"Be straight with me, Leven." (He ain't straight tho) A blonde female sat behind a bush, holding her phone up to her ear while having a conversation with the person on the other line. She seemed rather irritated, by the way she was talking to him "Why am I behind this bush, with a camera, being asked to watch a cafe?"

"Well you see, Miss Green. I was told by Garcìa that her brother plans to take our Artemus friend out to cheer her up. She's been so miserable lately ever since her man 'cheated'." Leven mused, his voice dripping with evil "And that cafe you're outside of, is exactly the place he plans on taking her."

"Okay, and?"

"And apparently, he has a thing for her."

Natalie scrunched up her nose "Isn't he, like, five years older than her?"

"Does it really matter? This is crucial information." Leven claimed "For blackmail material, I mean."

That caught the blonde's attention. She loved blackmail, probably more than one night stands, so the word almost formed stars in her eyes

"I'm listening."

---

"I still don't get why you'd take me out, to here of all places..." Megan huffed as Rafe lead her into a 50s themed cafe, her nose scrunching up slightly from the strong coffee aroma that hit her as soon as she walked in "Are you into big boobs, or something?"

Rafe laughed sarcastically, shooting her a glare before pulling her over to an empty table "Sit."

"Why--"

"So we can order, dimwit."

"I don't have any mon--"

"I know."

Megan blinked. He was being awfully blunt and strict today, was he feeling okay? After the third 'sit' command she finally gave in and sat on the metal seat at her table, with Rafe sitting across from her holding a menu out to her. She took it wearily "So... Is there a price limit, or--"

"Just order whatever you want."

Ooooookay...

She frowned. This definitely wasn't like him. Usually he was so gentle with his words, and he was so calm and kind. But now... He was cold and sharp, like a needle whenever he spoke. He was pulling a Todoroki Shouto on her!

"If you're sure... I still don't want to choose anything over a fiver..." She murmured, unsure.

"Mhmm..."

So they looked through the menu, gave their order to a peppy waitress named Cherry, and waited in silence for their food and/or drinks. Megan figured, that now was as good a time as any to confront her pierced up therapist.

"Alright, what's got your stethoscope in a twist?"

Dull black eyes met hers as Rafe lifted his head from the table, his hair falling over his eyes messily as he let out a lazy 'hmm?'. Megan rolled her eyes.

"You're not acting right, so I'm playing therapist now." She leaned her cheek on her fist, pouting at the boy "So... what's up, doc?"

Despite his obvious dulled mood, Rafe chuckled weakly. His eyes had brightened up a tad, and he seemed to relax slightly "You're an odd one."

"Thank you, I've been privy to similar statements."

"Did you just--"

"Yes."

.

.

.

"Anyway..." He coughed, sitting up a little more in his chair "You're right to think I'm not up to speed, today. I actually wanted to bring you her and cheer you up; you've obviously been overworking yourself."

Megan touched the dark circles under her eyes, smiling sheepishly.

"However, as usual... My mother ruins it by bragging about my sister, again..."

"Sadie?"

"Yeah," He stared down "She's always been the favourite, she doesn't even have to work for it. She is praised for breathing... And me?" The man paused and bit his lip, allowing his head to fall to the table again with a thump "Forget it, it's stupid..."

"No no no," Megan declined, reaching over to ruffle his hair "Come on, I thought we were connecting there..."

"But I feel dumb ranting to a kid..."

"HEY! I am at a very mature age, thank you very much!"

"Okay, okay..." The man let out a sigh and lifted his head, resting his chin on the table instead and pouted. He was acting rather childish right now, Megan almost thought it was cute. Almost. "It's really just sibling jealousy, though... Don't you fight over your parents with your siblings."

"Actually, it's more like my siblings are my parents."

"Oh, yeah, Lillie told me your parents' lived abroad." Rafe sat up again, giving her a thoughtful pout "Doesn't it get lonely without them, though?"

Boy, you have no idea...

"It's fine." She forced a smile, staring down at the checkered tablecloth "I've become accustomed with living in a parentless house, it just meant I had to learn to be independant quicker... But this isn't about me--"

"It is now."

Her eyes widened "What?"

"We came here to talk about you." He suddenly became stern, and he leaned over the table slightly "You clearly aren't okay, Megan. You hardly go out. You're pale as heck. You have eyebags. You obviously haven't been eating nearly enough." He placed his hand over her own "And you're cold to the touch... I can tell when people need help, and you need help."

Damn. Straight A. Apprentice.

Megan let her shoulders slump. She thought that maybe, if she acted all happy he'd be able to overlook her obvious issues. But obviously, that wasn't the case! However, she wasn't mad, how could she be? Right now, Rafe was the only friend she had...

She sighed, turning over her palm so she could hold Rafe's hand. He didn't mind, as long as she was open "I'm just, not myself... not since the..."

"Break up?"

"Y-Yeah..." She let out a small, sad chuckle "Emotions are strange, aren't they? People can lie to you, and decieve you, and hurt you all they want... And yet... You-"

She paused before she could shed a tear, letting out a deep breath before trying again.

"I... Still have feelings for him..."

"You mean Gladion."

"Of course I mean Gla--!" She stopped herself, and sighed to calm down "I just want to stop hurting because of him... But, being away from him is hurting me more."

"Of course you are, Meg..." Rafe told her softly. With his free hand he moved his chair up next to her, before placing it on her shoulder and squeezing it lightly "It's never easy to get over a crush..."

"But he wasn't just a crush..."

He knew that...Rafe knew how much Gladion meant to her. And to know that still stood, even after everything... It made his jaw clench.

"That bastard..." He muttered "He doesn't deserve someone like you."

"I know."

"No, you don't. You think you aren't good enough for him. But let me tell you something; he's not worth the self loathe." He told her with determination "You thinking you're bad for him is putting yourself in a worse situation, because you're convincing yourself that you played a bigger part in this than just the victim. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you even believe you're the reason he did it..."

The girl fell silent.

He sighed "I really wish you cared about yourself, more..."

"With a life like mine, I doubt that's possible..."

"Then at least don't question when someone else does. I know I care."

"Wh--" She stopped herself from asking, but she didn't get why he would care. Rafe sighed and leaned forward, planting a ghost of a kiss on her forehead.

"Because you deserve to be cared about..."

She squeaked, and he pulled away, making his way back to the other end of the table. Just in time for Cherry to bring in their orders.

"Think about it, okay?" He pleaded "Just... cut yourself some slack."

Megan, still shocked from his previous action only nodded shyly. It wasn't like she didn't want to stop feeling this way. She did. However as she had spend years in a bubble of self doubt, bursting it was easier said than done... but she could see where he was coming from. How could she love someone, if she didn't even love herself?

"I'll try..."

The man smiled "That's all I need to hear."

---

Megan trudged across the hall, alone like she had been doing for the past few days since her friends decided to 'give her space' until she made up with Gladion. Which she knew was not going to happen anytime soon...

Speaking of that McDonald's mascot reject.

Her eyes lifted just to see piercing emerald green eyes glaring at her from across the hall, the owner leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and his jaw tight. Had he been waiting for her? It seemed like he was angry, but what about? She hadn't done jack shit, so if he blew up on her he'd just be wasting both his and her time...

And then he spoke.

"Why do you look like you've been losing sleep?" He asked, obviously rhetorical in attempts to get her to stop.

Not happening

Megan let out a scoff and averted her gaze, chin up as she waltzed past him with as much bitch energy she could muster so she could leave the boy in a cloud of neglect.

It seemed like he had other plans.

A hand slammed against the wall in front of her, blocking her path which made her stumble back in surprise. She didn't look to her right, where the owner of the arm stood towering over her, but she could just tell that shit was about to go down.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

She shuddered. She knew Gladion well enough to understand his tones and draw a line between wanting to pick a fight and downright pissed off. And right now, unfortunately for her it was the latter.

"I never thought you'd stoop this low, Artemus..." He growled, his fingernails scraping against the wall as he clenched his fist "Do you honestly like hurting me that much?"

She frowned. What is he...

"You must've mistaken me for someone else," She muttered "Or you just love to pin anything and everything on me. Either way, I haven't done shit--"

His other hand grabbed her shoulder and slammed her into the wall, knocking the wind out of her and holding her there with a violent grip.

"What is this then?!"

A phone was shoved into her face, but she didn't look. Why would she? She had nothing to be guilty for, do she just turned her head away "I dunno, a burnt chicken nugget?"

Don't play innocent--"

"Well what do you want me to do?" She snapped "Because for all I know, you're trying to show me a photoshopped picture of..."

When her eyes did trail onto the picture on his phone, her mouth went dry. Shrugging his hand off her she grabbed the device to take a better look "How did you get this?"

"So it is true."

"Answer the fucking question, dipshit."

"A text was sent to the entire class this morning," Gladion explained with a low growl, snatching his phone back "When I heard you were trying to set yourself up with Rafael Garcìa, I actually didn't want to believe it. But..."

"Set up?!" Her mouth dropped "No! That isn't-- we weren't-- It isn't what it looks like!"

"Oh please!" He laughed mockingly "He's kissing your forehead, and you're blushing! It's exactly what it looks like!"

"No, listen for a moment--"

"Why should I? You didn't spare me an ear did you?"

"That's different!"

"How?!"

"Because... because..." Why couldn't she speak? She had the answer in her head, but she couldn't say it. It sounded... wrong. Gladion scoffed.

"I seriously cannot believe you. You'd want revenge on Sadie and I, so you go for her brother; Go for my best friend!"

...

"I... I didn't know Rafe was your best friend." Megan claimed in little above a whisper "And even if I did, I wouldn't... Rafe has nothing to do with--"

"Then what were you doing?!"

She was starting to have enough of him not listening to her. So he finally had a card to play against her, and he wasn't allowing her anymore turns. She was done, out of this little game they called hatred.

"I don't have to explain anything to you." She scoffed coldly, pushing past him and jumping forward before he could grab her again.

But she was stopped by something else.

"What about explaining to us, then?"

Oh, no...

Her stomach dropped instantly as she slowly turned around, watching as four familiar faces filed out of a nearby studio to stand by Gladion. Their expressions were filled with disappointment... disappointment in her.

"Megan," Lillie muttered "I've known you pretty much all my life; you were the sister I never had. You've surprised me countless times... but never, ever did I think you would do something like this."

"Lillie--"

"Save it!" A snap from Sun left her frozen "The evidence is here, Megan! You can defend all you want, but you will get shot down!"

Hau stepped in, shaking his head "After everything you said about Gladion, how you hate hypocrites and liars... And look at you. You've become just that."

"No, no you've got it all wrong--!"

"We thought you were different..." Rose whispered, close to tears.

Megan couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her friends, turning in her. Her friends, accusing her if something this horrible.

Her friends... Standing next to him as he watched her in this shooting ground of accusation. Tears pricked her vision as she clenched her jaw, and she pointed a finger in Gladion's direction.

"Well what about him?! He did something far worse, and yet you're taking his side!"

"No, he didn't Megan..." Lillie shook her head, close to tears herself "Don't even try... Because I know my brother, and he is nothing like what you think he is... And you are nothing like we thought you were. You're the villain."

Megan took a step back.

"So... we can't be friends with you anymore..."

A hand flew up to cover the girl's mouth, muffling the sob that escaped as soon as the blonde said those words. Why... what had she done? And why weren't they listening to her? Why couldn't she call out Gladion? Why couldn't she save her friendships?

And Gladion, why did he look guilty?

She turned, unable to look at the people that betrayed her any longer. She tried to compose herself with the little strength she had left, and said

"That's fine... Why did you ever want me around, anyway...?"

She made one last glance at Gladion, smiling painfully "and by the way... answering your question from before, I've been working overtime to pay for my mother's ticket home... she's getting evicted in two weeks, just so you know."

And then, she left without another word, leaving the others with their friends. What she didn't see was their own tears that they allowed to fall as soon as she turned his back.

What had they done?

---

"And with that, ladies..." Leven snickered, retreating from his spot behind the corner. Natalie and Sadie followed him down the hall in silence "Megan Artemus's spirit is officially crushed."

Natalie giggled "Serves her right, picking on poor Rafe like that~. Right, Sadie?"

...

She turned to the dark skinned girl, eyebrow raising as she saw her fingers twiddling around each other "Um, Garcìa?"

"You don't plan on stopping, do you?"

Both Leven and Natalie frowned "Pardon?"

"You're not going to stop,until there's nothing left of her to break..." Sadie muttered, clasping her hands together. Leven scoffed.

"Of course not. Why? Do you want out?"

"You're hurting Gladion, along with her..." She continued, golden eyes narrowed "I don't want him to suffer, not because of me..."

"So... You do?"

"...Yes." The small girl nodded, and without another word she walked off and away from the other two. Leven let her go, he didn't care really; He didn't need her assistance anymore, anyhow. He could do this alone now, if he wanted to. But it seemed like Natalie wanted to see Artemus crushed just as much as he did...

However, something else was coming, something no one could predict or change. Something that would make the actions made these past few weeks irrelevant. Something far worse than even Leven could predict.

Things were about to turn around, for the worst.

A/N: I am literally killing myself with these chapters. I can't handle my own angst wtf... And the worst hasn't even happened yet.

That's for the next chapter.

So, sorry if this drama is a lot to take in, but just remember... This is college, and I deal with this shit pretty much everyday.

Well I'm gonna go before y'all start throwing tissues at me.

Buh-bye~

(I know you guys have probably seen this already, since it's my profile backround. But, here' the full pic just in case)