little lies (an e.d. fanfiction)

✭ chapter 21

claire's pov

i walk out of my 4th period, biology, with a smile. it's weird how i genuinely feel happy. it's refreshing.

i fiddle with the straps on my backpack and walk down the wide crowded hallway to the cafeteria.

i examine the kids walking past me and it's obvious to tell which kid is in which clique. i know, i sound judgmental and i stereotype people more often then i should, but the high school world is much different then the real one.

these past few weeks at lunch i've been sitting
alone all by myself; the back corner of the cafeteria by the water fountains to be exact.

ever since the bullshit drama has gone down i've been excluded from everything and everyone. i want to say it doesn't bother me, but i'd be lying if i said it doesn't.

every time liz, serena, chelsea or kimberly walk past me in the hallway and give me a simple dirty look of disgust, it makes me feel low- and by low i mean unwanted.

they make me feel unimportant, like i'm just invisible and floating throughout the day feeling numb.

it's whatever though, maybe things will be different one day.

usually the weight of my sadness would outweigh the small happy girl inside of me but considering i just made the cheer team, i'm beaming inside, and i love it.

i sit down at my spot at lunch and look around the cafeteria. hundreds of teenagers in one room is absolute chaos.

i look over at the "popular" table, liz and her army of airheads and roll my eyes. i'm so much better off without them. they're toxic.

i hear a group of guys coming in from behind me and i shift my body to where i can see them. i realize It's ethan, grayson, jack, cameron, and the other senior jocks.

ethan makes eye contact with me and his face lights up. i can see it in his eyes how happy he is to see me. he eyes me up and down before he whispers something to grayson. grayson nods and pats him on the back while ethan walks over to me, leaving his friends.

i feel a deep blush overwhelm my checks and it makes me smile.

"hey, ethan," i say while looking up at him through my thick long lashes, "why are you over here?"

he licks the inside of his check and runs a hand through his hair while shaking his head and smiling, "what, am i not allowed to talk to my girl?"

my jaw drops, but for only a second because the corner of my lips instantly start curving upwards creating a toothy smile.

i shake my head while laughing, "since when am i your girl?"

his eyes go dark and his lips form into a daring smirk. he removes my backpack from the seat next to me and sits down, piercing his eyes into mine.

he brushes his hand onto my upper thigh and my breath hitches. the feelings he gives me are indescribable.

"don't play dumb, claire. you've been my girl."

my heart feels like it burst open from the pool of joy in my heart. i can't help but let my happiness show on my facial expression and i playfully roll my eyes, conforming to him that he's won.