𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐚 ⊰ gmw

n i n e

  The steaming, mushy pile of squashed-up potatoes made a large grin appear on Mackenzie's pale face. She followed Lani to their usual, previously stolen lunch table, her eyes never leaving the somewhat nutritional food on her plate. Lani eyed the girl with an amused expression on her face, sitting down across from the youngest Matthews girl.

  "I've never seen someone so in love with mashed potatoes," Lani stated, bringing a forkful of baked chicken up to her small lips.

  "Well, then you obviously don't know me. Potatoes are the greatest creation on planet Earth." Mackenzie groaned happily once the aforementioned food hit the tastebuds that rested on her tongue. Her back instinctively straightened up once she felt a presence behind her. 

  "Finally, someone who agrees with me!" Angel chirped up, a large grin on his face as he set his tray down, plopping his lean body down on the seat beside Mackenzie's. 

  "A-Angel? Why are you sitting here?" The brunette questioned, her hazel eyes wide with shock. Angel's grin slowly melted into a frown, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion and slight hurt.

  "Do...do you not want me to sit here?" 

  "No, it's not that! It's just, don't you want to sit with your friends?" The Matthews girl questioned, gesturing over to where Angel's usual friend group was sitting. She could feel their angered and judgemental eyes glaring heatedly at the back of her head. 

 Angel glanced over at the table as well before shaking his head, a small smile formed on his lips. 

  "Nah, I'd rather be here with you guys." He responded, eating the food on his lunch tray happily. Mackenzie stared at the boy, in awe of how he so casually just dismissed the fact that he probably just ruined his entire fifth-grade reputation by sitting with her and Lani. 

  Mackenzie quickly snapped her head to look over at her best friend, who merely shrugged at her before continuing to eat her food. Mackenzie shook her head at the action, already having known that Lani would be absolutely no help in convincing Angel that he should maintain his 'cool' reputation and just sit with the people he's been sitting with since the beginning of the fourth grade. 

  The rest of their lunch was spent with Angel and Lani discussing the art exhibit they had seen yesterday and trying to come up with where they should visit next. Mackenzie just stuck to interrupting their art discussion to verbally push Angel back to his original seating plans. 

  "Mackenzie, enough! You're more worried about my reputation than I am!" Angel exclaimed an exasperated expression on his face as the three of them moved to throw their lunches away on their way out of the cafeteria. 

  "Because I don't want you to get picked on because of us! What if the Fern Five, which is now the Fern Four because of you, develop a personal vendetta against you and make the rest of your fifth grade year absolutely miserable?" Mackenzie's hands were moving sporadically throughout her small rant, causing the students that were walking around the small group to give her weirded-out glances. 

  Angel chuckled softly before putting his hands on Mackenzie's shoulders. He leaned down so that his face was closer to hers, merely inches away. The action made Mackenzie's breath hitch and a bright pink blush appear on her soft cheeks. Her hazel eyes were wide as they stared into Angel's dark brown ones. 

  "Kenz, just because I'm friends with you and Lani doesn't mean I'm not friends with the others. And just because I'm friends with you, doesn't mean that the others will stop being friends with me, okay?" The boy's tone was soft as he pronounced each word carefully, never breaking eye contact with the short brunette. 

  "But what if they do?" Mackenzie looked back at him with a fearful expression covering her features, her need to always care for others completely taking over her body. 

  "If they do, then they were never my real friends in the first place." Angel shrugged, giving her a small reassuring smile. 

  Mackenzie searched his eyes for any sign that the words that were spilling past from his lips weren't true, but when she didn't find any she sighed softly through her nose.

  "I understand." She smiled back at him. Angel's grin grew bigger at the action, never moving from his place in front of her.

  The two grunted when they felt Lani jump onto them. 

  "Great, now that that's over we can all agree that we're going to Mackenzie's place after school."

  "I never agreed to that?" Mackenzie turned to her best friend, her face scrunched up in major confusion. Lani smiled back at the girl innocently.

  "You didn't have to, we're coming over anyway because you enjoy our company." 

  Mackenzie thought for a moment before shrugging, beginning to make her way back to her classroom.

  "Yeah, that makes sense." 

♡♡♡

  Mackenzie jumped into the back of her mom's car with Auggie in tow, dropping her light pink backpack down on the ground. She looked up towards the front of the vehicle and was confused when she saw her father sitting in the passenger seat.

  "Dad? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be working?" She questioned, her eyebrows furrowed.

  "I got out a little earlier to spend some quality time with your mother." He smiled brightly, taking hold of Topanga's hand. The woman responded with an eye roll as she pulled her hand away from Cory's grip so that she could drive back to their home.

  "He's lying, he's angry at Riley because she wants to go to the dance with her friends instead of going to Coney Island with him." 

  "That jerk." Cory crossed his arms as he looked out of the car window. 

  Mackenzie eyed her father strangely before shaking her head to remind herself to continue with what she was about to say.

  "I'll go to Coney Island with you, Dad," Mackenzie stated. Cory turned around in his seat to glance at his youngest daughter, eyes wide and hopeful.

  "You will?" 

  "Sure," Mackenzie responded, her smile wide. She and Cory had never had any traditions as he had with Riley. It was one of the things that contributed to her feeling left out, but if her elder sister didn't want to take advantage of the bonding time with her father then Mackenzie would. 

  "Aw, you see Cory? Riley might be growing up, but we still have these two! That's really sweet of you, Mackenzie. You don't know how much this means to your father." Topanga smiled at her daughter through the rear view mirror.

  "Yup! So, can my friends come over today?" She questioned, giving the two of her parents a big, innocent smile.

  "Of course, honey! Whatever you want." Cory responded, a large grin still on his face from knowing that he would still be going to Coney Island this year with one of his daughters.

  Mackenzie grinned to herself as she leaned back in her seat, looking out the window. She knew that it was a smart decision to leave out the fact that one of the friends that would be coming over was a boy. Her father was in for a big surprise later that afternoon.