The Unfriend Zone

Chapter 1. First Day

"Ok ok, one more and then we have to get to sleep." Mila chuckled as Izzy hugged the pillow in front of her. The final sleepover of the summer before the first day of the rest of their lives start. The final night of freedom. 

Izzy put on her thinking cap and her hand to her face as she thought of the perfect pair for her game of smash or pass. "Ok, you are so boring but I think I've got it." She sat up tall and took in a deep breath, "Smash or pass.." And with a burst of laughter, she blurted out, "James or Alice!" Her laughter engulfed the walls of Mila's room. 

"The guy I've been friends with since year nine or the girl I've spoken to once on the taster day? Guess it isn't as bad as the teachers you said earlier." Mila rolled her eyes.

Izzy threw the pillow at her in a joking manner. "Mr. Braxton is hot and you know it! Barely even thirty!" She said with a smirk. "Anyways, you used to have a little crush on James until you made your no crushes on friends rule. Plus you always talk about Alice and how you wish you had her number or last name and how I wish I could see her again and all that shit. So answer, I'm curious."

With a sigh, "Smash Alice, pass James. But only because I've known him too long and her too little." She barked out with a throw of a pillow to Izzy's face playfully. 

Eventually the two best-friends settled down into Mila's king sized bed and drifted to sleep. The gentle boom of fireworks going off in the background and the silent cheer of the rugby lads down at the local pub as they screeched in drunken joy to their team winning. And then there's the demonic howl of one of the girl's snores. A good sleep destined to bring a good school year. 

The morning glow shone through the window, the yellow chirp of the birds sung into the ears of all. The envious creek of the stairs as Mila's mother brought the girls their good luck breakfast. "Girls, it's time to get up. I made you lot pancakes and eggs!" She whisper-yelled as the not so sleep deprived girls hollered at her for an extra five minutes. Quickly the girls got out of bed to the smell of fresh pancakes and syrup; their hunger defeating any need for an extra five minutes of rest. "Do you want me to drive you girls to school today?" Mila's mother asked gently as the girls scoffed down the food. They nodded in reply as their mouths had been glued shut from the vast amount of food.

Izzy rushed down the hallway with Mila in her hand, "I wish we were in the same tutor. It sucks that I'll only see you in English." She cried out. Even thought they had both requested to be in each other's tutor, the force of bad luck waved too large and shoved them apart. "Bye Mil's, see you later" She shouted as she blew kisses to her best friend. 

The bell rung and Mila sat down for her first class, Theatre Studies, "Oh thank God you're here. I actually know no-one in my tutor, it's so refreshing to see a familiar face." Grinned the short girl standing beside the table. "Is this seat taken?" She was short, so short that a 5 foot 5 inch person if looking up straight probably wouldn't see her. A short brown bob with perfectly placed golden highlights, blue eyes as deep as the pacific ocean and a smile that could be seen from Ecuador. 

Mila's eyes shot up to the familiar voice, "Oh my God! I'm so happy to see you again. Please sit here before someone else does. How was your summer Alice?" Mila exclaimed, staring deeply into Alice's eyes, her hand resting softly on the short girl's shoulder. Her heart racing faster than a formula one race. The smile that Alice knew so well slowly infecting it's way onto Mila's face. The lesson going by fast as they spoke during tasks about each other's summers and lives. Learning every detail, important or not, it was still discussed. The gentle placements of knees touching as pinky's interlocking accidentally. Dropping of a pencil and when they both go to pick it up, their faces a mere inch from one another. So close they could taste each other's breath.

As soon as the bell rung, Mila scrambled to get to her phone to tell Izzy about her incredible first lesson with Alice. 

The rest of the day was full of frees and a boring lesson of Biology with the infamous Mr. Braxton. And on the way home she caught the familiar physique of her good friend James. "Ah, the perfect example of how nature experiments with mistakes. How are you on this fine day Mr. McDarley? Mila snickered as she clung on to the back of James's neck in a tight hug.

"Oh how kind you are Miss Sampson, I'm doing well though. How about you?" He snickered at her, a childish smirk appearing steadily around his face. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to his warm body. Softly glaring down at her chocolate brown hair and her beaming smile as she looked up at him.

She laughed softly as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Much better now for some reason." She chuckled.

As they walked home together, Mila gushed about her new friend Alice and how beautiful she is. Causing James to slowly distance himself from Mila as he realized he's gradually being replaced.