14. A Perfectly Good Heart (12/8/20)

Elizabeth found herself spending Thursday night with her best friend, Jojo, instead of with her boyfriend, Ian. They had been seeing each other for three months, and Elizabeth was hoping they would spend more time together now that Ian's season of football had ended. But he called right after school and said he couldn't come over because he was studying for the chemistry test he had the next day.

Elizabeth tried to be understanding, but she couldn't help the growing suspicions that filled her body whenever Ian canceled plans. It was something her ex-boyfriend had done a lot of, and it drove Elizabeth mad. She couldn't stand someone who couldn't commit to her, especially when she was so loyal and committed to the relationship. But it was the first time Ian had canceled plans on her, so Elizabeth called Jojo to see if she wanted to rent a movie that night.

The two girls were in the kitchen. Jojo pressed a few buttons on the microwave, and a few moments later, she could hear the popcorn kernels popping. Elizabeth let out a sigh, crossing her arms against her chest and leaning on the kitchen island.

"What's up?" Jojo asked, studying her nails before looking up at her friend.

"It's nothing," Elizabeth replied, even though she was itching to tell her everything.

Jojo threw open the microwave and started eating the popcorn. The girls curled up on the couch, and Elizabeth was all ready to discuss which movie they should watch, but Jojo seemed hung up on something.

"Liz, tell me what's wrong." She placed a supportive hand on Elizabeth's shoulder.

"I wanted to spend the night with Ian," Elizabeth finally said. "I mean, we've been going out for three months, and I feel like I never get to see him."

"You saw him at the football games," Jojo pointed out. The two girls had worn the school colors and decorated posters to show their support for the team. They could be found in the student section at every game.

"Yeah, but it wasn't the same. I saw him play, but we didn't get to hang out or anything." Elizabeth busied herself with a loose thread on a nearby pillow. "And when we got food after the game, we were always in a big group. I feel like I hardly know him."

"Well, where is he tonight?" Jojo asked, placing the bowl of popcorn on the ottoman.

Elizabeth shrugged. "He said he was studying for the chemistry test tomorrow."

Something in Jojo's expression changed. She raised her eyebrows and cocked her head to the side. "What test?"

"He said he had a chemistry test tomorrow." The suspicions were only growing in size.

"There's not a chemistry test tomorrow. I'm in his class." Elizabeth watched as Jojo fished for her phone. "That dirty liar. Come on."

Jojo climbed off the couch and grabbed her keys. Elizabeth asked, "Where are we going?"

"Where do you think? We're gonna go find Ian."

Their first stop was at Ian's house. Fortunately, his mother was home, and Elizabeth prided herself on the fact that she could impress parents. Her ex-boyfriend's mom still followed her on Instagram. But when they pulled up to Ian's house, they noticed that his car was missing from the driveway. His mother filled in the puzzle piece: he had left an hour ago to see some friends. At this point, Elizabeth was fuming and on the verge of tears. Her heart hurt inside her chest.

Jojo sped out of the development and drove down the highway. She knew where Ian and his friends hung out, thanks to the fact that she and the one guy on the football team had been texting for two weeks. He sang like a canary when Jojo asked where he was.

"They're at some pizza place in Monroe," Jojo explained to Elizabeth before taking the exit. "And don't get upset, but they're with some girls."

Elizabeth tried to listen to her friend's advice and not get upset, but she couldn't stand the fact that Ian had lied to her to spend time with his friends and other girls from Monroe. Everyone knew the girls from Monroe were trashy. And Elizabeth was nothing but loyal to Ian.

Jojo followed the GPS' instructions, and in ten minutes, they were in front of the pizza place. From the car, Elizabeth could see Ian and his friends sitting inside, sharing a pepperoni pizza.

"Are you gonna go in?" Jojo's voice was barely above a whisper. She had killed the music a while ago. The only sound was Elizabeth's heartbeat.

"I'll be back soon," she said before climbing out of the car. The pizza place was half empty; other than Ian and his friends, a few families sat in the booths against the one wall.

Elizabeth threw open the front door, and her eyes went right to Ian. From where he was sitting, he could see the door to the pizza place. His face went up in flames when he saw Elizabeth.

"You told me you had a chemistry test," Elizabeth said flatly once she reached the table. The conversation had been cut off, and a toddler at a nearby table was watching. "This doesn't look like studying."

"Liz!" Ian replied, his voice dripping in shock. "Wha...what are you doing here?"

"Jojo told me there wasn't a chemistry test tomorrow," Elizabeth explained. "That's why you said we couldn't hang out tonight. So what are you doing here?"

Ian was at a loss for words. His friends, which included the guy from the football team that Jojo was texting and two girls from Monroe, chuckled before switching their attention to their phones.

"I've been committed to this relationship since day one. I'm the one who makes plans. You aren't putting in any effort!" Elizabeth was screaming at this point, and everyone was looking.

"Maybe I don't wanna be tied down right now, Liz." Ian shrugged. He couldn't even stand up or meet her eyes. "I think we should see other people."

Elizabeth's eyes widened. Her heart shattered into a million pieces and fell on the linoleum floor beneath her feet. Ian's final words were hanging in the air for everyone to see, like an embarrassing secret. With nowhere else to go, Elizabeth turned on her heel and walked out. It was the only time she let Ian get the last word.