12 | sweet and sour

Never look down on anybody unless you're helping them up.

- Michael Clifford

________________________

- L I L A -

"So, are you and Matthew a thing now?" Gloria spoke up, trying to spark a conversation whilst gaining Isaac's attention.

I placed my pen down on the page and turned to her with a curious expression that had traces of slight amusement. "Why do you want to know?" I questioned. "Do you like Matthew?"

"Answer the question, Lila." Isaac whispered, leaning forward on the table his forearms with his pen lid in his mouth. "We both want to know the answer."

I stared at his sunken, faded blue eyes, watching as he waited patiently for my answer. An answer I didn't have at that moment.

"We both like each other, but we're not official yet." I confirmed, trying not to smile when Gloria rolled her eyes and began to scowl. "Gloria? Why did you  sit next to me?"

Her head snapped in my direction, and she huffed, standing up. "I know we don't like each other, but I just wanted to know if there was something going  on between you and Matthew." She confessed, shrugging with a blank   expression. "Loads of girls like him, but we can never speak to him because he's always with you."

Yasmine choked on holding back a laugh and snorted as she covered her mouth. "Is that why so many girls came up to me asking if he was single?"

Gloria blushed and turned swiftly on her heels with her head low.

Wow.

Isaac frowned and gave me a sad smile as we exited the class and headed towards the hall. "I'm still in love with you," he whispered, glancing at Matthew as he spoke to Greg. "That's not going to change."

_____

"What's wrong?" Matthew asked, bumping his body against mine gently in order to get my attention.

Tearing my gaze from a heartbroken Isaac, I remained silent and focused on the teacher giving a lecture about a subject I wasn't all too interested in.  "Nothing, it doesn't matter."

"Are you sure?" he questioned, turning his head to face me.

I'm still in love with you.

Isaac had done the exact same thing with Vanessa. He probably played mind games with her, making her confused about her feelings so she eventually cheated on Matthew. Isaac hurt his best friend and was doing the exact same thing with me, playing on my guilt so I could feel sorry for him.

Seeing Matthew's hand on the armrest, I contemplated grabbing his hand before I actually gained the confidence to interlace our fingers. "Positive."

Matthew grinned and rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb, Yasmine  directing a huge smile my way along with a sly wink. "My ship is sailing." She whispered, nudging me with her foot.

From across the hall, Isaac's gaze fell to our joined hands, a deep frown impairing his face as he looked up at me.

They had a thing when I was dating her.

Once the period had ended, everyone filtered out of the doors whilst Isaac  glanced at me meaningfully, his eyes full of an emotion I wished I never  saw. He then turned his back on me, exiting the hall through the opposite exit with his head low.

I sucked in a deep breath and bit the corner of my lip, asking myself why he was acting like that. It wasn't normal since Isaac was naturally a cocky, confident guy that had no problem in saying what he wanted. But, if he really was heartbroken, that meant he actually was in love with me.

Taking my hand from Matthew's, I rubbed my temples in frustration and closed my eyes as we stepped out into the parking lot. I couldn't stand love  triangles, and I felt resentment towards Isaac for making me feel like that.

"Hey,"  Matthew whispered, taking me by the wrist and gently stopping me, with a slow grin appearing on his face. "I really like you. I just don't want the whole Isaac situation to change the way you act around me."

I bit the inside of my cheek as the warmth flooded my cheeks, plastering a soft red on my face. "It won't, I promise."

He raised his hand to rest on my cheek, his eyes closed as his lips  twitched upwards. "You know," he laughed breathily. "The worst thing is,  I'll never know where your lips are, so I apologise if I ever awkwardly kiss your chin or nose in the future."

Laughing in response, I hooked my hand around his wrist and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "That just means I'll have to be the one to kiss you,  then."

Stepping back, Matthew grinned lazily. "I don't mind that at all." He grabbed my face in between his hands and slowly leant in before he located my lips, and pressed them against his, his thumb caressing my cheek softly. "I have a doctor appointment," he spoke, "but I want to see you later, is that okay?"

I nodded and blushed once I caught sight of Angus grinning widely at  Matthew and me, an expression of satisfaction appearing on his face. As  Matthew leaned in again, I swerved, hugging him instead. "I'll see you later."

For the second time, Isaac was watching me as he stood by his car, which was coincidentally parked right next to mine. I clenched my jaw,  tightening the straps of my bag whilst I brushed past him with my gaze  focused on everything but him.

"Lila," he called out, desperation leaking out of his tone when I didn't answer and retrieved my car keys from my jacket pocket. "Lila, come on," Isaac persisted, grabbing my wrist and pulling me back.

"What, Isaac," I snapped, looking at him with an awaiting expression. "What do you want to tell me now? That you think you're in love with me?"

He sighed and ran a stiff hand through his blond hair, bunching it in his hand. "I know I'm in love with you, but that's not what I want to talk to you about." He paused and released his grip on his dishevelled hair. "Is it possible that I can at least be your friend if I can't be your boyfriend? You made it perfectly clear that Matthew is your choice. Friendzone me,  Lila."

"Is this what you did with Vanessa?" I retorted, raising my eyebrows. "Pretend that you just wanted to be her friend?"

Isaac groaned and threw his head back. "Not you too. Look, I've had time to think, and you've already chosen Matthew, so there's no use in me trying to convince you that I'm in love with you. If I can't be your boyfriend, I'd love to be your friend."

"You're way too happy about this, just hours ago you looked like you were about to cry," I responded, looking at him with cautious eyes. "I don't really trust you, Isaac."

"That's because you don't know me," he affirmed, his blue eyes staring into  mine intensely. "There's more to me than just 'the girlfriend stealer'."

Crossing my arms over my chest, I sat on the hood of my car, blowing out a deep breath. "Is there really?" I questioned. "If you liked me, you could've just told me. You didn't have to kiss me when you knew Matthew has feelings for me."

"Lila-"

Shaking my head, I pushed myself off my car, opening the door to the driver's seat. "I don't think we can be friends. I'm not sure I want to have a  friend that had no problem in helping a girl break his best friend's heart."

---

"Come on," he laughed, leaning back in his seat. "You at least have to have a favourite flavour."

Tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear, I held my chin in the palm of my  hand. "I'll just get whatever flavour you're getting."

Matthew then leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on the side of my mouth. "Mint," he whispered gently. "I'll get mint chocolate." He put his  earphones back in his ear, and dug his hand into his pocket to retrieve a  packet of dog treats for Toby, Toby stirring from his position by Matthew's feet at the seat.

I grinned and stood up from my seat, managing to bump into the person  behind me in the process, hearing her curse soon after. "Would you watch  where you're going?" she snapped, sending a look of annoyance my way.

"You walked into me," I responded, taken aback. "I was getting up and didn't see you."

She studied me for a moment before she turned back around and sat in her  seat, picking up her phone. Rolling my eyes, I stepped over her bag and  headed towards the counter.

Once I got both of our ice-creams, I brought out my wallet, taking out the correct amount and passing it to Maia with a smile. "How come you're at work today?" I asked, hearing her sigh.

"I need some extra cash to get some Christmas presents for my family, and I was free after school." She answered, grinning. "So, are you on a date with Matthew?"

I laughed and shook my head. "Oh, no. We're just hanging out as-" my sentence was cut short as I looked back at Matthew, my eyebrows pulling into each other after I saw him kissing the same girl that bumped into me. My mouth dropped open and I dropped the ice-creams, Maia gasping when the cold cones landed on her.

"Lila! Are you okay?" she exclaimed, not bothering to wipe her apron once she looked up at me.

"Y-yeah," I answered, tearing my eyes away from them. "I'm so sorry, I just got a really bad cramp. Could you tell Matthew that something came up and I went home?"

Glancing back at them, the girl was grinning as Matthew gripped her hands and continued to kiss her, a laugh falling from his lips. Hurt surged through me, Maia's gaze following mine before she gasped in shock.

"Oh my god, what a jerk," she scoffed, placing a hand on my shoulder. "I'm going to go give him a piece of my mind."

I instantly gripped her wrist, halting her in her movements. "No!" I reacted, shaking my head. "I can't speak to him right now. J-just tell him there was a family emergency when he asks you where I went, I need to see someone."

She nodded and took her apron off, sending me a sympathetic glance before I turned on my heels and whipped my phone out from my pocket. dialling the first person that  could provide my questions with answers.

Isaac.