Stay Gold {O2L}

55 Days

KATIE GREENE

"Katie, what the fuck?" Candace asked as I held up a pair of deep red Dr Martens "Those look like the shoe my dad wears" She scoffed and picked up a pair of simple black vans "Now, these are some sick shoes"

"You just don't understand high fashion" I mocked "It's not like we can afford them anyways" I put down the incredibly cool and expensive shoes and we walked out of the store. 

Candace and I haven't been able to spend time just us since she came, so I suggested the two of us go shopping for a more 'Californian' style for her this summer. She agreed only after I dragged her out of the house and told her I would buy her a band tshirt.

"Why do I have to change my loo-" Candace stopped talking mid-sentence and stared straight ahead, her eyes widening as she hissed "It's the she-devil!" and hid. I looked ahead to see what she was looking at and immeadiatly ducked down as well.

Andrea and her friend were dragging a very unamused Kian into Forever 21. This past week, Andrea has decided that we were her emotional punching bags, so when ever she was upset of angry or every happy for that matter, she spit venomous remarks at Candace and I and sauntered away. Kian still is oblivious.

"Kian! You have to buy me this shirt from in here!" I could just make out her whining and rolled my eyes subconciously, already hearing that line about a thousand times from her.

"Why do I need to buy you that shir-Katie?" He looked down in frustration to make direct eye contact with me.

"There's my contact!" I pretended to pick up a contact and Candace pumped her fist in the air in fake triumph.

"You dont wear contacts..." Andrea said, annoyed as she tried to, yet again, drag Kian into the clothing store.

"Well now I do" I spat. 

"What are you guys doing here?" Kian asked with genuine curiosity.

"Well, Katie dragged me here to go clothes shopping for the past four hours, so now we're going to eat" Candace said, trying not to make eye contact with the she-beast who was staring the both of us down.

"I am starving! Babe, can we go eat with them?" I shuddered involuntary at Kian's use of the word babe towards Andrea. It pained me to hear him talk to her that way.

"You can. But if you do, I might not be here when you get back." She snapped and turned on her heel and quickly walked to her friend, who gave us a stink eye before the two of them went into the store.

I just laughed at her and Candace and I continued to walk to the food court, assuming that Kian would just run to Andrea. But to out surprise Kian jogged up to my side and asked "where are we gonna eat?" 

I smiled "arent you worried about your girlfriend slicing your head off?" Candace asked and I eblowed her in the side. "What, its true..." she muttered.

"She uses those kinds of threats all of the time, by now I know their empty ones, she loves me too much to leave, and vice versa" Candace and I both frowned involuntary because we knew all too well that it wasn't him she loved, but we knew it wasn't our place to say.

"True" I mustered up the best smile I could.

"Hey guys, Connor just texted and asked me if he wanted to hang. Can I invite him to eat with us?" As soon as the word 'Connor' was uttered, a huge smile broke out across Candace's face. "I'll take that as a yes" He laughed and typed on his phone.

"He'll be here in ten" He said as all three of us sat down at an empty table to wait for him. Candace was bouncing in her seat as Kian and I talked about how things have been since the last time we saw each other.

"Hey guys" Connor said as he threw himself into the chair next to Candace and scooted closer to her. It was obvious he liked her, but Candace doesn't see it.

As Kian and I talked, I noticed our chairs coming closer and closer to each other, but I didn't mind in the slightest.

"It's been a long year since I've seen you Katie. You've changed so much" He looked into my eyes.

"I don't know if that is a good or bad thing" I laughed awkwardly and looked at the ground.

"Oh, it's a good thing. I like the new you" His eyes sparkled slightly from the bright lights relfecting off of them.

"You haven't changed a bit" I smiled. "But you don't have to" 

"Do you remember the last time we hung out like this?"

"Like it was yesterday" I whispered. "It was last July in the Caylen's backyard back in Texas. You and Sam were visiting JC for a few weeks and Melinda dragged me along to her annual family partys there that I pretend to hate but actually love." I laughed as I remembered Melinda and I listening to the radio and singing along horribly all the way down every year.

"We sat in the gazebo that JC built all by himself when he was ten. He spent a good thirty minutes talking about how proud of himself he was" Kian smiled as he thought about it.

"It was dark and cold for a Texas summer night. You lent me your jacket as the two of us talked about anything and everything we could. We spent hours in that poorly-built thing that could've come down at any second" I chuckled "10 year olds aren't the best carpenters"

"This huge gust of wind came out of nowhere and your hair flew all over the place. I helped you fix a few loose strands. By then, we were both leaning into eachother when I said-"

"KIAN!" Andrea's sudden scream made us jump far away from each other. In that moment I realized how close we were, only a few inches away and closing distance fast.

Was he about to cheat on Andrea with me? Would I have let him?

"I told you to come with me! I had to leave that shirt there and I really wanted it! Now let's go, we have to drive Maria home!" Andrea said, although it kind of just sounded like one long, drawn out whine to me.

Kian intertwined his fingers with hers and waved a quick goodbye to Candace, Connor and I.

Candace decided to drive with Connor home, which left me alone with my thoughts. They were screaming out one thing.

Saved by the She-devil.