Our Differences

Chapter 14

Chloe's POV

I couldn't have been happier. I'm revealing my true self, Felicity and I are friends again and life is just getting better. Now I just have to figure out a way to break cliques in my school. It was a day after the whole bullying fiasco and the friendship make-up. I was walking down the hallways, trying to think of a solution to make everyone treat each other as equals.

Then, I had the perfect solution. Or what I hope is the perfect solution. Felicity was just running up to me at the moment when I had my sudden 'light bulb moment'. 

"Felicity," I said, grabbing her wrist. "I have an idea." 

I ran to the library, a place I wouldn't even be caught dead in months ago (unless it was to bully Fe) when I was still putting on that fake mean girl act. But now, it's the perfect place to go. 

I sat down with Felicity. She raised an eyebrow. 

"What's up, girl?" She asked. 

"I've got a plan to break cliques once and for all." I replied. 

"Fill me in on the details." She said. 

"I'm not the most creative person...." I said. "But, I decided that making a speech would knock some sense into the others and hopefully get rid of cliques forever."

She looked at me thoughtfully. "Sounds good." She said. 

So we began writing down an inspirational speech that will get into the thick heads of some of the most stubborn students in our class. It took us a while to make it. We stopped for a while to write our stories. I noticed Felicity had the same writing social media app as I did. 

"Hey, I have that too." I said. 

"Cool," she said. "What's your username?" 

Before I could answer, the bell rang loudly. As usual, kids would be rushing to classes as though their butts were on fire. 

I was making my way to class when I felt someone grab my wrist. Fe was nowhere in sight. I turned around and saw Kristen with a hand on my wrist. 

"What do you want now, Kristen?" I asked, annoyed. 

"It's all your fault I have to pick up litter from the field and the bleachers." She whined. 

I shrugged. "Well, you were the one who bullied me." 

"You just had to play the victim when Mrs. Kennedy interviewed us yesterday, didn't you?" She accused. 

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever." 

She pulled me until her nose was just one inch away from mine. "You had better watch out, Chloe Anne Jefferson," she threatened. "Because the next time you mess with me, it'll get nasty." She let go of my wrist and pushed me aside to get to class. 

I shook my head. That girl was just all about revenge. I went to class. After school, I went home and checked my writing social media app (hey, it's not my fault I'm addicted). I got a message from littlegreenbean. 

Hey. He said. Your stories are great and relatable. I was wondering if you could give me some advice. I have a friend who has a hard time at home. His parents don't get along very well and he's under a lot of pressure. Could you give me some advice to give to him? Your bio states that your stories are based on real life experiences so that means that your story about a girl with a hard life must be based on someone you know, right? So I was wondering if maybe you've dealt with these kind of things before and you could help me. It'll mean a lot. Thanks. I stared long and hard at the message, trying to think of something to say to him that could help his friend. Hi. I wrote. I'm sorry to hear about all that your friend is going through. Here's my advice; 

Just then, there came a knock on my door. My mom entered the room. "Hey, Chloe." She greeted with a big smile. "Your dad and I have decided that we haven't been spending enough time with you. So why don't we go out for dinner and then some shopping later?" 

My mouth curved into a bright smile. "Sure, mom," I said. "I'll get changed." 

We spent the night as a family. It was probably one of the best nights of my 16-year-old life. All I ever wanted was some quality time with my family. Now that I've got it, I'm happy. We came back super late at night with shopping bags hanging from our arms. I was tired but beaming inside. I went to bed, my energy drained from my body. 

"Goodnight, sweetheart." My mom said, smiling. 

"Night, mom." I said as she closed the door softly. I laid on my bed in a starfish position and sighed happily.

Yup, things are definitely getting better.

I woke up the next day and rode my father's limousine to school, dressed like I was going to a designer fashion show instead of class. I was slightly early and neither the girls nor Felicity were around yet so I sat in the library and typed a chapter of my story into my phone. 

"Neat story." A voice complimented. I looked up. Fe had walked up behind me and was staring at my phone without me even realizing it. 

"Oh, thanks." I said, slightly embarrassed. 

This story is so cringey.... I thought. 

"What's your username? I want to follow you." She said, taking out her phone and typing in her password.

 "It's nerdyqueen." 

"What?"

"Nerdyqueen; That's my username. What's yours?"

"Littlegreenbean." 

My eyes widened. "That's you?!" I yelled in disbelief before apologizing to the annoyed librarian who shushed me. 

"Yeah. And I didn't know that you were nerdyqueen. I asked you for advice last night but you didn't reply me." She said. 

I smacked my forehead with my hand, remembering that I went out with my family before I got to finish giving her advice and went to bed right after I got home that night. 

"But first, who's this 'friend' of yours?" I asked, secretly wondering if it was Ryan. 

"Actually, that 'friend' I was referring to was me." She admitted, shyly rubbing the back of her neck. I looked at her sympathetically. 

"I'm so sorry, Fe."

"It's fine."

"Why don't you talk to your parents about it?"

"They'd never listen to me."

"Have you tried?"

"No, my mom would be absolutely furious with me if I dared to tell her. She'd tell me to not to poke my nose into their argument and focus on my grades, not mess around with 'adult' business."

"Just try. J.K. Rowling didn't get her book published by the first publisher she met. Nobody wanted to publish her book and she was a single mother at the time who was too poor to feed her children. But look at her now; a billionaire writer."

I watch her think it over. "Okay, I'll try." 

"And speak from the heart." I said, smiling. 

She nodded. "Thanks Chloe." She said. 

"No problem." I replied.

I hope things work out for you, Fe. I thought, worried for my best friend's sake.