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Chapter Two: Maggie

Her name is Mandy. Mandy Davis.

Part of the popular group as I have expected, specifically known as The Greasers, notorious in their own way and was a long-term target of Evan to pursue.

They were together for six months, two months into the previous semester before summer had started, as well as three months into the summer vacation and a month into this year now.

Though from what she said, despite being with each other for a stable amount of time, all she had experienced being with him was complete and utter torture.

One that she didn't expect, considering during the first time he had decided to pursue her he was everything a girl wanted. A gentleman, a catch, and the overall full-blown package.

She was enamored instantly and apparently, it didn't take long for them to hit it off, due to how so many people were already pushing them into the idea of being together, and if there's one thing Henderson High students crave, it's an It Couple that they would first anticipate to get together, only to sooner or later want to see fall apart.

Luckily for them, it happened.

I didn't say much as I continued staring down at her as she sat on the chair I had previously claimed and continued to sob in silent contempt, looking anywhere but me nor Levi as if she were ashamed that someone, anyone for that matter, had to see her like this.

But I wasn't going to make her feel guilty for feeling the way she felt. I may not know the entire story, but I wasn't just gonna sit around and see her break down crying like this.

"It's okay if you don't want to..." I addressed as she looked up at me. "But if you wanna talk about it just to get some tension off your shoulders, we're not here to judge you."

She sniffled, playing with her fingers as she took in a deep breath, and quickly exhaled.

"At first, I knew it wasn't right." she began, her voice shaking "To cheat on him with someone so important to him, to ruin such a beautiful friendship that's been around for so long all for a relationship that was bound to end because of how... wrong we were, for each other." 

"But I just felt so used. I know that seems low and petty, to be so spiteful towards a relationship that was doomed right from the start. But six months is long enough for someone to be at the brink of their own madness if they knew what it felt like to be with him."

"Sometimes I blame myself for being fooled by it all, thinking that he was the perfect guy. The one who would finally sweep me off my feet, so impatient to rush into things that I didn't even notice the signs even when they were there, blaring right in front of my face, begging me to be smarter than this, but chivalry seemed a lot more appealing than logic to me at that time."

"I knew that he doesn't have the cleanest record, he's not beloved by everyone, and when you look at him you can't necessarily say he's Prince Charming, he's fallen in and out of things so much for him to earn the image that he has today... but maybe that's what lured me in. Because I'm not necessarily exempt from the scrutiny either, you're attracted to who you are after all."

"At first, I thought we could've saved each other, that I could save him. He had his moments sure, but I was willing to look past that. In my head,  I tried to convince myself that he was much more than just some spoiled, little rich kid who didn't have a good history with his past relationships. He showed sides of him that were different from what people said about him."

Her throat bopped as she tried to continue, shaking her head as she cupped her head in between her hands "But I was wrong." she cried, her voice trembling "I was so wrong because the moment he realized he got me where he wanted me, was when the mask dropped and everything fell apart long before I could even try to fix it. I knew he didn't wanna be fixed, he wanted validation, but I just couldn't give him that."

"Again, I couldn't help but blame myself, because here I was being so adamant about wanting the version of him that I cultivated in my head that once he showed inconsistencies, I withdrew. Maybe it was because I wasn't strong enough to stay for him when he finally showed his true colors, and maybe it was just my greed of wanting something perfect that I resorted to someone else who fits that image that I wanted. Maybe, if I had just stayed longer and fixed him..."

Closing my eyes, I took a moment to try and contain my breathing. To not jump right at Mandy, take her shoulders in my hands, and shake her enough to the point that she would realize that she is not a rehabilitation center for fucked up guys like Evan.

"B-but I don't know." she stammered "Maybe I was just stupid and m-maybe it was my fault-"

"Mandy, stop." I snapped, interrupting her "It is not your fault that you were mistreated and it is not your fault that he made you feel worthless. Sure, maybe you shouldn't have cheated but maybe, he shouldn't have been such a complete fucking asshole."

I sighed as she looked up at me "Look, you seem like a sweet girl, and maybe you just wanted the best for him, but he just couldn't give that to you, and that is not your fault, okay?"

She looks down, fiddling with her fingers, a habit I'm guessing, before she wipes at her wet cheeks, and nods her head "You're right."

"Don't beat yourself down about it." I advised "Don't feel invalidated about being hurt because of how he manipulated you into thinking he was something he was not, and I may not know the entire story, but seeing the way that you're crying right now, let me tell you that he is not worth your tears. You have the right to cry because of the pain, but you shouldn't cry because you think you weren't enough for him. Because you were more than enough."

She nodded, willing herself to smile through the tears as she lets out a hiccup "You're right, God, you're so fucking right."

I couldn't help but smile, "You're strong because of how you managed to stay with him in spite of how poorly he had treated you." I told her, my tone was serious, "Meaning you'll be strong enough to get through this knowing he's not around to pull you down anymore."

* * *

It was only a matter of time she was confident enough to leave the library.

I walked along with her until I had to let her go, with the promise that we'll catch up and how she was more than thankful for the comfort I had lent.

"Thank you," she told me, a smile on her face for the first time since she was dragged and left in the library by Evan "For someone who doesn't even know me, here you are going out of your way to make sure I was alright. If you can treat me with the care of a sister despite not even knowing me, I guess Evan would have treated me much better knowing how I was his girlfriend," 

I was proud of the way things turned out, and so was Levi.

"You are a force to be reckoned with, Maggs. That's all I have to say with how great you handled that situation." he gave me a quick peck on the lips "Though as heroic as you were, getting to know Mandy is about as far as you should go by involving yourself with people like them."

"Mandy is about as decent as us regardless of how popular she is and what kind of clique she's in, in comparison to that asshole," I snapped, referring to Evan as Levi lets out a sigh.

"That's why befriending her is about as far as you should go. If she weren't just so fond of you, I'd tell you now to stay away from her because she's still Evan's ex and they just broke up."

Despite recoiling at the words said about her, I couldn't help but understand the point he was trying to make. Because it's known how associating yourself with the people that Evan hates gives you a 90% chance to end up just like them.

Crucified by him and his little group of delinquents, and though I dreaded the idea of a possible encounter with him due to my brief bonding with Mandy, I wasn't just gonna ignore the fact he was a complete neanderthal who never deserved her.

Or at least, the love she had showered him with throughout their relationship. I know it's early to base their relationship on first-hand information and to be biased, but with the way he acted earlier, it only seems necessary for me to choose her side for the time being.

"Promise me you'll be careful." he pleaded as he held onto my shoulders and brought me closer towards him, as if he was trying to send more needed warnings that he was just too cautious to tell me now "I know how much you hate people like him and believe me, if he just wasn't so praised and worshiped by the students here I'd help you teach him a lesson or two."

"But this is Evan we're talking about," he added as I looked down, not wanting to understand too much of what he meant by that, but I did. I did all too well. 

"He's troublesome in his own way and one of those reasons may be because of the fact that he's severely imbalanced, more so on the fact that the negatives weigh more than the positives. But that doesn't stop people from fearing him to the point that they can't help but take his side."

"So even if you do like Mandy, try not to get yourself involved, because it won't be pretty. The last thing that I want for you is to end up in a situation that'll only ruin how hard you've managed to keep a low profile to avoid people like Evan."

"Trust me on this, okay?" he said, carefully grabbing both sides of my face "Guys like Evan aren't meant to cross paths with girls like you. People like him, in general, will only ruin you. And if there's one thing Evan is good at, it's destroying anything or anyone that gets in his way."

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