Junior Year (Sequel to Start Off Fresh)

Chapter 5: The List Is Up

"Thanks Emily-Grace," she said and she runs over to the table. She takes a seat next to Alex and she hugs him. I smile.

"Well, I didn't know that you serve food?" I look up and I see Lucas. I smile.

"Well, I want to help Millie out as much as I can," I said and I place some corn on his plate. He smiles.

"You are so kind and sweet...and cute," he said. I nervously laugh.

"Thanks," I said.

"Come on Lucas. You should get to the table so you can eat," Ryder said. Lucas sighs and he nods.

"See you later Emily," he said and he walks off. I sigh and I serve Ryder. He then walks off. I watch him walk over to the popular table. He sits down next to Justin and he high fives him. What? Why is he friends with him? Doesn't he remember all the horrible stuff he did to me?

"Why is Ryder sitting over there?" Millie asks. I shrug my shoulders.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling that I'm losing him," I said. I look over at Ryder and I see that same cheerleader from a few days ago sitting on his lap. She turns around and I gasp. It is Cherry. How can she do this to me?

"If you want, you can leave. I'll just get Marley to help me," Millie said. I shake my head.

"No, I'm okay," I said. I look back at Ryder and I see him and Cherry kissing. I can feel tears rolling down my cheeks. I look over at the Glee Club who have just realised what Ryder is doing. Then they look at me. Most of them stand up. I look up at Millie.

"Emily..." She said, but I then interrupt her.

"No, I'm fine. Can I have that break now?" I ask and she nods. I then run out of the cafeteria. I keep running until I reach the choir room. I fall to the floor and I start crying.

"Emily, are you okay?" I look up and I see Finn and I nod. "Really?" I then shake my head. He kneels down to my level and he hugs me. I start to cry again. "It's going to be okay." I know it won't be. He doesn't actually know why I'm crying.

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Before I go home, I go to my locker. That was a mistake. Ryder is waiting at my locker. I roll my eyes and I turn around. I then feel someone grabbing my shoulder. It was Ryder.

"What do you want?" I ask angrily.

"I can explain," he said.

"No, you can't."

"Look, the only reason that I'm hanging out with them is because I wanted to see what it was like to sit there."

"So, you decided to be the best friend of the guy that made my life hell and kiss that slutty cheerleader? Wow, that could be the lamest excuse I've ever heard."

"Yeah, well, you hang out with Lucas and you say that you two are just 'friends' when really he likes you and you like him too." I actually don't know if that is the truth or not. I take a deep breath.

"I think it's time again."

"No, it isn't. Couples fight."

"Yeah, but not like this."

"Please, don't do this." A few tears roll down my cheeks.

"I'm breaking up with you." I then walk out of school. I run over to some bushes and I hide in them. I start to cry. I look through a gap and I see Ryder looking for me. I then see Jake there as well. Ryder walks off and Jake continues to try and find me. I start crying again.

A few hours later...

Jake is still trying to find me. I can't believe that he's still looking for me. What an amazing brother I have. "Gracie, where are you?!" I hear Jake yell. I start to cry again. "Is that you Gracie?" I look up and I see Jake standing outside the bushes. He opens up the bushes and he finds me. He walks over to me and he hugs me. "You're going to be okay Gracie." He takes off his jacket and he puts it over my shoulders. He then helps me onto my feet and we walk slowly to Puck's car. Before we even get there, I fall to the ground. My legs are like jelly. Jake then picks me up bridal style and we continue our journey to the car. More tears continue to roll down my cheeks and they start to soak Jake's t-shirt. He doesn't care.

We reach the car.

"Emily, where were you? What happened?" Puck asks as he hops out of the car.

"She just had a bad day at school," Jake said. Puck opens the back door and Jake places me on the seat. I lie down. Jake takes a seat at the front.

"Gracie, we have a little present that you will get tomorrow," Jake said. I smile at him.

"Don't you feel like talking?" Puck said. I shake my head. "What actually happened?"

"I'll tell you when we get..." Jake said, but I then interrupt him.

"Ryder was hanging out with the guy that made my life a living hell and kissed a slutty cheerleader. But not ant cheerleader, my 'friend'. We then had a fight and I broke up with him," I said and I close my eyes, trying to forget what happened today. It doesn't work. The car stops and we're home. The car door opens and Puck helps me out of the car. He then picks me up bridal style and he takes me into the house. He walks upstairs and he places me on my bed.

"You should get out of that uniform and get some rest," Puck said. I nod and I grab some pjs. Puck leaves and closes the door. I get changed and I go to sleep. But the thing is that I can't get to sleep. I'm still thinking about today, about how it felt unreal, like it was a dream. But it wasn't. It definitely wasn't.