✸ ANYONE ELSE
chapter eight ━━ you only want me 'cause i'm taken

THE SOUND OF loud music along with the smell of sweat and alcohol met Julie and Anya before they even entered the house. It actually met them three houses down, before the blinking lights from the mirrorball even entered their vision.

As usual, it took them a bit of time to feel comfortable among the many drunk high schoolers, but once they got into their ignore-the-people-around-you-and-just-enjoy-the-moment mood, they were dancing with the others on the table, and the two of them were soon stood in front of the karaoke machine, No Control by One Direction filing the room as the two best friends sang their hearts out to their anthem.

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WITH A BRIGHT, innocent smile plastered on her face, Julie walked down the path to her house. The party had, without her even drinking a drop of alcohol, made her all giddy.

The house came into view as she came closer, but so did the silhouette of Steven. He was apparently waiting for her, as his wandering eyes came to a permanent stop when he saw her.

His face broke into a nervous smile when she quickly came closer.

"Hey," his voice sounded small in the cold night air. "I figured you'd be home around now,"

She nodded, unsure of what to answer.

"Can we take a walk?" He found himself more nervous than he thought he'd be, voice wavering a bit. "I really need to talk to you about something,"

"Sure," she smiled up at him and gestured for him to start walking.

Silently, they walked next to each other on the familiar path down to the beach.

They came to a stop when they reached the shoreside, and Steven, still quiet, sat down in the cold sand. Earlier in the day, it would have been a comforting feeling, sitting in the warm sand and looking at the glorious ocean, but not now. The sea was dark. Extremely dark. And the sand felt hard and cold under Steven. Maybe this had been a bad idea.

"Jules," he took a deep breath. "Julie."

"Yeah?" When he stayed silent after uttering her name, she found the need to break the engulfing silence. "Are you alright?"

This time he was quicker to respond. "I'm alright! It's just..."

Another silent moment settled between them.

"Steve?" She studied him with a concerned look.

"I love you." It came out quick and not at all like he had prepared it, but he got it off his chest.

"Yeah, I love you too..." she still looked concerned, and he couldn't help but feel frustrated.

"I'm in love with you, Jules,"

"Oh," her face sunk into a frown once again. "I'm sorry Steve, but-"

"No," he cut her off. "Don't say that you love James. We both know that you don't. You love me. You always has, and I was stupid and afraid and we could have been together ages ago if I had just gotten the courage to tell you earlier! Jules I really-"

"Stop," her voice was firm and immediately made his rant stop.

"I'm not hung up on you anymore, Steven." Her mood had, for the probably hundredth time this summer, been ruined by the boy she used to think she loved. "Can't you see that this is wrong, Steven? When you can't have me, you suddenly want me. Now that I'm with somebody else, you finally tell me you love me. You've had billions of chances!" She stood up, her voice raising. "Now that I finally moved on, you say that you actually wanted me all along?!"

"Because I was here first! I loved you first! I'm a much better man than him, and you know that!" He took a step closer, capturing her shoulders in his hands. "I love you," this time, his voice was softer, and Julie almost gave in. She wanted to collapse in his arms and hug him til the end of time. But she couldn't.

Why was he saying this now? He could have said it when they had their, to her, special moment. He could have said that he loved her at that time, instead of ignoring her for no reason.

"Can't you see how f*cked up that is?!" She was practically yelling at him, trying to stop herself from crying too. "Who do you think you are?! Do you really want me or do you just like to know that I'm always here waiting for you?!"

When a single tear escaped her eye, silently making its way down her pale cheek, Steven tried to brush it away with his thump.

"No." She pulled herself away from him and made her way up to the house again. "Please leave me alone,"

✸ edited ✸
i hate writing angst... i'm so sorry idk what this is ☹️☹️