Juliana Woodland and Nate Jacobs have been best friends for as long as they can remember.
They are now in their junior year at East Highland High School and things are starting to get complicated.
*Had this story up on my old account and it got dele...
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After Nate left her house, Juliana locked herself in her bedroom for the rest of the day, her face stained with tears and her mind racing with thoughts and regrets.
The echoes of his words haunted her as she cried herself to sleep for what felt like the hundredth time in recent months.
But when she woke up the next morning, the sunlight leaking in through her curtains and across her face, she had a new found resolve.
She didn't know exactly where it came from, especially considering how completely terrible she felt the night before, and still felt. All she knew was that she refused to let the pain of what happened with Nate consume her again.
Why should she waste her time moping in bed over him after he had the audacity to agree with his piece of shit dad and call her a whore?
Obviously, he didn't care about her as much as she once thought if he could say that to her. He was supposed to be her best friend, but last night he truly showed he wasn't.
He didn't respect the fact that she wasn't ready to be in a relationship with him again, when the main reason she wasn't was because she didn't want to lose him.
If he loved her like he said he did, he would understand, and maybe even realize that she was right and feel the same way, not wanting to lose her either. However, that was not the case, and it was clear to her now that he didn't love her like he said he did.
She didn't do anything wrong and she wasn't going to let this break her like she did the last time.
She got a hot shower, taking her time washing her hair and doing her skincare. She tried not to think about the fact that the last time she was in there was with Nate not even twenty-four hours ago, just before they got into their fight.
When she stepped back into her bedroom, her body and hair wrapped in fluffy towels, she saw her phone was lit up on her bed. Her stomach turned, expecting it to be Nate, but she was pleasantly surprised to see it was a text from Maddy.
Maddy💅🏽: Hey bitch, we're going bowling tonight, come with us?!
She smiled as she texted back.
Juliana: Omg yes I'm so down!!
Maddy couldn't have had any better timing. Instead of staying home depressed like last time she and Nate broke up, she was going to keep herself busy and make the best of things.
It wasn't going to be easy, but she wasn't going to let him ruin her again.
"Are you okay?"
Those were the first words out of Maddy's mouth as Juliana climbed into the passenger seat of her car later that day.
She thought she did a pretty good job covering up her red, puffy eyes, but clearly not good enough, since Maddy noticed immediately.
She glanced at herself in the rear view mirror and saw it was definitely easy to tell she had been crying, despite her efforts with her makeup.
She took a deep breath. "I really don't want to get into it too much, but... me and Nate are done. Again."
Maddy looked at her, her brown, perfectly lined eyes wide. "Done? You were back together?"
She diverted her eyes to the car window as Maddy started to drive down the road. She couldn't deal with the sympathetic expression on her friend's face:; she knew it would make her crack.
"Well, kind of, not really. It was so stupid. We agreed to be friends with benefits not long ago, because we couldn't keep our hands off each other."
She paused, feeling a wave of nauseousness as she remembered the way Nate spoke and looked at her as he left her house the day before.
"And clearly that was a dumb idea, because it ended fucking terribly. Basically, he assumed that we were actually back together, but I didn't."
She wasn't going to get any further into detail, and certainly wasn't going to tell Maddy that he agreed with what his dad called her. It was so fucked up she couldn't say it out loud, even if she wanted to.
Maddy nodded in understanding, leaning over to give her a sideways hug while she was stopped at a red light.
"Honestly, Juliana, he's not even worth it. I know you don't want to talk about it, but just know I'm here for you, okay? We're gonna have such a fun night!"
As Juliana, Maddy, Cassie, Kat and BB took turns bowling, they talked the whole time, about the latest news in their lives, how their Christmas's were, and the teasing that only those who truly cared could get away with. It felt peaceful, like the heaviness of the world outside had lifted.
An upbeat song played from the speakers on the ceilings as they chatted, trying to keep the mood light. They knew about Juliana and Nate, but besides Maddy, she had told everyone else that they were over and that was it.
When it was Juliana's turn again, she felt the weight of the bowling ball in her hands, the smooth surface cool to the touch. She stepped up to the line, focusing on the pins at the end of the lane.
She took a swing, the ball rolling smoothly down the lane before it collided with the pins. The girls cheered, their voices echoing in the vast space.
As she sat back down and picked up her bottle of water, Kat slid into the seat beside her. "You okay?" She asked quietly.
Juliana shrugged. "I'll be fine. I think."
Kat studied her for a moment before speaking. "You will be. Nate's not worth it, you're so much better than him. He's always been a complete psycho over you."
The words stung, a reminder of the truth she was trying to ignore. Nate's toxic behavior had been a part of their relationship, but in the haze of love- and before that, friendship- she overlooked it.
Now, the harsh reality was setting in: he was never going to change, and it was never going to work between them.
"Thanks, Kat." She finally answered with a weak smile.
She whooped and cheered along with the others when Maddy got a strike and strutted back towards them like a model on a catwalk, a big grin on her face.
"How do you go from gutter balls all night to getting a strike?" Juliana giggled as Maddy plopped down beside her.
"Just trying to keep everyone on their toes."
She laughed and looked around at her friends, grateful for their presence and for them being there for her.
Maybe she really didn't need Nate and his toxicity, the drama, the arguments, and all the other trouble that came with their relationship. Maybe she really was better off without him, as much as it hurt.
Maybe this night could be the start of something new.
