Crooks & Nooks

Ex-Friends

Chapter 9

"Have you heard?" Lizzie said from my doorway and I looked up questioningly.

"Heard what?" I asked.

"Okay,so you haven't heard," Lizzie said, more to herself than me.

"Heard what?" I repeated my question from earlier.

"Kati's moving back here," She said, and I swear I could hear my heart stop beationg for like two seconds. Kati Simon was my best friend in Michigan, which is where I lived before moving to Cali. Kati was born here, and she moved to Michigan in third grade. We, coincidentally became best friends but we were way too different to actually be friends and most of our time was spent arguing about random stuff.

"Rayna?" Liz said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"No," I whispered. I shouldn't have been so upset about this, Kati was, after all, my ex best friend. There had to have been a reason that I became friends with her. I just didn't want to wreck my relationship with my friends right now. We were in a good place and I was happy. I didn't want to ruin that.

"Ray, what is it?" Liz said with a worried look on her face. I knew that I was worrying Liz, but she didn't know about all the crap with her.

I stood up abruptly and walked out of the room.

"Rayna, where are you going?" I heard my mom ask.

"Out," I replied and grabbed my keys.

"Come here and tell me where you are going," my mom said sternly. That was the thing about my mom, she just didn't know when I wanted to be left alone.

"I'm going to the park," I lied and walked out.

I got in my car and drove to Mason's house, because he was the only one in my friend group who actually knew what happened with Kati. He was the first one I befriended, then I met Matt, and then Chris and Liz. When I pulled into his driveway, I saw Mason standing outside and holding his phone.

"Rayna! You almost gave me a heart attack! Liz told me what happened and I understand but don't just run away! Your mom also called and told me to call if you showed up here," Mason said angrily.

"I'm sorry Mason, but I couldn't stay there. I don't want Kati to come here," I said.

Since Mason had taken all of his anger out, he just pulled me into a hug. We stood there, hugging, until he pulled away and we went inside.

"Hey Matt," I said,as we passed Matt.

He just looked at me and went back to his laptop. I bet he was on tumblr. I had shown him what it was, and he was obsessed.

"Do you want something to eat?" Mason asked. I nodded and Mason went to the fridge and got me some pizza rolls. We went upstairs and sat on his bed.

"Okay, so let me get this straight. You and Kati were best friends, then you weren't. Why?" He asked.

"Kati and I were too different to actually get along. And I was jealous of her. Everything I wanted, she had. All throughout grade school and middle school. She got the boys, the grades, the perfect family; she had it all. She was better than me at dancing, art, school, everything. Then when I moved here, I actually started working hard for my grades. I realized that if I wanted something, I couldn't just sit around and hope for the best. I had to work for it. I joined clubs, then I quit. After everything I worked so hard for, it's just going to fall apart the second Kati steps foot into my world. And I'm not prepared for that. Kati and I, we were the best of friends. We just couldn't get along. Everything was a competition for us. I worked hard for everything, she just did it effortlessly. Everything she did was effortless. She was better than me at everything.

"Okay that's not tru-" Mason started.

"Wait, let me finish this," I said, knowing that I was piling everything on him, but this was the first time since ninth grade that I had talked about her, and I wanted to say everything I had been cramping up inside.

"She was so pretty and smart. I looked up to her, and I'm older than her. Ironic! But I did look up to her and I tried to be like her. But I realized that she was just a spoiled brat acting for everyone. Her family sucks. They're all spoiled brats. Everyone admired them, and I was the only one who actually saw them as what they were. A spoiled family. But my parents were happy that I was spending so much time with a 'successful young lady'. Their standards raised then too and soon, my parents wanted to send me off to boarding school," I vented my feelings out and saw Mason remain silent as I cooled down.

"Well you definitely don't share your feelings enough," Mason said, after a long period of silence.

"I don't have anyone who cares," I said, and immediately regretted it when I saw Mason's face change.

"What do you mean? You have me, Liz, Matt, Chris, Will, Charlie, Brandon. Everyone cares about you! Have you seen how many friends you have?" Mason said seriously.

"Not everyone is my friend. Knowing people and being friends are two different things," I pointed out.

"Nevertheless, you have friends. There are so many people who care about you," Mase said and I nodded.

"Thank you, Mason. I appreciate it," I said.

"Of course, now come on, your mom is probably freaking out by now," Mason says and we walk back out of the house.

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"Rayna Lexie Adams!" my mom yells as I walk into the house, "Where were you?"

"I went to Mason's house," I replied.

"I told you! Stop talking to him, I don't like him. Talk to Matthew instead, he's such a nice boy," Mom says. I can't believe her. Mason is my best friend and he was the one to keep me from breaking down so many times, and I owed him everything.

"You're grounded for a week, for running out of this house and no electronics either!" She said and I groaned. My mom did this weird thing where she took away my chargers instead of my electronics so that my phone and laptop could die, and I'd have no way of recharging them.

I ran up to my room, to refrain from using bad language and hopped on my bed. Even if I had no electronics, my mom would never stop me from practicing my dance routine. I started the music and got up, and stretched. I practiced my competition routine and melted into my own world, trying not to put too much pressure on my ankle.

I came up with a plan. I would avoid and ignore Kati. I wouldn't let her be my friend. She was staying away from me and my friends. I had no desire to let her in and try to make me be like her. I focused on perfecting my dance routine. 

So what if Kati moved here? I wouldn't let her beat me at anything. I was number one, and I wasn't planning on giving that up.

~*~*~*~
A/N: So there's some drama coming! Thoughts on Kati?