𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗿

in your car the radio up,
we keep tryin' to talk about us.

          IT WAS THE FIRST DAY BACK from winter break and Mia had been dreading it, especially after getting her break stolen from her by her parents. The past few days had been alright for her. She had felt normal for the first time in weeks, which in retrospect wasn't necessarily the best thing when it came to Mia.

And I think she understood that when she woke up that morning— It was like something had switched, and then she realized she hadn't been taking her medication, nor has she had a full meal in days, not since both of her parents had gone back to work and she was back to being in charge of herself.

Mia could feel her nerves, her palms were sweaty and her leg bounced up and down over and over again. She was still at home waiting for her parents to give her the okay to go to school. They need to see her plate, the trash is hidden and all the restroom doors are locked, they also know that the garbage disposal is loud.

She feels like she has to throw up— not in that way.

"Mom!" She yells, pushing the empty plate away from her, "I'm done, can I go now? I don't want to be late!"

School is the last place she feels like going to, but it's getting her out of the house that she's grown to dislike. Her eyes glanced at her living room where she had fainted only a couple weeks ago. Her stomach felt even more queasy, and she could feel the tears threatening to spill but she held them in with everything she had in her.

Her parents walked down the stairs, they looked tired and she felt bad. Her parents hardly sleep these days, they're scared of what she might do while their minds are somewhere else and they know that their minds have been elsewhere in their work.

"That's all of it?" Her mother asks, picking up the plate and glancing around the kitchen.

Mia nods, "Yes all of it."

Her parents both look at each other, they're deciding if she's telling the truth. She is.

"Here's your keys Mia, but right after school it's straight home." Her father says handing her the keys she hasn't touched in weeks.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Mia smiles enveloping her parents in a group hug. She had been walking or biking everywhere which was good for her in some sense but she missed her car more.

"We love you Mia, believe us when we say we only want the best for you." Her dad whispers into her hair.

She pulls away, "I'll be home right after school, promise."

"And don't forget we need someone signing off on you eating your lunch—"

"Don't worry Mom, Miss Brown already emailed me about you emailing her. Which was not needed at all." Mia tries to shush her parents up as she gets into her car and they're still hanging on. "Now seriously back up, I'm gonna be late and I don't want to run you over."

They wave at her as she drives out of her driveway and down her street. Her phone automatically connects to her bluetooth and she smiles, a bit of relief washes over her as she feels an ounce of normalcy return to her.

She could still hold on to her New Year's resolution, it was only four days into the new year she still had a lot of time. She could really focus on herself and put her all into everything that was coming in the few months ahead. The SAT, getting an early start on the Common App, finishing up her extracurriculars, and getting her favorite teachers to write some letters of rec.

Her attention was taken away from her planning when she spotted the familiar face of the boy she had met on New Year's Eve. She pulled over honking at him, "Elliot!"

His face turned, a smile taking over it as he picked up his skateboard he had been riding. "Yo! Mia right?" He walked up to her passenger seat's window.

"Yeah, hop in! You're going to school right?" Mia asked as she unlocked her door, watching Elliot get in her passenger seat throwing his skateboard in the back.

"Mmm, sadly. Not really looking forward to being the new kid and all that bullshit." He replied as Mia pulled back on the street.

"Can't be that bad, no one really cares these days I guess." Mia laughed, "No offense."

"None taken— Hey thanks for like going along with the lie the other night." Elliot nodded.

Mia cringed thinking back to her doing all those drugs on some random person's washing machine. "Yeah no problem."

The two laughed and bonded over their similar taste in music, and other things the rest of the car ride to school. Mia found Elliot funny and kind of cute even without the drugs coursing through her system but like in a friendly way.

"Do you have any wipes? My hands are fucked from my skateboard." Elliot held up his dirty hands as Mia parked.

She nodded, "Yeah, in the glove compartment there should be a white bag that has some baby wipes."

Mia brought out her lip gloss, reapplying it in the mirror that was above her seat.

"Holy fuck!" Elliot exclaimed, pulling out the white bag. "Uh well I found the wipes."

Mia's face dropped as she saw the ziploc bag full of random ass drugs in the form of pills. She immediately covered them with her hands, "Don't tell anyone."

Elliot gave her an honest look, "Don't worry."

Mia nodded.

Elliot finished wiping his hands, "You are very mysterious Mia."

She laughed, " Not really. More fucked up than mysterious."

"I mean aren't we all?" He shrugged.

It was silent for a bit, "Yeah I suppose so."

Elliot cracked a smile, motioning over to the pills. "You mind?"

Mia shook her head, "No go ahead, take some."

Like a child Mia watched as Elliot dug his hand in the ziploc bag, grabbing about 5 pills. "Alright let's bounce."

Stuffing the white bag back in the deepest part of her glove compartment, Mia hopped out of her car and locked it.

"One day you're gonna tell me..." Elliot smiled as they walked into the school.

Mia looked back at him, "Tell you what exactly?"

"You'll know it when you tell me." He winked, "Now if you'll excuse me I have to go get my schedule."

"Oh I'm sure you do." Mia shook her head, watching Elliot skip down the hall.

Mia just knew Elliot was trouble, don't get her wrong he seemed like a really cool person, but you can be cool and still be trouble and Mia had enough of that in her life. Plus by the way she watched as he interacted with Jules and Rue in the hallway she knew he was already somebody else's problem.

So Mia stuffed her backpack in her locker, checking the clock seeing that school didn't actually start for another 12 minutes due to it's late start and texted Maddy.

mia 🦋
where are you?

maddy 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩
in the bathroom with kat & bb!
r u here?

mia 🦋
omw

Mia shut her locker, making her way to the girl's restroom that was just around the corner.

"Mia!" Maddy smiled as Mia walked into the girl's restroom.

"Maddy!" Mia mocked her. "Where's Kat?"

"In the restroom." BB motioned her head to the stalls.

Mia looked at herself in the mirror trying not to look too hard.

"I feel like I would look so sexy pregnant." Maddy stuck out her stomach.

Kat emerged from the restroom, "Maddy, please do not get pregnant."

Mia nodded in agreement. "Yeah, don't do that Mads."

"I wouldn't wear any of those nasty maternity clothes. I would just be me, but pregnant." Maddy tried to justify her statement.

"Remember when I got pregnant?" BB brought up.

Mia shook her head in shame, "It's hard to forget."

Maddy gave a look to Mia, nodding before turning back to BB who was perched on the counter. "Yes and it would be nothing like that."

"Well speaking of baby daddies... I seen the photo Ethan posted of the two of you and it's cute as fuck." BB looked over to Kat.

Mia nodded, "I saw too. I wanted to gouge my eyes out."

"Yeah Kat, stop flaunting your healthy, non-abusive, wonderful relationship. It's actually triggering." Maddy rolled her eyes as she sat on the counter.

"Yeah, he's um- He's really sweet." Kat smiled, which Mia could tell was fake but she didn't press the issue. "Anyways what happened with you and Fezco, I think we all seen what happened with Nate and then your post."

Mia shook her head, "This isn't about me Kat... please tell us more about your very cute relationship."

Maddy nodded, "We'll get back to Mia but right now I just need like some serotonin from someone and their healthy relationship."

So Kat, in a way of trying to shut them up, gave the three girls opposite of her the story of her really rough and crazy sexipade that felt like it came out of Wattpad story.

Mia looked at Kat in awe.

"Wait you're telling me Ethan tore your clothes off and fucked the shit out of you?" Maddy asked the question the girls were all thinking.

"Yeah... It's great." Kat nodded.

"You lucky bitch."

"Wow."

"Go Ethan!"

Mia felt jealous of Kat and Ethan; everything just felt and looked easy for them. As for her and Fez it was almost like the universe was against them or something.

"Alright well I gotta get out of here, smells like someone who hasn't taken a shower in decades." Mia scrunches up her nose in disgust, reaching her hand out to Maddy who gladly takes it.

"So what's up? What happened, is like Nate okay?" Mia could actually feel the urge to throw up after she asked that.

Maddy nodded as they walked to their first period, "Yeah, he'll live. It's just... I feel like he's being weird and I don't know I feel crazy."

"Not to defend him... because well you know, maybe he's just trying to recover?" Mia could actually throw up.

"Yeah it's probably that, I just keep overthinking everything you know... Maybe it's a side effect of being single." Maddy let out a soft laugh.

"Being single can be hard at first, especially when you thought you'd be with that person forever but I think that putting yourself first is always best and just trying to ignore that voice in the back of your head can be a lot too but it's all worth it in the end, you know?"

Maddy brought in Mia for a hug, which Mia happily gave back.

"I'm sorry." Maddy mumbled into her hair.

"Love makes us do crazy things, Maddy. You're my sister and I'll love you forever."

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mia threw her car keys on the table, getting home as soon as school ended just like she promised her parents. "I'm home!"

"In the dining room Mia."

Mia's heart dropped to her ass as she saw Cal Jacobs at the table with her mother and father.

"Oh, hi Mr. Jacobs." Mia put on a smile. "Everything okay? I heard about Nate, is he feeling better?"

"Can you sit down please?" He asked.

Mia nodded, taking a seat on the opposite end of Cal Jacobs, next to her parents.

"Mia, Cal just wanted to ask you some questions about that night." Her mother spoke.

"Do you know who might have been responsible for what happened to Nate?" Cal leaned in closer, a way of trying to intimidate the girl.

Mia shook her head, "No I didn't even know there had been a fight. Not until my mom told me what happened the next day after she got a call from my dad."

"So you're saying that you were at a party and didn't notice my son getting beat to a pulp? I find that hard to believe." He stared Mia down.

Mia stared back, "Well, that's exactly what I'm saying."

"And no one you know saw anything?"

"I guess not because no one has brought it up to me." Mia shook her head.

"Are you sure?" He was not backing down and neither was Mia.

"Pretty sure."

"I think you're lying." He stared at her.

Mia gave a look to her parents, "Now Cal. Mia doesn't lie and I believe that if she did see something she would tell someone because that's how we raised her. To tell the truth." Her father spoke, defending his daughter.

"Look Mia, I'm just trying to find out the truth and if you say you're telling the truth then fine." He nodded, "But I'm more than happy to get the Chief of Police Bill Greenwood involved. Old family friend, maybe he should have this conversation with you. With everyone in fact, get everyone's cell phones and text histories. Should we do that instead?"

Mia smiled, "Sure. Bill Greenwood is a family friend of ours too, he's at our house every Fourth of July and his wife Jill, you know Jill right? She's just amazing. So sure, you can do that and when he calls and you get the warrant because you do need one—Right Mom—to take my phone or anyones else's to search through a bunch of minor's texts then you just let me know and I'll be happy to oblige." Mia pushed her chair out, getting up. "Now if you excuse me there's some first day of school work I need to finish."

Molly Colombo, who was a lawyer, could not have been more proud of her daughter for sticking up to a man who tried to belittle her into a corner.

"It was nice seeing you Cal, you have a good one." Mia's dad nodded, seeing him out the door.

Mia threw herself on her bed, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding in as she heard her front door slam shut.

"Fuck." She mumbled.

Walking into her restroom, she shut the door, dialing Fez's number.

"What's goin' on?" Fez's voice spoke after the first ring.

"Nate's dad just showed up to my house asking all these fucking questions about who beat up his son!" Mia whisper yelled into her phone.

She could hear Fez shuffling, and a door closing. "Huh?"

"He's asking questions Fez, only a matter of time before someone fucking opens their mouth."

He sighed, "And what did you say?"

"Nothing! I was lying through my fucking teeth!"

"Fuuuck... look Mia just ignore all this shit okay? Let me handle it."

Mia ran her fingers through her hair in distress, "What fuck does that even mean Fezco?"

"It means imma handle it, now leave it."

Mia groaned, "Just please... don't do anything stupid."

Fez chuckled, "Now Ma you know me."

Mia smiled, "That I do."

"How was school?" He asked, genuinely interested. It was something that Mia always appreciated about Fezco, he never made it seem like she was a burden when they had conversations. He'd listen to her talk about anything and everything, asking questions back like Why did Elena leave Stefan for Damon? She's trifling, that's his brother.

"I had math today and I'm pretty sure I aced the quiz they gave us, hopefully. Who the hell gives tests on the first day back? But yeah, I either aced it or failed terribly no in between... But in English we were assigned this semester project on our favorite book and we have to do this..."

Fezco leaned back on his couch, a smile stuck on his face as he listened to the girl he loved talk about her day. She was so smart and funny, she was gorgeous and everything in between and he just couldn't believe that she chose him. Mia was someone that felt so out of reach for him for so long, even when they were together she still felt like she was someone who was always inches away.

It wasn't until she was laying in his bed doing homework, her hair was tied up in a bun and she had no makeup on, she had taken off her contacts and she was wearing her glasses while mumbling to herself. He was counting his money, the loud machine was annoying her and he could tell.

When something annoyed Mia she was someone who didn't hesitate on leaving the area, but she just shook her head and continued what she was doing, staying right by him.

When he was done and had put his stacks back in the box and slid it under the bed she was on she moved over letting him lay next to her, her feet resting on his legs.

The two hadn't spoken any words to each other but that was it, they didn't need to. It was all the unsaid things that lingered in the room that made Fezco know Mia was someone who he had fully in his grasp because she had let him.

"Anyways she's a bitch but she knows that, like why is it my job to tell her? Let me use the restroom and stop acting like a cop when you're just a hall monitor you know?" Mia was now on her bed and the sun was going.

"Alright Mia, I hate to say this but I gotta go... business and all that you know." Fezco spoke into the phone as Ashtray motioned towards the door.

Mia frowned, "Mmm'kay. Just let me know when you get home?"

"You coming over later?" Fezco got up from the couch, grabbing the glock from a random cabinet in his kitchen, passing it to Ashtray.

Mia thought to herself, her Mom would be asleep and her Dad had an all nighter for surgery. She could easily sneak out or something. Then she thought about her resolution, and she was confused on what they were. "What are we doing?"

She could hear his sigh, "Look Mia I don't wanna have this conversation over the phone..."

DING

Mia checked who had texted her before putting the phone back to her ear. "I got to go, Kat just invited me out bowling. Just let me know."

"Text me when you're done and I'll pick you up."

"Bye Fezco."

"Bye Mia."

⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Why do I feel like we're intruding on this date?" Mia asked as she took a sip of her coke.

Jules shrugged, "I don't know but all I know is I needed a reason to go out."

Mia nodded, "Same."

The three watched as Kat and Ethan laughed and kissed.

"You know what's kind of depressing?" Maddy spoke.

"What?" Jules responded.

Maddy picked at her nails, looking down. "I'll never find that kind of love."

"What do you mean?"

Mia felt for Maddy, especially after knowing the dynamic her Mom and Dad had and then seeing her and Nate.

"There's just no darkness, it's just sweet." Maddy frowned.

Mia nodded, "Well yeah. That's what love is supposed to be."

"I don't know if that'll ever be enough for me."

Jules shrugged, "I don't know... I mean, I guess some people are just kinda built different."

Maddy smiled, nodding. "Yeah. Guess so."

"I love you Maddy, and you love me. I think that's all you need right now." Mia leaned in to hug her best friend.

Maddy placed a kiss on her cheek, "Of course."

Jules watched the two with a smile, out of everyone in the school she had seen Maddy and Mia seemed the most real to her. Just two best friends since forever who genuinely cared about each other. She had heard whispers and some things from Rue about Mia and her situation with Fezco and she knew about Maddy and Nate and she just honestly didn't think they needed men... at least not now when they had each other.

She could see it throughout the whole night, how when they were taken away from their problems and everything else she could see the two girls who had bonded over makeup and their favorite one direction member. The girls that used to dance all night in dressup and have cannonball contests in Mia's pool.

The three girls sat on the curb, watching as Kat and Ethan walked further away into the parking lot. "Five minutes okay?"

They gave each other weird looks, letting out giggles.

"What is she gonna do for five minutes?" Maddy furrowed her eyebrows, laughing.

"I don't even wanna know." Jules cringed, making all three of them shake their heads in laughter.

The three sat in silence for a bit, taking in the fluorescent lights and chilly air. "I think I'm gonna get back with Nate." Maddy was the first to break the silence. "It's a mistake right?"

Mia knew what she wanted to say, but she couldn't. Maddy meant too much to her and she didn't want to lose her again, so she let Jules take the reins.

"Don't do it." Jules shook her head.

Maddy looked over at Mia, with a sort of pleading look on her face before turning back to Jules. "I don't know if I can help it."

"I wish you could see yourself the way the rest of the world does..." Jules leaned in, bringing in Maddy. "Like the way Mia looks at you."

Mia smiled, "Alright I want some hug action too."

The three girls giggled, holding onto each other tighter.

Within seconds, Fezco's car pulled up his music playing a little bit too loud.

Jules and Maddy gave her a look, "Bitch?"

Mia shook her head, "It's not what it looks like... I came here with you and I'll leave with you just give me a couple minutes."

Maddy nodded.

Fezco leaned over, waving at Maddy and Jules as Mia hopped in his passenger seat.

Mia laughed as they awkwardly waved back.

"Can you just park for a bit?" Mia asked.

Fezco nodded, parking his car in the empty spot at the corner of the parking lot. "I'm guessin' you wanna have that talk."

Mia nodded.

"Alright... what is it?" Fezco asked.

"I don't know what we are? Everything is so complicated with us Fezco, like everything. We couldn't even have a month of peace because you didn't trust me or you didn't trust yourself. It feels like when you pull me in close, that's when you decide to push me away?" Mia could feel the tears begin to fall, "I opened up to you more than I have to anyone..."

Fezco could feel his heart break as he watched Mia in tears, he brought his hand behind her neck pulling her close but not kissing her. "I love you Mia. I don't think I can ever stop." His voice was so soft and fragile, Mia had never heard him speak like this. "But you want this life that I'll never be able to give you, and don't say you don't cause I know you do."

He let out a breath of air, "It's you and me forever and I meant that when I said it and I still do, but we're not honest with each other... I know you, I know that you have so much shit you haven't told me. I know that you got so much shit on your chest and I do too. It's not good for us baby."

Mia nodded, "I love you. I really wanted to make this work, I really wanted to be yours forever and I know I'm young and to you I still have the rest of my life but it's not easy for me to build that connection with someone. It's just— I just—"

"I know... I know..." Fezco let his thumb rub across her cheek. "If it's forever or never, shit it's all the same. You'll always be my girl, you'll be my best friend, and everytime I see those damn Grandma cookies you'll always cross my mind."

Mia let out a sad laugh, wiping away her tears.

Fezco leaned in placing a small, gentle kiss on her lips. Mia felt like it was his way of saying goodbye and it hurt, it hurt her so much.

Pulling away Fezco tilted his head a bit, "When you asked me why my ass was always sleeping, I told you that it was because you were always in em'—"

"—What was I saying?"

Fezco gave her a smile, "I love you. You always told me you loved me in em'."

"I love you Fezco."

"I love you Mia."

And with those last words Mia got out the car and walked back over to her friends, the tears not stopping not even a bit. This time she didn't feel like she was closer to rock bottom like last time, she felt more hopeful.

"Come here." Maddy opened her arms, engulfing her best friend. "Putting yourself first is hard...I know, I know.'

AUTHOR'S NOTE . . .
honestly... i really enjoyed writing this chapter. like A LOT... so if it's actually shit please don't comment on it, because damn y'all are MEAN! i'm glad no one read cinderella when i first wrote it bc y'all would of had me crying 😐

anyways... let's really get into this love triangle now yeah? fezco is officially on the market, lexi is in her reputation era and mia is starting her self love/healing journey... things could go so many way.

one thing i got on lock though... MADDY AND MIA'S FRIENDSHIP... yeah those are my girls and say what you want but at the end of the days they're sisters and sister always fight and say horrible thing that they regret... they don't sleep with each others ex boyfriends and they're always there for each other.

MIA AND MADDY I LOVE YOU! <3333333

also peep the cinderella reference... i'm crying 😭