Frenemies

Sixteen.

Phoebe felt a knot in her stomach as she smiled to her minions. It was a smile that didn't reach her eyes, a smile that betrayed the hurt and sadness she felt inside. She had always been the center of attention. Always been called Owens bae, and had never had to worry about someone taking her place. But now, with Owen paying so much attention to Mavis, she felt like she was losing something precious. It wasn't just the lack of attention that bothered her, it was the feeling that she wasn't special anymore.
Mavis was kind and sweet, and she could see why Owen could probably fall for her.

Phoebe felt her anger boiling over, and she began to imagine all the ways she could make Mavis pay for what she had done. She thought about sending people to threaten her, to make her back off. But she knew that Mavis was too stubborn to back down, and she would never go back on her word. So Phoebe's anger turned to hatred, and she began to fantasize about hurting Mavis herself.

She knew it was wrong, but she couldn't help it. She felt like Mavis had stolen something precious from her, and she wanted revenge. She imagined herself doing things she never thought she could do.

•••

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that in the cafeteria," Mavis pleaded with Owen as she followed close behind him. She could see the anger in his face, but she couldn't help but feel a little bit of hope that he would understand.

"You're my woman, and I don't see why you would leave my table to go sit with your ex-friend!" he said, his voice raised in anger. Mavis felt like she had been slapped in the face. She didn't want to cause any trouble, but she also didn't want to be treated like a possession.

"Why are you being so possessive?" she asked, her voice trembling with emotion. "It's obvious you don't like me. You probably just want to humiliate me, that's why you accepted me!"
Owen turned to face her, his expression darkening. "You're a fool if you think that's what this is about!" he growled. "I accepted you because I care about you, but you seem determined to push me away!"

Was that a lie or he really meant it ?

Mavis felt her heart sink as she realized that she had hurt him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again, "I didn't mean to make you feel like I don't care about you. I just...I just wanted to talk to Austin. I didn't know it would upset you so much."

Owen let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. "I know," he said, "I just...I don't know. It's hard to explain."

Mavis took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "I want to understand," she said, "I really do. I just don't know what to say."

Owen looked at her, his expression softening. "I think we both just need to take a step back and calm down," he said. "We're getting worked up over nothing."

"Maybe you're right," Mavis said, nodding. "Let's just take a break and come back to this later, when we're both in a better headspace."
Owen nodded in agreement. "Let's just try to enjoy the rest of the day," he said, offering her a small smile. "It's a beautiful day, after all."

Mavis couldn't help but return his smile. "You're right," she said. "Let's go for a walk and get some fresh air. We can talk more later."
Owen nodded and held out his hand to her. "Come on," he said. "Let's go explore the school."

Mavis took his hand and they began to walk, taking in the beauty of the school as they strolled through the quad. It was a sunny day, and the trees were filled with birdsong. The air was crisp and clean, and the scent of spring flowers hung in the air. They walked in silence for a while, simply enjoying the moment.