next door // s.m (a social media story)

shawn's pov

when I look across the room
and you're staring right back at me
like somebody told a joke and we're the only ones laughing

don't know why I try
cause

"Cause..." I put my pen down, and tried to think. Cause I don't really need you? No, not the message I'm trying to send. Cause I know you aren't interested? Ugh why is this so hard.

I put my guitar down and walked to the kitchen to try to find something to eat.

However, I had only taken two steps when I heard a sliding glass door slam so hard that it might have shattered. My attention was pulled to my window to investigate.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me! Hayley? Of all people it just had to be my best friend didn't it?" I could hear Victoria yelling. It was dark, but I could vaguely make out the two figures on the back deck as Victoria and Carter.

"V, please just look at me, I swear it was just a meaningless kiss! You're over reacting!" Carter said rudely.

"There you go again, lying straight to my face! Carter I know you've been texting her for weeks! I've just been too afraid to say anything because I didn't want it to be true." I remembered back to the conversation we had had when she came over and she told me about it, and how emotionally drained she sounded about it. My heart broke for her.

"Oh so now you're stalking me? When were you going to tell me about that? You shouldn't had metaled in my life! If I knew you were such a psycho bitch I wouldn't have even bothered after we had sex." Carter yelled, getting in her face. My jaw clenched, and I wondered if I should go out help her.

Luckily I heard someone else come onto the patio, and I hoped they would help diffuse the situation.

"What's going on out he—"

"Oh Hi Hayley! We were just talking about how you've been fucking my boyfriend. What's mine is yours right?" Victoria said sarcastically. I could hear her voice cracking all the way from here.

"Victoria why don't you just calm down and we can talk about this inside, okay?" Hayley said, trying to put her arm around Victoria but she shoved her off.

"Calm down? You're joking right?"

Then she stopped. It got very quiet for a while, but eventually she spoke. She sounded very fragile, like she was finally letting the conversation get to her. "How long? How long has this been going on?"

"Victoria, please just listen it's not as bad as it seems," Hayley said, trying to salvage what was left of their friendship but Carter cut her off.

"2 months. We've been sneaking around for two months, and you didn't even notice. Isn't that pathetic? I mean you live with her and you couldn't even notice we were going behind you back." Carter laughed sinisterly.

He rambled on, but Victoria shoved past both him and Hayley and opened the door. Before she went inside the house, she flicked both of them off, and slammed the door.

I looked away from my window, unsure what to do. I felt bad for Victoria, she doesn't deserve this. I debated with myself for a while before finally deciding to try to help.

I went outside my front door, but before I could go over to her house I saw her running past on the sidewalk. I tried to chase after her, but she was already too far. I figured it was best to let her have her space.