zelda; mc

v

|october 2013, age 15|

the emma problem did not go away. but lily just ignored it and most importantly, kept it from michael. anyways, he became more oblivious since he got his girlfriend, raven. it's not like michael was spending less time with lily, it just seemed like he always had something on his mind. and that was okay for lily. she didn't want michael to get involved, this was something she wanted to take care of herself.

"but honestly, why don't you have any friends?" emma asked one day at lily's locker.

"i-i have friends." lily mumbled.

"no no no. friends plural."

"yeah-i, i uh... well i."

"mmhm, you don't have friends. you have a friend. but why do you think that is?"

lily fumbled as she put her lock on her locker. "why do you think you have to be such a bitch to me?" well that came out of nowhere.

emma was taken aback by lily's sudden sass. "what did you just say?"

"i said, why do you have to be such a bitch to me. i haven't don't anything to you. i mean for a year i've been hearing you call me 'ginger ale' and a freak and i just sat there taking it in! but i am done taking it in. i'm sorry if i did something to make you hate me, or if something is upsetting you. but stop taking it out on other people!" lily had caused quite a commotion in the hallway, a few students had stopped to watch what was happening. lily wasn't one to ever speak to anyone besides michael and her teachers. and nobody ever expected her to shout like that.

"oh looks like someone's feeling confident." emma rolled her eyes. "can't wait to see how long this'll last."

lily didn't say anything back, she just pushed through the small crowd of kids around her locker.

"awe poor baby, running off to her mommy!" she heard emma shout.

and for the first time in a long time, lily broke. she ran into the empty girls bathroom and locked herself in the handicap stall and cried and cried and cried. emma has said and done many things to lily, but never something that made her cry. she didn't know if it was the whole mom joke, since lily hadn't seen her mom in years. or just the idea that emma wouldn't stop bullying her.

"lil!?" someone in the bathroom called. it was a boy's voice. michael's. "lily i know you're in there. please come out so i can talk to you." he said softly against the door.

"just- just leave me alone." lily cried quietly.

michael didn't respond. instead, he went in the stall next to the one lily was in and climbed over, so he was now face to face with lily.

and lily knew she had to talk to michael, or else she would probably stay a crying mess for much longer. it's not like she would miss any classes, it was the end of the day, and lily probably missed her bus.

"tell me everything." said michael flatly. "and don't try and tell me it's nothing or that it's not important, because it seems pretty fucking important from what i see."

"well, ever since eighth grade, emma just wouldn't leave me alone. she would constantly tell me things like i didn't have any friends, that i was a freak, and i needed to see a doctor for my 'health'. one time she gave me a pamphlet for a support group for people with eating disorders." lily choked back tears. "i didn't tell anyone, because i thought i could handle it. i didn't want to seem like i was too weak to do this by myself. i thought that if i told you it'd just be another distraction."

instead of responding michael pulled lily in for a hug, just holding her, rubbing circles on her back and letting her tears soak through his sweater.

"i am so sorry i wasn't there for you sooner." he whispered against her hair kissing the top of her head.

"now how about, we go over to my house and eat food and play video games and watch movies?" michael suggested. "i'll call my mom and she can pick us up?"

lily just nodded.

she had calmed down slightly by the time michael's mom came to pick them up. lily had already called her dad telling him she'd be over michael's house.

michael's house was what lily saw a second hone. she was so comfortable there, it was truly one of her favorite places.

"i'll cook you two some dinner. just remember to do your homework before you watch any tv or play any games!" michael's mom, karen said.

"alright mom!" michael mumbled heading up to his room, with lily close behind.

"luckily i don't have much homework." michael said pulling a textbook out of his bookbag. "what about you?"

"i just have some stuff to study for. i finished the last of my homework in study hall." lily unzipped her bookbag and got out her notebook.

"lucky, since you don't have much to do..."

lily sighed, "yes i will help you with whatever it is you need help with."

after an hour and a half of homework and studying, they both had finished all they needed to. and just in time, karen and finished making dinner.

so the two ate chicken and rice, then escaped back upstairs.

"okay lil, be honest with me. what are you going to do if emma doesn't stop?" michael asked.

"i don't know," she confessed. "i really don't wanna think about it." lily burried her head in her hands.

"just... next time, tell me. please?"

"alright." lily said quietly.

for the remainder of the night, lily and michael played some video games, before settling down and watching reruns of full house.

lily snuggled closer to michael who was nearly asleep. She yawned and drifted off to sleep herself.

"kids, wake up!" karen called from outside of michael's room.

so they woke up and went down for a quick breakfast, of lucky charms. then back up to michael's room to get ready. lily had never speant the night at michael's on a school night, and since she had nothing to wear, she just put on michael's grey sweater (which was pretty big on her) and kept on her jeans. tossing her shirt from the previous day into her bookbag (of course michael was in the bathroom changing while all of this was going on)

when it was lily's turn to use the bathroom, she just used mouthwash since she didn't have her toothbrush with her. she combed her hair with her fingers and wiped the mascara away from under her eyes with some soap and water. lily was never a supermodel, and she was aware of that. especially looking at her current reflection.

she met michael downstairs where they walked outside together and waited for the bus.

"you look hot in my clothes, you should wear them more often." michael cracked a smile. lily rolled her eyes playfully.

"i just wore this so i didn't seem like an outfit repeater."

"like lizzy mcguire." michael joked.

emma didn't show up at school that day, which allowed lily to easily tell the principal what emma had done. the principal assured lily that the issue would be taken care of.

boy she hoped so