𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐀 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝

chapter 7- Making Plans

kenzie's p.o.v

It's been a month.
a whole month of me having to see Johnny falling for another girl.

Ever since he's started dating Nadia things have changed completely.

No more flirting with girls.
No more talking to any girls (except me, Ruby, Annie and Brynn of course).
And whenever she's around he's always with her like a little puppy.

Sometimes I feel like we aren't even that close anymore.
He doesn't drop me to school anymore because he always goes to pick up Nadia. At first he assumed that he would still be picking me up as usual and then getting her, but I'd rather not be stuck in a car with both of them, so I have to walk or have Maddie drop Lauren and I.

We don't hang out and have our Friday movie nights anymore cause they're always together.
At school he's always with her and when he's not all he ever does is talk about her.
It's Nadia this and Nadia that.

I know how things truly are though.
Nadia doesn't like him being around me. She made that fairly clear the moment they got together.

I know it's not Johnny's fault.
It strains him too I know. He tries to be around me, whenever he can.
Whenever she's not around.

I wish I could say that I was over him now. That I didn't care. But I did. And it really hurt.

I know what they say on those TikTok's and Instagram pages.
"When you're the girl best friend you need to step away so that his girlfriend is comfortable. Thats what being a girls girl is."
And I know that, but this is Johnny.
It's so hard to step away where he's concerned.

I'm trying my best.

"Hey Kenz!" Johnny's voice boomed from behind me, interrupting my thoughts.

He was tailing behind me as I walked into the class we shared.

I diverted my eyes and looked down at my desk.

He and I had last spoken, what?
Two days ago? When he bumped into me in the hallway.

"Ouch... no hi? how are you this morning?" He teased, surprising me by sitting next to me.
"How come you're not sitting with Nadia?" I blurted out.

He frowned.
"I wanted to sit with my best friend. Besides we haven't been hanging out a lot lately." He said giving me a tight smile.

And whose fault is that?

I don't say anything to that.
What can I say?

When I didn't reply he spoke up,
"Let's do something. Do you wanna go to magic fountain after school?"

Magic Fountain is the ice cream place Johnny and I have been going to since we were kids.

"I'd love to."
My eyes widen slightly but I cover it up with a smile.

"Cool." He leaned back against his seat, giving me that boyish grin.

"Okay...great." I stutter as he smiled back brightly.
I inwardly squeal at the thought of a perfect afternoon with Johnny.

I just wanted to be able to hang out with my best friend again.
I miss him. Miss us.

I know he's still here, he'll always be my friend but the distance...barely getting to hang out..it's been hard.

Our teacher walks in and class starts.

After forty minutes of the most boring Biology period (about how the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell) class finally ended. I started packing my bag, humming slightly to myself.

"Babe why didn't you come sit next to me?" Nadia whined, her heels clicking against the floor as she walked over.

I continued to pack my bag nonchalantly.

"I was sitting with Kenzie." Johnny explained.

"Whatever. After school we're going to your place." She smiled, bending forward to press her lips against his.

I determinedly focused my eyes on my bag as I zipped it up.

"Actually I was going to go with Kenz to magic fountain."
Johnny turned, shooting me a smile.
"What is Magic fountain?" nadia clicked her tongue impatiently.

"It's this ice cream place we've been going to since we were kids."

"That's great! I'm coming with you. as your girlfriend I wanna see the place you went to as a little kid." She smiled, wrapping her arms around him.

"Yeah, that's okay right?" Johnny said turning to me enthusiastically and I could see the pleading look in his eyes. For the very rare occasions when Nadia's not around Johnny always begs me to hang out with her and to 'get to know her better'.

I always shrug it off considering the fact that she and I have absolutely nothing in common.

"Please kenz?" Johnny uttered in a low whisper, loud enough for only me to hear.

"Alright."

The smile I received from him was almost worth it.

"Great. We'll see you after school." He said cheerfully before taking Nadia's hand in his and walking away.

I let out a low sigh.

-

"Wait wait wait, you're thirwheeling on a Jadia date?" Annie asked me, confused

School's over and I was waiting outside with the girls for Nadia and Johnny to come.

I rolled my eyes at the Nadia and Johnny ship name.
"Well in my defence I'm not third wheeling. Originally it was supposed to be a me and Johnny thing. It's not my fault nadia had to butt in and he couldn't say no to her." I huffed.

"Give her a break guys. It's all because of my stupid sister that John's feelings for kenz have been put on pause." Ruby grumbled.

I frowned.
"I'm over Johnny. Whatever I was feeling I'm not anymore," I shrugged ,"and I'm really happy for him and Nadia." I lied.

"Hmm well better say our good lucks now. They're coming this way." Brynn pointed out and I turned to see Johnny with his arm around Nadia walking towards us.

"Well here goes nothing." I mumble.

"Hey girls. Kenzie, shall we?" John smiled.
I gave him a nervous one back and turned towards the girls.

"See you later." I said casually.
"Have fun third wheeling!" Brynn yelled after me, as I followed Nadia and Johnny.

~annie