𝙳𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝙵𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚒𝚎𝚜 // 𝙼𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝙼𝚞𝚗𝚛𝚘𝚎

Ｔｗｏ

▛▝▝▝▝▝▝▝▝▝▝▝▝▝▝▝▝▝▝▝▝ ▜

Lucy practically set up camp in that room for most of the next day. Josh made his way up there a bunch of times, attempting to unravel what was eating at her. But, Lucy just shrugged him off, giving him the ol' "I'm just hungover" line. Technically, that wasn't a total fabrication - remnants of last night's party were still lingering, but let's be real,  it wasn't just the booze that was messing with her head. Nope, it was the Mike situation that had her feeling like a wreck.

So, there she was, cocooned in her blanket, squinting at the wall like it owed her money. And then there was a knock on the  door, cue the entrance of Matt, all concerned and caring... He looked at her, eyebrows giving a sympathetic arch, and said, "Hey, can we talk?" Door closed, pillows shifted, and suddenly, Matt was on the bed, next to Lucy. She glanced over, eyes red, and Matt realized he'd never seen her like this - raw, unguarded, and all kinds of messed up.

And then it came, like a storm bursting through the damn. "I swear, I don't deserve this shit," Lucy snapped, voice wobbly with the aftermath of a night spent drowning in tears. "Last night, Mike waltzes in here, all charming and sweet... Listens to my ranting, he kisses me, and we end up.. You know. Then poof! Vanishes into thin air, off to play Prince Charming with Emily. I can't decide if he's a first-rate liar or just a two-faced coward."

She turned away for a moment, sucking in a shaky breath. "It's like, do I go with the 'He played me from the start' option, or the 'He's an expert-level liar' one? Either way, it's a sucky deal:"

"Wow,  you, my friend, are like the poster child for resilience," Matt quipped, giving Lucy a half-grin. "Life's thrown some heavy stuff your way, and yet here you are, still standing strong." He reached over, gently tapping her hand, a reassuring touch to punctuate his words. "Mike's a total self-absorbed jerk, just so you know. Don't let his nonsense rent any space in your head."

As he stood up, Matt extended a hand with a flourish. "Now, how 'bout we turn the day around? Beth's been pining to catch up with you. Plus, I brought my knight-in-shining-jacket to shield you from the chill," With a suave move, he slid out of his letterman jacket and handed it over, a sly smile playing on his lips. "Can't have you catching a cold on top of everything else. My chivalrous gesture for the day." Lucy couldn't help but feel her mood shift, his kindness  acting like a shot of positivity.

"Alright, you win,"  Lucy conceded, slipping into the  jacket. "So, spill the beans, what's been going  down?" 

Matt gave her a quick rundown, "Well, Emily and Jess have been cookin' up some  kind of scheme. Apparently, they've roped you into it. Other than that, it's been eerily quiet without you gracing the scene." They made their way out of the room, descending the stairs. As they did, Lucy spotted Emily and Jess in a huddle, sharing secretive giggles.