۫ ּ ִ ۫ ˑ ֗ 𓏲˖ 𑁍 ࣪ ִ ۫ ּ ִ ۫ ˑ ֗
࣪𓏲ּ ֶָ  ✩◿𝓼𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓽𝓮◸ 🂱 ࣪𓏲ּ ֶָ
CHAPTER ELEVEN—
algebra wasn't easy either.

Theo breathed heavy as she spun in a circle, looking for a way out of the endless mirror maze. She saw her reflection each way she turned, running into every mirror as she tried to escape. While she hit hard, it wasn't enough to form the bruising and trauma her skin was being met with each time she turned. It was different, the mirror was taunting her past trauma onto her skin.

She spun and faced the mirror behind her, her reflection fading into a memory. A bad memory.

"I'm getting tired of your attitude, Theo." the twins Dad shook his head as he came home late after a hard day. She's given him nothing but lip since the moment he walked in the door, mouthing off about how she was sick and tired of being the parent around here. "You don't talk to you Mom that way. She's just as much their parent as I am."

"Because she actually does something. What do you do other then get fired every month and purposely push all your responsibility onto me?" her voice rose, but it had been kept in all day. "The twins are both sick and I can't even go to school because I had to stay home and take care of them!"

"So first you want me to work more and now you want me to be home with the kids!" he tossed his hands up. "You're impossible. You're lucky you're not my kid, cause i'd have smacked you in the mouth by now."

"Do it." she threatened him, not thinking he actually would as she turned away. He caught her arm, turning her around and did smack her right in the mouth. Just as her Mom came home. Maybe God wasn't on her side, but he did have perfect timing.

Theo backed away from the mirror and looking for more ways out, continuing to run into mirror after mirror until more trauma played.

"What's the matter?" Chad asked as he pulled away from Theo, originally laying ontop of her as they kissed.

"I just....feel like we're moving fast." freshman year Theo spoke to the junior infront of her, sitting up and rubbing her arms. She really did like Chad, and the sex thought didn't sound horrible, but it didn't sound great either. They'd only been together a week and she'd never had a boyfriend, let alone had sex before. Her Mom was a teen mother, Theo already felt like a parent to her siblings and just wasn't ready. Nor did she really want to have sex yet. She was still in the honeymoon phase where they'd hold hands and get to know each other. That phase was never for Chad.

He got off his bed with an annoyed groan. "Okay, fine. Whatever you want, Theo."

She hesitated as he grabbed his backpack. "Where are you going?"

"Downstairs to do my homework." he shrugged his shoulders in return. "You should go out the window so my Mom doesn't see you."

"You just want me to leave?" Theo frowned her eyebrows together. "You said you wanted to hang out."

"Yeah, well, if we're not gonna do anything then I might as well just do my homework." he shrugged his shoulders. "I thought you were fun. That's why I wanted to date you, because I liked how fun you are. But if you can't even do something so simple, then I don't know if I even want to keep going out."

Theo felt a rush of panic. No. No, no, no. She wanted Chad, she was crazy about him for so long. He introduced her to a world full of friends, he introduced her to Locke. She couldn't afford to let her life go, to just let him walk away so fast. She stood up quickly before he could leave. "Chad. Wait."

And even if she didn't want to, she took her shirt off.

The only way Theo could stop seeing the mirror was by punching the glass, watching it shatter all around her. The mirrors were closing in as she sunk onto the floor, clasping her hands over her ears. She could feel Vecna's hand touching her head, the mirrors pressing into her shoulders harshly.

Then, they shattered everywhere.

Theo felt a pull against her body, being pushed behind El as the bald headed girl kept her hand rose toward Vecna. Theo hid behind her with deep breaths, having a million questions but no time to ask them.

'But I'll be stumbling away
Slowly learning that life is okay'

Theos head turned as she saw an opening tear in the dark room. She could see Mike shaking her, Locke and Will on either of her side while Jonathan and Argyle messed with the radio.

"Theo, go." El nodded at her.

"You aren't coming?" she gave her a worried look.

"Soon." El saw how hesitant she was, nodding her head. "Promise. I have to save Max. I-"

Vecna started to get up from the glass as El squeezed Theos arm again. "I love her. And you love him. So, go to him like I am for Max."

And somehow, hearing it from El was all Theo needed to know that maybe she did love Mike Wheeler. She didn't truly know how love felt, but there was always a time for a first. She thought she loved Chad, but she absolutely didn't. She loved Mike though, he was the first person for her to love. She wasn't the first for him, but sometimes the first one doesn't always matter.

Theo ran to him.

'Take on me.'

Theo jumped through the small hole in her personal hell, opening her eyes and in the arms of Mike as she gasped. They all sighed in relief as Mike smiled, grasping her face and pulling her into a hug. "I thought I lost you for a second there."

"Not yet, Wheeler." Theo panted as Locke laid his head between her shoulder blades, letting the shock and relief take over him. "Not yet."

It was just the two of them.

Theo was wrapped up in Mikes arms as they sat in the back of the van, Will and Locke promising to take care of El as she got Max back. Theo needed a second alone, but she liked it best when her alone was with him. Mike rubbed the side of her head as Theo shut her eyes and let her heart rate start to stopping beating out of her chest. "I don't care."

Mike frowned his eyebrows but hadn't moved. "What?"

"I don't care about Chad, or my friends, other then Locke." Theo admitted it, talking slightly fast so she would say it before anything else. "I just don't care about it anymore. I care about you, I really do."

"I c-" he began.

"And if you still love El, that's okay. I know it wasn't part of the plan, but you make me feel my best self." Theo went on, cutting him short. "Even when you're pissing me off, and even when I wanna hate you, you're still the only person I wanna be around. I'd rather sit in the AV room and listen to podcast with you instead of going to his basketball games. I'd rather know you aren't gonna judge me for where and how I live instead of lying to Chad about living with Locke just so he won't think less of me."

She sat up and did what she thought she never would, she looked him right in the eye when she spoke. "I mean, look at me right now. I'd rather be fighting fucking monsters and driving around the desert with you instead of putting toppings on frozen yogurt with him!"

Mike laughed as Theo did too, he smiled as she nodded her head. "You weren't part of this stupid plan, but I think I knew that. Because even before, even when we did that dumb project, i'd have rather been with you then him. And I think that says a lot, but I was scared to admit it."

Mike cupped her face like how he did when she came back from Vecna, it seemed like it was the only way he knew she was okay for certain. "Theo, I have explain something. I didn't know it until I thought you were dying."

At least they had that in common.

"El was the first girl I actually ever liked. She was the first girl that liked me back, so being around her makes me feel like nothing is gonna change. Like, everything will be set the perfect way every single day." he explained, a questioning look in his eye and across his face as if he was figuring if all out as he spoke. "I get...scared of change. I hate it, it's not fair and it never ends good. I like a routine, when things stay the same. Last year, when El and I broke up, I was sad because I did really like her. But, then I met you and when I was suppose to be thinking about her, I literally just liked being around you."

Theo gave a soft smile as Mike inhaled. "This is hard for me, you know? How different it is. People like me and people like you are a big change, you coming into my life is a big change. It's just...it's hard to accept it all but all I ever wanna do is see you everyday. And being with her now, it's familiar, and it's comforting. But it's not what I want, it's really not because you are right there in my head."

Theo leaned her head forward some so their noses touched. "I didn't know you were so scared of change, Mike. I'm glad you told me that, because I get it. And it makes more sense to me now. I'm sorry I scare you so much."

"You do, but in a good way." his eyes widened a little bit. "I'm gonna try to pull away from you, and try to keep things a certain way all the times. And I know that you are pretty much the complete opposite, so that's not gonna be easy."

Theo stared, Mikes heart was jumping through his chest and making him nauseous. She shrugged her shoulders. "Algebra wasn't easy either, and I still got through it."

A little grin start to spread across his face as Theo cupped his face, as he had her. "I think that, with some possible fighting and a lot of stress, we can figure out a way to work together on it."

"And you don't care what everyone else is gonna think?" he rose his eyebrows in questioning. "Because, i'm gonna have to find a way to explain to my best friend that's our ex-bully is now my girlfriend."

"I think i'm gonna dump my friends." Theo said honestly with a shake of her head. "Not worth keeping them around when I have so many better ones now. Except Locke, he stays."

Mike smiled with a nod of his head. "We're probably gonna regret giving this a shot."

"We're absolutely gonna regret giving this a shot." Theo shook her head with a bright smile, leaning in and kissing him on the lips. Not as a secret hookup. Not as two people trying to fill a void from their ex's. As girlfriend and boyfriend. As the change he was so scared of, and the life she so desperately never wanted. But, sometimes your dreams really do change.

•

kylie speaks

i'm not crying. YOU'RE
CRYING!!