On Monday morning, Deliah woke up earlier than Sarah for the first time. She got ready, went to the bathroom, washed up, changed, and got to the breakfast table just as her mother set down the first plate of toast.
"Deliah? Why are you so early today?" Mrs. Johnson asked, surprised.
Deliah's eyes were red from crying and her lips showed no hint of a smile. "I'm going to take the bus today," she muttered, shoving a piece of bread into her mouth. She was famished. She had skipped dinner the previous night and was determined to show her sister and Alex that she could survive without them.
Mrs. Johnson softened, sighing. "Deliah, you have to understand that you can't force love," she advised. "If Alex couldn't love you-"
"Do you think that makes me worse?" Deliah cut her mother off, sniffling. "That Alex tried really hard to fall in love with me but couldn't? That he didn't even try but was already head over heels for Sarah? Am I that unattractive, Mom?" She stared at her toast.
"Deliah, you're not unattractive," Mrs. Johnson said, sitting down. "Alex is just not the one for you. You'll find someone else in the future."
Deliah saw how worried her mother looked, and she faked a smile. "Perhaps," she mumbled. "After all, it's better than Joe Jonas dumping Taylor Swift with a 25-second phone call," she tried to joke.
Mrs. Johnson smiled and ruffled her hair.
"Mom, I don't know how to deal with this," Deliah said, tears welling up in her eyes.
"That's right. The pain will pass, and soon you won't even feel anything," Deliah's mother comforted her. Deliah nodded and drank her milk. She got up and grabbed her bag.
"I'll go to school first, Mom." Mrs. Johnson glanced at the time. "So early?"
"I don't want to see Sarah. I don't want to see Alex here for her either," Deliah muttered. "I'll go first. Bye, Mom." She trudged out of the door.
Mrs. Johnson sighed and massaged her temples. "Why do my daughters always fall for the same guy?" she muttered.
Once Deliah was out of the door, the forced smile on her lips was instantly wiped away, and a tear leaked from her eyes. She stared at the usual parking lot where Alex's car would be parked while he waited for her and Sarah. He would still be there. But from now onwards, he wouldn't be there for her. "You are stupid Deliah," she murmured. "He never was."
"Hey," Sarah looked up at Alex, who had been waiting directly outside the house instead of in his car. He scanned her face in concern and touched her red, swollen eyes gently.
"Did you even sleep last night?" he murmured.
"Barely," Sarah admitted, her voice coming out as a croak. She sighed and looked back at the house before closing the door, hugging her bag. "Liah went to school already. She took the bus," she whispered.
Sarah licked her lips and stared at the ground. "She never once left without me. I never had to go to school myself without her by my side." Her voice grew thick, and Alex knew she was about to cry again. "I think I hurt her really bad this time, Alex."
"Sarah, she doesn't mean what she says," Alex murmured while tilting her face up and letting his thumb graze her cheek. "She says she hates you and she'll never talk to either of us, but she doesn't mean it. She'll come around someday. We just need to give her time to cool off. You can't expect her to be completely alright after something like that either."
"And besides," his hand slithered down to hers and interlaced their fingers. "You're not going to school alone. I'm with you. I'll be here." Sarah looked at him and saw the sincerity brimming in his eyes, and she gave him a small smile. "Thank you."
There was already a lot of talk in the school when someone saw Deliah Johnson enter the school by herself without Alex and Sarah. It appeared as if she took the bus by herself that day. And not only that, it was obvious their little queen had cried herself to sleep the previous night because her eyes were puffy and red, and she looked absolutely irritable, a complete change from her usual cheery chirpy self.
*******
As Alex pulled up to the school in his car, whispers and curious glances followed their every move. Sarah, feeling uneasy, nervously moistened her lips and noticed the lingering gazes directed their way even before they stepped out of the vehicle.
Sarah bit her bottom lip, her voice tinged with worry. "Do you think everyone knows?" she asked Alex.
Alex's reply was a quiet mutter, his words barely audible. "If they didn't before, they probably do now." He let out a sigh and turned to look at Sarah. "But we'll face this together, okay?"
Sarah nodded and exited the car, grateful for Alex's assistance. The intense gazes from onlookers didn't escape Alex's notice, but he ignored them, closing the car door as if oblivious. Sensing Sarah's anxiety, he joined her on the other side, helping her maneuver her hands through the sling of her bag.
"Relax," Alex whispered, lending a hand with her bag. "I'm here."
Taking her hand, he guided her inside, inadvertently confirming everyone's suspicions. The news of Alex and Deliah's breakup spread like wildfire, and to compound the scandal, Alex was now involved with Deliah's older sister, Sarah. Many saw it as a betrayal, assuming Sarah and Alex had betrayed Deliah's trust.
Yet, the truth remained unchanged—Alex's heart had never wavered.
Alex held Sarah's hands gently as she leaned closer to him, seeking solace from any further emotional turmoil after the events of the previous day. As they strolled down the hallway, Aerospace awaited them. Steve patted Alex on the back, offering an encouraging smile. "Aerospace's got your back," he said. "We're here to support you."
"Thank you," Sarah weakly whispered. Alex squeezed her hands, concern etched on his face. She shook her head, signaling that she was alright, and Alex nodded, his smile gentle.
Their tender moment was abruptly interrupted by the arrival of Matthew McCall, his eyes filled with dangerous hostility. "What the hell are you doing with MY girlfriend, Alex?" Matthew snarled, forcefully pulling Sarah away from him.
Mentally facepalming himself, Alex had momentarily forgotten about Sarah's involvement with Matthew. Their primary concern had been avoiding causing further pain to Deliah, inadvertently neglecting Matthew's entanglement in the complicated web of relationships. But Alex harbored little concern for the scoundrel's emotions.
Alex gently pried Matthew's fingers off Sarah's arm and soothingly rubbed the red marks. "She's my girlfriend," Alex asserted.
Sarah hurried over to Alex, her lip nervously caught between her teeth. Matthew growled, his displeasure evident. Sarah had momentarily forgotten her supposed relationship with Matthew. "I'm sorry, Matthew. Alex and I are together now. A lot has happened this weekend, and it's all overwhelming. I apologize for not informing you earlier, but I believe we should end our relationship."
Outraged, Matthew's face contorted. "I thought Alex was dating your sister, and I was yours! We had such a great time on the double date last weekend! Why are you doing this?"
Stepping in front of Sarah, Alex glared at Matthew. "She never loved you. If you don't have any blessings to offer us, that's fine. Don't make a scene and act like a man. Sarah is my girlfriend now, not yours."
Matthew attempted to strike Alex, but David and Philip swiftly intercepted, catching his arm before his fist could connect. "No violence," David reminded firmly.
"You two better watch out," Matthew growled, stomping away, his humiliation evident. Sarah swallowed hard, locking eyes with Alex, who offered a small, reassuring smile.
At least he's out of your life."
"Yeah." Sarah forced a smile back.
It appeared that Matthew's breakup with Sarah was the only positive thing that happened that day, as everything else went wrong. The Sa-lex couple faced disapproval from everyone, especially since the school held Deliah in high regard from the start. Sarah's later transformation made her gather fewer supporters compared to Deliah.
Through moral reasoning, everyone sided with Deliah, as supporting two cheaters—Sarah and Alex—was unthinkable. Although no one sympathized with Matthew for being cheated on, they felt sorry for Deliah. Sarah and Alex faced nasty comments wherever they went, even from classmates they considered friends. Others failed to comprehend why they were together and attributed all blame to the couple.
Particularly Elijah.
"YOU BASTARD!" Elijah, a male student in Deliah's grade, charged toward Alex in anger. Alex narrowly evaded his punch and blinked in surprise. "Wait, what?"
"BASTARD!" Elijah attempted to kick Alex again, but Alex anticipated it and blocked the attack with his Physics textbook. "Can we please talk instead of mindlessly attacking each other?" Alex hissed.
Elijah growled, his glare fixed on Sarah and Alex. "You two deserve to burn in hell," he insulted. "You made my Deliah cry! Deliah deserved a loving and caring boyfriend, not one who would cheat on her, let alone her own sister! How do you think she feels now, huh?"
Sarah bit her lip and lowered her gaze to the floor.
"You can't force love!" Alex protested. "You can't blame me for falling in love with Sarah. I genuinely love her. I'm sorry about Deliah, but I'm not the one responsible for her happiness."
"WELL, DUH!" Elijah hollered. "You cheated on my goddess, you bastard!" He made another attempt to punch Alex, but Alex managed to dodge it.
A teacher noticed the commotion and promptly escorted Elijah to the principal's office, casting disapproving glances at Alex and Sarah. As Yvonne, Iris, and Nancy walked down the hallway, Sarah's eyes lit up, scanning for her sister. "Where's Liah?"
"She's not feeling well," Iris snapped. "Thanks to her wonderful sister, who cheated on her with her ex-boyfriend. Such loyalty."
Sarah's spirits deflated instantly, and Henry frowned. "Hold on, you don't know the whole story. Don't speak as if you know everything that happened."
"We do," Yvonne defended. "Alex cheated on Deliah. That's a fact. What do you have to say about that?"
"To be honest, Alex didn't cheat on Deliah," Steve reasoned. "He never loved Deliah in the first place. Aerospace sort of... forced him into the relationship. The mess Sarah and Alex are in right now, we're partly responsible for it. We're sorry." He looked at Alex, who shook his head to indicate that he didn't take it personally.
"Regardless, the two of you hurt her," Iris frowned. "She doesn't want to see either of you, so stay out of her sight and don't make her feel sick."
Yvonne and iris huffed and walked away, while Brad attempted to reach out to Nancy. She shook her head, understanding that this wasn't the right time to be friendly with her boyfriend. Nancy hurried off to find Iris and Yvonne, leaving brad to sigh softly.
Other students passing by couldn't help but cast disapproving looks at Sarah and Alex whenever they had the chance. Sarah felt as if she were a public enemy.
Alex gently turned Sarah away from the judgmental gazes, cupping her face. "It's going to be alright," he whispered, even though he wasn't entirely certain himself.
Sarah nodded, trying to hide her concern. She blocked out the rest of the world and focused on the man by her side, grateful to have him there.
"What are you staring at?" Joe blurted out. "Quit gawking!"
"Yeah, if you've got something to say, say it," Henry added, his brows furrowing. "Stop whispering and staring over here. And if you don't have the guts to speak up, then keep your eyes to yourselves!"
The Aerospace members glared back at the other students, and Sarah let out a soft sigh as Alex gently held her hand. Despite the difficult situation, they were fortunate to have a loyal group of friends.
And most importantly, she had him.