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Claire's computer chair creaked as she sat at her desk. She had an essay that was due in a few days and knew it wouldn't get done if she spent too much time procrastinating. (She already had a C- in that class and she needed a good grade or it would dip to a D and Chris would give her hell for it.) She wasn't planning on finishing it today, but figured there was no harm in starting. Maybe just a paragraph.
She pulled up her social media sites, 'just to check her messages' before she started on her homework. She scrolled down her news feed page lazily, one hand on the keyboard with the other clasped around the mouse. She clicked 'thumbs up' on a few of the posts, and smiled at a cute comic. Towards the end of the 'new posts' page, she saw something that made her heart sink.
Steve Burnside is in a relationship with Helena Harper.
Claire's mouth was suddenly dry. Heart thumping hard in her chest, pangs of jealousy spreading through her body. She knew she might have to deal with this at one point, but so soon? And just who the fuck was Helena Harper? She clicked on her name. Her profile said she went to a private school. Her profile picture showed her smiling at the camera, her teeth even and white. She was wearing some ugly school uniform, a grey vest with a patch on the breast pocket. Her hair was frizzy. She wasn't very pretty, Claire decided.
She clicked back to Steves profile. His picture had previously been of Claire and him together. Now it was just him from a bad angle, lopsided smile plastered on his face. Tears, hot in the corners of her eyes. She clicked the newest album of pictures. 'Helena and Me (23)' with a stupid sideways heart. The first couple was of them with their faces smooshed together, some smiling and some making stupid faces. Then pictures of them kissing. Claire felt ill. The rest of the pictures seemed to be of food with captions like 'yummy dinner that my hunny made me ' and the like.
So fucking stupid. She thought. Why did he post these? There was no reason to take pictures of your food with a low quality camera phone and post them to social media. It was a waste of time. She exited out of the browser, shaking now. She pulled open her word document and stared at it for a moment. Her stomach hurt. She knew she couldn't get any work done feeling like she could vomit at any minute.
She nearly threw herself on the bed, tears still burning her eyes. How dare he – without even taking her off his friends list – what a douche. Capital 'D'. She lay face down on her bed, cool fabric of her pillows pressed against her hot skin. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down.
“There's no reason to get this upset.” She said aloud. “They're just pictures.” She noticed her voice was shaking. Her mouth was still dry. She rose, rubbing the tears from her eyes.

Upon entering the living room, she found Piers doing his homework at the kitchen table. Chris wasn't around. It wasn't uncommon for Piers to be at her house after school. He had been over nearly every day this week. Usually Chris stayed, but she assumed that he had gone out with Jill.
“Hey Claire.”
“Hey.” She cleared her throat, getting a can of soda from the fridge. She averted her eyes from him.
“How's that paper going?”
“I got distracted.” She popped the can, sighing with the satisfying hiss it made.
He looked up and frowned when he saw her red puffy eyes. “By what?”
“U-Uh.” She took a big gulp of her soda. “...Steve's online profile. He's got a new girlfriend.” She tried to seem as nonchalant as she could.
“Oh man.”
“...yeah, whatever.” She shrugged. “You know how it is. Boys.”
“Yeah... You okay?”
“Yeah. Of course.”
“You sure?” He put his pen down, looking up at her.
“...no. Her lip started to quiver. “That asshole posted a bunch of pictures without removing me as his friend first. ...my chest kinda hurts.” She admitted. “She's ...this private school skank.” She was almost surprised at the amount of harshness in her voice as she slumped into a chair beside the boy.
“When you talk about him, you get this look in your eyes. ...like someone killed your dog.” Piers said. They had talked about him a bit. For some reason she felt more comfortable confessing her feelings to Piers than she did to Jill or Chris. “You still love him don't you?”
“Of course I do!” She nearly threw her arms up in exasperation. “I mean... he was my first, and we've been through a lot. It kills me to see him with that girl. And you know what? She's ugly too.”
“I know how hard it is to see someone you care about be with someone else.” Piers patted her arm lightly.
She nodded, silent.
“Have you talked to him?”
“No. Briefly. When we picked him up from the hospital.”
“Why was he the at the hospital?” Piers frowned.
“He broke his hand. Told me and Chris that he punched something really hard because he was pissed off about something, but he wouldn't say what. He was really vauge.” She took another gulp of her soda.
“You think he's over you?” He questioned, watching her.
“Yes.” She rolled her eyes. “She's dating that girl now.”
“You said you went on a date with that Spanish guy. Luis right?”
“Yeah but I came home because it felt wrong. Like I kept expecting to see Steve instead of him.”
“But you're not over Steve.”
“...I don't get it.” Claire shook her head.
“Well, look, you said that he posted a bunch of pictures, right?”
“...right.”
“So I'll tell you what I think,” Piers tapped his pen absently on the table. “I think that he still loves you.”
“Really?” A sharp pang shot through her heart.
“Yeah.” A half smile from the boy. “Like you said, you two have been through a lot. I don't think anyone can get over a relationship like that so quickly. I think that he just wants to make it seem like he's over you.”
Claire nodded, biting her lower lip hard.
“...so, If you want to give my theory a shot, I might have an idea.”
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

“Are you sure you don't need to be home right now?” Jill asked, looking at her boyfriend across the diner table.
“Claire's there. Piers is a good kid. I trust him.”
“If he's such a good kid, why did you beg me to come out with you for food when you have plenty at home?” She pointed a finger at him as she stirred sugar in her iced tea.
Chris groaned, chewing on a french fry. “I mean... he's a good kid. He's not interested in my sister. So that's a plus. But he's just been … there. Yano? He's like a puppy. Following me home every day and wanting to spend passing periods together. I just needed a break. Wanted to see you.” He grinned at Jill.
Jill smiled, reaching over and stealing a fry from his plate. “Maybe he likes you.”
“Naw.” Chris laughed. “I think he just doesn't have anything else to do. Anywhere else to go. He gets threatened a lot.” He rolled his eyes.
“I guess.” Jill shrugged, sipping on her tea. “Sounds like he's got a crush on you, to me.” She smirked softly at her boyfriend.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Steve sank into Helena's couch. She had changed out of her school uniform and into a pair of jeans and a top that just barely showed her flat stomach. Her parents made her join swim team. Four days a week she had to swim before school and it kept her in great shape.
Her house was much nicer than his. It was bigger, and all of the furnishings seemed to be higher quality. Leather couches. Shiny wooden floors. Big screen TV. He wouldn't consider her rich (He had seen the Ashford's house. They were rich.) But he knew she had more money than his family.
“Do you want to watch a movie?”
Steve eyed the stacks of DVDs under and beside the 40 inch flatscreen before nodding. “Yeah. A movie sounds good. Got anything scary?”
He saw Helena smile. “Scary? Like what, zombies? Slashers?”
“Yeah.” Steve smiled back.
She stood up, running her fingers down the spines of several movies before she stopped and pulled one from it's place. “How about 'Feast'? It's zombies. One of my favorites. Lots of gore.”
Steve smiled. He learned new things about Helena every day. She didn't look like the type of girl who was into horror movies. “...yeah. That one.”
She popped the disk in and Steve admired her round backside. For someone who worked out as often as she did, her butt was pleasantly plump. And he liked that.
She joined him back on the couch as the dvd started. She seemed to be sitting closer to him now and he wasn't complaining. He stretched his arm over her shoulders. He smiled inwardly when she didn't protest, and instead placed her hand gently on his knee. He pulled his phone out as the opening credits started.
'Cuddles and horror movies with my girlfriend – great after school date.' He posted as his status update, smirking to himself.

:) (Smile) — Description
Claire's computer chair creaked as she sat at her desk. She had an essay that was due in a few days and knew it wouldn't get done if she spent too much time procrastinating. (She already had a C- in that class and she needed a good grade or it would dip to a D and Chris would give her hell for it.) She wasn't planning on finishing it today, but figured there was no harm in starting. Maybe just a paragraph.
She pulled up her social media sites, 'just to check her messages' before she started on her homework. She scrolled down her news feed page lazily, one hand on the keyboard with the other clasped around the mouse. She clicked 'thumbs up' on a few of the posts, and smiled at a cute comic. Towards the end of the 'new posts' page, she saw something that made her heart sink.
Steve Burnside is in a relationship with Helena Harper.
Claire's mouth was suddenly dry. Heart thumping hard in her chest, pangs of jealousy spreading through her body. She knew she might have to deal with this at one point, but so soon? And just who the fuck was Helena Harper? She clicked on her name. Her profile said she went to a private school. Her profile picture showed her smiling at the camera, her teeth even and white. She was wearing some ugly school uniform, a grey vest with a patch on the breast pocket. Her hair was frizzy. She wasn't very pretty, Claire decided.
She clicked back to Steves profile. His picture had previously been of Claire and him together. Now it was just him from a bad angle, lopsided smile plastered on his face. Tears, hot in the corners of her eyes. She clicked the newest album of pictures. 'Helena and Me (23)' with a stupid sideways heart. The first couple was of them with their faces smooshed together, some smiling and some making stupid faces. Then pictures of them kissing. Claire felt ill. The rest of the pictures seemed to be of food with captions like 'yummy dinner that my hunny made me ' and the like.
So fucking stupid. She thought. Why did he post these? There was no reason to take pictures of your food with a low quality camera phone and post them to social media. It was a waste of time. She exited out of the browser, shaking now. She pulled open her word document and stared at it for a moment. Her stomach hurt. She knew she couldn't get any work done feeling like she could vomit at any minute.
She nearly threw herself on the bed, tears still burning her eyes. How dare he – without even taking her off his friends list – what a douche. Capital 'D'. She lay face down on her bed, cool fabric of her pillows pressed against her hot skin. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down.
“There's no reason to get this upset.” She said aloud. “They're just pictures.” She noticed her voice was shaking. Her mouth was still dry. She rose, rubbing the tears from her eyes.

Upon entering the living room, she found Piers doing his homework at the kitchen table. Chris wasn't around. It wasn't uncommon for Piers to be at her house after school. He had been over nearly every day this week. Usually Chris stayed, but she assumed that he had gone out with Jill.
“Hey Claire.”
“Hey.” She cleared her throat, getting a can of soda from the fridge. She averted her eyes from him.
“How's that paper going?”
“I got distracted.” She popped the can, sighing with the satisfying hiss it made.
He looked up and frowned when he saw her red puffy eyes. “By what?”
“U-Uh.” She took a big gulp of her soda. “...Steve's online profile. He's got a new girlfriend.” She tried to seem as nonchalant as she could.
“Oh man.”
“...yeah, whatever.” She shrugged. “You know how it is. Boys.”
“Yeah... You okay?”
“Yeah. Of course.”
“You sure?” He put his pen down, looking up at her.
“...no. Her lip started to quiver. “That asshole posted a bunch of pictures without removing me as his friend first. ...my chest kinda hurts.” She admitted. “She's ...this private school skank.” She was almost surprised at the amount of harshness in her voice as she slumped into a chair beside the boy.
“When you talk about him, you get this look in your eyes. ...like someone killed your dog.” Piers said. They had talked about him a bit. For some reason she felt more comfortable confessing her feelings to Piers than she did to Jill or Chris. “You still love him don't you?”
“Of course I do!” She nearly threw her arms up in exasperation. “I mean... he was my first, and we've been through a lot. It kills me to see him with that girl. And you know what? She's ugly too.”
“I know how hard it is to see someone you care about be with someone else.” Piers patted her arm lightly.
She nodded, silent.
“Have you talked to him?”
“No. Briefly. When we picked him up from the hospital.”
“Why was he the at the hospital?” Piers frowned.
“He broke his hand. Told me and Chris that he punched something really hard because he was pissed off about something, but he wouldn't say what. He was really vauge.” She took another gulp of her soda.
“You think he's over you?” He questioned, watching her.
“Yes.” She rolled her eyes. “She's dating that girl now.”
“You said you went on a date with that Spanish guy. Luis right?”
“Yeah but I came home because it felt wrong. Like I kept expecting to see Steve instead of him.”
“But you're not over Steve.”
“...I don't get it.” Claire shook her head.
“Well, look, you said that he posted a bunch of pictures, right?”
“...right.”
“So I'll tell you what I think,” Piers tapped his pen absently on the table. “I think that he still loves you.”
“Really?” A sharp pang shot through her heart.
“Yeah.” A half smile from the boy. “Like you said, you two have been through a lot. I don't think anyone can get over a relationship like that so quickly. I think that he just wants to make it seem like he's over you.”
Claire nodded, biting her lower lip hard.
“...so, If you want to give my theory a shot, I might have an idea.”
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

“Are you sure you don't need to be home right now?” Jill asked, looking at her boyfriend across the diner table.
“Claire's there. Piers is a good kid. I trust him.”
“If he's such a good kid, why did you beg me to come out with you for food when you have plenty at home?” She pointed a finger at him as she stirred sugar in her iced tea.
Chris groaned, chewing on a french fry. “I mean... he's a good kid. He's not interested in my sister. So that's a plus. But he's just been … there. Yano? He's like a puppy. Following me home every day and wanting to spend passing periods together. I just needed a break. Wanted to see you.” He grinned at Jill.
Jill smiled, reaching over and stealing a fry from his plate. “Maybe he likes you.”
“Naw.” Chris laughed. “I think he just doesn't have anything else to do. Anywhere else to go. He gets threatened a lot.” He rolled his eyes.
“I guess.” Jill shrugged, sipping on her tea. “Sounds like he's got a crush on you, to me.” She smirked softly at her boyfriend.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Steve sank into Helena's couch. She had changed out of her school uniform and into a pair of jeans and a top that just barely showed her flat stomach. Her parents made her join swim team. Four days a week she had to swim before school and it kept her in great shape.
Her house was much nicer than his. It was bigger, and all of the furnishings seemed to be higher quality. Leather couches. Shiny wooden floors. Big screen TV. He wouldn't consider her rich (He had seen the Ashford's house. They were rich.) But he knew she had more money than his family.
“Do you want to watch a movie?”
Steve eyed the stacks of DVDs under and beside the 40 inch flatscreen before nodding. “Yeah. A movie sounds good. Got anything scary?”
He saw Helena smile. “Scary? Like what, zombies? Slashers?”
“Yeah.” Steve smiled back.
She stood up, running her fingers down the spines of several movies before she stopped and pulled one from it's place. “How about 'Feast'? It's zombies. One of my favorites. Lots of gore.”
Steve smiled. He learned new things about Helena every day. She didn't look like the type of girl who was into horror movies. “...yeah. That one.”
She popped the disk in and Steve admired her round backside. For someone who worked out as often as she did, her butt was pleasantly plump. And he liked that.
She joined him back on the couch as the dvd started. She seemed to be sitting closer to him now and he wasn't complaining. He stretched his arm over her shoulders. He smiled inwardly when she didn't protest, and instead placed her hand gently on his knee. He pulled his phone out as the opening credits started.
'Cuddles and horror movies with my girlfriend – great after school date.' He posted as his status update, smirking to himself.