𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐂𝐓, elmax

ch. 5 ✧ the reveal

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" El glanced at the canteen table they were about to approach.
It was the next afternoon, and the girls were preparing for their first day of "dating", as they planned the day before.

"Yes!" Max stated, "the whole point is for the others to notice us, right?"

El nodded.
The two were about to walk up to the table where Lucas, Will and Dustin were sitting.
They looked to be calm and chatty, but Lucas seemed a little distant.

El could forecast the awkward tension they would cause by walking up to the boys' table. Her and Max hadn't talked to any of the boys since the breakup.
Except for Mike of course.
El felt her heart flutter as she thought of Mike, and their meet up later.
Speaking of Mike, El just now noticed that he wasn't sitting with the others.

"Here," the brunette's thoughts were interrupted by the other girl nudging her shoulder, "take my hand."

El looked at Max' hand in front of her, before grabbing it. As soon as their hands were folded around each other, Max speedily pushed her way through the crowded canteen.

El got more nervous the closer they got. She really didn't understand how Max dared to do this. Approaching her ex like that.

As the girl got nearer the table, the boys' heads slowly turned to them, all looking confused.

But Max confidently sat down next to Will, dragging El with her by her hand.
Will tried to send Lucas - who was sitting next to Dustin on the opposite side of the table - a questioning look, but as Lucas didn't even bother to look up from his food, Will just hesitantly scooted down the bench to make space for the girls.

"Hi?" Dustin lifted an eyebrow, quickly glancing to Lucas, who was still facing down at his lunch.

El cringed at the awkwardness, just wanting to get away already. But she couldn't just leave Max here, breaking their deal.

Max flashed Dustin a dumb, innocent smile.
"Hi-"

"You're over it already?" Lucas interrupted, finally lifting his head. The disbelief and carelessness was present in his voice, and his face emitted the exact same energy.

The redhead furrowed her brows, looking confused, even though she knew damn well what the boy was talking about.
"What do you mean?"
She cheekily put her and El's, still entwined, hands onto the table.

Lucas rolled his dark eyes.
"You broke up- or... I mean... We broke up not even one week ago, and you're already messing around with this girl?"

Both girls scoffed in offense.
Just a few minutes ago El had felt bad for Lucas for fooling him and the others like this, but she was now extremely offended.
Eleven had known Lucas for much longer than Max had, and now he was treating her like "Max' new unknown girlfriend".

Max was quick to protectively put an arm around her "girlfriend's" shoulder, tucking her into her side.
"This girl?" Max sounding even more offended than El, "This girl is my girlfriend?"

Both Will and Dustin's eyes widened, as they turned to look at the girls in confusion, but Lucas' unimpressed expression didn't change. He didn't seem surprised whatsoever.
Before turning back to his food he let out a chuckled scoff and muttered under his breath:
"I knew it."

"I'm sorry, what?" It was El's turn to go into defense-mode. But Lucas didn't even look in El's direction. He stiffly kept his eyes at his ex-girlfriend.

"I told you I knew you and Eleven were more than friends, and you don't even hesitate to couple up with her, as soon as we break up, and rub it in my face!"

Lucas paused, but before either of the girls could say anything, he continued with a mutter:
"You two were probably already together before we were broken up."

Max' eyes went big,
"Are you accusing me for cheating too?"

"What do you mean "too", my other accusations were true-"

Max scoffed dramatically as she stood up.
"Fuck you, Lucas," she reached for El's hand, "come El."

El obey without a second of hesitation, just wanting to get away from this uncomfortable situation. The girls were out of the canteen, almost as quick as they had entered it.

The brunette turns to face her friend, but is surprised as she sees a smirky grin on her face.
"Are you alright? What are smiling for?"

Max then let out a loud laugh, sounding like she had held it in since they were still sitting by the boys' canteen table.
"Did you see that? They all fell it! This is gonna be easy!" the girl lowered her voice.

El raised her brows, being very confused.
"He just accused you for cheating in front of all of our friends?"

"I don't careee," she stretched out the last word, as she put her hands on El's shoulders and spun them around.
"I don't care about anyone but you, darling! What are you doing later? I wanna spend some time with my new girlfriend."

Max winked and El giggled, nearly about to agree to "go out" with Max, when she remembered her and Mike's plans.
"I would love to, but I have... plans. I'm sorry."

"Oh," Max' smile immediately faded, "that's alright. How about tomorrow, then?"

El nodded which renewed the redhead's smile.
"Sure... babe."

Max laughed, pushing El's shoulder, as the two continued down the hallway hand in hand.

✧ ✧ ✧

a/n
i'm already skeptical about this book, god dammit?

only halfway proofread, since i'm literally about to fall asleep, but i want to update.