Frenemies

Seventeen.

"You've been avoiding me lately" Jayden said to Mavis, his voice tinged with concern.

Mavis hesitated, unsure of how to respond. "I'm sorry, I've just been busy lately" she said, feeling a bit flustered.

"It's okay, I know you have a lot going on. But I'm worried about you. Are you sure you're okay?" Jayden asked, his gaze fixed on her.

Mavis felt herself soften under his concerned look.

"I'm fine, really," Mavis said, trying to reassure him. But the truth was, she wasn't fine. She had been pushing Jayden away, and she didn't know why. But as she looked into his eyes, she knew she had to be honest with him.

"The truth is, I've been scared. I don't know why, but I've been avoiding you and I don't know why. I'm sorry," Mavis said, her voice cracking.

"Don't you see it? Don't you see he's trying to use you? Don't you see he's still in love with Phoebe?" Jayden asked, his voice expressed pain and concern.

"I really don't know why you'll be saying all this about your best friend but I advise you stop!" She hissed as she picked up her bag and left the class.

...

"Did you tell your best friend anything?" Mavis asked as she sat at the back of Owens car. She was pulling her shirt and trying to put on her work clothes.

"No...he's been avoiding me, did he say anything?" Owen asked his eyes fixed on the road and even though he was tempted to look back and have a glimpse of her body, he stopped himself.

"I just wanted to know" she said as she put the shirt inside her bag.

"To the mall right?" He asked as he took a turn heading towards the mall she worked in.

"Obviously" she rolled her eyes. Her head kept replaying everything Jayden said.

"Do you still text Phoebe?" She asked trying to hide the emotions in her voice.

"Uhmm...yeah..but I haven't In like three days now".

"You still talk with your ex!!!!"

"Uhmmm...we don't talk much just greetings" he said sensing how angry Mavis was.

"Did she actually think he liked her...hell no...I can't like a weirdo" he said to himself.

"Babe...I'm sorry" he said and she became calm.
It was the very first time he was calling her something except her name.

"Babe...that's a good start" she smiled as she got down from the car. "I'll see you tomorrow" she said pulling her bag behind her as she walked into the mall to see valerian smiling at the new employee...Laura.

She loathed Laura with every fiber of her being. Valerian had spent so much time with Laura since she started working there, and she resented the time they spent together.

Every time she saw the two of them laughing, it made her blood boil. She felt like she was being replaced, and it was unbearable.

She watched the duo laugh about something.

She forced a smile as she watched them, and slowly turned back to the magazine, but the words just seemed to blur together as her eyes clouded with jealousy. Why did that girl have to be so pretty, so perfect? Why couldn't it be her laughing with Valerian? And why did he have to laugh so hard at everything she said, like she was the funniest person in the world? She felt her nails digging into the magazine, crumpling the pages in her clenched fist.