Monday
Ethans POV:
Autumn and I walked into school hand in hand.
Both of us tired. Not wanting to face Monday.
After last night, she obviously didn't go home so she got ready at my place. We left late, leaving Grayson to drive here by himself. Poor Gray.
As for the message from Cassidy to Autumn, I deleted it before she could see it.
"Hey nasty asses!" Gray came and slapped my ass.
"Dude what the hell!" I shook my head, rubbing my ass.
"Don't rub your ass in public it's weird." Alice giggled.
"You're boytoy, dick twitch here is weird." I laughed at Alice.
"Guys!" Jules ran over, dragging Dylan behind her. "Have you guys not realized that we haven't hung out in like...forever!" She shook her head in disbelief. "This weekend we need to do something."
"Like what?" Autumn looked at them, "I know!" She threw her arms out.
She's adorable when she gets excited.
"Karaoke bar!" She clasped her hands together.
"Oh hell yeah!" Grayson highfived her, his other arm around Alice. "I'm so down! I can rent us out a room thingy."
"A room 'thingy'?" Dylan raised his eyebrows, "So a private room?"
"Yeah, but this ones fun unlike the ones you get with Jules." Grayson smirked.
"Hey!" Jules giggled. "I'm down for that." Grayson raised an eyebrow at her. "The karakoke room!" She shook her head.
Alice nodded, "I've always wanted to hear Grayson sing, so yes!"
"Unfortunantly Alice, I have better vocals." I smirked, Autumn shaking her head beside me as she giggled. "What? I do!"
"Bro I'd rather hear your muffled wall moans again than your vocals."
"Burn!" Dylan threw his hands around, "Shots have been fired bro."
Autumn blushed and shook her head, "It was good, not going to lie."
"I mean I guess, but Gray's wrong!" I wrapped my arm back around Autumn.
"So agreement, karaoke this weekend?" Jules looked at us. "I miss best friend time." She pouted.
"Me too, I'm in." Autumn smiled widely.
The 15 minute warning bell rang and we all mentally prepared to disperse before I saw Cassidy from the corner of my eye. She was beelining over to Autumn.
Oh shit.
"Autumn be prepared." I muttered causing her to give me a puzzled look.
"You're going to leave me on read?" She snapped, standing infront of our path.
And there it is.
Grayson turned around and looked at Cassidy.
"Get a load of this guy." Dylan muttered.
"Shut up!" Cassidy snapped, causing Dylan to put his hands up.
"I don't know what you're talking about?" Autumn looked at her in pure confusion.
I probably should've told Autumn in that split second I had before.
"I read it." I piped up.
"I'm sorry?" Cassidy looked over at me, Autumn doing the same. Her confusion showed deeper.
"I read the message and deleted it. You know, for the most part, everyone here just wants to graduate and not deal with any bullshit. I didn't want Autumn to, so I deleted it after I read it."
"Why were you snooping through her phone?" She looked at Autumn, "He did that to me too. He's crazy."
"I never once snooped through either of your phones." I looked at Cassidy, "You have a lot of nerve to call me the crazy one."
Autumn looked at me, "I'm sure he just saw the notification and your harsh words and decided to save me the aggervation."
She knew me so well.
I love her so much.
"Do you always stand up for him?"
"Isn't that what a good girlfriend does?" Autumn snapped, clearly trying to shade Cassidy for being a terrible girlfriend.
Cassidys hand instantly connected with Autumns cheek in a harsh slap.
Autumns hand placed carefully over her cheek and she shook her head. "I'm not going to fight you if that's what you want." Her voice came out shakey, her eyes watering from the pain. "I have class." She disconnected from my side and fast walked into the bathroom.
I heard Jules speak behind me, "I got it." She went into the bathroom after Autumn.
"I can't believe you date such a low bitch!" Cassidys high pitch whine filled my ears.
"No, I believe I dated that about-"
"C'mon." Grayson grabbed my arm, "Do not stoop to her level."
"All you have to do is dump Autumn and everything can go back to the way it was."
"I don't want it to, why can't you see that?" I spat, before Grayson pulled me harshly.
"I said, c'mon."
We made our way to class, Grayson silent behind me as we walked.
The day dragged, I hadn't seen Autumn since she got slapped.
I should have told her I read the message. I knew Cassidy was crazy, but I didn't think she'd approach Autumn about it.
Lunch was next period, but I couldn't wait till then to talk to my Princess.
Me: Love are you okay
Autumn🍂❤️: Yeah, my cheek hurts like a bitch
Autumn🍂❤️: was I right about why you were on my phone
Me: yeah I would never go on just to go on it. I saw the unknown number and I worried it'd be her and I knew by what she said that it was
Autumn🍂❤️: I figured
Autumn🍂❤️: thanks though. I wouldve faught her back, but I want to walk graduation
"Mr. Dolan, is there something exciting going on in your lap?" The teacher looked at me, causing the whole class to erupt into laughter.
"Uh...no." I really wanted to say, yes and it's more exciting than anything in her lap, but I didn't. I wanted to walk graduation too.
Autumns POV:
After school I made my way out to Ethans car, but he hadn't come out yet.
The day was long, a few people asking me about my now purple cheek. The questions didn't really bother me, I just played it off as a misunderstanding.
In honesty, that's kind of what it was.
I wasn't excited to show my parents. I need to hide it with makeup and not let them see. This was the last thing they needed to see. I'd just worsen everything.
I leaned against E's BMW, my head down scrolling through my twitter.
"Even with a purple cheek she is still the most beautiful girl." I heard Ethan call causing me to look up, "Oh shoot did you hear that?" He smiled and approached me, his arms wrapping around me.
"I did." I giggled, kissing him softly. "You took forever."
"Oh shush."
"Make me."
He smirked and unlocked his car, "Don't tempt me Princess."
I blushed and got in the car. "Can you drop me off at my place?"
"Why?" He started his car, his eyes slightly wide in worry.
"I just have to cover my cheek with makeup before my parents see." I put my hand over his in the middle console. "Why'd you worry?"
"I uh..." He pulled out of the spot, "I thought you might've been mad about this morning and wanted to get away from me."
"Oh nonono." I rubbed his arm. "I'm not mad at you. You were trying to protect me, I appreciate that. I just...I can't give my parents anymore stress."
"I know my love." He stopped at a stoplight and placed a soft kiss on my hand. "I'm glad you knew my intentions."
"I mean unless you wanted me to get slapped." I laughed and took his phone to play some music.
"Oh always." He joked and started driving again.
I turned on Ocean Alley, "Some bops." I grinned as Ethan started singing along.
The whole way to my house I couldn't help but admire Ethan being so care free and happy.
This was my love.
This was the Ethan I knew.
I wouldn't let anybody try to make him out any different.
This was his purest form.
We pulled into my house and I smiled at him lovingly, "You can go home. I can walk over." I kissed him softly.
He smirked into the kiss and put his hands on my hips pulling me closer, but I pulled away. "Not now."
"But why not." He frowned.
"Cause I have to cover this before my parents get home!" I kissed his chin. "Then I'll be over."
"I can't wait." He slapped my ass as I started to get out of the car.
"Alright weirdo. Won't Gray be home?"
"Ever stopped us before?"
"Shut it." I smiled and blushed, shutting the car door and walking in.
I heard movement from the kitchen.
Fuck.
"Autumn you home?" I heard my mom call.
My mom? Why the hell was she home?
"Uh yeah I'm home! I have to run upstairs,"
"Can you actually come in here a second."
"I really should run up," Too late. She turned the corner and saw my cheek.
"What the hell happen?" She looked intently at my cheek. "Tell me. Did that boy hit you?"
"No! Ethan didn't hit me! He would never!" I started up the stairs, but she stopped me.
"Then what happen?"
"Some girl at school slapped me."
"Why?"
"It doesn't matter why!" I went into my room slamming the door.
"I'm calling your dad to come home right now! You aren't leaving until we sort this out!"
"Mom it was just a big misunderstanding, leave me alone!" I was exasperated.
She doesn't care about what I do until I get hurt.
I heard my mom telling my dad to come home on the phone and I went downstairs. "He coming?"
She nodded and sat down at the table. "I can't believe you let yourself get slapped! Did you even try to defend yourself?"
I blinked a couple of times and took a deep breath. "I...what? Did I try to defend myself? It happen so fast! I'm not going to hit her back and have the school get involved and risk my graduation!" I snapped. "I can't believe you think I wanted this to happen."
I heard my dad come in, perks of him working close to home. "What happen? Are you okay?" He looked at my cheek.
"Some girl slapped our daughter and she didn't even do anything about it!"
"You should've hit back."
"Dad, I want to walk at graduation."
"Good point." He grabbed some ice for my cheek. "Does the school know?"
"No we dispersed before they could. I didn't want a scene. I'm not about that."
"Why'd she hit you?"
"It's Ethans ex. She's just mad at me for being with him. Ethan got mad at her and was going to defend me, but Grayson pulled him away because he didn't want Ethan to get in trouble."
"She's mad you're with Ethan?"
I nodded and carefullt adjusted the ice onto my cheek.
It was easy to tell my dad these things. I opened up to him more than my mom. I knew my dad would actually listen instead of yelling at me.
"Well Ethan's trouble." My mom snapped. "You need to stop seeing him."
"Yeah." I laughed, "That's not going to happen."
"She doesn't have to break up with Ethan." My dad looked at her confused, "It's not like he hit her. Autumn you have to be careful though. If she keeps coming for you, it's not healthy."
"I don't trust him." My mom shook her head. "I don't want you with him."
"I don't care." I looked at my mom, "I love him." I started to walk out of the kitchen.
"Autumn Mae."
I went up stairs and shut the door, locking it behind me. I was upset, hurt, and beyond frustrated.
I can't break up with Ethan, he's been here for me more than my own mom has. He's helped me, brought the best in me out.
He can't control Cassidy.
I can't put more stress onto my family.
I needed to talk to him though. What Cassidy was doing wasn't healthy. I wasn't going to leave Ethan, we needed to talk. To form a plan.
Anything to try to get them to leave us alone.