Can't Compete

nine

ELLA TRIED HER best to keep the scowl from forming on her face. It had been a week since Ashton and that new girl were cozying up with each other.

Many have received the hint that Ella and Ash were no longer together, causing a stir. But they were more so shocked when they saw Ashton getting closer to the new girl.

Her and her ratty-tatty uniform.

Ella didn't like the girl. She felt some sort of hostility towards her but it wasn't jealousy, so she thought. There was nothing about the brunette Ella felt she should have been envious about. The new girl's hair was dry and dark, her eyes were big and green, opposing Ella's typical American girl look; blonde hair, blue eyes.

Ella liked how she herself looked, so why would she admire another girl's looks that contrasted hers completely. But finding out the love of her life was now interested in someone who looked the exact opposite of her hurt.

Now she heard that they were caught out on a date? No, surely her ears were faulty.

"— I saw them with my own eyes. They were dining at Shasmaki. I even took pictures in case no one believed me." Her classmate, Crystal broadcasted, showcasing the photo on her phone around.

Ella let out her hand expectantly and the phone was immediately in her grasp.

Ignoring all the murmurs coming around her, she stared down at the mobile screen in her delicate fingers. Ella believed Crystal all right, but she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

The photo couldn't have been any more clearer.

The brown-haired new girl had been captured in mid-laugh, whilst he had that teasing glint that Ella loved. However, the fact that they were out together wasn't what had bothered Ella. It was how he had held onto her hand as if she was something delicate and the only thing worth holding onto.

She didn't realise how out of reality she had been until she felt the phone being wiggled out of her hold.

"Heh, sorry but the bell's gonna ring soon and I gotta get ready." Crystal bashfully admitted.

Ella stared at the female emotionlessly, not caring about anything but them.

"Wait," Ella called out. Crystal hastily turned around and stared at Ella with complete shock. Shocked that she had spoken — spoken to her. "Do you think you could share the photo with me?"

She nodded eagerly. "Of course!"

Ella stabbed the piece of lettuce in her salad bowl, thinking about the photo of the pair that was now imprinted in her memory.

Their once filled seats of four in the school's cafeteria was now half empty. Christian didn't show up for school today and as for Ashton; Ella didn't want to think about it, knowing for a fact he was out there entertaining a certain brunette.

"Dang, what'd the salad do to you?" Lily chuckled, taking a sip of her low-calorie protein shake.

Lily hadn't yet noticed Ash getting close with the poor girl, nor had he updated her on his new friendship with the girl. Ella decided that her best friend shouldn't be kept in the dark about new significant information like this.

Quickly retrieving her phone from her purse, she opened the photo that she was shown this morning and handed it over to Lily. As soon as the phone was in Lily's grasp, her smirk morphed to an eye-opening shock. It seemed to have really surprised her as she began choking on the remnants of her protein shake.

Ella continued to stare at Lily expectantly, waiting for her to finish choking.

Lily patted her chest, dispelling her cough and gave the phone back to Ella. "Is that Hailey?"

"Who's Hailey?"

"The new transfer girl, Hailey Thorn." She informed, straightening her posture as if she didn't just have a small coughing seizure a few seconds ago.

"That's her name?" Ella critiqued. "How plain."

"She is from the south,"

"Louisiana, yes?"

Lily nodded, before looking at Ella cautiously. "We're going to leave them be, right?"

Ella wanted to raise her eyebrow in questioning. This was the first she had seen Lily not eager to tyrannise someone from a lower status. Instead, Ella rubbed her ears, assuming that it was clearly taking a day off today.

"Pardon?"

"Well, you did cheat on him. I thought you didn't want him anymore,"

"I don't."

"You don't what?"

"I don't want him anymore," she breezily lied through her teeth.

She hated how easy it was for her to lie. She hated how only Ashton was able to catch her out on a lie. She hated how he was slowly moving on and it was all her fault.

"Then, we'll leave them alone. What's the problem?" Lily asked, taking another sip of her shake.

Ella, no longer having an appetite for her lunch, pushed the salad away from her. "There's no problem."