𝐡𝐚𝐳𝐞𝐥; byler

𝐗𝐗𝐈𝐕

or "On the wrong side"

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Max and Jane found him curled into a ball on his bed the next day.

"You missed school stupid! And you weren't answering the phone, we thought you died!" Max called. She jumped onto his bed, lying next to him. Her bright hair spilled on his shoulder like running water. While she was doing that, Jane opened the moved the curtains and opened the window, illuminating the room with the bright afternoon sun.

Will groaned, burying his head in his pillow. 
"No... Close it..." He muttered. He hadn't slept wink, but instead spent the night crying, and texting and calling Mike. No response, calls going straight to voicemail.

"No, it's dark here and sun is healthy. What's up with this emo Will?" Jane said, and jumped into bed with them. 

Will didn't  answer. He was too tired, and even the thought of explaining made his eyes prickle with tears- but they were his best friends, and he knew he owed them some sort of explanation. 

"Mike-" He tried, but just the word sent him into wild tears again, and he buried his head in Max's shoulder.

"Wait, yesterday you literally couldn't keep your hands off each other, what-" Jane started, but was cut off by Max.
"I swear if that son of a bitch did anything to you I'll-" Max said, but Will just cried harder.
"No- it's, it's me, I-" He tried in between sobs, but couldn't get it out. He cried so loud, he couldn't hear anything around him.

"Will? hey? listen, " Max started a few seconds later, her voice suddenly soft, "Jane went and started you a bath.  Take some clothes, take a shower. I'm going to make us some tea, and we can talk everything over. Okay?" Will had never heard her voice so calm. He nodded, raising his head. He wiped his eyes, chuckling miserably.
"Sorry I'm such a mess. Thank you," He said, but Max waved his apology off.

"That's what best friends are for, stupid. Now- onto the bath!"

4.20 pm

" here, isn't this better?" Jane said when they were finally seated at the kitchen table. Will felt like a zombie: His eyes felt sticky and heavy, as if all the tears dried them out. He was dressed in some of his old clothes, a comfy pair of sweats and a baggy shirt, and even being in them again made them feel less confident. More like old Will- but he nodded anyway. He clutched the mug full of tea, but took no sip.

"Do you want to tell us what's wrong?" Jane continued, sneaking a quick look at Max, who nodded reassuringly.

 What's wrong? the guy I've been in love with for almost a year left me because I'm a horrible person and I've ruined everything forever and my stomach feels like I'm being drilled with an electric drill and I want to cry and die and- "Mike dumped me, and it's my fault."

The girls let out sympathetic noises, hugging him from both sides- but the nice gestures only made him feel worse. He didn't deserve their sympathy: He was the bad guy here. He didn't deserve it.

"I'm sure that's not true! You can tell us what happened, and then we'll get some ice cream and watch RuPaul's drag race until our eyes melt off." Max assured him, and he laughed a shaky laugh.

He proceeded to tell them the whole story, excluding his own journey into his style and confidence, only breaking down once or twice in the middle. They listened intently, not interrupting- and when he was finally done, his tea was cold and the room was silent.

"I don't know what to say, Will." Jane said after minutes. She looked very bothered.
"I mean, this is not okay. Not okay at all."

Max nodded, "when I made the Instagram it was a joke. I wanted to text him once and then send a selfie of us and make him laugh, I never thought you would-" She shook her head, "This is bad."

Will nodded in shame. He wanted to cry, but his tears seem to have come dry. He couldn't explain to them how he wasn't totally catfisihing, how sometimes when they wrote he was just Hazel... How she helped him find himself... Same way he couldn't tell Mike. They wouldn't understand.

"I never wanted to hurt him, please believe me!" He said, and they both nodded.
"Of course you didn't," Max said. He almost slumped in relief, but she continued before he could really feel relived.

"But to be completely honest, Will, I don't think it really matters here. You fucked up, man."

If even Max was saying it, that meant he was truly the worst person. That meant he couldn't come back from this.

"What should I do?" He asked, but they were silent.

"I think- I think you have to let him go, Will. I don't think you can do anything." Jane said, but he shook his head furiously. 
"No, I have to- I can't just-"

"Listen, you're my best friends. I always love you, and I'm always here for you- but Mike is my good friend too, and he has the upper hand in this. I think you might have to take a bit of space from us in school, until Mike forgives you."

Wait. What was she saying?

"We're still friends, don't get me wrong- but I think I have to support Mike with this. I think he's gonna need us more than you do." She continued, looking very sad. Jane nodded.

"Sorry, Will- but I think it might be best if you just... let go at school for a bit.  We have to show Mike we're here for him too, and I don't think he's gonna want to be around you for a while."

"Are you guys-" He wanted to say breaking up with me, because that's what it felt like, but he didn't want to be totally ridiculous- "are we not friends anymore?"

"Of course we are!" Max called,"But honestly, I'm not okay with this at all... We have to be on Mike's side with this. Sorry."

They hugged him, then, slowly and muttering sorry the whole way, they left his house.

He almost passed out. In one day he had lost not only his love, but his two best friends. Knowing he didn't have Max and Jane anymore, even if it was just for a little bit, made him want to actually die. 

He, for the first time of his life, really truly didn't have anybody.

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[AUTHOR SAYS]

OK SORRY THIS IS SO DEPRESSING but Will did bad:(
Anyway, sort of nearing the end guys!