Happier

Chapter 12

That night, Lacey stays in her room while her sister and father watch some movies. On Sunday, she stays in her room, trying to occupy her mind with schoolwork and looking at the pictures she's taken with Cole. The one he's taken of her, she puts as profile picture on every social media account she has: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram. Another one he's taken of her, she puts on Instagram.

✨Kiss me a paragraph and I'll reply with a novel -S.F.F. ✨

She smiles looking at the picture on Instagram as the memories of that they flood back. The times they sat at the diner, drinking milkshakes, and talking. The time they went to the beach and took pictures there. And that one time he came over and they watched movies and took some more pictures. Cole on her computer screen with her pink background stares at her. She stares back. His eyes, the sparkle in them and his beautiful hair. It's only been a day and she already misses him. Why did he have to hear the fight she had with her dad? If that hadn't happened, he would've still been here. But now he's gone. God knows where he's gone. He just needs to be safe. That's all she wants.

It's Monday when she sees him again. He walks past her at the lockers and gives her a quick glance and a smile as a sigh leaves her body. He's fine. He's safe.
"Hey babe," the voice makes her jump and when he presses his lips on her cheek, she gets cold shivers down her spine. It feels weird kissing him for some reason. "You okay, Lace?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," she replies, nodding her head to try and shake herself from her thoughts, "Just tired, that's all," the redhead nods and takes her hand in his to bring her to her next class. She pretends to enjoy it, but really doesn't. She wants to be with Cole rather than with Archie. But how does she break that to him without breaking his heart in a thousand pieces? For now, she has to shake it off and act like there's nothing wrong. What he doesn't know, doesn't hurt.

During biology, Lacey sits in the back of the class next to Melanie. They don't talk, but Melanie really wants to. She wants to ask about Cole and the kiss they shared that weekend. She wants to know everything. She wants to know her best friend. Mel's eyes dart over towards Lacey's phone. She's scrolling through a conversation, but it's hard to make something out of it. All she sees is the name:
Coley Smoley 😘❤️
Would that be Cole? The Cole. The boy she was only just making out with in her bedroom the other day? It must be. Why does he have a heart next to his name? And why do they text each other so much? Why would she cheat on Archie like that?
The bell rings, making Melanie jump a little. Everyone takes their stuff and leaves the classroom, Lacey and Melanie lastly. She has to ask it now. It's now or never.
"Lacey," Melanie starts, stopping the girl in front of her, "can we talk?" Panic flashes through Lacey's sad eyes, but she nods and follows her best friend into the ladies' restrooms.
"What's up, Mel?" Lacey asks a little worriedly.
"I-... Lace, I saw you kissing Cole on Saturday," Melanie blurts out. Lacey's breath hitches in her throat. "I was at Jesse's and we saw you two in your bedroom," the girl's voice sounds sad and it's almost as if she's about to cry. Lacey can't speak. She's absolutely stunned. Not only by the fact that Melanie has seen her kiss Cole, but also by the mention of it. It only makes her miss him even more. "How could you do that to Archie, Lace?" Lacey swallows the lump in her throat before trying to speak up.
"I-I don't know, Mel..." Lacey looks at her best friend, scared of her reaction.
"Do you love him?" the girl opens her mouth, but nothing comes out. Melanie sighs deeply. "You have to tell Archie, Lace," That's when one of the stalls open and a raven-haired girl they know all too well comes out. She has a smirk on her face when she sees the fear on the girls' faces.
"Don't have to tell Archiekins anything, honey," Violet says as she opens the tap to wash her hands, "he already knows you cheated on him," both Melanie and Lacey look at their best friend with a quizzical look. "He noticed you kissed him differently, so instead, he kissed me." Melanie's mouth drops and the other can't move, nor breathe. "Just wait until I tell him who you've cheated on him with," she closes the tap and dries her hands with a paper towel, a smirk plastered on her face. She looks like the evil queen you see in every Disney movie. It's sickening.
"Don't you dare, V," Melanie threatens. The dark-haired girl raises her eyebrow as she looks at her best friends' reflections in the mirror.
"Or what? Miss perfect over here isn't going to. The boy must know," she leans forward to look at her reflection a little closer. She wipes at her smudged lipstick and fixes her hair.
"Please, V. Don't," Lacey whispers, trying to keep herself from crying. "I'll lose everything if I lose Archie," Melanie and Violet both look at Lacey now. The girl has tears in her eyes, but they haven't spilled yet. She won't let them.
"That's what this is about," Melanie starts, "Your popularity at the school." She reaches out to Lacey to give her a hug, but Violet stops her.
"This isn't a pity party, Mel. Lacey cheated on Archie and now she wants to lead him on for a stupid place in the school hierarchy she doesn't even deserve," Violet snaps at the two girls at the same time. Lacey bites her lip, making sure she doesn't cry in front of Violet now.
"Yeah, and then he cheated on her with you. What does that make you?" Melanie defends her best friend. Violet rolls her eyes and scoffs.
"Better than her. At least I would deserve the title of cheer-captain. At least I deserve someone like Archie Andrews." The moment Lacey breaks down wouldn't take long, because when those last words enter her ears, she loses it. The tears start rolling down her cheeks. "Look at her. How is that our captain?" she points at the crying girl in front of her. Without thinking twice, Lacey laches out at her former best friend and hits her on the cheek. She doesn't wait for a response and turns around to run out of the restrooms and into the hallways. She runs past everyone in the hallway, including Archie and Cole. Their eyes meet, but they don't act up on it. Cole can't run after Lacey as long as Archie is her boyfriend. As long as he sees it.
The rain is pouring down outside, but Lacey still runs through it until she reaches her car. She hops in, clothes and hair dripping wet, but she doesn't care. Once her door is shut, she rests her head upon the steering wheel, letting all the tears out. She deserves everything Violet said, because it's true. She doesn't deserve to be captain of the Roosevelt Roses. Neither does she deserve Archie. Not after what happened with Cole. Not ever.