When Perfect Meets Crazy

“Are you guys good now? Or do I need to teach Claire a lesson?”

Those were the first words out of my mouth when the couple returned. They were both wearing placid expressions that gave me no clue as to how the conversation had gone but I was leaning towards still together seeing as there was no hostility or crying and to top it off, they were walking back together.

“We broke up,” Ian announced.

“What?” I blinked.

He nodded.

“No.” I shook my head in denial. “No. Claire doesn’t get to have this. I should’ve known she would do something like this. Look, Tammy, Ian and I? We’re no--”

“It’s fine.” She gave a one shoulder shrug. “It’s not that. I know him. We dated for almost two years. He’s not the type to cheat. He detests it.”

“So... why?”

I wasn’t following her logic. If that wasn’t it, then what was the problem? There shouldn’t have been any.

“It’s not you and him. It’s him and apparently something he can’t tell me.” At this, she flashed him an accusatory glare, then sighed. “The long distance thing wasn’t really working anyway. I guess it’s just time.”

All I could do was blink.

She adjusted the strap of her purse, flashed him a forced smile, then walked away.

“Take care of him. He was good to me,” she called over her shoulder on her way out.

My eyes narrowed, the incredulous look finally falling off my face.

“Did you,” I faced Ian, “just use me as an excuse to break up with your girlfriend?”

“Ex,” he corrected.

“Clearly.” I hissed. “Did you?”

“No.”

I eyed him up, distrust blatant in my gaze. It definitely felt like it from where I was standing. But on another hand, that had to be the cleanest, friendliest breakup in history. If he had used me as an excuse, it shouldn’t have gone down so smoothly. I wasn’t sure what to believe.

“So why did you break up?”

her. I don’t... I don’t know.” He heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Like she said, the long distance thing wasn’t working. There was no

to ask the obvious. “Why didn’t

He shrugged.

told me,” I

out,” he corrected.

“She is your girlfriend.”

“Was.”

‘cause you wouldn’t tell her.” I

were literally just going round

just drop

“Oh sorry, was.” I

with me. News that I was friends with one of the Carringtons had rocked the school and

Tammy and Ian to break up with me coming out as the relationship wrecker. If that was her plan, then Tammy had pretty much put a stop to it when she followed my account last night and

I wasn’t even following Ian so Claire had little to go on if she wanted

to spare her any dignity when it came to rubbing the soiled plan in her face and lunch in the cafeteria, surrounded by all our mutual friends and a fair amount of

remember Ian?” I

voice rang out clear, interrupting -and putting an end to- ninety percent of the side conversations. My relationship with a Carrington was that much of a hot topic. Any bit of information about it was decidedly juicy. Conversations at neighbouring tables also died down in favor

I smiled inwardly.

forget,” Mae replied, a surprised look on her

one to venture information unasked. Randomly

some jealous idiot sent her a picture of

my willpower to keep my gaze from straying to Claire and to

mean, wow. How desperate do you need to be, yeah? That’s... that’s just inexcusable. Trying to sneakily break up a

mean... Wow. I can’t. That’s insane. That’s

full of incredulous disbelief. Quite unlike myself, she was one of those people who liked to believe in the good

noticed Claire’s annoyed frown. Well, she wouldn’t be Claire if that was all it took

she goes here.” I faked a shudder

I mean, you do have to take

pointed look my way to sway our audience. I scoffed inwardly and prepared for my innocent girl

contracting my facial muscles into a frown. “Hang on. What makes you think I’m with him

my head

only seen us together twice. The girl who dm-ed Tammy -Tammy is his girlfriend- said the exact same thing. That Ian and I

world to keep from smirking as everyone’s gaze swung

the library with you,” she fibbed, staring back with innocence that,

her eyes narrowing with distrust. “She said she heard

directed the last part