Enemy Affairs - Judd Birch

o n e

"isabella mayeeee!" a cheery voice sang from the schools doors, making the group isabella was with all turn to the sound. stood at the doors with a bright smile was the gorgeous and theatrical best friend of bella since they were in kindergarten. the two were so similar yet completely different all in the same breath. leah was bright and lovable with a love for drama whereas bella absolutely hated musicals and had been told she comes off a little bit brash. they balanced each other out to a point where they could have a lot of fun but not go beyond to a dangerous level.

bella's boyfriend, bradley thomas, groaned under his breath as the natural blonde waltzed up to the group. everyone and their moms knew that bradley didn't like leah, and vice versa. they just never clicked. there was a time when the girls were 13 that leah thought she fancied bradley, but it was extremely short lived. just the mention on her temporary crush was enough to piss leah off to no end. she would always say that brad was too dense for her liking. decent looking on the outside, sure, but inside was about as shallow and idiotic as a person could be.

"how are you my lesbian lover?" leah greeted with a firm hug, sending a look to bradley that bella couldn't see. isabella rolled her eyes and lightly slapped her back.

"my girlfriend, not yours." bradley huffed with a glare, his jaw set firmly. leah rolled her eyes but let go of her friend, subtly pulling a face meant for bradley which made bella laugh.

"i was leahs first brad, hate to break it to you." she giggled, trying to squeeze in a hug with her boyfriend but he crossed his arms over his broad chest before she could. bella paused to stare him up and down before stepping back with a frown.

"whatever. i'll see you tomorrow issy." the girls cringed internally, knowing only her parents called her that name. she had tried telling him this countless times, but he never listened. instead, he just claimed that it meant more as only the closest people called her it. little did he realise that the birch family were much closer to her then her parents ever would be.

she craned her neck up slightly to give bradley a short but sweet kiss then waved to his friendship group before heading off with leah. this was routine for them - school, go to leahs for dinner, then she'd either stay at leah's or her own home but that was only if she was expecting bradley to come over. bella much preferred being at leahs then her own home. her house was usually empty as her parents worked in the city or went on business trips away. whereas the birch house was bustling with life. you had elliott singing away as he cooked dinner in his pink frilly apron whilst diane would clean and dance to her husbands vocals. leah would roll her eyes with embarrassment but would occasionally join her mom in dancing around, whilst nick would be hiding in his bedroom with one of his little friends. isabella enjoyed them all. well, most of them.

leah had an older brother. an older brother who was a real pain in the ass. he was vindictive and cruel, finding fun in tormenting his youngest brother and using choice language to his entire family. bella decided she didn't like the boy the first day she met him as he had practically scalped all of leahs barbies. as someone who was fiercely loyal, even from an extremely young age, isabella didn't take seeing her best friend sob lightly. the next time she went to the birch house, she broke his favourite magnifying glass which he used to burn ants nests.

that was the beginning of their life long war. it ranged from petty things like chewing gum in hair to bigger extremities like when he spread a rumour around the school that bella had slept with the entire basketball team during her freshman year. she didn't go to school for two weeks as she couldn't handle all of the stares and whispering.

all in all, you could say their hatred for each other was extremely mutual. just the thought of his stupid face made bella scoff aloud. "i hope your brother is out with his current bitch tonight. i really can't be fucked for him." she groaned once out of bradley's earshot. if anyone's hatred for the older male could rival bellas, it was bradley. both him and leahs brother absolutely hated each other. it had even got physical a handful of times, but bella always got between them both before any serious damage could have been caused.