I need you, I need you, I need you

chapter 101-gentlemen prefer brunettes

February 12th, 2020
Rachel's p/v
Another morning contemplating whether I should tell Darry I'm leaving the house or not. Aiden asked me to brunch! I need an excuse to put on a cute outfit. Been seriously lacking in the Rachel closet department. I started not giving a shit about clothes but Mary's outfit from yesterday altered the chemistry in my brain. Something blue it is!

"Morning, rockstar."
I enter Aiden's car. "Rockstar?"
"You outsold all your haters! Jonathan deleted all his posts after we fired back. This is a huge win."
"But I don't feel like I won. How can I win when the fight will go on until one of us dies. What if in the afterlife we're still going at it!"
"I'd kill myself just to see that. I'm the game host so I declare you as winner."
"The only person winning is Darry. He's got an aesthetic girlfriend and got away from his pathetic sister."
"He's got an amazing sister and self-absorbed girlfriend. Literally everyone knows what Mary is really like. It's nothing secretive."
"But everyone loves her. Who cares if she's self-absorbed, she's got mad talent."
"The only person who genuinely thinks she's sooo innocent is Jonathan. I'm glad he's not my friend anymore."
"I was thinking about that last night. How did you know Jonathan posted me?"
He sighs. "The truth? I was missing him so I decided to look at his account. Big mistake. I have him blocked now."
"I'm sorry. But I'm glad you saw his true colors. All we need is for Darry to open his eyes. I doubt he ever will but I'm just going to put up with him now and then distance myself when I turn 18."
"You'd do that?"
"If he still supports them after last night then yeah. I look like a dumbass missing him. He chose to believe Mary. He lets her belittle me. He doesn't deserve my sisterly love. Not after all those years where he pushed me away. I'm done getting him back just to lose him again."
"Family isn't always blood. You can try so hard to fix the relationship, but if the other person doesn't put in the effort then it's best just to drop them. It's not giving up, it's putting yourself first."
"Counting down the days till I turn 18," I shake my head, "I'm barely turning 16. So many years stuck with him."
"Enjoy the present. You don't have to waste these years by living in the future. Hang out with your friends, kiss your partner, live your life. Darry doesn't have to be included."
"I'll live my life. He's already not here with me. I can wait a few more years until the real deal."
"That's the plan."
I lean my head against the window. Aiden puts a hand on my shoulder. That's the plan.

Mary's p/v
I enter my kitchen. Jonathan is cooking something on the stove. Table is set, the countertops are squeaky clean.
"What's all this?" I walk towards him.
"Morning," he turns to me, "I'm making waffles."
"You cleaned the kitchen. Did you get a job as a maid or sum?"
"Thought you could use the help. Last night was hilarious as shit. Aiden really lost his damn mind. Comparing Rachel to you? C'mon, he set her up."
"No, you set me up. Don't sugarcoat it, John. Rachel is way more prettier than I am."
"How can I sugarcoat stuff when I'm the most honest person in the world. You're a million times better than that basic ass girl. You have style. She copies everything you do!"
"How did you even know Aiden was helping her? I would've checked Declan's or Tyler's account first."
"I just had a feeling he was involving himself because of how recent our friendship ended. We stopped being friends because of Rachel. No shocker that he immediately went to defend her."
"Do you miss him?"
"Nope. He's," he turns his body to the stove, "he's dead to me."
"Jonathan, you can tell me the truth."
"I don't miss him!" He slams his hands onto the stove, causing the pan to jump. He ruffles his hair and then turns to me, "I don't miss him."
"Well then you're not the most honest person in the world."
"I don't care what you think. Aiden means nothing to me. I can't be friends with someone who defends people like Rachel. It says so much about their morals."
"I believe you. But let remind you something; it's ok for you to show emotion. You don't have to mask how you feel. Your father isn't here to torment you for unveiling your feelings. Don't hurt yourself for lying. I don't want you to hurt."
"I'm not lying."
"Ok. Do you need any help?"
"I'm good for now." He goes back to the eggs in the pan. Most honest person my ass. His father deserves to get a pebble stuck in his thumb.