𝒀𝑶𝑼 𝑺𝑨𝑽𝑬𝑫 𝑴𝑬 // mileven

thirty-five

my furious eyes meet his, and i harden my jaw at the sight of him and his infuriating smirk. miles.

"shit, why so angry?" miles says nonchalantly, having no regard for the fact that we're sitting in a library and he's speaking about eight octaves louder than he should be.

"you're whispering things." i hiss, pursing my lips together. "stop whispering things, i'm trying to study."

"you can study..." miles replies with a shrug, chewing on the eraser of his pencil as he stares at me through hooded lids. "...human anatomy with me in the janitors closet."

i'm taken aback by his comment, especially how casually he says it. i'm at a loss for words for a moment before i finally find a response.

"you're disgusting." i mutter, rolling my eyes and turning my around, my frustration apparent on my features.

"come onnnn." miles whines, poking me in the back with the tip of his pencil. "you need something to get your mind off that stupid test that you're studying for, let me provide it."

i feel the urge to whip back around and say a snarky remark in reply, but i just clench my hands into fists and attempt to focus my attention on the open textbook before me.

"fine whatever, but you'd better come to my party tonight." miles says with a sigh, but i can tell that he's grinning.

he's grinning because he knows i can't resist a party. especially when it's a friday night and i don't want to walk into my house and see my parents making themselves at home.

i need a distraction. i can just go to the stupid party with max and have a few drinks and then i'll be fine.

"address?" i mumble after a prolonged silence, still staring at my textbook, but my ears perked up and listening for a reply.

"718 oak lane." miles chuckles. "i'll look forward to seeing you there."

————

"i changed my mind." i blurt out, pursing my glossed lips as i stop dead in my tracks. i stare at the house in front of me, doorstep littered with red plastic cups and drunk teenagers half collapsed as wild laughs escape their swollen lips.

my gaze moves to the wide open front door, my eyes scrutinizing the pulsing lights and blaring music and dancing bodies. i feel a sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach when i realize that i don't want to be here.

two months ago i would have wanted to be here. i would have wanted nothing more than to waltz into the overcrowded house and gulp down all the alcoholic drinks that i could get my hands on. i would have been swept away by a random guy that i've never seen before, and then proceed to make out with him until i got bored, not caring about anything in that moment.

but now i do care about something, something bigger than all the vodka and spontaneous hookups.

"el?" max says, nudging my shoulder and bringing my gaze to her. "...you want to go home?"

i gnaw on my lower lip, my mind having an internal battle as i consider running away from here and curling into max's bed and texting mike for the rest of the night.

then i remember the conversation max and i had the other day, the one where she told me i love mike.

i don't love mike, i've never loved a boy in my life, i don't even know how to love someone.

i don't love mike.

"no, let's go in." i say to max with a tight smile, to which she replies with a hesitant nod, her eyes following me carefully as if she knows what's going on inside my head.

so we go in, and as soon as the intoxicating feeling of high school party culture envelops me and i grab a drink out of someone else's hand, i know i won't be texting mike tonight.

————

FAST-FORWARD SIX HOURS

boyfriend!!💞💞

el are u fucking kidding me right now
max told me
are u serious
please tell me you didn't do what i think you did
god el we're in a relationship
at least talk to me
el?

✧ ﾟ･:*✧ ﾟ:*ﾟ　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

TO CLARIFY:
the fast forward six hours part takes place AFTER the party!! the next chapter is about what actually happened DURING the party.
and another clarification!!
i know it might seem way too early for el to be thinking that she loves mike (they've only been dating two weeks after all), but mike's been her home for months, and the person who helped her through her lowest points and the only person other than max who cared about her. it's not too early :)

ALSO HI HI HI!
me 🤝 lying and saying that i'll update every week
IM SORRY☹️

i hope y'all enjoyed this!! i'm a little scared to write the next chapter cause i don't want my characters to screw up cause they're like my little babies, but i want to make mike and el's relationship in this book as realistic as possible!

vote and comment!

— rose