I throw back the rest of my fruit punch like a shot, and stand up.

     "Nat- Nat! Please don't! Nat for the love of GOD!" Sophie is laying on the couch, eyes covered, begging. Too late. I press the picture on my phone screen, and start the playlist of cheesy breakup songs. I press the first one, and pick up a spoon to use as a microphone, flicking my hair behind my back in my best blonde, skinny, overplayed pop star imitation. 

     "CAUSE BABY NOW WE GOT BAD BLOOD-" I start singing along with Taylor, trying my best to overdo every syllable, every shoulder wiggle. "Nat..." Soph buries her face in my moms favorite throw pillow.

     "SO TAKE A LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DO-ONE." She begins laughing as I try (and fail) to dance along to the rapper's part. "IT'S SO SAD TO... uh... YOU AND I!!" I prance around the room for the rest of the song, being more dramatic and showy than even I usually am, as Soph tries not to laugh.

     At the end of a few songs, I flop down on the couch at her feet, even my panting dramatic. She reaches over to slap my arm, but is trembling so hard with laughter that I barely feel it. Plus, she's laughing, which was the whole point of my serenading her with some of the cheesiest breakup songs known to man. Since her now-ex, Miran, started acting toxic towards her, she hasn't laughed much. And that also meant our end of the school week Thursday sleepovers were off. But now they're back! Hallelujah! 

     I catch my breath and turn on our favorite mindless plot movie, then go make us some ice cream sundaes. I make mine like normal, vanilla with whipped cream and too many cherries, but I pile hers high with all the chocolate and sugary things I can find in the kitchen. She needs it. 

      I walk back in and she moves her legs so I can sit on the inside of the couch. I plop down, handing her the sundae, and put my head on her shoulder. At 5'6", I'm always taller than her 5'2", and this is one of the only times I even get to feel smaller than her. She's also super skinny, which never aides the illusion. But I'm perfectly proud of my curves, even if I'd kill for even half of her metabolism. 

     "See, Soph? Isn't this better than underage drinking parties? Bet you missed this!" I reach over to tickle her, but she slaps me away, and I giggle. "Yeah, I missed this. But don't judge, you liked those parties too." "Yeah, I did. Once. Guess we've both matured, eh?" She nods, and we get back to watching the old movie we could probably both recite by heart at this point. A few minutes later, she speaks again. "Yeah, I missed these even while I was at the parties. They didn't have gummy bears!" She holds up a green bear and laughs, and my heart swells. I don't have a crush on her- and I will get defensive on that, because we've both had and gotten over crushes on the other, and it's a sore point. 

      I wrap my arms around her waist and hug her, and even though she weighs next to nothing, my arm is crushed into the couch. "I love you, Soph." I sit up a little to drop a kiss on her forehead. "Love you, too." 

     Somewhere in the middle of the movie, she falls asleep. She says she always sleeps better next to me. It's sweet, really. She has anxiety, has for years, and barely sleeps because of it. So seeing her feel comfortable enough to sleep around me is a magical experience. Come to think of it, she's a lot like a cat. I reach over her to grab my phone and the remote off the coffee table. She doesn't stir. 

     I only fall asleep quickly in new places, doesn't matter who I'm with, so I scroll social media for a while after turning off the movie. Once I get tired I put my head back on her shoulder and fall asleep with a smile on my face. 

     I don't see her again until the next school week. Even then I don't get to see her until lunch because she 'overslept her alarm'. My class is all the way on the other side of the building from the cafeteria, and here is right next to it, so I know she saved me a spot even though the room seems full. I walk between two kids I've never met making kissy faces at each other from opposite tables. A regular Romeo and Juliet. I then dodge a chili dog that just got heaved across the lunchroom by some jock I've been in school with forever. I think his name is Rocky or something. I don't know. 

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

     At our table, I slide in across from Sophie. "How?" I ask. "How what?" "How do we survive this place?" "Nat, my friend-" she pops a baby carrot into her mouth and chews thoughtfully, waving her fork at me. "I have no idea." We laugh and sit in the comfortable silence usually upheld at lunch, when we aren't making dirty jokes or having a deep discussion. Then Maya sits next to Soph. 

     "Hey Nat..." her voice is sing-song, and I get worried. "Don't look, but Jameson is looking at you. Staring, really. Big heart eyes." 

     I whip around, and she laughs as I meet his eyes and blush. He really was staring at me. Why? The rumors- they haven't gotten to him, have they? Actually, why do I care if they have. They aren't true. Okay, parts of them are, but not enough for it to be important. Damn that Olivia. She's just mad I hooked up with her not-boyfriend. 

     "Ah, okay. He's cute, I guess. No Olivia, though..." they laugh at my jab at the prettiest- and meanest- girl in school, the one who spread rumors about me being pregnant. Like I'm dumb enough not to use birth control. "I didn't know you had a thing for nerds, Natalie," Maya says, laughing. "I don't. He's a geek. Soph, on the other hand, is a nerd." "Hey!" "Also, I've been trying new things. Like this tiny tomato. Who knew?" I grimace as I bite into one. "They're still gross, though." 

     "I can't believe you've never had a cherry tomato." Maya shakes her head in mock disappointment. Soph and I laugh, and then we all move on. 

     The week passes, and then it’s Thursday, last hour biology, Jameson is quieter than usual. I mean, he’s always quiet- in this hour, anyway- but today he’s even quieter than usual. He doesn’t even respond to my, ‘hey’, he just smiles a little and nods. So we do our paperwork in silence. I do try to initiate conversation a few times, but he doesn’t talk to me until after class.        

     As I’m putting my binder in my backpack, he lays his big hand gently on my arm. In all And then jerks it off. 

     “Hey, Nat?” I’d answer, but I’m bent half-over, trying to wedge my binder into my bag. I’d, foolishly, chosen a cute but too-small bag at the beginning of the year, and I suffer for it every day. I pop back up, and I just know my hair is dissheveled. I try to smooth it, but strands still hang down in front of my eyes, so I blow them out of my face. 

     “Yes, Jameson?” I gesture for him to speak. 

     “So, uh. I was thinking. Could I drop by tomorrow morning? Just real quick. Like- five minutes? I need to tell you something.” He starts standing up, and smooths down his black hair, and begins massaging the back of his neck. He’s pink. 

     “Tomorrow morning? Okay. Seven? That’s before your practice, right? Basketball?” Yep, he plays basketball. I’ve heard he’s really good, being 5’11” and lean, but I almost never go to, much less pay attention to, basketball games, so I wouldn’t know. 

     “Oh! Yeah. Yeah, that works. Great, uh, see you then.” He walks away really quickly, and I watch him, head tilted, legs crossed, bag over shoulder. I also watch Sophie enter the room and stand, propped up, beside the door frame.  

     “You coming or not?” She says, making my gaze shift from where Jameson walked out to where she is now. 

     “Yeah, I’m coming.” 

**please comment! I'll answer questions and might include suggestions.