𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄, original story

six, the friend group

I was sat in the library, not my usual place to stay at during lunchtime, but I was studying and trying to put all the Callum things out of my head. Lily, Anna, and I were running over some flash cards that Anna had made for religious studies. She had the neatest handwriting and enjoyed writing them, so it made sense she was told to do it. Besides, she had practically begged Lily to be in charge of our study material, and who were we to tell her no?

"Where is Hope?" I asked, after answering the flash card and earning a thumbs up from Anna.

"Inside of us? Isn't that what Mrs. Dugray said in Assembly this morning," both Anna and I shared a look, trying out hardest not to laugh.

I loved Lily, I truly did, but sometimes she was a bit thick. Which meant she'd never figure out that I killed my ex-boyfriend, which was a bonus.

"I think she has netball practice," Anna informed us, moving a lock of her black hair out of her eyes.

"Again?" Lily asked in disbelief, "We are doing our GCSE's in a few months and they want her to fire herself out? Ugh, poor girl,"

Lily leant back in her chair, making it rock as she ignored Anna's protests. Once I saw the time on the clock, I collected the flash cards back into their compartment in the old pencil case Anna stored them in before grabbing out the chemistry ones.

"Those initials you were asking about the other day, why did you want them?" Lily asked, then checking over her nails as she bit the inside of her cheek.

"Oh, um, just a friend of Callum's," it wasn't a lie, but it was far from the truth.

I hated lying to my friends, but that was the only option. Lie or die. Well... rot in a cell in young offenders, slumming it with the kids who deserved to be in there, I wasn't one of them. At least I thought so, a judge and jury would view it differently. Perspective was key.

"Harry Brentwood, you mean?" Anna asked, she had always been very observant.

I'm not even sure how she clicked in with us; Lily was popular and gossipy, I was pretty and clever, Hope was sporty and outgoing, but Anna was introverted and meek. She didn't date anyone, she never attended any parties. Anna and Hope became friends in Year Seven, and so when Hope introduced us to her we got along.

"Yeah, that's the one," the words, 'more like bellend' rang through my mind like a symphony.

"Is he going to the funeral?" I was dreading the funeral, I still couldn't believe Callum's parents didn't take my suggestion and get it over and done with immediately.

That way I'd look less suspicious when I danced over his grave.

They decided to have it in April, on his birthday. At least it was on a laughable date. April Fools. He was a fool, his birthday fit him well.

"Yes, on the first next month," Lily suppressed a laugh, ending up having a coughing fit instead before recovering, with all four chair legs on the floor, which made Anna feel a bit better.

"I'm sorry," Lily said, apologising, "I just can't believe he was born on April Fools,"

I wanted to laugh with her, but being the grieving girlfriend left me looking glum instead. As Anna and Lily began revising, I pulled my phone out from my pocket and saw the text I had been avoiding still sitting on the front.

will: How r u feeling?

maddie: ok, u?

will: ok

We both knew we were both lying, or at least that's what I hoped he'd think. I put my phone away and saw Hope coming towards us in her P.E. kit.

"How was practice?" I asked as Lily and Anna were to engrossed in revising, which was somewhat strange for Lily but not unheard of. She really wanted to get the grades so she could become a nurse since it was her dream job.

"Yeah, good," Hope sighed as she sat next to Anna and opposite me, "Miss Briggs says I'll be put in to play tonight,"

"That's so good!" Hope hadn't been put in all term because she got into a fight with one of the girls and the teacher knew that some fight would break out if she put both on. And since the other girl was apparently a better player, that left her sidelined.

"Sort of," Hope mumbled, "My form isn't exactly great anymore. I have been practicing at home, but that's mainly my brother trying to play basketball whilst I try to netball,"

"I'm sure you'll do fine," I said, with a smile.

"Are you coming to watch?" I usually had dance, but I have it up last year and now had the time when I wasn't revising.

"Yeah, I'll be there,"

"As will I," Lily said, to which we all laughed.

Lily was on the team too, not that she was any good, they never put her on unless they had too, and she didn't attend practice half the time. She always had some mystery injury. I think she was only on the team so at the after school practice she could have an excuse as to why she wasn't home.

Her parents were insanely strict, and they knew all the tricks. That just meant they were equally as bad when they were younger, or they were insanely smart. I was lucky to text her when she was at home, she kept her old phones but they all got found out over time and her current phone she wasn't allowed on after half four.

"No, you'll be chatting up Dan," Anna said, from behind the paperback book she was reading.

Anna and Lily were practically opposites. Anna was a bookworm, and Lily couldn't think of anything worse to do than read... unless it was a magazine.

"Who's Dan?" Hope asked, out of the loop as per usual.

"This guy Lily met at a bar, he's older," I explained, seeing Lily go red in the face.

"How much older, Lils?" Hope said, knowing Lily was a wildcard.

"He's twenty-three, which by Lily's standards isn't too bad, but some improvement is needed," Anna replied, in her cheeky way.

Despite being engrossed in a book, Anna still managed to always be witty. And each time I still grew surprised.

"So he's..." I counted on my fingers, "Eight years older than you?"

Lily nodded, pulling out her phone, "I'll show you a picture, that way he becomes hotter,"

"Never mistake the allure of an older guy," Hope chimed in, taking off her P.E. jumper to reveal the white polo shirt underneath.

Lily showed me the photo, and it was of her and a brunet guy with nice brown eyes. He was very attractive, and since that's the only quality Lily had ever looked for since Matt crushed her heart, I'd say that she was doing well on her conquest.

Though, someone more our age would be somewhat better... but at least it was legal.

In this country, that is.

"Very nice." I replied, giving her a cheesy thumbs up.