I didn't exactly see what happened in the cafeteria. Jess, Gina, Stacey and I were too busy interrogating Lana in the girl's bathroom. well, it was actually Jess and Gina since Stacey and I were just standing there and watching. Lana said that there was nothing going on between them, I wanted to punch her in her perfect face and tell her to stay away from him like some jealous thirteen year old but I didn't.

Jess and Gina were about to tell her more about how girl code works but then we heard noise in the cafeteria and when we got there, Cole Williams was pulling Adrian off of Charlie.

Charlie was still on the floor, blood on his face, the sight made my stomach knot. Maybe it wasn't that bad but it was that bad in my eyes, Cole said something then Charlie said something and then Cole kicked him in the gut.

Adrian and I did make eye contact but he looked away like he couldn't look at me. The principal took both Cole and Adrian to his office and I didn't see him for the rest of the day, I just hoped Montgomery didn't take away his scholarship or expell him.

I did try calling him but his phone went straight to voicemail and he wasn't returning my texts.

I had never been so worried about someone so much it hurt.

After school, the girls and I decided to hang out at Gina's place.

They listened to a lot of 5 Seconds of summer, I found that as a way to distract myself from thinking about Adrian or what might have happened to him in that office but 5 Seconds of summer songs are very.... Love relating.

I felt like crying every time there was a line that reminded me of him and how much I fucked us up but I was aware of the other three people in the room so I told myself not to cry.

I was drawing in my notebook on Gina's desk, I thought I was actually good at drawing because my Mom was a painter. It was like the only memory I had of her.

The girls were laying down on Gina's king sized bed. Jess and Stacey were watching tiktok videos on Jess's phone while Gina was texting someone who was clearly making her smile.

I liked them as my friends, they made me feel like I finally fit into that high school picture. I thought they would call me a bitch and look at me differently when I told them about what happened with Adrian and Charlie at my house, they did scold me a little bit, Gina even said that I didn't deserve Adrian but they still stuck with me and I was greatful.

"Nooo!" Stacey and Jess screamed at the screen in Union.

"Ha!" Gina pointed at the screen, amused, I giggled. Stacey and Jess gave her pouting looks.

"What happened?" I asked.

"The stupid phone's out." Jess showed me the black screen while Gina went back to texting.

"Use Stacey's." I suggested.

"It's out too." Stacey groaned, laying on her back and facing the ceiling.

Of course it was, I would have suggested they read a book but unlike me, they didn't like reading much, they'd rather bury their noses in water than books.

"Gina?" Called Stacey.

"Mmm." She hummed, busy texting.

"Who are you texting?" Jess asked curiously narrowing her eyes at Gina.

"No one." She responded, smiling at her screen.

Reminded me of myself, texting Adrian at midnight and smiling at the simplest responses that weren't even that amusing.

Gosh.

"It's definitely someone." I mumbled with a sigh.

"It's no one, now leave me alone." She didn't even look up from her phone, Jess snatched the phone from her but Gina snatched it back immediately, Stacey tried to get it but Gina hid her hand behind her back.

They all paused for a second, knowing what was about to happen.

Jess jumped on top of Gina, reaching her hands behind Gina to grab the phone, Stacey started tickling Gina while I just sat there and laughed.

Jess grabbed the phone, trying to read something but Gina was trying to get it back.

Jess looked at me and said, "Emily, catch," before throwing the phone in my direction. I caught it mid-air but almost dropped it.

"Read!" Shouted Stacey as they pinned Gina on her bed.

"Emily, don't you dare!" Gina ordered.

I unlocked her phone and it led me straight to the conversation with a person she saved as asshole, I rolled my eyes at that.

I decided to read the texts out loud starting from the middle of the conversation with whoever asshole was.

I cleared my throat, like I was about to give a speech.

"Cole?" I narrowed my eyes at the screen.

"Did you just say Cole?" Asked Jess, Gina sighed.

"Yep, it says Cole." I chuckled.

"As in Cole Williams?" Stacey questioned.

"Judging by the sound of this conversation, I'm afraid so." I scrolled through the endless conversation.

"I should sue you guys for invasion of privacy." Gina pressed her face on her pillow.

"Gina, what are you doing texting Cole Williams?" Jess sounded shocked.

"Please get off me." She mumbled with her face still in the pillow, they both released her and she sat up straight. "He asked me to prom." She admitted, Jess and Stacey exchanged a look, I smiled.

It was so unlike him to ask her to prom instead of popular girls like Lana or Kim or Haley.

If it wasn't a trap.

I'd liked to think that it wasn't a trap since he quit the football team earlier in the cafeteria.

"Are you dating him?" Asked Jess.

"No." She shook her head.

"Flirting?"

"No."

"Fuc-"

"He just asked me to prom and we've only been texting for two weeks, nothing more." She clarified.

"Do you like him?" Asked Stacey.

Gina bit her lower lip and looked between all of us, she looked rather guilty.

"I think so." It barely came out of her mouth.

Stacey gasped dramatically and Jess facepalmed.

Something told me they really did not like Cole, I didn't blame them though, Cole was an asshole.

"But Gina, it's Cole." Stacey laughed.

"I know." Gina huffed.

"No, I don't think you do." Said Jess.

"I do." said Gina.

"You know, Cole Williams, jock, womanizer, total asshole." Stacey reminded her.

"I know." Gina gripped her hair at the roots.

"You know, Cole, the guy we troll every day for all that he is." Jess reminded her.

"I know I know I know, it's the worst betrayal since Emily and Charlie." She fell flat on her bed.

"Hey!" I piped.

Her phone vibrated in my hand and I zoned out of their conversation as soon as I laid my eyes on the screen.

My heart sunk to my stomach, tears demanded to fall, I suddenly felt uncomfortable and suffocated but who can I blame? I brought this on myself and now he didn't want to see me.

Wait.

Tattoo parlor? Is he planning on getting rid of the tattoo of my name? Or is he getting another tattoo?

Shit, I really had to talk to him.

Without thinking, I shot Cole a text on Gina's phone.

I rolled my eyes at the screen, dumbass.

By his idea he probably meant that Adrian wanted to get a tattoo and he felt like tagging along cause there's no way in hell Adrian suggested they go get tattoos together.

I never thought Adrian would want another tattoo and I never asked.

I was so jealous though, wishing I was there with him or something.

Then my phone vibrated, I pulled it out and found a text from Adrian.

My heart picked up it's pace and my hands shook as I unlocked my phone to read it.

*Ar

I wanted to get up and jump for joy.

I nodded, like he could see me.

He didn't reply but that was okay, I was already satisfied with the fact that he even found some kind of effort to text me after everything that I said to him.

And he said he was going to tell me everything, I was ready to hear what was behind all the bruises, the sneaking off, the mysterious lady friend he talked to on the phone, the stabbing and all that anger he had bottled up in him.

I was finally going to hear his side of the story.