Love Rectangled

Prologue

Three years ago

"Choose. It's Ivy or me." I stood with crossed arms in front of my friends, tapping my foot impatiently in our small treehouse.

We all made this treehouse together with the help of Noah's father a few years ago. We used to play all the time here, had many sleepovers, and spend hours crying and complaining about our parents' rules and strictness. This treehouse was our escape from the real world, in which everyone had to make a decision.

"I don't get why we have to choose. Can't we all be friends like before?" Noah pleaded with his glossy green eyes, begging me to stop.

"No Noah, we can't." I refused to give in and turned my head, observing my other friends.

Kevin stood beside me, Ivy and Vanessa in front glaring, while Noah looked back and forth between us, like a lost puppy. I glanced at Jax who sat in the corner with his head hung down.

"Who are you going to choose, Jax?" I questioned.

Please choose me.

I've had a crush on Jax for a very long time, and I want him to choose me, not Ivy. Noah, Jax, and I have been diaper buddies. Our mothers were friends, and that's how we became friends too. We had done everything together, going to the same school, playing and even spending every Holiday together.

Then came Ivy.

Ivy became our friend in middle school. She was a transfer student here and used to sit next to me in our classes. We talked, and somehow we became friends like that, then I introduced her to Jax and Noah.

After that, Kevin and Vanessa became our friends too. We all played together and were best of friends, others used to envy our group and friendship. We were all happy together, but things got worse after a year when I found Jax likes Ivy.

A few months ago, he came to my house and said he had something important to tell me. I got excited that maybe he finally realized his feelings for me and wanted to confess, but things went the opposite way. He told me how much he likes Ivy but he was scared to ask her. I got jealous of her. Since then, things got bad between us.

I don't get why he likes her when he should like me. I was his friend first.

I talked to Ivy about it. First, I asked her how she felt about Jax, and she said he was just a friend to her. So I told her he likes her and wanted to ask her out, I also told her how much I like him. I even asked her to tell him she wasn't interested in him, so I could be with him.

But no... She had to be stubborn. I didn't get why she was doing it when she was not interested in him.

After that Ivy and I fought a lot, over every little thing we would argue. She used her charms on Jax, who was blinded by her and would take her side, making me furious. I had enough of this. It was our last day of junior high and summer vacations were starting, so I gathered everyone and asked them to choose between us.

I knew it was selfish and awful, but I couldn't digest the fact that my crush- who's also my best friend- likes my other friend. It was so confusing being a fourteen-year-old.

"What are you all waiting for?!" I screamed at them impatiently.

It's a simple task. Choose her or me!

"Enough, Lexi. Why do you want to break our friendship so much?" Ivy agonized, trying to play innocent.

"I'm breaking it?" I scoffed, pointing at her. "It all happened since you came into our lives. We were all happy before you!"