Thank you to the marvelous @akiimarvelous for the poster! See what I did there? Marvelous because her username is... ok, you get it. Thank you!

Now this chapter has a little fun with the different POVs...

Chapter 48: Fallen

~Austin's POV~

What do I do?

This conversation's going to suck and there's no way round it. I've avoided Luke and Chad all day, but now's the end of the rope.

I walked into the parking lot and saw them standing near their cars. That front row parking made it an easy hangout to wait after school. Music was playing out of Chad's car and I wondered if his chef stocked up the mini fridge in his car-

Damn I'm hungry.

People were hanging out in the parking lot, enjoying the last day before winter break. You know what, maybe this isn't the end of the rope. Maybe the rope is a lot longer. Yeah. We can do this another time.

I turned around and started to walk in the opposite direction of my car.

"Austin!" Luke's voice called out across the parking lot, "Where you going?"

He pointed towards my car next to his with a questioning look on his face.

"Oh!" I pretended like I just noticed them, "I didn't see my car there."

He's got to know that's a lie. How can I forget where I park my car every day? My initials are painted on the concrete.

But if he knew, he didn't question it. Luke doesn't interrogate. He's the kind of friend who lets secrets lay.

They were with some guys from the basketball team and a few girls as well. I didn't want this conversation with spectators.

"Free to talk?" I told Luke as I approached them, "You, me and Chad."

"Now?"

I nodded.

Luke shrugged, turning to Chad who was in the middle of a conversation, "Chad."

Chad looked over in mid hand gesture and Luke moved his head in a subtle 'let's go' gesture. Without questioning, Chad peeled himself away from the others and joined us.

We walked out of earshot and past Luke's car, where a candy cane and envelope stuck out from under the windshield wiper.

"I'm guessing that's not from Millie," Chad said, picking up the love letter.

I picked up the candy cane. Festive.

"It's the holidays," Luke answered, shrugging off the attention, "Austin gets more chocolate."

"I ask for it," I deflected.

We get distracted too easily.

Chad leaned against Luke's car, ready to open a love letter that wasn't addressed to him, "What did you want to talk about? We're heading to mine in a little-"

"Have we thought through Dubai?" I asked them.

Chad and Luke looked at each other and said:

"No."

"What about?"

I didn't want to say this, but I had to. I kept the talking to a minimum:

"Bianca isn't bringing peace to the house."

"This trip isn't a spiritual retreat," Chad said, "It's New Years. We want to get fu-"

"OK," I said, "But the F we don't want is a fight."

I sound like someone's grandma. F is for friends who do stuff together-

Or is that Spongebob? Millie keeps sending me Spongebob videos and it's gotten to my head. 

"Bianca's spicy but she means well," Chad defended and looked to Luke for support, "Luke, you know her better than me."

"No, I don't," Luke passed it back. "I know my girlfriend's not feeling Bianca."

That's an understatement.

I told Chad, "It's your house, man. Your call."

And I guess we're going to let it slide that Chad just called Bianca 'spicy'. Makes her sound like chili.

"Well what do you want me to do with that information? Bianca and I are having a good time right now, so I'd like her to come," Chad said, annoyed by the situation.

He looked back and forth between me and Luke.

I didn't have anything else to say. I wasn't going to change my opinion and I didn't like what I saw in the hallway earlier. But now that he's mentioned chili, I should really ask Gloria what's for dinner.

I opened my phone.

"Did she do something to Millie?" Luke asked, trying to figure out why I was bringing this up now.

I put my phone away. I guess we weren't done with this conversation yet. "The girls don't get along. Let's take it at face value."

I didn't share details. I didn't like to gossip.

Chad laughed, "You think that's enough to spoil the trip?"

100%

"Are you going to talk to Bianca, or should I?" Luke asked Chad directly. He didn't look like he was messing around.

I'm guessing this wasn't the first time he's had a Millie-Bianca problem.

"Fine. I'll do it," Chad said reluctantly, "Because from your body language, I can tell you're ready to chew her out."

Luke didn't disagree. "Pass on a message from me that one step out of line and I'll drag her back in."

"That's a bit aggressive," I said.

I thought the whole point of this was to de-escalate the aggression and not throw ourselves into the mix.

**

~Luke's POV~

I was tired of hearing Bianca's name.

Today, I planned to spend a total of 0 time thinking about her. I'm already in deficit.

"Tell me if Bianca doesn't understand," I told Chad.

Chad was hooking up with her now so I couldn't stop him from inviting her to Dubai. 

I won't interfere with their situation, but I know the way Bianca looks at me and it's not healthy to have her close to Millie. I've never looked at her the way I look at Millie.

"Let me handle Bianca. You're both obviously biased against her and I think a calm conversation with her will settle all of this," Chad told us.

He obviously doesn't know Bianca.

"Keep it under control," I warned Chad. 

Chad was as subtle as a flying brick. His conversation with Bianca could go wrong in so many ways, he won't know what hit him. 

I started to leave, not wanting to waste more time on the subject. This Bianca story was getting too long, and I can think of a swifter ending.

"Don't you want your love letter?" Chad teased, waving the envelope in his hand.

"Your girlfriend's behind you," Austin pointed out.

I looked to see Millie walk out the front doors of the school. She skipped down the steps, her backpack bouncing on her back. She was reading something on her phone and stumbled over the last step.

Suspender boy ran after her and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around at the same time as he tried to overtake her, so they almost missed each other.

He fumbled before handing her a pen and she thanked him. After that, suspender boy headed off.

"What a weird interaction," Chad commented.

I disagree.

Austin stood beside me and said, "And our boy's fallen."

I didn't even realize I was smiling. She made me smile so damn much.

When weird shit happens, I can't help but want to know what Millie's thinking. I want to get her perspective on everything. It's unique, deep and sometimes crazy. 

Always unpredictable.

"I've longed for you all these years, as I watch you evolve into the handsome guy you are today and the future basket," Chad coughed before he finished, "Basketball star of tomorrow."

Austin and I turned back to see what Chad was smoking. He had opened the love letter and was reading it out loud.

"How poetic," Chad remarked, looking up from the letter, "Should we give these tips to Jake?"

Austin grabbed the letter out of Chad's hand, "Let the writer stay anonymous."

I let them bicker over a love letter while I looked back at Millie. She was freaking out at her phone now. She raised her phone in the air as if she was cursing at it.

No... wait... her lips are moving. She's actually cursing at it.

Chad and Austin were now engaged in a tug of war. I ripped the letter out of Chad's hand and chucked it through the open window of my car. Austin kept the candy cane.

I got into my car, ignored their antics and slowly drove towards Millie to pick her up. 

When I watch her alone like this, I think about what it's going to be like next year. She'll be here in this parking lot without me.

**

~Millie's POV~

Joe handed me back my pen that I'd accidentally left in the computer lab. I stuffed it into the front pocket of my backpack as he headed off and I looked back down at my phone.

I wanted to text Luke to ask where he was. I finished class a bit later than usual, so I wasn't sure if he'd already left for Chad's house.

But then a text rolled in from demon spawn.

Kaden: How long will jocks fight your battles for you?

Why does Kaden have no guts to stand up for himself when the guys are around? Instead he sends me these passive aggressive messages afterwards.

I raised my phone in the air. You keyboard warrior! You spineless jellyfish!

Then I furiously texted back: I hope your self-loathing eats at you

Take that!

Kaden replied almost instantaneously: We need to talk

"Hey."

I glanced up and saw my boyfriend's car slowly stop in front of me. Luke's elbow rested over the open window as he had the other hand on the steering wheel. 

I texted Kaden back: No chance

"Hey!" I stretched on my tip toes and tried to kiss Luke through the window.

I pressed my hands against his arm on the car window ledge. He leaned forward to kiss me back. A car honked at us to move out of the way. Luke's car was blocking the path.

"It's been a long day," Luke greeted me, over the aggressive honk in the background. He paid it no attention. 

"It's been a long year," I responded, running to the passenger side to hop in.

"And it's not over yet," Luke looked at me with his sexy blue eyes, "I want to invite you as my date to my college acceptance party."

"Your what?"

A/N: We are BACK with the 2 chapters a week!  So please vote on this chapter (and previous chapters if you haven't already) to give me the motivation needed to keep typing!! I can't wait for the next chapters to ramp things up.

Do you want to decide what Millie wears to New Years?  Vote between the 4 outfits on my Instagram @NatalieInACorner! 

And to anyone else who thinks it's been a long day and a long year... I'm right here with you!

<3 Natalie