Shattered Inside (Yandere!Cheater x Reader)

XXVII

"You seem familiar... I think I've seen your face on posters around school," James mumbled more to himself than to the girl in front of him. Her shaking got worse at his words, as if the panic of her crush knowing who she was caused some sort of ruckus — negative and positive — inside of her soul. "Ah, you're Lily, aren't you?"

"Yes," she squeaked, "I'm Lily Valentina Mortis."

James shot her a smile. "I don't think we've talked before. It's nice to meet you, Lily." She seemed to almost melt at his merely friendly words. Awkward silence settled in where James just idly stood in front of the opened car window, not sure whether to enter or not. Lily sat quietly in her seat as well, feverishly trying to think of what to say next. Yet, a relieved breath escaped both of their lips once the driver in the front spoke up.

"Ms. Mortis, we will arrive late," he warned, his withered yet warm eyes gazing at her through the mirror.

Lily let out a soft hum. "Of course, Al," she muttered under her breath while scooting to the side to let James enter. Lily, noticing his hesitancy, opened the car door for him and ushered him inside. "Come on in. I still need to do some council stuff before my first class starts."

James nodded and did as he was told. The leather felt smooth against the rough fabric of his jeans, and the seat was almost as comfortable as his trusty old bed. He closed the door. All the while, the driver was staring at James in large interest, as if he was trying to remember where he knew the boy from.

Lily snapped her finger to catch her driver's attention. Once the old man awoke from his trance, his foot instinctively pressed down on the gas pedal; the sudden force of acceleration threw all of their bodies forward. James almost hit his head on the head rest of the front seat. Luckily, the pace the car zoomed through the suburban area became more calm and peaceful, and not before too long, the suffocating tense atmosphere returned.

"So, Lily..." James trailed off to catch her attention. "I'm really grateful for this. Otherwise, I would have probably been late for maths."

The blonde turned her head to him with a smile on her face and a blush on her cheeks. "It's no problem, James," she stuttered out. "It really isn't..."

In truth, this was the biggest opportunity she ever had to come closer to her popular upperclassman — the one she had been crushing on from a distance since last year, and the one who also seemed to be out of her league, until now. She thanked the heavens above for granting her such a chance; she would try her best not to slander it with awkwardness.

Lily had always felt drawn to James Davis — in a weird sense, he gave her that sense of familiarity and comfort, something neither of her busy parents were able to provide. So why was it that a cute stranger boy could? She was confused, especially since she almost knew nothing of emotions and their meanings.

Lily suddenly realised that she had been daydreaming again and snapped out of it once she noticed that James was about to go back to idly staring out of the window. In her stupor, she forced out the next best thing that came to her mind: "The weather is good, isn't it?"

As she realised what she just had said, she cringed into herself, wishing nothing more than just to die.

James merely started to laugh. "It's good. The sun is shining. It makes your eyes twinkle in a pretty way."

She froze in her tracks — had that been a compliment? "T-Thanks..." She didn't know how else to reply since her mind wasn't working.

Before things could get too awkward, the driver's hoarse voice echoed through the car as he pulled it to a stop. "We have arrived, young masters," he announced.