Burn in Water, Drown in Fire

~3~ Ignorance is Your [Same] Best Friend

"What would you do if you found out that Brian was cheating on you?" Lulu asked me randomly a week later. I thought I misheard her and even raised an eyebrow in question. "If someone was cheating on you, what would you do?" she asked again.

"Did he tell me or did someone else?" I asked, getting more into detail.

"You pick," she answered.

"Well if he told me, I'd hope that it was at least someone better than me, but maybe I wouldn't break up with them depending on why he did it..." I started. "But if I had to find out from someone else, then well...I'd still hope it was with someone better than me, but then I'd definitely dump them."

"Huh," she nodded.

"Why? Is that what's between you and Zac, because—"

"No, no. I was just asking," she promised, but I wasn't fooled. Either she cheated or Zac did. And I know that for a fact. That's the only time she would be suspicious, especially after the first party of the year that was on Saturday. I didn't go, but it was crazy enough that even Brian still felt sick from his hangover. Her face suddenly brightened up. "So, you and Brian...tomorrow's a big day, huh."

I nodded, thinking about our ten-month anniversary that was tomorrow. I personally didn't think it was that big of a deal, but when you were surrounded by Lulu and Zac's on and off relationship, it was quite an accomplishment. As if on cue, I received a text from him, but I stared at the phone longer than just reading the message because of its content.

"Angel?" Lulu asked. The screen went black. Lulu called me once more and with no response, she took my phone and read the heartbreaking message for herself. "That douche bag!"

***

"Here," I said to Brian the next morning. I dropped all his stuff at his feet as he was at his locker talking to his friend.

"What's all this?" he said, grabbing my arm before I could walk away. I looked to him. "I was sick, but that's no excuse. I meant to call you—"

"Hmm. You should've," I smiled sarcastically. "But then again maybe a phone call instead of a text for a break up is asking too much of you."

"Wait what?" he asked with a confused frown. I raised an eyebrow and then knew what I was talking about. His eyes even widened. "Luke had my phone yesterday. God, I knew I saw him deleting messages."

"When?" I asked. "When did he have your phone?"

"When I made my one trip to the kitchen after being in bed all day," he answered.

"Your brother is an idiot," I commented. What I said about his brother was absolutely true, no matter how much he tried to deny it. He even gave me a look for saying it. He received one from me as well before attempting to pull me into a hug around my shoulders.

"He's not entirely stupid," he commented. "He knows what a delete button is."

"Then let me see your phone," I decided, holding my hand out. He sighed and pulled his phone out of his pocket and placed it in the palm of my hand. I looked through it and found our conversation. The message was still there and I saw that he had a conversation after mine, so he couldn't even say that he hadn't used his phone. My jaw tensed up. He let his brother break up with me for him.

Controlling my anger, I handed him back his phone and walked off. Just my luck, two idiots were in my path of travel. I shoved Brian's brother Luke into the lockers.

"Cool it, Hot-head," he laughed. I hated the stupid nickname that only he and his one and only best friend, Zac, used.

"Hot-head, Pot Head," Zac named towards me and Luke respectively. "Nice."

"I seemed to think so," he laughed, looking to Zac. "Shouldn't she go hit a pillow or something?"

"How about I hit your face instead?" I responded, reaching out to punch him, but someone caught me around the waist to pull me back. A teacher started to approach so I hit shoulders with Zac—who pulled me back—and then went to class.

***

"You saw that message but know I didn't send it," Brian whispered to me in the halls later that day. Glad to see that he realized that I was avoiding him...

"You didn't deny it," I reasoned, continuing to walk without looking back at him. This isn't working. We were better as friends. That's what his message said.

"Well I am now," he hesitated.

"Too late," I hissed as I stopped walking only to look at him once before continuing my commute to class. When I got there, I just sat with my palm on my cheek, not wanting to talk to anyone.

"Hey," someone called. I turned to Zac with rolled eyes.

"What?" I hissed with anger.

"Luke and I didn't mean it," he said.

"Mean what?" I asked.

"The text," he said. Oh great. He was in on it too.

"Doesn't matter," I decided.

"Apparently not..." he whispered. "So then no harm done?"

I turned to him.

"Luke broke up a ten-month relationship," I reminded. "There's a lot of harm done."

"I didn't know he'd actually do the dare," he laughed. I didn't join and his smile dropped. "Luke's an idiot."

"Yet you're best friends," I reminded. Despite all the trash talking between them, Luke and Zac had always been closer than Luke was to his own brother. Even though Zac was popular, he loved playing two sides of the high school food chain by fraternizing with the school delinquent. He wobbled between player and punk like nobody's business, but I just thought he needed to grow up and figure out who he is and who he wants to be.

But then again, maybe I was in the same boat.