Our Shot (LAMS school au)

Chapter 40: After the Fact and Before the Fall

Eliza's POV

"John," I began, shooting a brief look at him, "What's wrong with you?"

"Huh?" He asked, obviously having zoned out, "What makes you think anything's wrong?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, but John was focusing on the screen. "This is your favorite musical," I explained dubiously, gesturing to the television, "And you haven't sung along at all!"

He shrugged. "I... um," his eyes darted downwards into his lap.

"John," I began, "Don't tell me it's Alex again?"

"Eliza," he began warily, "Not everything I do always has to do with him."

I reached forward for the remote, and turned down the volume on the show. "Hey!" John exclaimed in defiance, but I made a dismissive gesture.

"As if you were paying attention," I countered, and John sighed.

"State your case," He mumbled sulkily, getting more comfortable on the couch.

"At the cafe earlier," I began to explain, "You are Alex stayed on opposite sides of the table. Not only did I have to bribe Alex to leave his dorm, but he didn't speak the entire time. I almost didn't recognize him with his mouth shut; and I almost didn't recognize you without Alex next to you and his arm around your shoulder."

John only fumbled with his hands, ignoring me. "John," I repeated, "You guy's aren't fighting, are you?"

There was no response, and John still refused to look me back in the eye. "Did you two break up?" I said, stunned.

John's head bolted up to respond, but he only opened his mouth slightly. "Oh my god," I breathed, "What did he do?"

"We didn't break up!" John exclaimed suddenly and indignantly.

I raised an eyebrow. "What did he do," I repeated.

"How do you know it wasn't me!"

"John..."

He pouted, crossing both arms and bringing his legs up to cross them in front of him. "I-I want to keep things between Alex and I," he decided.

I rose both eyebrows, but accepted his answer. I was reaching for the remote to restore the volume, but John stopped me. "If your partner," he began, "Hypothetically, of course, had done something that makes you question whether you want to stay with them..."

"Yeah?" I encouraged him.

"They say that they made a mistake; they regret everything, and they don't want to lose you," he explained, and I realized that it was becoming more difficult for him to explain with every word.

"Well," I began carefully, "Do you believe him?"

There was only silence, and I continued. "Do you believe that he won't make the same mistake again?"

John paused for a moment, but then nodded slowly, still while staying silent.

I nodded in return, and reached for the remote again, holding it in my hands. "Then I suggest you do what will make you happy," I suggested simply.

There was no response, so I didn't look back over to him, and turned the volume back up.

He didn't speak again for the rest of the show.

Still Eliza's POV, but later

"Ellie make her give it back!" Peggy cried, and I rolled my eyes and lazily got up from my seat.

"I can't make Angie do anything, Pegs," I replied, but then turned to my elder sister.

"I swear it's mine," Angie said quickly when I looked at her.

I raised a questioning eyebrow. I felt a weak vibration in my pocket, signaling that my phone had gone off. "Just..." I began frustratingly, "Buy a new lipgloss, Peggy!"

I decided to ignore the comments that came next from both of my sisters, pulling out my phone. It was a text from Alex.

Alexandurr: Yo Eliza, you and your sisters wanna grab lunch with us?

Eliza: Is John coming, too?

Alexandurr: I asked him, he said he had to study

Eliza: You are so lying to me right now

Eliza: You didn't invite him did you

Eliza: Alex

Alexandurr: Fine, I didn't invite him

Alexandurr: I thought it'd be awkward

Eliza: I'm not coming until you and John fix whatever went wrong between you two

Alexandurr: How do you know about that?

Eliza: I don't know anything, just that you did something and now you two might break up

Alexandurr: Did John say that?

Alexandurr: That we're breaking up?

I could practically hear the fear in Alex's words, even though they were just words on a screen. Whatever he had done, it was bad enough to force into him fear that John would leave him.

Eliza: He didn't say that

Eliza: You know I could help if I knew what was going on

Alexandurr: *Read at 1:14*

Eliza: It couldn't have been that bad

Alexandurr: I don't want him to break up with me

Alexandurr: But if he does I can't blame him. It's what I would have done

Eliza: Did you apologize?

Alexandurr: Of course I apologized! Ten times over!

Eliza: What do you want him to do?

Alexandurr: I want him to forgive me

Alexandurr: I want things to go back to the way things were

Eliza: What do you think he'll do?

Alexandurr: I don't know