Sorry about the wait... I haven't really had Internet access since I uploaded last. But anyway, this chapter is slightly longer than usual.
John wasn't stupid. He certainly wasn't anywhere near as intelligent and observant as Molly's ex-boyfriend (she seemed to talk about him a lot) was, but he definitely wasn't stupid. And it annoyed him to think that Molly thought he was. And most of all, he was annoyed that she was lying to him. They were, after all, supposed to be friends.
He had known she was lying the second she had tried to make up an excuse for why she couldn't sit with him at lunch. He knew for a fact that Molly wasn't part of a chess club. And there was only reason why she'd lie about where she was.
John made his way down the corridor, looking around for her. He knew he had to do something about it, or she'd just end up getting hurt all over again. He couldn't say he hadn't seen it coming. He had. Sherlock Holmes clearly had that manipulative power over Molly, making her come crawling back to him. The guy hadn't even properly apologised to her, and now she was falling for him again. Could Molly really have forgotten all those sleepless nights and tears shed over him? She clearly wasn't thinking straight.
Maybe part of John was jealous of Sherlock. He was only Molly's fake boyfriend- and certainly didn't have any 'feelings' for her (or did he?) but he was envious of the way Sherlock could get away with being so horrible to her, but still manage to make her want him back. Whereas John, who actually cared about her, was only the shoulder to cry on, Molly's backup plan, simply a distraction, while Sherlock wasn't available. And of she and Sherlock got back together, what would happen to him? There was no denying that John had gotten quite attached to Molly- as a friend, and nothing else (or was she?) and he would miss having her undivided attention, the only boy in her life, whether it be her friend, boyfriend, fake-boyfriend, e.t.c.
No. He wasn't doing this for himself. He was doing this for Molly. That boy was messing with her head. She wasn't thinking clearly, because if she was, she'd realise that she deserved better. He definitely wasn't right for her. As Molly's friend, he would have to take matters into his own hands. Because he cared, and didn't want her to get hurt again.
Molly was nowhere to be seen, so John carried on wandering down corridors and staircases, until he bumped into exactly the person he wanted to could have recognised that dark, curly head of hair from miles away.
"You're Molly's friend, aren't you?" Sherlock said when he saw John.
"Boyfriend." John corrected.
"Pretend boyfriend." Sherlock added.
So he knew. John was slightly disappointed. There would be no point in carrying on if Sherlock knew. Not that he'd been enjoying it or anything...
John faked a smile, and then frowned when he realised he didn't have to be polite.
"And you're Molly's ex-boyfriend." John commented. Sherlock nodded. "And it's going to stay that way, isn't it?"
Sherlock raised his eyebrows, suspicious.
"I know she's planning on seeing you today." John said, "She's almost forgiven you now. But I also know that you're not sorry."
Sherlock was beginning to look confused. "How would you know-"
"Leave her alone. Molly is a good girl. She deserves a lot better. I might not know you very well, but you've hurt her. You've really hurt her. And it won't take much to break her again."
Sherlock narrowed his eyes and looked at John. "You're jealous, aren't you?" he said, "That's why you don't want her to forgive me, isn't it?"
"I'm... not... I'm not jealous!" John stammered, trying hard not to blush, "I just want what's best for her."
"And what makes you think you know?" Sherlock asked, "You've known her for what, three weeks?"
"Long enough to know that you're not right for her. I care, about Molly. And I'm not going to let anyone hurt her again."
"I made a mistake, okay? The biggest mistake of my life. And I'm sorry, and she knows it."
"NO YOU'RE NOT!" John shouted, "Just leave Molly alone."
"You just don't want to accept it, do you?" Sherlock said, "And that's why you're lying to yourself. Telling yourself you know what's best for her. You don't want her to come crawling back to me because you want her all to yourself."
That was when John lost it. He wasn't even sure how it happened, but the next thing he knew, he was slamming his fist into Sherlock's jaw. Sherlock acted fast, though, grabbing John's arm and twisting it painfully behind his back, before pushing him to the ground.
Molly was angry. Very, very angry, and even that was an understatement. Why couldn't things just stay simple? Just when she had thought she'd sorted things out with Sherlock, of course John had to get in the way.
No. She shouldn't feel that way. He was only trying to help. But Molly was furious. John caught her eye as she pushed through the crowd of nervous, shocked students. At this point, Sherlock (whose nose was bleeding) was already on his way to the nurse, and John (who looked equally bruised and beaten up) was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. It was only a matter of minutes- if not less- before a teacher would come and sort it all out.
John got to his feet and started running (it didn't matter that he was breaking the school rules, he was going to be in serious trouble anyway) down the corridor, away from the crowd, Molly following behind him. Part of her was worried. Part of her was scared that both boys might end up getting expelled. But part of her wanted to strangle them both. John went into the nearest bathroom, and Molly followed him, even though it was the boys' bathrooms- she was too angry to care.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Molly shouted.
John looked both offended and shocked. "I was trying to protect you. And now, here I am, sore all over with a black eye, probably going to get expelled- or suspended at least- and almost definitely going to be grounded for six months when my parents find out. All this because I was trying to protect you. And now you're shouting at me!"
"Since when does punching Sherlock count as 'protecting me'?" Molly yelled.
"Molly, I know you lied to me. I know that he's managed to win you over again." John said, "I don't want you to get hurt again."
"So you decided to punch Sherlock?" "No." John said, calmly, leaning against the sink, "I decided to go and talk to him. But then he went and said something and I just- I don't know what happened."
"Sherlock isn't who you think he is. I think over-reacted a bit too much when we broke up."
"Well if you can justify him doing... what he did... with Irene, surely you can justify me accidentally getting into a fight trying to help you!"
"And how exactly does that count as trying to help me?"
"Molly, you're forgetting about how much he hurt you. You can't go crawling back to him. He isn't right for you."
"Well I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine now. I've gotten over it. And what makes you think you know what's right for me anyway? You barely know me. I love Sherlock. And now I know that Sherlock loves me. This is exactly why I didn't want to tell you where I was going. I knew you would react like this." Molly shouted.
"How do you think that makes me feel?" John asked, standing up again, "I helped you. I was there for you when you and Sherlock broke up. I helped you get through it. I even pretended to be your boyfriend for god's sake! Because that's what friends do. You were alone. And now you two are going to get back together and I'll go back to being a total stranger to you. I'm not stupid, Molly. I know what's going on. I'm not even going to pretend for a minute that you'll still talk to me when you're back with him."
"Since when is this all about you?" Molly snapped, "I wish you'd just leave me alone and mind your own business!"
"Fine then." John said, coldly, "I will. I was only trying to help you. But I see how it is. Just know that if he ends up breaking your heart again, I won't be there to help you. Not this time."
Molly instantly began to regret what she had said. "John, that's not what I-"
"Drop it, Molly." he said, and left the room.
Why couldn't they all just get along? Now that she had finally (well, almost) fixed things with Sherlock, she was going to have to fix things with John. Because he deserved an apology.
Why was everything so complicated?
Deep inside, she knew that she would have to choose between them, because John wouldn't want to be friends anymore if she was going out with Sherlock again and Sherlock surely wouldn't appreciate it if she was friends with the guy that had punched him. She couldn't keep them both. Molly sighed, and quickly left the bathroom before anybody could see her (she was in the boys', after all).
There. Finally able to upload this...Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing it means so much to me:):):)Adios! Again, not sure when I can update, but I'll try to do it ASAP.