Can't Compete

twenty

"HEY,"

ELLA TURNED her head to the side of her locker, immediately facing an awkward-looking Ashton.

He rubbed the nape of his neck as he stammered, "You came up— Uh..."

The poor girl has got you stuttering now. It's contagious.

"It was a mistake." Ella closed her locker.

"Why are you mad at me? You're the one who cheated,"

Ella looked into his eyes. She knew he still held some sort of emotion for her and didn't want to take advantage of that.

"You're right. I have no right to feel this way."

Ashton stared intently at her, concern radiating from his eyes and tone. "Did you need something?"

"No." She held back her sigh. "Did you check your cameras?"

"No. I felt your presence... You know what I'm talking about,"

"Yes."

Ella heard a scoff come from beside them and saw Hailey shaking her head. She immediately backed up against her locker covertly, afraid some earwax might fall out of Hailey's ears as she shook her head. Ella didn't know the hygiene of the poor girl and it didn't hurt to be careful.

"You're just like everyone else," her timid voice said.

Ashton took a step away from Ella and closer to Hailey, who was seen already storming away.

What a drama queen.

Before Ashton could follow after the brunette, Ella wrapped her hands around his bicep, grabbing his attention.

"Have you bought your suit?"

He raised an eyebrow and shook his head in disbelief. "You want me to go to the Deb with you? That's fucked up,"

"I already submitted our form," Ella offhandedly replied, letting go of his arm.

"Find someone else. Maybe the dead guy you cheated on me for,"

Her stomach was churning and it wasn't the good type. She wanted to tell him the truth, yet she couldn't for so many reasons. Instead, she watched the love of her life walk away, chasing after another female.

Ella was never the nosey, curious type but she just wanted to see what he saw in her, so she discreetly followed after the pair.

"You're just like all the other typical jerks!" Hailey wailed, her southern accent strong.

"It wasn't like that,"

"Wasn't like what? You canoodling up back with your ex after taking my virginity?"

Ashton rubbed his face. "I wasn't canoodling at all." He lifted her face to look up at him in the eyes. "I don't want her, I want you."

She sniffed. "Really?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

They leaned in, presumably to kiss and Ella took this as a cue to leave. She felt like someone had stabbed her in the chest repeatedly and there was nothing she could do to stop it or ease the pain. She wasn't sure where she was headed, seeing that she had a free now but she continued walking.

Taking out her phone, she messaged Christian, wondering where he was.

'I'm at home. Want me to come?"

— Yes.

She closed her phone and walked to the front of the school, where the parking lot was. Standing on the steps, she waited for Christian, while was greeted by other students whose names she didn't know that were walking into the school.

His black pick-up truck finally came to the front and stopped in front of her. She got in and he drove to the back of the parking lot, parking there.

Christian wasn't wearing his school uniform, seeing that he had no intention of even coming to school and was instead wearing a black hoodie with the hood on.

He looked at her defeatedly, and Ella immediately caught on to what had happened.

Lily killed the baby.

Sighing, Christian shook his head and turned back to the front. Ella saw tears come out of his eyes. He angrily wiped them with the back of his hands.

She gave him a minute to recollect himself and when he did, he looked back at her.

"We were gonna keep the baby,"

Although she was shocked, she kept her unexpressive facade. "She didn't abort it?"

"We lost it."

"What?"

A tear dropped from his left eye and he hastily wiped it. "She had a miscarriage. She wasn't careful enough so we lost the baby,"

Ella softly blew out air. It was crazy how Lily wanted and planned to have an abortion, only to lose the baby when she decided to keep it.

It was also crazy how right Lily was when she said Christian would persuade her to keep the baby. He had this hold over her and vice versa. And there wasn't a doubt that no matter the tribulations they go through, they always managed to work it out in the end.

Ella faced her view to the front. She silently prayed to some God listening that she and Ashton would come out alright; that Christian and Lily would bounce back from this loss of life.

On everything, I hope we make it in this toxic environment.