a/n: #61. That's us on the Fanfiction ranking today! Yesterday it was #70 I'm like WHAT?! This is all thanks to you, lots of love, beautiful readers 💙

*Laurel's P.O.V*

I've got a feeling I should be crying. However, the tears don't drip down.

Come on, Laurel, your boyfriend just broke up with you and you're not crying?

He said it's just a break, for Christ's sake, probably we'll be back by morning.

At the moment, I am more worried about the friend thing he said. I don't even know why he said that. Could it be about H?

I google Luke Hemmings and girlfriend - this is so weird - and a link to Perez Hilton's website shows up. I read the entire article and, at first, I'm completely confused. Then everything starts making sense.

"Laurel claims she's had a troubled past relationship to get Luke's empathy."

There are only two people who know about Sean here, and one of them is Luke.

In a mix of anger and disappointment, I rush downstairs to take a cab, wanting to get there as soon as possible.

I ask the driver to wait for me, since I won't be long. I knock on the door with so much strength I might have scared the neighbors, but now I could care less about them.

Megan opens the door, smiling at me.

"Hey! What's wro--"

"Shut up" I storm, getting inside her apartment. She closes the door and I turn to her. "Give me one good reason not to rip your eyes off!"

"Laurel, are you drunk? What the hell are you talking about?!"

"I trusted you, Megan! You were my very first friend here and I could trust you with my soul!"

Oh, the tears, always at the worst timing.

"Isn't it enough for you that I lost everything where I lived before? You release information about me on the Internet for everyone to see! You fucking ruined my relationship, goddamnit, and I have no clue why! WHY, MEGAN?!"

Megan stares frightened at me, out of words at first.

"I never posted anything online, Laurel, for the love of God!" She yells. "Why would I do that to you?!"

"I don't know, you tell me!" I retort. "Do I need to show you the website that you contacted yourself, H?"

Megan shakes her head.

"You're not okay, I don't know what you're talking about. Maybe you're drunk, I can get you some medicine and we--"

"I'M FUCKING SOBER FUCK" I yell, desperate, feeling all the parts of my body shaking in anger.

"Okay, c-calm down" she stutters, raising her hands innocently. "Now tell me what I supposedly posted online"

"Hmm, maybe you lost your memory, try reading what you release for once in your life." I smile, sarcastically.

"Laurel, please, I really don't know what you're talking about!" She whines.

I walk towards her.

"Don't you ever talk to me again."

The cab is waiting, just like I told the driver to, and I demand he rushes back to the university. I step inside my apartment, turning off my phone so that no one is able to reach me, and try holding back my tears.

"I'm alone" I tell myself, feeling the knot in my throat too big for me to swallow. "I'm alone"

I get to my bed, curling myself in a ball as I feel all the tears dripping from my eyes. I screwed up things with Luke, my best friend is a backstabber. There is no one else in here for me.

I am completely lost.

                                  •••

4 hours later...
Someone knocks on my door. I try ignoring the heartache and the stomachache I'm feeling and wipe my tears off, dragging myself towards the door.

"Good news!" Riley rushes inside, joyful. "The guys from San Fran called, and..."

She stares at me and gets scared of how miserable I look.

"Laurel... what's wrong?"

"Life, I guess" I smile sadly, wiping one last tear falling down my eye. "You were saying?"

"I um... I forgot. Now I want to know what happened to you. You are always cheerful, goofy!"

"Things just slipped from my control, Riley..."

"Is it something about Luke Hemmings?" She asks.

I nod, and giggle because of the way she said his name, like he's completely out of reach. This is how I used to feel about him, too...

"Don't worry, everything will get better" she says, hugging me. "You know, we need to pull back the arrow so it reaches longer distances"

I raise my eyebrows.

"Is that some wisdom quote you found on the Internet?"

"May...be" She looks to both sides and I laugh. "Still wisdom, though. Sometimes we think our lives are at their worst, and if this is your case right now, you will agree with me that all you can do now is go up again!"

"Or I could stay here, at the bottom of the ocean." I massage my temples.

She leans her arm on my shoulder and pulls me closer.

"You are most definitely not, Laurel. You're smart, beautiful, funny! I wonder how many opportunities you're gonna have in your life of doing amazing things"

"I think I'd rather stay home and eat a big bowl of ice cream" I groan, and Riley giggles.

"Can I join you? I love ice cream and sad movies!"

"We're gonna cry together" I nudge her.

"How fun! Only... well, it's gonna be difficult"

I frown.

"What are you talking about, you live just a few blocks away"

"I might need to visit you in San Francisco for us to do that..." She shrugs, glancing at me.

I'm petrified.

"Excuse me?"

"As I was saying earlier, the guys from San Fran called..."

"Riley" I whisper. "The scholarship. Is it mine?"

She looks at me, causing one freaking thriller I can't take. At last she laughs.

"Yes, it is! You got it, Laurel!"

I scream, hugging her tight.

"I can't believe it!" I cheer, throwing myself on the bed. "I can't!"

"A guy named Jim gave the news. He was crazy looking for you! He wanted to be the one to tell you but since your phone seemed inoperative he called us in the lab, and you're in! Congratulations, boss!"

I yank off bed to catch my phone, turning it on again.

"Oh my God, I need to tell..." My lock screen shows up. It's a picture of me and Luke in Sydney. Trying to ignore the pain, I sigh. "no one."

Riley stands up and wraps her arm around mine.

"Hey, you're a strong woman, you don't need no man. And besides, I'm sure whatever happened between you and Luke Hemmings will be fixed. Just you wait."

I smile at her.

"Thanks, Riley."

"My pleasure. They want you to move within a fortnight. Have you started looking for a place to live?"

"Not really..."

"Oh God, then you should. Enjoy your free time since you won't be working until you get there"

Riley walks towards the door, but before she leaves she gives me another hug.

"I know we were never the closest friends, but I really care for you. And I'm very very proud of you, Laurel" She says.

"I won't forget about you, Riley" I joke. "Soon you'll be there with me"

She chuckles and leaves.

I get my phone, staring at it for several minutes. Should I text him? This is a very special occasion! Or is it just an excuse because I can't stand not having him around, even if it is for a couple days?

I decide I'm not calling, not texting. Instead, I turn on my laptop and start looking for affordable apartments in San Francisco.

While I'm doing my research, my phone buzzes. I look to the screen before me with goggled eyes, feeling my heart beating so hard in my chest I'm afraid it can rip it off.

That's Luke, it's Luke, it's Luke.

Message from Austin

"Ugh" I groan to myself, rolling my eyes as I unlock the screen.

heyyy, just wanted to know, have u heard the song? 😄

"Why the hell is Austin so insistent with this goddamn song?" I ask myself, getting Spotify. I search for the song and it's starts playing.

I can't lie, you're on my mind, stuck inside my head. I wanna feel your heart beat for me instead, yeah! I just die so much inside now that you're not there; I wanna feel your heartbeat like yesterday.

I never did my best to express how I really felt, and now that I know exactly what I want you found somebody else...

By the end of the song, I'm laughing so much. How am I supposed to respond to that? I can't believe he's still trying after all I told him.

And the worst part? This song is very, very, very good.

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Hmm, why was Megan denying so much? haha that's it for today! Vote and share if you like it, and don't forget to comment as well!
there's another update coming tomorrow!
Stay beautiful 💗 xo
PS: I tried finding a link on YouTube for the original I Can't Lie but I couldn't, so if you've got Spotify you should definitely listen to it, it's one of the best songs by Maroon 5 to me!