Counting Stars | ✔

Chapter Thirty-one

"I am a coward, Elliot. But you are an even bigger coward than I am. At least I didn't leave her to be with her fucking best friend. You're full of shit!" I have to remind myself that we are on school grounds. I can't beat the shit out of him. Or I shouldn't.

"Guys, you seriously need to stop. You two are family." Ryan says.

"We haven't been family for a long time. And I may be a coward, but at least I'm not so afraid of being vulnerable that I self sabotage every good thing in my life. Look around you, Liam, even your own parents don't give a damn about you! You're a toxic piece of shit. No wonder you're all alone in that big house. Jess deserves someone..."

"Like you?" I interrupt, feeling my head buzz. "What do you think is going to happen now? You break up with Brittany, and what? She comes running back to you?"

"Maybe not. But that's okay. I know Jayden can take care of her in ways you and I couldn't. Did you know she brought him to her father's engagement party? They looked good together. She looked happy. She fits better with him than she ever did with you." He says, and out of everything he's said, this one fucking hurts because it's true. And I don't give a shit that this is school ground. I connect my already set fist with his jaw.

Jessica

"Okay, people! Showtime in ten. Is everyone ready? Sanchez, put the freaking sword down. It's not a toy. Jeremy, your scene is first, so go upfront. Jessica, don't just stand around, help them!" Red yells at everyone in sight, rushing around.

The kind of hate I feel towards her is all-consuming.

"Jeez! She is even worse than my mom." Steff says, fixing her hair up.

"Okay, ladies. I'm up first. Wish me luck!" Jeremy says.

"Good luck. And by the way, I love you in those pants." Steff teases him, and I see Elliot walk backstage with a black eye and busted lips. My eyes widen, and I walk up to him with a frown.

"Elliot, what happened to your face?" I ask, gaping at the bruised skin.

"It's not as bad as it looks." He says.

In a flash, Brittany is next to him.

"Hey, snowflake. Tell your friends I said break a leg, and I mean literally." She says to me.

"Brittany, can you ever speak to a person without being a bitch?" Elliot surprises me by saying, and I see her eyes widen with shock.

"What?" She barks at him.

"You heard me!" He yells back at her.

I have never seen Elliot like this. Good luck playing Hamlet and Ophelia after this.

I turn around and stop in my tracks when I see Liam. I have been going out of my way to avoid him. But there is no running away now because he is already looking right at me.

"It's showtime, people," Ellyn announces, breaking our trance.

Luckily everything goes smoothly. And after the show, Mrs. Ronnin beams as she congratulates us on doing a good job.

"What do you know? The devil smiles." Steff says as she struggles to get out of her costume.

"You did really good up there," I tell her.

"Why, thank you, my dear! I must say it was rather enchanting to be part of such fine work." She says in a perfect British accent, and I nudge her shoulder, smiling.

After she changes, we go back out to meet the others. I keep telling myself to not look. Even when I feel his eyes burning a hole on the side of my face, I don't dare turn around.