lemonade | ethan

nine

"just because it's the weekend, doesn't mean you can sleep in!" my mother sings, opening my door and striping my blinds open so the sunlight would come in. "we're hosting brunch in an hour!"

right. it was our turn to host the annual once a month north side brunch. where all the families would join us for a formal meal. i was planning to skip that brunch but i forget that we were hosting it. so now i'm stuck here.

i open my phone, immediately going to my messages.

ethan: wanna hang out today ??

me: ugh i can't right now. maybe later? my fam is hosting the north side brunch today

ethan: that is the whitest thing i've ever heard
ethan: well, have fun

me: i refuse to have fun if it's not with you :(

the speech bubbles appear and then disappears within seconds. when he hasn't replied, i don't think much about it.

i throw my covers off of me and quickly make my bed before running over to the shower. checking the time, i realize brunch starts in an hour. people usually show up early though.

damn it, i have to hurry.

just as i got out of the shower, blow dried and brushed out my silky hair, my mother sends a quick text to me saying our first guests are already here and to get my ass downstairs so i can greet them.

with my towel still on, i curse to myself and run over to my bedroom to find a cute romper to quickly and easily slip on.

after putting my shoes on, i quickly apply minimal makeup since i was on a time crunch before rushing down the stairs.

the first people i see are the fieldburg's. their son is a jock on the football team and he brings his girlfriend, who's family isn't as wealthy as the families attending today but still considered a north sider, to accompany him. i plastered a smile, going up to greet them like the perfect daughter would do.

his parents compliment me before being escorted outside to the long table where the brunch would be hosted.

as the minutes passed, more and more families would show up. i could already see the nervous look in my mother's eyes. she needed everything to run smoothly.

even maya and clayton would show up to my house. all of the teenagers already knew the news, but the parents on the other hand. i'm not sure if they did.

halfway through the brunch, my mother would make a speech. she talked about how grateful she was to be apart of such a wonderful community and how lucky we were to be so close to one another and have each other in our lives.

my mom grew up with these people, being the same as i was in high school and having the reputation of a popular girl who bashed on south siders.

i didn't look up to her. but i know a lot of girls in my grade did.

in fact, she was so obsessed with this perfect life thing going for me, she had already been talking about marriage with clayton's parents.

during the whole brunch, clayton and i were to be seated together. he put on the act, being touchy and social with me but i didn't budge.

i hated this.

when the meal was over, my parents insisted the guest stay over to just hang out. the brunch was all i needed, i'm out of here.

"hey, where are you going?" my mother asks, stopping me from going up stairs when the party was clearly down here.

"i just need some air." i explain, nudging myself out of her grasp.

running up to my room, i quickly but quietly shut the door behind me and threw on a hoodie over my romper. i slide my window opened, looking out at the connected roof and the ladder right beside it.

it was used for clayton who'd sneak in here all the time during late nights. but i guess it's just used for sneaking out now.

i threw one leg over, about the exit the window when my the door handle of my room turned. clayton appeared in the doorway, quickly shutting the door when he noticed that i was sneaking out.

"where're you going?" he asked, a super confused look on his face. "and who're you sneaking off to go see? a south sider i presume? i've seen the pictures."

i scoffed, rolling my eyes. completely coming back into the room, defeated. i shut the window to give the impression that i wasn't going to leave anymore. "what do you want?"

he shakes his head, a genuine sad look on his face. "i just wanna talk."

"about?" i ask.

"i don't get it, dev. we used to be so close, what happened to us?" he says. "i miss you. i miss us.... please just drop the act, babe. come back to me."

in a way, i sort of pitied him. "you slept with a girl at church camp."

he scoffed. "who told you that nonsense?"

"i have my resources." i explained. "i'm sorry, clayton but it's gonna take a lot more than an i miss you. stop chasing, it's just gonna hurt you more."

i knew he was hurt, i could see right through him. but i did what i needed, for i didn't see a future with him. i saw a future for myself, and i didn't need that kind of negativity in my life anymore.

turning away from him, i continue to slide open the window and leave completely without looking back. i felt like a bitch, not gonna lie. but shit happens. people fall out of love, it's so natural.

after climbing down the ladder, i stuff one of my hands in the pocket of the my hoodie while my other hand reaches for my phone.

before i completely leave the area, i send a quick text to ethan asking where he was.

END OF CHAPTER NINE

just watched the first episode of 13rw and i'm sorry but i'm sooooo bored LMAOO