The Popular Plan

Chapter 22

song of the chapter: spaces// one direction

Day 55- Dump friends...

Today was the day I was absolutely dreading. It wasn't because I had a big test or something like that, but because I was dumping my friends. 

I already planned everything out. During the day, I was going to ask my friends if they wanted to go to get ice cream. Then, while we are eating our frozen yummyness, I would blurt it out. I was straightforward going to tell them this: I don't want to be friends anymore. They'll be confused, shocked, even a little upset. But this was something I knew I had to do for my own good.

My stomach dropped as I got in the car, headed for school. Knowing my friends were there, everything good between us, made me sick to my stomach.

"You okay, McKenna?" My mom asked, pulling into the school's parking lot. I looked in the rear view mirror, seeing that my teeth were chattering. I nodded and opened the car door, grabbed my bag, and stepped out into the cool air.

Time to say goodbye.

I walked into the building, finding my friends. They greeted me with smiles and I waved at them, feeling guilty for what I was about to do later.

"Hey, do you guys want to go get ice cream after school?" I asked.

They shrugged and looked at each other. "Yeah, it'll be fun. Did you bring money to treat all of us?" Tayah asked.

I nodded and pulled out a couple twenties from my book bag zipper. They smiled at me, but later on, those smiles will turn into frowns. I immediately felt the depression loom over me. They were such good people. They didn't deserve this.

"Yeah, right after school. I have to leave at 3:45 though, my brother and I are babysitting for some neighbors."

At exactly 3:42, I was going to say everything that was going on in a rush to them, before bolting out the door and back to my house.

They are probably going to hate me forever, never talk to me again, and think I'm the worst person alive. But right now, my popular plan was all that mattered.

"You okay, McKenna?" Tayah asked. In this school, Tayah was probably my best friend. She knew my secrets, she knew my issues. I put all my trust in her. But now... I didn't know what to do.

"Yeah, Tay, I'm fine. I just, okay. I gotta tell you something after school today. When we go to get ice cream we can talk."

Tayah gave me a confused look. I didn't want to put them through the pain, but I had to. If I didn't, then my plan wouldn't work. Besides, wasn't this what I always wanted in life?

The rest of the school day was absolute torture for me. Every single time my friends would laugh with me, I couldn't help but feel guilty.

Maybe I could stop this. Maybe I could just leave it as it is. Besides, I have been through the torture of getting rid of friends. I was the friend hurt, and it didn't feel good in the end. So why was I doing this to other people, when I knew how it felt?

At the end of the day, my friends for the moment walked over to me at my locker. I smiled and shut it, making sure I didn't break down while starting at them.

I knew this was going to be tough. It would be tough on me and them. We walked out of the building, laughing at something hanging up on the wall. I bumped into Stuart, who just winked at me as he walked away.

"He's honestly really cute," Tayah whispered. "I would like to get him any day of the week." I laughed light-heartedly as we walked to the ice cream shop.

One by one, we ordered our ice cream. I got a hot fudge sundae with soft chocolate ice cream. As I sat at the small booth, the time ticked closer and closer to 3:42. I didn't want to do this.

"So, McKenna, you said you had to tell us something? It's 3:40, and I know you have to go babysit." I was supposed to have two minutes left until I broke the news I didn't want to be friends with them anymore. I looked at them all, smiling, laughing, being themselves. It made me broken hearted, again.

"Yeah, um..." I bit my lip and looked at the girls. They all stopped smiling as a tear fell down my eye. "I don't think I want to be friends with you guys anymore. It's just... Too complicated right now for you all to understand this."

Tayah shook her head. "That's ridiculous, c'mon, what did you really need to tell us?"

I gave her a cold look, as to tell her to cut it out. She understood me and slumped back in her seat, tears forming in her eyes.

One of our friends, Claire, who I've gotten very close with, burst out laughing. "I've never seen better acting than you right now. Seriously, finish your ice cream, so you can go babysit that kid."

I gave her a mean glance, and she understood that I was actually being serious. "Guys, I wanted to thank you all so much for being friends with me, but everything right now is too complicated for you to understand. I just don't think we should be friends anymore. But I want to thank you all for being there for me."

Tayah snorted. It made me giggle to myself, but I immediately stopped. "You were the one to walk up to us, complaining about how you have no friends. Now what? You're just going to shove us aside now that you're popular? Is that what happened to you? You lost all that weight to ditch us and get at the top of the social pyramid? We were just your temporary friends? Not cool McKenna, at all."

Tears were pouring out of my eyes now. People were staring.

"No, that's not at all what's going on. One day I'll explain it to you."

I quickly glanced down at my watch.

"I got to go babysit for some neighbors now. Thank you all for being there for me. See you tomorrow at school."

I slammed the twenty dollars down on the table, rushing out the door. I could feel my friends, or, ex-friends, staring at me. I could feel regret tearing through me. I made such an awful choice.

My phone went off. I picked it up and saw it was a text from Tayah.

Tayah: what happened back there? that was totally unlike you.

I didn't respond. It was done and over with.

--
Why Spaces: because it goes: "spaces between us keep getting deeper" and it's kinda how mckennas friendship fell apart

This took a while but it was midterm week and yeahhhhhh my priorities we're studying

I keep doing long run on sentences why help

See I just did^

I have such good grammar! Beyh!