Chapter 32 | Hunting for the girls in Victoria Secret

Lucas:

I flinch as Mia stabs her rice with such intensity I'm surprised the plate doesn't shatter.

Throughout dinner, she has been sending me murderous looks and it's making me antsy. Why is she so mad?

I had come over to dinner to try and pry a explanation out of Isabella - not to be set on fire from the heat of Mia's stare.

I flit my eyes over the rest of the girls, Grace is avoiding my gaze and Isabella chews her lip nervously, her eyes locked onto Mia.

What the hell is going on?

Their odd behaviour has diminished my appetite and I focus on Sofia who is sitting opposite me on her high chair shoving rice into her mouth with her hands, her little curly tufts of hair standing up in all directions and a pink crease still evident on her cheek from her nap that she had just awoken from only minuets ago. I think Sofia might just be my favourite person in the entire world.

Dinner continues to stay tense all throughout, although Abuela and Valeria fail to notice the tension prickling in the air and continue to make small talk as we eat.

"How is your football going Lucas?" Abulea asks, spooning rice into her mouth.

"It's going pretty good," I nod, smiling. "The season is off to a great start, we have another game next week."

"What day is it?" Valeria asks. "If it's a home game and we're free, we'll come to watch."

My heart squeezes at the little gesture. "It's on Friday evening and yeah it's a home game."

"We'll be there," Abuela confirms and my smile grows.

The fact Isabella's mom and grandmother are willing to come to support me at a game yet my own parents haven't been to a single one since I started during freshman year says a lot.

"Thank you," I reply gratefully. "It means a lot."

"No worries mijo," abuela grins. "Now have some more paella!

Before I can protest she shoves a large helping of paella onto my plate. I shrug before digging into it. Appetite or not, I could devour anything abuela cooks. Her cooking is phenomenal.

As I'm about to spoon the last spoonful of paella into my mouth, Mia slams her palms down on the table and stands up so fast her chair tumbles to the ground behind her. In surprise, I jump back, my spoon cluttering to the the plate, rice spilling everywhere. The sounds of the cutlery shaking fill the air and Valeria clutches her heart with her hand in shock. Even Sofia seems to be frozen, her little hand paused mid way in the air where she had been attempting to shove food into her mouth.

"I can't do this anymore," Mia seethes, lurching forward, her palms out stretched in front of her like she's about to strangle me. I shove my chair back abruptly, my eyes widening into saucers. What the fuck?

Before she can clamber over the table to get to my throat, Isabella and Grace promptly shove her away and Grace yanks Mia away out of the room by her hair, mumbling apologies about ruining dinner after her as she pulls Mia through the hallway and what I'm presuming is up the stairs.

Isabella's tongue darts over her bottom lip nervously. "Excuse me," she mutters before briskly rushing off after her two friends.

I stand frozen for a second, my eyebrows drawn together in confusion and my mouth gaped open in shock.

"What...just happened?" Valeria asks, blinking slowly, trying to make sense of Mia's sudden outburst, her fork dangling in the air.

I shake my head. "I have no idea."

"Oh well," abuela replies, seemingly unbothered by whatever had just happened. With a wave of her hand she ushers Valeria and I to sit back down. "C'mon just finish your food, I'm sure it's just Mia being Mia."

I finish my food in under 30 seconds before excusing myself from the table.

After washing my plate, I scramble up the stairs and walk towards Isabella's room, my mind reeling, trying to figure out what the hell I had done to make Mia mad now.

My top assumption is that Isabella told her two friends whatever the reason was that she was avoiding me for and for some reason it has Mia riled up, but at the same time I'm not entirely sure.

I hesitantly knock on the door. "Hello," I call out, clearing my voice. "Is it...safe to come in."

I hear rustling coming from behind the door before a loud voice replies.

"Yes!" Grace responds. More shuffling. "Mia is-" grunts "under-" grunts "control."

"Are...are you sure?"

"Yep!"

"Are you really sure?"

"Yes!"

Then another voice calls out - their voice low and menacing, a stark contrast to Grace's. "Keep your mother fucking distance or I will not hesitate to castrate you!"

I gulp and glance down at my good bits, shit scared of Mia before slowly pushing the door open leading into Isabella's bedroom. I'm honestly risking it all.

The two girls are perched on top of Mia like their lives depend on it. Grace sprawled across Mia's legs, preventing her from kicking out and Isabella across Mia's arms.

The only movement Mia can make is shaking her head which she does the moment she see's me walk into the room.

She lets out an animalistic noise that scares me shitless. "Can you please get off me," she demands, trying to wriggle free. "I promise I'll be civil."

"We can't trust you," Isabella mumbles in reply. "You made a pinkie promise last time and you broke it!"

"Nuhuh, I made a promise I wouldn't say anything, not that I wouldn't attack the bastard!"

Isabella looks at Grace, hesitation drawn across her features.

Grace huffs. "Fine, but promise you won't attack him."

There is silence for a beat and then a very, very reluctant and barely audible: "I promise."

The two girls clamber off of their best friend and Mia promptly scrambles to her feet, letting out a huge breath as if she had just run a marathon.

She then sends me the most dirtiest look she could ever muster before stretching out her limbs and plopping down on Isabella's desk chair.

"What do you want, bitch?" Mia asks, venom clearly evident in her voice, she is not at all trying to mask her anger.

I lick my lips nervously. "I want to know why you are...er, angry at me?"

Silence follows my questions once again and Mia's eyes dart towards Isabella who now has a panicked look on her face. She then turns back to me.

"I can't tell you," she states blatantly causing a groan to erupt from my throat.

"What do you mean you can't?" I reply, running a hand through my hair frustratedly. "First Isabella and now you?"

Mia shrugs, glancing down at her nails in a bored manner. "I'm respecting Isabella's privacy so I can't tell you."

"So it's linked to whatever Belly is avoiding me for."

From my peripheral vision I see Isabella stiffen and Mia's jaw clenches.

She nods like it's paining her too.

"Can I get a clue as to why the pair of you are mad at me?"

"The three of us actually," Grace perks up from where she's laying across Isabella's bed. "I'm annoyed at you too."

"For what?" I almost scream. I was getting sick and tired of this. Actually, scratch that - I was sick and tired of this. "If you guys won't tell me, how am I supposed to apologise for whatever I apparently did?"

Mia shrugs. "Sounds like a you problem."

I tug at one strand of my hair so hard I'm surprised it doesn't rip out of my head. "Fuck this, I'm not going to stop coming over or pestering you lot until you spit it out!"

"Why?"

"Why do you think?" I exclaim sending Mia an incredulous look. "Because it's driving me fixing crazy." And with that I turn around to leave the room. "I'll be back tomorrow," I call out over my shoulder and briskly slamming the door behind me.

***

My second plan was failing.

Now that both Mia and Grace knew was what up with Isabella, their avoidance game was stronger than ever. It had gotten so intense that even Aidan hadn't seen Grace as often lately.

I had come by for dinner the next day and the day after that and the day after that and everyday for the rest of the week but Isabella had not been home for the any of those days. As much as I loved abuela, I was getting sick of her dinner small talk.

Today was Saturday and I had ventured out to the mall after managing to pry out Isabella's plans for the weekend from Valeria yesterday at dinner.

"Why are you going in that shop?" Ivy asks, tugging at my sleeve. As I peek my head into Victoria secret in search of the three girls. "Are you going to buy me something?"

Oh yeah, I had dragged Ivy along with me on my hunt, but of course I hadn't told her that the reason I was here was actually not for new winter jacket but for Mia, Grace and Isabella who had been on a disappearing act for days.

I think I spot a tall girl with bright, blonde hair identical to Grace's inside VS and promptly drag Ivy inside with me.

"Yes," I reply to my girlfriend. "Why don't you chose a nice set for me to buy for you."

She clasps her hands together and squeals in glee. "Yay!"

With that she runs off towards the bra section, shoving several people out of the way as I scrimmage through the crowd in search for the blonde I had lost when talking to Ivy.

"Aha," I nod smugly to myself the moment I spot her again and swiftly begin walking towards the girl. I'm about to tap on her back when a large 6'6 brute of a man blocks my way, glaring down at me with a glare so cold it physically sent shivers down my spine.

"What do you need my girlfriend for?" The guy seethes, a blob of split landing square on the middle of my nose.

The girl promptly turns around, placing a hand on her boyfriends shoulder and confirming that it was not in fact Grace.

I scramble away from the couple without responding and before the guy can fly kick me to Isabella's home in London.

I find Ivy still searching through the bra and underwear's for the perfect set that will probably clear my bank account because Victoria Secret is ridiculously overpriced so continue on my hunt for the girls.

I spot a short-ish looking brunette and stalk over to her before swooping down to check her face but I find that it's a little girl about 11 years old who looks traumatised at the sight of a random guy analysing her face in an underwear shop and promptly apologise to her before walking (running) away.

I spot more people that could possibly be Mia, Grace and Isabella, but as I continue to check them out I find that they simply are just doppelgängers of the girls. Or people with the same hair colour as them.

Once Ivy finally decides on a set (or 10) and finds me, I'm sprawled across one of the pink fluffy chairs next to a 12 year old boy who seems highly excited over the prospect of being in a ladies underwear shop that has pictures of VS models on the wall showcasing the latest lingeries, exhausting and wanting a well needed nap. Sweat lines my forehead and I push back my hair. You know what now that I'm at the mall I might as well get a haircut.

"Babe I've found the perfect set," Ivy smiles, walking towards me and lifting me up by my arms. She struggles with my weight.

My frustrated frown transforms into a suggestive smirk. "Aren't you going to show me how it looks on you?"

She scoffs before darting her eyes at the little boy who is nodding his head encouragingly, his eyes twinkling with hope. Her answer comes fast enough.

"No," she replies, wrinkling up her nose. "I need to wash them before wearing them anyways."

With that she hauls me away from the creepy little kid and towards the queue to where the tills are.

As we weave through the crowd my eyes glaze across a group of three, one blonde and two brunettes and my heart jumps in hope that it is the three I've been looking for more than an hour for. Maybe I should be looking in other shops too.

I squint my eyes as we get closer, trying to make sure that it is actually the girls this time and I'm fairly certain that it is but what confirms my suspicion is when Ivy groans and rolls her eyes dramatically.

"What are they doing here?"

I shrug my shoulders before reaching into my pocket for my wallet. "Here why don't you pay for the...clothes, I need to speak with the girls for a second."

Ivy glances down at my hand that is outstretched with my wallet before gazing back up at me suspiciously.

"Okay," she responds as I begin to walk away. "Remember stay 2 meters away at all times!"

I nod before continuing my journey towards the three, trying to figure out what I would say to them if it is in fact them.

Honestly, I should've thought this through, I was so focused on trying to actually find the girls that I hadn't even stopped to think about what I would say to get them to spill.

So far, my plan was to annoy, annoy, annoy so that they would get so annoyed at my presence and just tell me what's was up to get rid of me.

As I get closer, I decide that I'll just improvise. I've been told several times that I have charm, so I guess that's what I will work with for now. I'm about to charm my pants off these ladies.

Grace is currently in the midst of sniffing some sort of body spray and in turn spritz the perfume into her eye. She yells back in shock, slamming a palm over her eyeball and almost knocking over a mannequin displaying a purple pj set in the process.

Mia has a hold of a red lingerie in her hand which she is showcasing to Isabella who is trying to shove Mia's hands away. A wicked twinkle lights up in her friends I and eye and I quickly realise that Mia is trying to persuade Isabella to buy it.

An image of Isabella in that lingerie pops into mind and I quickly banish away the thoughts. I have a girlfriend. I have a girlfriend. I have a girlfriend.

"Oh...hey Lucas," Grace mumbles, her hand still covering her eye.

Grace's greeting snaps Mia and Isabella's attention. Mia doesn't cover her annoyance to see me at all and rolls he eyes and Isabella simply presses her lips into a thin line.

I ignore their sour mood and put on my most brightest, widest smile - the one where my dimples pop out.

"Why are you so pink and flustered?" Isabella asks, her eyebrows drawn together. My eyes quickly dart back to the lingerie still clutched in Mia's hand and I know that quick glance has my cheeks flushing an even deeper pink.

I play it off like it's excruciatingly hot in her. "It's boiling in here phew," I say, fanning myself with my hand.

Isabella looks at me oddly just as Mia elbows her in the rib.

"What are you doing?" Mia hisses out of the side of her mouth to Isabella before sending me a dirty look. "Why are you talking to the enemy?"

Isabella ignores Mia. "Why are you here Lucas?" She questions, like my presence is exhausting her. "If you're here to try an pry an explanation from me it won't work."

"I don't know what you are on about?" I shrug my shoulders nonchalantly, acting like I have no clue what she is talking about. "I just came to say hi to my friends, is that an issue?"

"Yes," Mia replies curtly. "Because as of right now you are not my friend."

I wave my hand dismissively. "I've just been thinking about how long we all have been friends for." I pause to sigh wistfully. "Since we were three years old."

"Where are you going with this Lucas?" Grace asks, rubbing her eye ferociously.

"What?" I reply in mock hurt. "I'm just telling you guys how grateful I am of our very long time friendship - since we were three years old."

"If you are trying to guilt trip your way into letting us tell you it's not working."

Dammit.

"Actually it is." Our heads snap towards Grace who has by now stopped rubbing her eye (although one is alarmingly red). Her bottom lip trembles and her non red eye is glassy with tears. "I can't believe we've all been friends for basically forever." The last part comes out in a choked sob and before I can comprehend what is happening she throws her arms around me and begins wailing into my shoulder.

I pat her head awkwardly as Isabella sends her an incredulous look and Mia punches the bridge of her nose frustratedly.

"Bella," sobs "please," sobs "can," sobs "you tell him," sobs "I think he's changed since," sobs "then."

Changed? That means that this whole avoidance shenanigan is about something I did in the past. Yes! Progress!

Isabella flits her eyes from Grace and back to me then to Mia who sends her a wary look. Her gaze then falls back onto me and she opens and closes her mouth like a fish.

I can tell she is considering telling me so I decide to give her a little push and word of encouragement.

"C'mon Belly please tell me."

Isabella stiffens almost immediately after that sentence leaves my mouth. She shakes her head before reaching forward and prying Grace away from me.

"Sorry," she tells me, shrugging her shoulders apologetically.

I throw her an exasperated look. "What happened now?"

She ignores me and begins to drag her two friends away. Mia looks over her shoulder and glares at me before walking away.

"Hey don't go!" I call after them, my voice loud, attracting the attention of several other shoppers who send me weird looks.

As I watch their three retreating figures, I decide to run after them and just as I'm about to do so, I'm sidetracked.

Ivy sidles up next to me, in her hands clutched three Victoria secret bags.

"Hey babe, there you are!" She exclaims, tugging on my arm. "Let's go, I need to hit some other shops before they close."

With my eyes still focused on the three girls in the distance I solemnly nod my head, letting Ivy drag me me out of the shop and towards another, with the conversation I had just had reeling in my mind throughout.

Whatever I did, it was something from the past. Something I must've done when we were children.

And now the question was: what the fuck was it? And more importantly why was it still affecting her now?

━

AUTHORS NOTE:

Sorry that lately the chapters haven't been up to par :/ These are concepts that I have come up with along the way so I apologise if they seem rushed, but don't worry! The actual planned and ~nicely written~ chapters are on its way!

Also bye I literally wrote most of this chapter in study period because my friend got moved away from me and I had no work to do. I was so paranoid somebody was going to see lfmaodnakdj but I made it & no one saw so I didn't have to chuck my phone out of the window! Yippee!

Lots of love - Mai x