What A Lie Looks Like | ✓

1.29: seattle (part one)

"Yeah," Ollie agrees.

So instead of saying anything because there is nothing to say, I kiss my best friend. It's weird because it feels like I'm kissing my brother and because it's not Ethan. I pull away after a few seconds, unsure what I'm supposed to do or say next.

"Thanks," He smiles softly and I warmly smile back in response.

"Are you okay?" I ask as we walk towards where our bags still sit against the wall.

Ollie's already deep in thought, but I guess that's to be expected, but he still answers the question. "Yeah, I think I just need time to process it all."

"So..." I trail off hesitantly, unsure of if it's my place to say anything.

He brings the bag up over his shoulder and hands me mine, "I think so."

I lift my hand to his hair and ruffle it softly as Ollie groans in protest, but it's the familiarity that makes him smile. "You know I love you no matter what, right?"

Ollie slings an arm over my shoulder, "I love you too."

We walk out of the studio doors like that and down the hallway until we get to the point where we have to go opposite ways due to the separate dorm halls.

When I get back to my room, I reach behind my dresser, where the bag of pills Ethan gave me is pinned to the board and pull it off. I open the bag and pick two of the orange capsules out from the rest and tilt my head back, swallowing them dry. My last high had worn off in the middle of the day, and I felt kind of sluggish during rehearsal, but it's not like Banes gives me a choice to skip. My shower lasts maybe twenty minutes due to how sore my muscles are from rehearsal, but by that point, I'm starting to feel the effects of the drug kicking in.

I glance at the physics book sitting at my desk, and I think about just throwing it out the window furthermore saying I couldn't study because someone stole my textbook. But Mr. Bennett would still end up making me take the test even if I was puking in class. He's ruthless when it comes to being prepared.

After sitting down and staring at the textbook for almost an hour, my notes are spread everywhere across the desk. I've tried to push every thought of what happened with Ollie tonight out of my head. The only problem is that the drug is supposed to help you focus more, but now, it's helping me focus on the wrong thing.

"This sucks. I hate physics, and it's the stupidest class ever," I complain aloud even though there is no one else in the room with me, and I want to do nothing more than slam my head into the desk. There are just four weeks left and then finals, but World's is in two weeks, so I can't even focus on school during this time. Unless I stay up at all hours of the night to study, even though I have five a.m. dance rehearsal again; hence what I'm currently doing.

As I try to work through the next problem on the review, my phone starts to ring, and I see that it's Ethan. I'll just ask him what he wants in the morning, I reassure myself, and then I hit the decline button turning the phone face down, so the screen does not tempt me. Besides, he knows that I don't get on my phone while studying, so I'm not sure why he even called in the first place. I'll apologize in the morning.

*********

Ethan

"She didn't answer," I toss the phone back on the bed next to where Tessa's sitting, but I can tell by the sympathetic voice that she already guessed that due to what I said into the phone.

"I'm sorry I didn't know what to do after seeing them. I just knew I had to tell you," Tessa stammers. I close my eyes, trying to get rid of Seph and Ollie's image out of my head. I don't want to believe it, but Tessa's never given me a reason not to believe her. I mean Ollie's been acting so weird lately that I guess it would make sense that he's with Sephine.