My Sisters Best Friend • Jonah Marais AU •

The Way Arla Cried

Arla couldn't breath.

It was like the life was being drained out of her.

Slowly, and painfully.

"He didn't mean it." Sarah soothed into her best friends ear as she sobbed. Zach was hugging the shaking girl as the brunette girl played with Arla's hair and whispered nothing but sweet memories.

"Y-Yes he did. You didn't see hi-his face Sarah. He was so serious." Arla hiccuped into Zach's chest, breaking the young boy's heart. It hurt him more to know that someone who used to be so close to his new best friend, was hurting her so badly. "She called me u-ugly and he did nothing but say 'g-get lost'."

Today had been another bad one at school for the three. Unfortunately now that it was evident Zach was friends with Arla and Sarah, the group of "populars" - AKA Jack, Jonah, Aspen, Daniel, Corbyn, Aspen's sister Atallia and two new people who started late named Eben and Angelina (who Daniel quickly snatched up) - began to bully the boy as well as the girls. It was a big test to the new friendship he had formed, but straight away he knew that these two girls needed him and so he wasn't going anyway.

This bullying had been going on for about four months since the school year had started.

"You're prefect Arls. Don't listen to them - or anything those bitches say." Arla managed to make a little smile at the sound of her childhood nickname 'Arls' leaving Zach's lips. However, she still sobbed loudly in Zach's lap as her thoughts travelled back to what had occurred this afternoon at the grade 11 lockers.

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Today during her free period without Zach and Sarah, Arla had been trying to mend what ever problem had surfaced with Jonah and the rest of the boys boys. But Atallia - Jonah's rumoured girlfriend - had seen her walk up and once the girl arrived, Atallia tipped her and her sister's coffee onto Arla's clothes, soaking her hair right down to her shoes.

'Wh-why?' Arla had stuttered, turning to look at Jonah with wide eyes, begging the boy for help.

'Ugly girls can't be seen over here. Just washing out your style babe.' Aspen laughed as her sister tried not to smile when she spoke to the shock stricken girl. Daniel frowned but Corbyn looked away as Jack and Angelina chuckled along with the mean girls. However Jonah just looked down, unable to meet the eyes of the girl he once cared for so dearly.

'Jo...you shouldn't let her-' Daniel was simply shoved to the side as Jonah grabbed Atallia's hand and dragged her away, ignoring the hurt stare from his best friend.

Arla didn't let him get away that easily though, she was already soaked to the bone in coffee - what dignity did she have left to loose?

'What did I do to you? Huh?' Jonah stopped just in front of Arla as his girlfriend groaned and picked at her perfect nails. 'You said that you wouldn't forget about us but this is worse. You know we're here, yet you choose to ignore us.' Arla's tears stung and burnt her face but she wouldn't back down. From afar Aspen was under Jack's arm as she stared in confusion at the scene before her while Jack tried not to remember that late night talk with Sarah. Daniel sighed and turned away to his next class, Angelina following behind him in silence (As her boyfriend had told her all the stories of back when they were all friends with the younger girls). 'What's gotten into you.'