lemonade | ethan

five

"i heard she went to rehab." maya states, picking at her nails as we ate lunch on the platform. it's been a week since melanie got pulled out. her parents just can't bare the news of her being pregnant. and now all the north siders are just making rumors about why she was gone.

to take my mind off things, everyday at chemistry, ethan and i would talk though. he was becoming a really good friend. i found out that his previous partner was in juvie for some gang activity, but would be charged as an adult on his eighteenth birthday.

"really? maybe she's getting mental treatment." another one of the girls say. i just sit back and watch. if i were to defend melanie, they'd know that i knew something. and i didn't want anyone thinking that.

suddenly, the cafeteria doors opened, causing everyone to look in that direction. a girl in our group comes to our table fast, eager to speak to us.

"guys! i just found out the truth about melanie!" she says, grabbing everyone's attention, especially the boys, and even some south siders.

"she's pregnant." they all gasp. "with a south sider." a louder gasp.

my eyes go wide, surprised. how did she find out?

"what a whore!" maya exclaims, pretending to gag. "i knew something was up with that skank bitch. a south sider? is she retarded?!"

[i don't like that word, but maya is rlly mean right now and it's something she'd say. i'm sorry if it offends you]

"hey, take it easy." i tell her, feeling suddenly angry. "you act like south siders aren't human."

she scoffs, "less human than we are." flipping her hair, she whispers something in the ear of the girl next to her. as they laughed, i brushed it off.

taunting south siders was just a thing by the time i gained my popularity. i just don't have the power i wish i did to stop it.

"melanie fell in love with a south sider. i don't see how that's a bad thing?" i exclaim.

clayton wraps his arm around my shoulders, "come on, babe. open your eyes. how is he gonna support a baby? he doesn't even have the money?" he laughed.

"yeah, and besides. she let him put a baby in her. she's out of the community for good. it wasn't worth the love at all!" the girl who came in with the news says.

"how'd you find out?" i asked her out of curiosity.

"my parents were talking about it. the news must've spilled." she shrugged. "but it doesn't matter anymore. she's dirty and totally out of the clique."

i stood up quickly, ready to leave. "hey! where you going?" clayton asks as i left his grasp.

"you guys are all assholes." i spit, stomping away from them all. whispers from behind me can be heard. consisting of rude sayings like: what's up her ass? why is she defending those dirty south siders anyway? since when did she get so crazy?

you can't base someone off from where they live and how they live. there is always a bigger picture to everything.

metal straws are only used because it's trending. just like they only talk shit about the south siders because it's the cool thing to do nowadays. i'm done with cool. they need to grow up.

i walk down the corridor, thinking to myself. hearing footsteps behind me, i turn around to be faced with clayton as he runs up to me.

"what's your problem?" he asks, slowing down to walk right next to me. "you used to be just like maya. hating south siders and all that."

i shrugged, "maya's a bad person. we go college in a year. i made the right decision to change now, or i never will."

he shakes his head, looking down at the floor. he stops me from walking, so that i'm facing him completely. "i love you... devon. but defending a south sider so isn't you. is something going on?"

i shake my head no, "no, i'm just ready for south siders to stop feeling like shit because of us."

"oh come on, dev! we can't help it that they are! they're dirty. they're poor. we're not!" he exclaims. shaking his head, he sighs. "whatever movement you're trying to start, it won't work. north siders will hate the south's forever."

i scoff, "my movement involves me. and everything getting in the way of my change, i don't want anymore. so.. i'm breaking up with you."

he furrowed his eyebrows, his mouth hanging open just the slightest. "come on, devon. you're not serious." he scoffed. "what can i do?"

"stop being a dick." i state. "be nice to south siders, i don't know." i shrugged. "it's disgusting."

he shook his head in disbelief, "what're you gonna do? date a south sider? you need me."

"i haven't needed you for a really long time, clayton." i say, finally walking away. i turn away from him, continuing to walk down the corridor.

"you'll be treated like them." he says, warning me. "i know you will."

i ignore him, brushing it off. i didn't need this. i liked clayton but he was a bad person. just like maya was. to have them in my life is poison.

as i turned the corner, it faced with maya. "you did it?" she asked, surprised.

i simply nod, attempting to walk past her. she holds my shoulder so i'd stay longer.

"i thought you said you needed a good reason? i was here to deliver some." maya tells me.

"what?" i asked, confused.

maya looks both ways to see if anyone was listening, "when clayton was at church camp, he slept with someone." she says. "how unholy of him."

i shrugged, "i already broke up with him, it's not like it matters much anymore."

"i guess. just wanted you to know." maya shrugged, walking away towards the cafeteria once more.

maya and clayton are weak. picking on others because they're lesser than them. melanie is strong, and i look up to that. she fell in love with a south sider when everyone else is too afraid to even speak to one.

our teachers and our town separated south and north because they're different people. and i just wanna prove to people that it doesn't matter. that south's and north's can be friends.

END OF CHAPTER FIVE

i can't wait until devon meets ethan's friends