Nellie stepped into the emergency room of the hospital, the girl looking around before she saw her friend sitting on the edge of a bed. She stepped up to him with her hands shoved deep in her jacket pockets, a frown already masking her features as she stepped in front of him. He looked up at her for a moment before he rubbed the back of his neck. Nellie looked at Michael as he stared at the ground in guilt and self pity, the boy knowing what he did wrong as Nellie looked at him with disappointment.
"What happened?" She asked, looking at Michael's nose that was painted different colors due to the bleeding that took place under his pale skin. He sighed as he hopped down from the bed, the only reason for him still being there was so Nellie would pick him up. He had already been discharged so he was just taking up space at the hospital, but it was a lonely space that gave him time to think.
"Broke my nose." He said.
"What did you say to him, Michael?" She asked, already inferring the situation as she walked slowly next to the boy. Nellie could tell he felt guilty, which was why a large part of her was already siding with Luke, but Michael was also annoyed with Nellie. To him, it seemed like her priorities were in the wrong place, even without referring to Luke when he believed this.
"I crossed a line. Look, I know I was wrong. Okay?" He said, stepping out of the hospital with Nellie still giving him a look. He glanced at her before he groaned slightly, the look being one he always gave into. "I asked him about something I shouldn't have in a mean context, alright? You don't have to know everything, Nellie." Michael said, opening her car door as she frowned at him. He was now taking his anger out on her and it felt unfair, but she didn't want to say anything because she knew if she did he would find something to fire back at her with anyways.
Nellie only stepped to the front seat of her car, getting in next to boy as he glared out the window next to him. Nellie glanced at Michael as she pulled onto to the road, the girl feeling like she wanted to clear the air and get to the bottom of situation. Michael only continued to avoid every look she gave him at all of the traffic lights as he stared at the street lights they passed.
"Michael, don't be mad at me." Nellie said, the boy shaking his head gently as he moved it from against the glass before he leaned against his seat.
"I called you four times, Nell." He mumbled.
"Is that what this is about?" She said, confused.
"Kind of!" He raised his voice, pouting as he crossed his arms. Nellie frowned along with him, the girl feeling even worse for all she had done that night, as well as automatically making Michael feel bad for what he may or may not have done. She was his best friend and she was supposed to be there for him even when he made a mistake, and especially when he called more than one time before one in the morning.
"God, Michael, I'm sorry." She said, shaking her head gently as she drove down the street, the boy continuing to frown. She didn't take the time to consider what Michael needed when she noticed him calling and it only made her feel a million times worse on top of what had already happened that night.
"Where the hell were you?" He asked, sounding sad as he said the words. Nellie sighed and gripped the steering wheel tighter as he asked her this, the girl not wanting to answer truthfully. She knew she would have felt awful if she lied to Michael, especially with how upset he already seemed. Nellie paused for a moment, frowning before she answered his question honestly.
"Wilson's." She said, quietly, Michael looking at her with wide eyes before he laughed coldly at her response. Michael hated Wilson, and for good reasons. Wilson was the boy on the magazine and he still called Nellie up whenever he was lonely because he knew she would come. He knew she still loved him and Michael knew he thrived off of it. Wilson made Michael sick all because he continuously played Nellie for the fool she was.
"You're kidding me right?" He asked rhetorically, shaking his head as he did it. "Fucking Wilson's—of course it was that guy."
"Michael, I'm so sorry—"
"Why, Nellie? Why do you keep doing this to yourself?" Michael asked, the boy still using a loud tone with her as she felt tears line the edges of her eyes like troops setting up for war. She rubbed her eye with one hand, Michael still feeling anger as he sat next to her waiting for an answer. Nellie didn't have one right away, which only pissed him off more; Nellie noticed this, the girl feeling her throat getting tight as Michael glared at the street ahead of them.
"God." Michael laughed, sarcastically. "You don't even have an answer."
"Because, Michael, I don't know." Nellie yelled. "I don't know why I keep doing it, okay? Jesus Christ, you act like you're so perfect, but I know damn well you said something to provoke him." Nellie said, annoyed, her knuckles turning white from the grip on her steering wheel as her and Michael began to yell at each other for the wrongs each had commit to one another, as well as to themselves and others.
"What? Like you actually care for his feelings?" Michael said, glaring at her as she tried to make herself out to be less of a bad guy than she really was.
"He's a person! He still has them, so you know what? I do. I care for his feelings." Nellie yelled, making Michael scoff and roll his eyes as the girl pulled into a parking lot. Michael looked out the window to see his own apartment building standing tall next to them. He glanced at Nellie as she sat there with her arms crossed, the boy still feeling angry at her as she waited for him to leave.
"Wilson got money and stopped caring, what makes you think Luke won't?" Michael asked, quietly, Nellie only shaking her head and Michael's comment. She felt like he was having some sort of miscommunication as he said it to her, the girl thinking that she hadn't really felt anything for Luke as she sat there and thought about it. Michael only looked at her as he waited for her answer. Nellie only unlocked the car, keeping her eyes on her steering wheel as Michael's gaze ripped into her.
"Get out of my car." She whispered.
"Think about it." Michael said, continuing to push the girl as they sat there. Nellie hated being angry, especially with Michael. It always felt wrong and like a waste of her time. Michael knew this, but he continued to push the poor girl anyways.
Nellie only shook her head as she felt tears roll down her cheeks, all her pain being staked at the idea of Wilson. Michael noticed this as she pressed the button to unlock the car again as she began to cry. Michael's featured softened at this, the boy reaching to put his hand on her shoulder only for her to push him away.
"Get out." Nellie cried. "Get out of my car."
Michael frowned at his friend as she did this, the boy silently abiding to her wishes. Nellie didn't wait to see if he got inside and pulled away as soon as he closed the car door. It seemed as if everyone had been doing their fair share of self-loathing that night and now it was Nellie's turn specifically. So when she returned back to her apartment, she closed the door behind her without a word and got to work with a bottle of wine and drank until she passed out.
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Luke woke up the next morning with his head feeling like someone had hit it repeatedly with bricks. Nellie woke up feeling a similar way, the boy not knowing this until he left his bedroom to hear a soft knocking on his apartment door. When he opened the door Nellie was standing on the other side with her coffee cup in her hands. She only wore a shirt that was outrageously too big, socks that jumped up right past her ankles, and sunglasses that were out of place for her being indoors. Luke looked at her as she leaned her head against his doorframe, the boy not truthfully knowing if she was awake or not.
"Can I help you?" He asked, the girl frowning as she stood there. She shifted for a moment, Luke only being able to see her eyebrows move as he spoke to her. At least he could figure out if she was awake now.
"God, why is so bright in here?" She mumbled, the boy rolling his eyes before he grabbed her arm gently. Luke pulled her into the apartment, taking her cup from her hand as she stepped over to his counter and took a seat on the actually chairs for once. He glanced at her as she did this, the girl resting her hands on her cheeks as she watched the boy make her a cup of coffee.
"Did you leave to get drunk without me last night?" Luke asked as he put the cup back in front of the girl, Nellie cringing at the sound of noise. She glanced at him as she touched the mug, the girl remaining silent for a few moments as she thought about what he was asking her. It wasn't hard to figure out, but with her headache she felt like she couldn't form a coherent thought.
"I, um, no. I picked someone up and then came home where I got drunk by myself." She said, taking a sip of the coffee as Luke looked at her. He stepped away for a moment, turning the lights off in the kitchen before Nellie mumbled something to herself. She was truthfully thankful he did this, the lack of light already taking pressure off of her headache. Luke was still caught on what she had said to him though and he looked at her as his eyes adjusted to the new lighting, the only real light leaking past his curtains.
"Why did you do that, pretty girl?" He asked, Nellie scratching the side of her head for a moment before she laid her head in her arms.
"Because I'm a jackass." Nellie sighed, sipping at her coffee that burned her tongue gently. Luke gave her a look for this, the boy not really sure what she was talking about as she sat there guilty with herself for a whole set of reasons. Luke had never seen Nellie like this. She looked generally sad as she sat there running her fingers along the bottom of her mug.
After a while Nellie lifted her head from the counter, looking around Luke's apartment for a moment. Nothing had changed from when she had barged in last and she noticed this. It gave her an odd sense of comfort, like she could trust her friend to keep his morals and values even as he worked his way up to higher money. After all, Nellie feared change, ironic as it was.
"Why do you think that?" Luke asked, watching Nellie as she glanced back at him for a moment. She shrugged her shoulders gently, watching the girl as she stood up from the seat at his counter and stepped up to the doors he had leading out to a balcony. Nellie took off the sunglasses she wore and tossed them onto Luke's coffee table as she opened the curtain that revealed an empty balcony and a gray sky to accompany it. Luke watched her as she did this, the girl cringing quickly after she had opened it.
"Fuck me." She mumbled, closing her eyes as the brightness of the clouds sent a jab through her brain. Luke smiled slightly at this, watching the short girl take a seat in front of the doors. She looked small and fragile, almost like she was a baby deer who had done something she shouldn't have. It made his heart feel warm, but this wasn't something he would have admitted. Nellie failed to acknowledge this, and instead continued in what they were discussing before. "But to answer your question: I just got in an argument with a friend."
"I'm sure you guys will be alright." Luke said. Nellie only shrugged and frowned at her fingers as she picked at her nails. Luke walked over to her and sat behind her on the end of his couch. Nellie knew her and Michael were both being overdramatic but Nellie didn't want to apologize for the simple fact of avoiding the topic of Wilson. Michael knew this, and he wouldn't have made her go in depth of an apology just for that reason but Nellie didn't know this so she sat on Luke's floor and pitied herself.
"That's quite optimistic of you," Nellie said. She turned slightly to look at Luke as she said this. The boy smiled slightly as she said it to him, the action making Nellie smile herself.
"I can be positive sometimes." Luke said.
"Everyone can be positive, Luke. That's easy. The real goal is to be happy." She said, leaning back against the couch that was behind her. Luke looked down at her as she did this, the boy playing with her hair as she sat with her head by his knees. He thought about what she said, racking his brain for thoughts of happiness before someone struck a his mind boldly. Luke quickly reciprocated his hands at the thought of the person, Nellie not commenting on the difference she noticed before she spoke again.
"Are you happy, pretty boy?" She asked after she stood up. She stood in front of him now, the boy being at her eye level for once. Luke looked at her big brown eyes as she did this, her Bambi like effect falling over her face again. It was almost odd to see the pair together at the idea of Nellie being Bambi, especially since Luke was covered in wounds he earned for a win. He continued to look at her for a few moments, noticing the girl's eyes wandering across his bruised face. When she looked back into his eyes, he opened his mouth for a moment before uttering the answer he had been holding back.
"No." He said without hesitation. Nellie nodded her head at his honesty as she ran her thumb over a cut that resided just under his lip. She paused as she did this, moving her hand quickly before she shook her head slightly and blushed slightly. Nellie cleared her throat after she did this, Luke not really seeming to have a reaction as she did it.
"At least you're honest." She said, touching his furniture as she stepped back. "I'm not quite as honest." Nellie said.
Luke looked at her as she did this, the boy opening his mouth for a moment before he closed it quickly. Nellie stepped away from him and grabbed her cup before she opened the door, the boy calling her one more time before he asked her his question.
"Are you happy, pretty girl?" He asked, not looking at her as he said. Nellie only smiled and shrugged gently.
"I'm okay." She said, truthfully.
Luke only nodded at this, hearing the door close as he turned his head back towards is balcony doors. After a few moments he looked at the wall next to him, the photo of a girl on the wall mocking him. He didn't look for long because it always hurt when he even took a peek, so he quickly went back to staring at the balcony door that presented all the blanketed clouds in the sky where the girl on the wall now resided; and Luke didn't feel at peace.
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[inhumane noises]
this chapter was like depressing again, but listen: it's important. i finally revealed who the boy on the magazine from chapter two was and i think some of you were expecting ashton or calum, but i didn't make it them for the specific reason wilson is going to be kind of an asshat.
however, despite the depressing content, i gave u lellie again and i feel like this time it's even cuter. i also alluded more to luke and his back story (though i've actually done that a lot already oops what).
going to make next chapter more positive because i'm not that into endless sadness with this one. gotta pull it together because my shit it literally all over the place, for example, today i spilled my water and the just watched it for a while as it continued to spill on the floor. grade A choices am i rite?
anyways, i wasn't sure what gifs i wanted to put in this chapter i was like there's so many nice ones from that concert bc he's pulling that half buttoned thing with a flannel. am i dead? am i living? im not sure.
but one thing is for sure and it's that he's a pretty boy
(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
that's all i have to share for now though. love u.