Four am

chapter eighteen

Zoe Pov

Cole kisses me behind the ear, in the spot where he always kisses me. I run up the stairs and quietly tiptoeing to Maddie's room. I peek into her room to see that she's laying on her back across her bed.

Slowly opening the door I was to where she's laying and mimic her position.

"Sooo.." I drawl, not knowing how to start this conversation. I wouldn't say that me and Maddie aren't close. We are. It's just that I'm so busy with dance and school that we don't see each other that much. And we never really had any deep conversations to talk about how we're feeling... I usually lean on my friends for that.

When we were little we were attached to the hip, always doing things together, getting in trouble together, having the same friends in the neighbourhood that we would play with. That happens with your sister when you're born less than 2 years apart.

Now, we mostly bicker either because she takes my clothes or I'm quote on quote being annoying. Regardless when we're going through something we are always there for each other. It's like an unspoken bond that's rare to have.

"You wanna talk about it." I asked in a soft voice. I can't read her right now, she'll either scream at me or cry.

We layed in silence some more until I felt it's right to ask another question.

"Were you really at Holly's house, like Cole told me or did you go to a guy's house."

"I actually went to Holly's house. She called me early in the morning crying and she was talking gibberish and I couldn't even understand her." Maddie explained. "I decided to go to her house to see what the matter was, when she opened the door she was yelling at me and blaming me for stealing her boyfriend saying it was all my fault." Mads continues to explain. "She was claiming that I was leading her boyfriend on and hinting at him that I like him. He told her that he wanted to break up with her because he had feelings for me. She's literally saying that I made him fall for me. Zoe I can't even stand the guy and his ego, why would I even do that? It's honestly ridiculous."

"Did you tell Holly that?"

"Yes, I did but it wasn't worth it because she started calling me all these names. I don't really care what she was calling me but that she didn't trust me. She didn't take my word that I wasn't throwing myself at him, hell I don't even spare him a glance for the love of god. And even if I had feelings for him I would never act on them." Mads finishes ranting. But now she is pacing around her room with anger written on her face. While I'm still sprawled out on her bed.

"How does it make you feel that she didn't take your word for it?"

Mads stops pacing once she hears my voice snapping her out of her trance and plops down onto the bean bag in the corner of her room. "Geez Zoe you're starting to sound like my therapist."

"Haha, very funny. Now answer the question."

"Well, recently I've been feeling like she's talking about me behind my back with our other friends, and she keeps taking unnecessary digs at me. I think she said that her boyfriend broke up with her about me just to start shit."

"Why do you think she's talking about you?" I question trying to wrap my head around the situation more.

"Well the girls and I were walking to class but Holly, Annalee and Larissa were walking ahead of me whispering and when I walked closer to them they stopped and looked at each other weirdly. Maybe I'm just overthinking about it and my commitment issues are coming out, but sometimes you just know."

"I like to say, no friends are better than fake ones." I told her. "I know it's hard just to stop being friends with someone you've basically known your entire life but always make sure you're happy in the situation you're in. Even if it means losing out on something else."