Frenemies » Jack Avery

thirteen

As Lara placed her last piece of clothing into her large suitcase and zipped it up, she took a step back and looked around her bedroom. She scanned her eyes over her light pink walls she's had since she was three years old and all the polaroid pictures that are stuck to it.

Her eyes travelled from one picture to the other, smiling as she remembered each memory behind the picture as if it had only happened yesterday. But one image stood out to her. It was a picture of her and Jack Avery laughing together, before all this shit went down between them.

Instead of a smile, Lara's face instantly dropped into a frown. Although she disliked Jack, she still couldn't bare to throw away all her good memories with him. But knowing how good of a friend Jack used to be saddened Lara more than the hurtful things he has said to her. She didn't realise that something so petty would anger Jack so much for him to grow to hate her.

When Jack had left Susquehanna to start a band in LA, he thought he was done with having to see Lara's face again. But now that she has become close friends with one of his band mates as well as living her dream and moving to LA, they both knew they would have to face each other again at some point.

Lara previously hoped if they were to see each other again, Jack would have grown up and moved on and the two would at least be civil. But with how he has been acting towards her on social media lately, Lara was preparing for the worst.

Turning around, sighing and putting all thoughts of Jack to the back of her mind, Lara grabbed her suitcase and her backpack and headed downstairs where her large family of seven waited for her.

"Ready sweetie?" Her mother asked, secretly hoping her daughter would change her mind and stay.

"Ready as I'll ever be, mom," Lara smiled.

"Please be safe, take care of yourself, won't you?" Lara's father said as he hugged her. Lara nodded in response and smiled.

Lara went around the room hugging her mom, dad, younger sister and four older brothers, each telling her words of encouragement and how much they'll miss her, in which Lara returned with 'I'll miss you too'. She looked at her mom and frowned as she watched her begin to cry.

"Don't cry, mom. I'll be fine," Lara said softly as she hugged her mother for the last time for a while.

"I know sweetie, I know. I love you," Lara's mom replied as Lara grabbed her suitcase, ready to meet her best friend Elly who was waiting outside to take her to the airport.

"I love you too. All of you," Lara said and waved as she took one last look at her family before walking down the driveway and to the side of the street where Elly's car was parked and hopped in.

She rolled down the window she could wave and blow kisses to her family as Elly drove away, leaving them with two very different emotions.

Sad because Lara was leaving, but happy because she was living her dream.

"Hey, Lara. You ready to start a whole new life?" Elly smirked as the car turned a corner and the family was no longer in sight.

"I sure am," Lara sighed, leaning back in her seat, not sounding one hundred percent confident with her answer.

"Hey, don't doubt this now, I promise you'll be fine," Elly said encouragingly.

"I know, I'm just gonna miss my family and you. I'm also kinda nervous because of... well, you know who," Lara says and looks over to her best friend, knowing she knows exactly who she is talking about.

"I've told you this before, I'll tell you this a million times, screw him. If he wants to come and fuck up your life then he can go right ahead, but I know you won't let him get to your head. All he's looking for is attention and he'll piss right off if you don't give it to him," Elly explains.

"Language, El," Lara giggled, knowing that she is right but doesn't want to admit it. The reason being, Jack and Lara used to be best friends, so now thinking about Jack messing up Lara's life actually made her really upset.

This time two years ago, Lara and Jack were inseparable. You would rarely see one without the other because they did literally everything together. You know those 'guy best friend goals' you would see on tumblr? That was them. Although Lara hated being the centre of attention, the two were a popular topic throughout the school halls. Everyone thought they were just so cute and would always tease them about 'secretly dating', until one small thing changed everything.

You see, Lara had a massive crush on Jack's other best friend and it just so happened, he liked Lara back. The two started talking and soon enough they were dating. Most people would be supportive of their best friend's relationship, but not Jack. He got pissed off for reasons that Lara still didn't know to this day. Lara and Jack's other friend decided to end things mutually.

Lara and Jack had a massive fight, and things were never the same. Lara and Jack made up on multiple occasions, but whenever the slightest thing would happen all hell broke loose, it went on for so long that Jack eventually grew to hate Lara, although she could never bring herself to hate him completely.

To this day, Lara still didn't hate Jack. The only reason why she dislikes him is because of the hurtful things he's said to her over the past two years.

"You have arrived at your destination," Elly spoke in a monotone voice, trying to mimic the voice of Siri as if the maps app was giving directions and snapping Lara out of her thoughts in the process. Lara giggled and got out of the car and pulled her suitcase out of the trunk and sighing when she knew it was time to leave.

"I'm going to miss you so much, Lara," Elly said as she brings Lara in for a long goodbye hug.

"I'm going to miss you more than words can even explain," Lara chuckles, pulling away and giving the girl a sad smile.

"Text me as soon as you get there, I love you so much. And, don't forget about me!" Elly laughs at the last part.

"I will, I love you too. I won't ever forget about you!" Lara replies before walking towards the entrance, looking back and waving with a small smile before entering, ready to start her adventure.

Little did she know, it was going to be everything she never expected.