[✓] 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐒, 𝚋𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚘𝚗

forty-two ☆ i cheated on her

DECEMBER

narrator's pov:

the group gathered together at corbyn's house to select their assignments for secret santa.

"i'm already getting gifts for each and every one of you, so what's the point of secret santa?" charlotte whined.

"because it's fun, char, now don't be a buzzkill," corbyn declared.

the blonde boy wrote everyone's name on a piece of paper, placed it in a cup, and shook it around for five seconds.

"okay, everyone pick out of this cup," corbyn remarked, passing the cup around.

jonah was first to select, and immediately smiled once he saw who he will buy a gift for.

"he's probably getting something for waverly," zach whispered in chloe's ear.

the two laughed, and the cup was then passed to chloe. she quickly started to die of laughter once she saw who she got, and showed zach who then started laughing as well.

"um, what's the point of secret santa if it's not secret?" charlotte asked.

"those two always show each other who they got, and chloe is terrible at keeping secrets so she always tells zach," daniel answered.

zach picked after chloe, and the two couldn't breathe once they saw who zach got. the remaining eight weirdly watched the two die of laughter from their own inside joke.

"well, who did you guys get?" corbyn inquired.

"w-we got e-ach oth-other," zach answered, still cracking up.

"ha-ha, that's so funny," daniel sarcastically replied, picking out of the cup.

his facial expression did not display delight nor concern, so nobody had an idea of who he's buying a gift for.

-

"alright, what should i get daniel for secret santa?" waverly asked charlotte, walking around target.

"honestly, i don't really know," charlotte replied.

"well, you're his girlfriend, and i'm not as close with daniel as you are," waverly mentioned.

"ask mackenzie, he's way closer with her than me," charlotte scoffed.

"wait, what's going on with you and daniel?" lillian inquired.

"nothing, that's the problem," charlotte sighed, "he's been super distant from me, especially since the ski lodge trip."

waverly processed what charlotte had said, but remembered what mackenzie told her. waverly knew the truth, and she knew why daniel was so distant from charlotte.

"have you talked about it with daniel?" waverly mumbled.

charlotte shook her head, "i haven't had a meaningful conversation with him in a while."

"oh, um, who do you have for secret santa?" lillian queried, changing the subject.

"jonah," charlotte answered, "what about you?"

"jack," lillian replied.

-

meanwhile, zach, chloe, jack, and daniel were on the opposite side of target as waverly, lillian, and charlotte.

"alright, what do you want for secret santa?" zach asked chloe, his arm wrapped around her waist.

"a giant teddy bear," chloe remarked, "what do you want?"

"you," zach mumbled.

jack and daniel's heads turned to face zach, but chloe didn't understand what he said, "wait, what?"

"uh, n-nothing," zach lied.

jack quietly chuckled, and daniel tried to hide his smile.

"i have charlotte, what should i get her?" jack asked.

"honestly, if you get her a platter of cupcakes she'll already be happy," chloe answered.

"okay, thanks, what do you think, daniel?" jack questioned.

daniel shrugged his shoulders, continuing to walk forward.

"you seriously don't know what your girlfriend would want for christmas?" zach scoffed.

"she's not my girlfriend because i cheated on her, okay?" daniel blurted out, immediately regretting what he said.

"wait, daniel, you cheated on charlotte?" chloe gasped.

"dude, you're messed up, and that's a lot coming from me because i treated waverly so bad in the past," jack mentioned.

"why did you cheat?" zach asked.

"because... i love someone else," daniel answered.

"let me guess, it's mackenzie joy simmons?" chloe replied.

daniel nodded his head.

"when, where, and how?" zach inquired.

"charlotte and i had a fight during the ski lodge trip, and mackenzie was there for me. something inside told me to kiss her, so i did. it almost led to something more, but charlotte interrupted. she doesn't know what happened," daniel elaborated.

"wait, you cheated on her with mackenzie?" chloe questioned, "there's no way that mackenzie would do that to her best friend."

"she told me she was in love with me even before i became friends with her. but, on the bus ride back from pennsylvania, she said she doesn't love me anymore, " daniel contradicted, "to make things worse, i have her for secret santa and i don't know what to do."

they continued to walk and converse about daniel's love life, but once they turned left on a corner, they bumped into three girls.

"oh, sorr—" chloe apologized, stopping herself once she saw who they crashed into, "oh my gosh, i did not know you guys were here too!"

the four had bumped into waverly, lillian, and charlotte. they all greeted each other with hugs, but charlotte and daniel awkwardly smiled at each other.

...