𝐂𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 • Jake Webber & Johnnie Guilbert

- 008

The next morning, Mandi woke up on the couch. She hadn't changed into her pyjamas, nor had she taken her makeup off, so those were the first things she did. After that, she invited Jake and Johnnie over. As much as she wasn't really close with them, they were her only other friends in LA, and she needed support with the whole Maria situation right now.

Maybe Adam had changed. If he really had, if he'd really became a good person, she wouldn't be mad at Maria for going back to him, but she still didn't like the way she angrily reacted when Mandi warned her about him. All she wanted was an apology, and proof that her best friend was being treated right. She figured it was no use getting mad about Adam, the two were inevitably gonna get back together and at this point it was out of Mandi's control, she just prayed that the seven years him and Maria had apart changed him for the better.

When Jake and Johnnie got to the house, Jake instantly made his way to the kitchen.

"Man, I am starved!" He exclaimed, "Hey, Mandi, could I use some of your stuff to make breakfast?"

"As long as you make some for me and Johnnie," Mandi said.

"Deal."

Mandi laughed as her and Johnnie sat down on the couch. She'd cleaned herself up as best she could, but it was still evident she'd been crying.

"What happened?" Johnnie asked.

"Does something need to happen for me to invite my friends over?" Mandi asked, trying to cover up what had happened.

"Mands, your eyes are all puffy and red, and you still have a little bit of mascara on your cheek." Mandi sighed. She'd tried her best to clean it off, but that goddamn expensive mascara was stubborn as hell, except when she cried and it ran down her face. How convenient. "Plus, Maria's not home. Is she working?"

"No, not today."

"So where is she?"

"Adam's house."

The two heard a clatter coming from in the kitchen, Jake dropping a pan. "You okay in there?" Johnnie asked.

"Splendid!" Jake yelled back, Johnnie holding in his laugh at his best friend's choice of words. He turned back to Mandi.

"Why?"

"Me and her had an argument about him. She'd given him her new number in the cafe, and I told her it was a bad idea, because they'd get back together and that was toxic. She told me they wouldn't, but I think her instantly fleeing to his house when me and her argue is a tell tale sign that they're at least gonna fuck, and if they do that he'll just rope her back in."

"Don't you think there's at least a small chance Adam's has changed? I mean, I don't wanna play devil's advocate, but it has been seven years."

"I know, I know, and maybe you're right. I just wish we could've had a civilised conversation about it. I guess it's kinda my fault too, though. I could've been nicer when I brought it up, but I instantly jumped on the defensive."

"Well maybe you need to talk it out, apologise to each other. If what Maria's saying about Adam changing is true, she could end up really happy, you don't wanna miss out on seeing that because you're still worried about the past, right?"

"Right." Mandi suddenly lowered her voice. "But what about Jake?"

"What about him?"

"I mean, I never noticed anything before, but when I mentioned Adam he dropped that pan, and now that I think about it he seems like, uber interested in Maria. Is he?"

"I don't know. He hasn't said anything to me, I feel like he usually would, but maybe it's early days. Even if he does like her, it can't be that much if he hasn't mentioned it to me, he'll be fine with this. Plus, he should wanna see the girl he likes happy."

"Yeah, I guess. I'd much rather Maria be with him than that-"

The door suddenly opened, revealing Maria. She had no makeup on and was wearing her sweatpants and tank top. She instantly smirked.

"Replacing me already?" She joked. Mandi held in her laughter, but Jake and Johnnie didn't.

"Maria!" Jake yelled from the kitchen, "I'm making bacon, do you want any?"

"No thank you!" Maria yelled back, before turning to the living room to see Johnnie and Mandi on the couch. "Mandi?"

Mandi took the sign that Maria wanted to talk. "Yeah, let's go." They left the apartment and headed up to the roof of the building, where their conversations always took place.

"So you're back together?" Mandi asked.

"I never said that," Maria said.

"You didn't have to." Mandi pointed at a bruise on her friend's collarbone that hadn't been there the day prior. "It's okay if you are, I just need to know that he's changed. Like, really changed."

"After we hooked up, he really looked after me. I fell asleep naked, but it was a little cold, so he put some pyjamas on me and put the covers over me, then woke me up a little later with my favourite dinner, and we watched a movie, then fell back asleep. He even made me breakfast this morning. He's never done any of that. I know you're gonna give me, like, some love bombing lecture, but don't you think he would've used those techniques in the past?"

"I guess so. But maybe he didn't realise he could."

"Mandi."

"Listen, I won't give you a lecture, and I won't stop you. I love you, girl, and I want you to be happy. If that's with Adam, then so be it. I just really need you to remember how it went last time and be careful, okay? I'll believe he's changed when I see more, for now just be wary of where you put your heart. Please, Maria. Promise me you'll be careful."

Maria smiled, putting her hand on top of Mandi's. "I promise."

Mandi smiled widely. "Good. Now we should probably go back. If we leave the boys in our apartment alone any longer we may be rendered homeless."

why is mandi and maria's friendship lowkey homo erotic line okayyyy just admit ur feelings for each other already😂

that's a joke btw they're not canonically in love but if this was a famous tv show there would 1000% be ship edits