is razor-sharp." Falkner laughed, his blue hair blowing out of his eyes due to the wind.

"I know," (Name) smirked. "Okay, mind telling me?" The people in the street were so scattered that there were only a few groups wandering together; she made sure of that, since she couldn't risk someone spreading another nasty rumor.

"Look,.I know you're probably going to freak out, but I'm going to be 100% honest here." He gestured for her to come closer, and she obliged. He cupped his hands around his mouth, whispering, "I think it's Gold." (Name) jumped back in shock.

"What? He would never do that!" Her (e/c) eyes held a single note of doubt in her opinion, however.

"Hear me out. I heard him whispering things about us while we were talking in the hallway, that day that the rumor was spread." (Name) thought back to the event.

"Oh, wait, I saw him glaring at me when I walked past him," she murmured.

"I don't think that was a coincidence. After you got angry at me, I saw Gold a couple of feet away, and he looked... oddly satisfied..."

"You're not lying, are you...?" (Name) asked skeptically. She didn't want to blame Gold; they were friends, after all. But if they combined all the pieces of the puzzle, all evidence pointed right toward him as the culprit...

"No. I'm not." Falkner seemed uncomfortable. "I know I'm in no position to ask you to trust me, but look. The guy is bad news. Really bad news. You've already gotten involved with him in your short time here, and just think about what's happened to you. A lot of drama, right?" Slowly, (Name) nodded. He had a point. "Again, this is completely my opinion, and you definitely don't have to listen to me. But if I were you, I'd stay away from him."

"Hold up, who are you to judge? Aren't you pretty much an exact replica of Gold, reputation-wise?" The female raised an eyebrow. The boy nodded in defeat.

"Yeah. But, it takes one to know one. I wouldn't hang out with me either, if I were you." He chuckled. "I'm sorry about all those girls giving you a bad time. Didn't mean it."

"Hmph. Alright, then." Although she didn't show her shock and betrayal on the outside, inside, she felt as if she would dissolve into a puddle at any given second. "Well, thanks for telling me. Shoo." She swatted him away, successfully closing the door in his face. As soon as (Name) was sure that all trick-or-treaters were out of earshot, she found herself on the ground, weak with sadness.

She had never felt like this before; her entire life, she had stayed out of all conflict and drama in her life, wanting to be at peace. But this time, it simply couldn't be avoided. I was dragged right into it. For a long time, (Name) simply sat, her head in the clouds, not knowing what to do anymore. Was I wrong about everyone? First Crystal, then Falkner, and now Gold...? She groaned. "I need some sleep." She reached up, locked the front door, set the bowl on the counter, before going to put away her books.

As she was heading upstairs, she caught sight of the mountain of dishes. The (h/c)-haired female closed her eyes, counting to ten, before calmly putting down her things and finally taking care of the stupid chore.

I hate this, she thought drowsily, as she dried a plate.

~~~

Never before had Crystal felt so elated. She was on top of the world; she was holding the hand of the boy of her dreams, and they were dancing to the beat of one her favorite songs. She simply couldn't keep the smile off her face.

The entire night, she never seemed to notice Gold's discomfort, for she was all too wrapped up in her own fantasies.

"Gold!" Her pigtails bobbed as she looked up at him, her blue eyes sparkling in admiration. "Wanna go get some punch?"

"Yeah, yeah. Sure." Gold couldn't focus, no matter how much he tried to. He knew that Crystal was extremely happy, and he definitely didn't want to ruin that for her, but it was just so unnatural. Yeah, that was the word. Unnatural.

Never had it ever crossed his mind that he'd be here, at a school dance, with his childhood friend, holding hands while they flirted with each other. Or rather, Crystal would flirt, while Gold would shoot back half-assed compliments that she accepted only with a smile. I feel so guilty. I'm messing with her aren't I... He remembered (Name)'s neatly written words. Don't break her heart.

"I made her a promise," he mumbled out loud. "I won't break it."

"What was that?" Crystal asked, confused.

"Oh, nothing." He flashed her a fake smile. The female suddenly pouted.

"Hey, I need to ask you something." She pulled him aside into a quieter corner. "You don't like that (Name) Rocket girl, do you?" Oh, addressing her as a stranger now?

"No," Gold replied almost immediately. He had been receiving this question far too often; his response was automatic. Because it was true; if he actually harbored any romantic feelings toward (Name), he would definitely show it. Gold Hibiki wasn't a shy guy.

"Good." Crystal simpered. "I'm prettier than her, right?"

"Yeah," said Gold. Another automatic response. It was like every single girl's brain functioned the same way.

"Gold." Her voice had now taken on a whine. "I need you to answer this honestly."

"Hm?" He knew what was coming. He had been put into this situation time and time again. It wasn't as if Gold wanted to be here. In fact, he felt horrible, for lying all the time. But this was his reputation, what he was known for.

"Do you love me?"

"Yes." Even though he had already said the same to countless other girls, Gold knew, in his heart, that he had just made a huge mistake.

But it was too late.

~~~

As soon as Gold arrived home, he sprinted into his side yard, his face set in a panicked expression. Frantically, he pounded against (Name)'s bedroom window. He saw her shadow move, and a loud, sleepy groan echoed through his ears. The window was roughly shoved aside, and (Name) stuck her head out. Her hair was a mess, she knew she had bad breath, and she was dressed in her puppy PJ's, but who the hell cared?

"What?" she spat, growling slightly. Gold didn't even have time to be intimidated by her display, because he had problems of his own that were way scarier than (Name)'s current state.

"I told her that I love her!"

"Oh, I'm so happy for you," said (Name) sarcastically. Gold's eyes widened.

"No! You don't get it! Listen — "

"I'm not willing to listen." She placed her hands on her hips. "I'm sorry, but I don't like to listen to all of your dumb talk like everyone else does... I mean, if people are willing to believe false trash spilling out of your mouth, who knows, you could be lying to me right now." (Name)'s voice took on a sing-song tone. "Oh, no. Poor Goldy-chan needs help. What a pity! (Name) doesn't care. (Name) needs sleep. And (Name) doesn't want to deal with your bs."

"What are you talking about?" asked Gold, genuinely confused. She scoffed.

"You can't keep secrets from me forever," she seethed. "I know you spread that rumor about Falkner and me." His blood ran cold. He couldn't meet her eyes. "That's the answer I needed. Thanks for nothing, Gold Hibiki." The fatal sound of the window closing, made Gold decide: it was quite possibly the worst night of his life.