I HADN'T GONE TO SCHOOL for an entire week.
I mostly didn't go to avoid Michael. He left me acouple more calls and messages (by the hundreds) but after I had skipped school for the third time in a row, he stopped trying all together.
It hurt.
It hurt a whole f*cking lot that Michael and I had broken up.
I wanted us to last. Mostly because I never saw myself with anyone else beause I had never been with anyone else except for Michael.
But after missing an entire week, my mom came into my room and forced me to get back to school.
To some extent she understood.
I mean when you've been bestfriends with some one for like, 12 years and you go on to date them for four years, then it's understandable how much heartbreak is behind all of the betrayl.
But then you have to get over it and move on and continue to get an education to go far in life.
"Are you up, Miley?" my mother yelled from the kitchen, and I groaned in response, burying my head deeper into my pillow.
"Miley?" Her voice was closer, and I knew that she was in my room now. The dip of my bed confirmed it.
"I'm up" was all I said, my voice hoarse from not talking to anyone for the past week.
"You know I understand that this is hard for you, but I want you to get yourself up and refreshed. It's not healthy for you to be caged in here" she wanted me to understand that she wasn't forcing me to go to school because she was fed up with my behaviour. She genuinly wanted me to be happy again.
"I'm fine" I rubbed my eyes and sat up, no doubt looking like a mess since I hadn't showered in like a week.
"Maybe you should just talk to Michael," she suggested, stroking my shoulder soothingly, "I mean maybe this was a big misunderstanding"
"He cheated on me, mum. What's so hard to understand about that? And I'm fine" I rolled my eyes and yawned.
"Yes but maybe you should hear him out first? I mean, I want to make sure that you're really okay. After your father-"
"I said I'm fine" I snapped at her, immediatly regretting it.
She was only looking out for me.
"Sorry" I mumbled.
"It's alright. I've made you some breakfast when you're ready. I'll drive you to school when you're done" she said softly, standing from my bed and kissing my forhead.
"I'm not hungry" I told her as she reached my doorway.
"You haven't eaten in a week Miley. You're always hungry"
"I'm not hungry" I repeated, standing from my bed and gathering my clothes and heading into my bathroom.
I closed the bathroom door and heard her sigh and leave. Once I knew she was gone, I turned the shower on, making the water as hot as it could go as I stripped and hopped in.
The scoraching water burned my skin, and the longer I took the pain, the less my heart ached.
But then thoughts of Michael filled my mind and before I knew it, the water didn't seem so hot anymore and I was sobbing.
I loved him.
Why was that not enough?
*
*
*
I got out the door before my mom could force breakfast down my throat, and I was walking the 10 minutes it took to get to school.
I was wearing lightblue high waisted jeans and a long sleeve thin grey top. My hair was left out as to hide my face like a draped curtain from everyone, and I wore only eyeliner so I didn't look too broken.
But I was broken on the inside.
I got to school and the strangest thing started to happen.
People were staring and whispering at me.
Normally I wouldn't mind as much considering it would be envious girls b*tching about me because they wanted Michael.
But Michael wasn't walking with me today.
And half the looks I got were ones of sympathy, while the other half were ones of disgust.
I got to my locker with my head downcast.
People were continuing to whisper about me.
And I knew that something about that was extremely wrong.
I slammed my locker shut and turned around to head to my first class. Once I got there, I sat down at my usual desk.
I was early to class for once. Usually I would be hanging out with Michael, but seeing our current situation at the moment, that wasn't really an option.
"Miley!" my head turned to the side as Calum walked into the classroom.
He looked shocked to see me, no doubt had thought I was dead or something since I had missed an entire week of school and hadn't talked to anyone.
"Hi, Calum" I gave him a weak fake smile as he took the seat next to me.
"What the f*ck happened between you and Michael?" he asked me, and I looked straight at him.
"We broke up" I said as casually as possible, surprised that my voice hadn't wavered in the slightest.
His eyes widened, "What? Why?"
My eyebrows furrowed, "He didn't say anything to you?"
Calum shook his head no, "He's been coming to school late or ditching classes all together to get drunk in the middle of the day, or he's been ignoring me when I've asked him what's been going on"
"He cheated on me, Calum" my voice was low, barely above a whisper but I knew that he had heard it.
"What? With who? When?"
"I-I don't know with who, but about three weeks ago. Do.... do you know anything about this?" the look on Calum's face held a slight ounce of recognition, and an unsettling feeling settled in the pit of my stomach.
"My party, it was three weeks ago. Do you remember? Michael came but you didn't-"
"Yeah, I remember. What happened?"
Calum ran a hand through his hair nervously, "There was this girl there who seemed really interested in Michael. But I told him not to do anything with her. I don't know, he seemed pretty buzzed that night, I'm not sure..." he trailed off, not making eye contact with me anymore.
Someone coughed from behind us, the mumbled word 'whore' slipping out and I turned to glance.
A girl, blonde and plastic, was giggling, obviously the culprit as she whispered and pointed at me.
"Is she talking about me?" I turned back to Calum who had tensed, a glare set on the blonde before his gaze was back on me.
"Uh, you see that's another thing"
"What?"
"Michael may have, sort of,..." he then scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably and I rolled my eyes.
"Spit it out Cal" I urged.
"Michael told everyone that you were a slut who was spreading STI's to the football team of two other schools"
The color drained from my face, "He what?"
"Yeah. He's been spreading lies about you for all of last week while you were gone"
All I could see was red.
"Why would he do that? I'm not the one who f*cked up our relationship" I clenched my fists, getting angry. I took a glance at the class door. Michael had this class with me, as well as the next three. He would be walking in any minute.
"Don't let it get to you, Miley" Calum tried to reason, but I closed my eyes and let out a huff.
"Hey look everyone!" Cal and I, including the rest of the class that had started filling the room turned back around to that same blonde, and she set her contact covered eyes on me as she stood from her seat.
"It's the local club hooker that Michael ditched" she giggled, snickers arising from around the room.
"Shut the f*ck up" Calum stood as well, seeing the tears well in my eyes.
"Looks like she has a new guys dick to suck on. News flash Miley. They're not lollipops"
The entire room erupted into laughter at her joke, and I stood from my seat, picking up my bag and rushing out of the room.
Calum called after me, but I couldn't find it in me to turn back around.
"Sorry" I mumbled as I bumped into a hard chest, making my way around the person before they grasped my wrist.
"Miley?"
I looked up, coming face to face with Michael.
"Can we please talk?" he asked quietly, his eyes pleading with mine.
"Michael don't touch her! Don't want an STI!" someone from the crowded hall yelled out, and everyone turned to stare at me.
And they laughed.
My vision blurred over with tears, and I yanked my wrist out of Michael's grasp.
"Don't talk to me ever again" my voice cracked as I backed away from him.
"Miley, wait, no-"
"How could you?" my face was wet, "How?" and I turned and ran.
Past Michael and down the halls, everyone laughing and pointing and calling me names.
Who or where I was running to? I wasn't sure. But anywhere away from this shit hole, and the jackass in it would suffice.
At least for at the moment.
I ran out of the school building, the first class bell ringing. No one was in sight, and I collapsed on the main steps, not being able to control the tears anymore.
-Michael-
I f*cked up.
I f*cked up real bad and I know it.
I walked into school this morning, feeling something unsettling wash over me. My heart began to beat faster the further I walked into the building that I hated, and I immediatly knew why.
Miley had come to school today.
I didn't know whether to be happy, relieved or dreadful. I was happy to see her—I hadn't seen her in over a week and I was beginning to lose my mind—or to be scared to see her.
What would she do if she saw me?
Would she be happy?
Would she slap me?
Would she be willing to talk to me?
It didn't matter. I wanted her to talk to me. She couldn't just think that I could get over her in a week.
I was inlove with her.
I ran a hand through my hair, feeling exhaust take over my body accompanied by the slight thumping of a headache.
The cause of early morning drinking.
Which grew slightly stronger as a body collided with my chest.
I was all ready to shove them off me and plant my fist to their face when they spoke.
"Sorry" they muttered, and before I could connect two and two together, my fingers wrapped around her wrist and I stopped her from walking off.
That one word uttered from her lips rang through my ears like music and along with it came the train of memories that were burned into my skull from over the years we spent together.
She looked up at me and my knees almost gave out.
We'd been bestfriends for 12 years. We were eachother's first everything.
But I was never the one to make her cry. I never wanted to be. Yeah, she would get pissed off or annoyed sometimes, but never would I be the one to cause her tears.
"Can we please talk?" I asked her, my voice straining. Her blue eyes were all I could see, and they captured me in an instant.
I couldn't care whether she said yes or no. Well, of course I cared because I really wanted to talk to her, but just getting her to talk to me right now could last me. At least for a little while, it would. Her voice was my oxygen. She was my oxygen.
"Don't touch her Michael! You might get an STI!" some idiot from the hall yelled, and I'd never wanted to kill someone more than I did right now.
Her eyes began to water and I was hit with the realization that I had betrayed her even more throughout the whole of last week. I called her names and gave people the wrong idea about her. All because she didn't come to school.
Because I knew that she didn't come because of me.
Her arm was yanked from mine and I felt numb, knowing that what I had done had only hurt her more, not make me feel better.
"Don't ever talk to me ever again" her voice was like a knife digging into my heart and she backed away from me.
No.
"Miley, wait, no-"
"How could you?" she was crying more, more than she had in the entire lifetime that I had grown up with her, "How?" she repeated before she turned and ran from me.
Why did I hurt her?
Me cheating on her was strictly an accident.
An accident and mistake that I never wanted to repeat.
But the rumours I had spread about her last week were all with the intention of hurting her because I was hurting.
Ignoring all the laughs that followed her, I shoved my way past everyone and went after her.
She may be mad and never want to talk to me again but I needed her. I really did.
I caught a glimpse of her running to the front steps of the school and I followed her.
"Are you alright?" I stopped and hid myself behind one of the collums of the building once I had made it outside.
"Y-yeah, I-I'm fine" Miley's voice cracked and I fought the urge to show myself and go up to her.
She was sitting on the steps with some black haired girl that I had never seen before. She looked around the same hieght as Miley, and was twirling a silver band ring that she had on her ring finger.
"So you crying like this can mean two things. Bad breakup, or bullies. Which is it?" she asked Miley with a slight smile on her face.
I could tell Miley stopped crying and was whiping her tears away.
"Bad breakup"
"How bad? If you don't mind me asking"
Miley took a while to answer, "He was my best friend for 12 years. We dated for 4 years and he slept with someone else"
"Oh, that's bad. But why are you crying now? You should show him that it doesn't bother you" she advised, and Miley shook her head no.
"He told the entire school I was a cock sucking stripper who spread STI's and slept with two other school's football teams"
"Ouch"
"I know"
My heart clenched.
I'm sorry.
I'm so so sorry.
"Are you a slut?"
"What?" Miley asked, confused.
"I asked if you're a slut" the girl said calmly, and Miley shook her head no.
"Are you a virgin?"
"What?" Miley choked.
How blunt was this girl?
"You heard me" she chuckled.
"Uh, yeah I am. I was saving myself for him. But..." she trailed off and my heart clenched once more.
Miley.
I love you.
"Well since you're still a virgin and obviously are not a slut, then you shouldn't let any of this get to you"
There was a pause before, "What's your name?" Miley asked the girl.
"Julia. I'm new here"
"I'm Miley"
"Nice. Want to be my friend?"
"Yes"
No.
"What's the guys name anyways?" Julia asked.
"Michael"
My name off her lips had my eyes fluttering shut. I loved the way it sounded coming from her. Only from her.
I took a breath.
"Micheal? Hate him already. Just forget about him. You're better off without him" she dismissed, and I clenched my fists in anger.
"But I've be inlove with him for like, 8 years-"
"And now it's time for a change. Listen, I know we just met and all, and Michael's been almost your every first, but it's time to move on. I mean who's to say that this is his first time cheating on you? This could be like the fourth, tenth, twentieth girl that he's slept with and he's just now telling you about one"
My jaw ticked.
She was feeding Miley lies.
What was she trying to do? Get her to not love me anymore?
"No. This was probably the first time" Miley didn't sound like she believed herself.
This Julia chick was a b*tch.
The bell for second period rung, and I realized that we had missed first period all together. My heart pounded in my chest and I chose this moment to make my presence known.
As Miley and Julia turned around, I could see Miley tense. I ignored the googgly eyes I was recieving from Julia and I took a step closer to Miley.
"Can we please talk?"
"No" she spoke simply, glancing at Julia.
"Please, Miley? I swear to you it was a mistake. I love you-"
"This is him?" Julia interrupted me, and I felt a surge of anger.
"Yeah"
"Listen dude, I don't know if I'm in the right place to tell you this, but Miley here is my new friend. And you being a dick to her is a problem"
"Shut the f*ck up b*tch" I took a warning step towards her and Miley immediatly stood between the two of us.
"Don't" she placed a hand on my chest and I almost whimpered when she took her hand back.
"Miley," my eyes pleaded with hers, "I love you"
"Not enough" she shook her head, "You didn't love me enough"