Notes on little scandals

Chapter II - Lunchbox Friends

Layla and Maddison were trying not to be heard by the rest of the group, as Layla was telling Maddison what had happened over the summer.

"I don't know Maddie, Levi and Jenny are not bad together, but they are surely not good" sighed Layla. "Jenny is very physical, they spent whole days at the beach hugging, kissing and smooching, it was revolting."

"Are you sure you're not a little envious?" asked Maddison mocking her friend. Levi had been Layla's crush in second grade and Layla hated when people brought it up, since Levi and her were truly just best friends now.

"Maddie, the fact that I love you with my whole heart does not mean that I'm not going to punch you if needed."

"Love you too dear, now come on, tell me a little more about what's going on with everyone" said Maddie.

"Well, there is really not much to tell. Since when Levi and Jenny got together they have been mainly going out with Simon and Bianca - sure, they invited me, but I refused to be the fifth wheel and I really did not want Aubrey to come."

Layla had been vague about what happened between her and Aubrey, not only with Maddison, but with everybody else too. She kind of stopped going out with her out of the blue and when somebody asked her if everything was alright, she always blamed Aubrey for having been really busy that summer.

"Layla, what happened with Aubrey? First you told me she had been distant, then you told me she was busy, then you said you didn't want to hang out with her anymore...now, either you came to your senses overnight or something have to have passed between the two of you".

"Maddie, I don't wanna talk about it. Leave it alone."

Layla had a strange gloomy look on her face, that Maddison didn't know how to interpret. Layla and her had never hidden anything from one another and Layla knew that Maddison couldn't stand Aubrey - it would have taken A LOT to put her in a worse light to Maddie - but still it seemed Layla was resoluted in her choice to not say a word about their splitting up.

"I would really love to tire you out Layla, but unfortunately we have to get into the sushi bar. However, my dearest friend, this doesn't end here. I'm going to find out what happened - and kick Aubrey's ass if needed. Wouldn't it be amazing if i kicked her ass during her birthday party?"

"Stop it and get in, Maddie" said Layla jockingly, although Maddison suspected she wasn't a hundred percent kidding.

Something was wrong with Layla, and Maddison needed to find out what that something was, one way or another.

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"What were the two of you giggling about?" queried Levi when Maddison and Layla sat down at the table.

"None of your business, Jeans" smirked Maddison, a little upset by the conversation with her best friend.

"Guys we're ordering, would you mind?" asked Bianca with her mellow voice.

The tension around the room was palpable, although not much had happened. Maddison and Simon were childhood best friends, just like Layla and Levi. The four of them had gotten close in tenth grade and used to always hang out: but that had changed when, at the end of that school year, Simon got with Bianca, and they had to welcome her and her best friend Jenny in the group.

Welcoming Jenny had not been difficult at all: even though Layla had some reservations about her, Jenny was sweet, caring and overall a pretty decent acquisition. She baked them the sickest brownies, and Maddison had a lot of fun watching her fall in love with Levi, as literally every other girl in school. Levi, on his part, didn't really seem to notice Jenny at the beginning and Maddison hoped he wouldn't break her fragile heart; but just before summer, unexpectedly, Levi confessed to Maddison he would have liked to ask Jenny out, and so he did.