and we forgave

Chapter 48

NESSIE

"What are you all ordering?", April asks us, looking at the menu. We decided to go out today. We're celebrating many things. Soph opened the art studio that offers kids free art classes at her gallery. Nini told us about the role she got. And Dia finally published her first song, which is like the best thing ever. As I heard it, I was like: Oh my Gosh, is that my bestie? I know she was good but that song... It went straight to my playlist.

"Pizza", Nini cheers in a singing tone, catching the attention of the ones at the table next to us. She looks at them with a guilty smile on, then covers her mouth with her hand and says: "Ups". She turns her attention back to us and repeats, now in a normal tone: "Pizza."

"Wanna share?", I ask her. I also am in the mood for pizza. Nini smiles and jumps over Soph to get to sit next to me on the couch, so that we can share. The waiter raises an eyebrow at that, to which April sends him a death glare for insulting our bestie. He swallows hard.

"I'll take the salad", Soph adds.

"The spaghetti Carbonara for me, please", Dia continues.

"And the Bolognese for me", April ends.

The waiter nods and walks away to place our order.

"So, tell us about the play", I ask the redhead next to me. Her face lights up like a Christmas tree.

"It's so much fun. I just love playing Lizzy." She smirks deviously now. "And what makes it even more fun is how Caden decided to be my Mr. Darcy."

I smile at that and act surprised. Dia too. Soph and April are actually surprised, the later asking: "Wait, wasn't he your Romeo?!"

"He's my everything", Nini answers.

April slaps her face while Soph smiles. Dia and I blush. Nini continues: "Cady even annotated the book for me. Spent a bit too much time on the hand flexing scene to be honest, but yeah."

I can't help but laugh. The others quickly join me, Nini too.

"That boyfriend of yours is a sweetheart", Dia adds whispering.

Nini smiles bright. "He is. But can we please talk about your boyfriend? The one who happens to have worn a "My girlfriend is the best" T-Shirt yesterday around campus to celebrate your first song?"

"Wait, he actually did that?", I ask surprised, since I am no longer living on campus. The four of them nod.

"I'll email you the pictures", Soph adds with a wink. I mouth a thank you at her and send her an air kiss.

"First of all, Jacob isn't really my boyfriend. We're only fake dating", Dia still insists. I can't help but think of what Caden told me. How real that could be if they stopped looking at it only as a fake. I swallow hard. Dia continues: "And besides, I told him he didn't have to do that."

"But he did", April counters.

"Girl, he's a good one", Soph helps our theory out.

Dia sighs exhausted and mutters a thank you to the universe as our food arrives.

I dig into the pizza. So good. We eat at first not talking much, being too hungry. With time, we start eating less and chatting more. They tell me about Wrencore's latest gossip, apparently dear old Tessa, one of the popular girls at school and our greatest enemy did some shit and ended up being suspended two days (couldn't help but smile at that). An important hockey match will be soon and everyone is already excited. Preparations for the musical showcase. But we also talk about other stuff, more personal ones. Soph tells us her brother might become a father soon. April tells us that her parents are currently doing a late honeymoon in the Bahamas. I tell them that...