broken home - j.f✔️

fourteen.

Despite the whole school assuming Elizabeth was a slut, her day was going pretty well. Zach had been at her side all day, ripping pictures down before she could see them, or passing out dirty looks to people who even gave her a second glance. She hadn't seen Justin at all today though, it's as if he were avoiding her. She'd gotten to lunch, looking around for him. She'd asked Clay, Tony, Zach, wanted to ask Bryce but decided to ignore him as she was asked to.

She spotted Jessica, walking up to her as she was focusing on her group of friends. "Jess, can we talk?" Jessica glared up at her, burning holes into her face, before looking back at her friends.

"I have nothing to say to you." She stated. "You steal my boyfriend, and now you're stealing my time." Elizabeth was taken aback, she was one of the many who took the picture out of context.

"Jess, I can ex-" Jessica began talking with her friends again, leaving Elizabeth completely embarrassed, she left the cafeteria, ignoring everyone who called her over. She had run to the bathroom, receiving looks from girls in the mirror. She locked herself in a stall, texting Justin.

Justin, where are you?
Please respond

She sighed, the bell ringing for next session. She left the bathroom, keeping her head down for the rest of the day. And finally, she left her last class and practically ran to her car. "El, wait!" She turned to see Justin chasing her to her car. "We need to talk."

He got into the passenger seat and strapped himself in, as Elizabeth offered to drive him home. She was ready to cry, but was waiting for the second he left the car. She had parked outside of his house, sitting in an indescribable silence.

"El, I feel like we should stop hanging out." He blurted out. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, she'd lost one of her closest friends to this stupid rumour too?

She took a breath, her tears threatening to spill. She couldn't even look at him, but she knew she was lucky to at least have Zach. "Why?"

"Jess and I, you know what our relationship is like, it will look worse if I keep entertaining the rumours," Justin explained, trying to reach for her hand on the wheel, but she just yanked it away. He sighed, "and I don't want you to get hurt."

"Hurt? I'm already hurt. Jess completely embarrassed me in front of the whole cafeteria, and now you're deciding we shouldn't be friends. And the whole school thinks I'm a complete slut and a boyfriend stealer!" Elizabeth started crying, hearing a small whimper leave his lips. "Just go."

Without another word, he left the car and entered his home. She couldn't drive for the next few minutes, she sat in the car and just cried. She'd go home to an empty house, nobody there to comfort her, just silence. To think about everything. And as she had gotten home, she saw the mess in the living room. The pizza boxes, the drink cartons, the pillows and blankets everywhere, tiny little popcorn pieces everywhere; taking her back to last night. They were watching movies, throwing popcorn at each other, eventually falling asleep in the fort they built. To cheer her up.

Zach: How are you feeling, considering..?

I don't know, really. Justin just said he doesn't want to hang out anymore, and Jess completely made a fool of me at lunch.

Zach: Oh, I'm so sorry. Do you need anything?

I'll be okay, thank you.

Zach: Of course.

Grabbing a snack from the fridge, she'd gone upstairs. Crying had exhausted her, her eyes heavier by the minute. She'd put her head down, closing her eyes.