HAUNTED || chris sturniolo

𝟎𝟏𝟖. not worth it

CHAPTER 018 -
╰┈➤ ' not worth it ' ♡₊˚ 🦢・₊✧
「 real life 」

─ real life ᥫ᭡

THE BELL RANG LOUDLY, signaling the start of lunch, and zany strolled out of the classroom, hands buried deep in his pockets, a lazy grin on his face. he scanned the crowded hallway, but his gaze landed quickly on cecelia. she was leaning against her locker, phone in one hand, her other hand twirling a strand of hair. the effortless confidence she exuded made her seem untouchable.

he couldn't help himself. zayn sauntered over, his smile widening. "hey, shouldn't you be in the cafeteria already? don't want to miss out on the gourmet experience."

cecelia looked up, eyes glinting with amusement. "someone has to keep you in suspense, zayn. can't let you get too comfortable."

he chuckled, leaning against the locker next to hers. "oh, i'm always comfortable. you're the one making a scene just by standing here."

she tilted her head, a teasing smile playing on her lips. "maybe that's the point."

zayn's grin widened. "gotta admit, it's working."

their banter felt easy, the words flowing like they'd been doing this forever. but the casual atmosphere shifted when zayn's eyes caught sight of chris heading down the hall. chris's stride was purposeful, but his gaze was distant, distracted. chris seemed trapped in his own thoughts, his jaw set tight.

then zayn noticed adriana a few feet away, standing beside cecelia, her head tilted toward her friend as they whispered something between them. her soft laughter carried just enough for chris to hear, and his jaw tightened further. that laugh used to be his to share. now, it felt like a punch to the gut every time he heard it from a distance.

zayn didn't seem to notice chris's tension right away. "so, what's the plan?" he asked cecelia. "you gonna join us for lunch, or are you too cool for us now?"

cecelia smirked, tapping her finger against her chin as if seriously considering the question. "depends. what's in it for me?"

zayn leaned in slightly, eyes gleaming. "a charming lunch companion. what more could you ask for?"

before she could respond, chris's voice cut through the air, low and rough. "zayn, let's go. we're gonna be late."

zayn shot chris a puzzled look. "dude, chill. lunch doesn't have a deadline."

but chris's eyes were locked on adriana. she wasn't looking at him, her focus on cecelia, but her presence felt like a weight on his chest. he couldn't stand there any longer, couldn't pretend it didn't bother him that she could laugh, joke, and move on without him. the walls of the hallway felt like they were closing in, suffocating him.

"come on," chris said, his tone sharper than he intended. he grabbed zayn's shoulder, fingers pressing hard.

zayn frowned, shrugging off chris's hand. "what's your deal, man?"

"just move," chris muttered, barely keeping his frustration in check.

zayn glanced between chris and cecelia, sensing the shift in energy. "alright, alright. no need to get all worked up."

he took a reluctant step away, but cecelia's eyes narrowed, her smile turning razor-sharp. she looked directly at chris, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "still running away from your problems, huh?"

chris's shoulders tensed. the words sliced through him, sharper than he expected. he didn't turn around. he didn't need to. the guilt, the regret, they were all there, raw and exposed, and cecelia knew exactly where to twist the knife.

adriana's eyes flickered up at the comment, her smile fading. she looked at chris then, just for a second, and in that brief moment, he felt everything he'd been trying to ignore. the distance between them, the hurt he'd caused, the fact that she was standing next to someone else and not him. her gaze wasn't cold, but it wasn't warm either. it was careful, guarded, like she'd learned to protect herself from him.

"let's just go," adriana murmured to cecelia, her voice quiet but firm.

cecelia nodded, shooting one last look at chris, her eyes glinting with challenge. "you know, some people don't deserve a second chance," she said, loud enough for chris to hear. "but i guess it's easy to pretend everything's fine when you're the one who messed it all up."

chris's jaw clenched, his fists curling at his sides. he wanted to snap back, to defend himself, to say something, anything, that would make the weight on his chest a little lighter. but nothing came out. because deep down, he knew she wasn't wrong.

zayn noticed the tension in chris's posture, the way his eyes darkened. without a word, he stepped between chris and the girls, his hand on chris's arm, steering him away.

"let it go, man," zayn muttered. "not worth it."

chris didn't resist. he let zayn pull him down the hall, his steps heavy, his mind a mess of thoughts he couldn't untangle. he didn't look back. he couldn't bear to see adriana's face one more time, knowing she could laugh and live her life without him in it.

behind them, cecelia watched, her lips curling into a satisfied smile. "men always think they can get away with everything," she said under her breath. "but maybe not forever."

adriana sighed softly beside her, her eyes lingering on chris's retreating figure. the ache in her chest was dull now, more familiar than painful. but it was still there, a constant reminder of what had been lost.

as chris disappeared around the corner, he felt the weight settle deeper. he wasn't sure what was worse, the guilt of his mistakes or the knowledge that he might never fix them.

and for now, all he could do was walk away.

evie speaks
i swear things will get more interesting soon