lemonade | ethan

two

devon
morning before school

"this year is just gonna be like every other year. same old football jocks, same old cliques. i'm ready for something new. something different." i explain to my friend maya who sat on one of the bar stools in my kitchen.

it was the morning before the first day of our senior year. and maya and i being neighbors, we always meet with each other every morning on the first days.

"like what? you've got it all. your boyfriend is the quarterback. he's lucky enough to be dating the most popular girl in school. you created our clique. you represent. everything's perfect now. this is our year." she replies.

i shrugged my shoulders, "high school is almost over, maya. i'm not so focused on high school cliques and quarterback boyfriends anymore."

she shook her head, eyeing me as i stood there across the kitchen island. "are you saying you want to end things with clayton?"

"no," i reassured her, "but would that be the worst thing in the world?"

she quickly nods her head, "clayton owns the team. the guys. break up with him and we no longer continue to be at the top."

"you don't need the guys in order to maintain your popularity." i furrowed my eyebrows. reaching in the fridge, i grab myself an apple and biting into it.

"you may be the most popular girl in school. but clayton is the most popular guy. trust me. we need him." she tells me. she had this look on her face telling me she was serious.

"i don't. if you care so much, maybe you can date him." i shrugged my shoulders, taking another bite. "now let's go, i don't want to be late."

i grab my keys from the counter, beginning to walk towards the door. i hear her sigh from behind me, "are you planning on breaking up with him today?"

"i don't know." we haven't really seen each other all summer. he'd been away at church camp for two months. "i need a good reason. can't just do it cause i feel like it."

all she does is nod. i don't think she had much more to say. she could either convince me to break up with him or stay. either way is bad.

hopping into my white bmw, we made our way to school. usually we'd go a tiny bit early to have some down time with our friends.

maya had been my friend for a very long time. since sophomore year. clayton took an interest in me and because of that, i gained popularity. i gains new friends and refrained from enemies and drama. i had it all. i was lucky.

living on the north side, all of our parents were good friends, making us all really good friends. one mistake and you're cut off. it's stressful trying to be picture perfect.

my parents still lie to their friends about my brother who's in college and how he is always talking to us. he hasn't spoken to us in years. not one word.

it still makes me sad, but i'm distracted a lot. all the time. constantly there is something on my mind taking it off of my family.

plus i barely see my parents. they're always out with my friends parents. it opens a lot of doors of opportunity for partying in the north side as well as sneaking in to houses.

over the years, the days being with the same clique became tiring. every damn year spent with the same people. i had the capability of making new friends and i never did. i'm gonna try to this year, because this is all i've got left.

maybe talk to some south side people if that's what it meant. usually, us norths stay away from the south sides. it was just how it was.

"oh my god look." maya says, pointing to the people who're walking to school in their scrubs. "poor south siders. how sad." she says sarcastically, a frown on her face.

i scoffed to myself, "this is our last year. let's use it being nice. we don't have to be like clayton and his boys." constantly they make fun and torture the lower class. i used to think it was all fun in games. it was straight up bullying and one of the reasons i really can't stand him anymore.

maya just shrugged. i bet she was reconsidering her being my friend. cause i know damn well the friends i've made throughout the years only like me for my status. but maya could tell i was changing even the slightest bit.

when we arrived at the school, i see everyone already filing in and some just hanging out with their friends outside. some preppy girls slide into a handicap spot. some jocks check them out.

"see? typical year." i state, parking my car close to the entrance of the school.

"what's so wrong with that?" maya chuckles, opening the door and getting out. sighing, i do the same.

we walk to the entrance of the school together, trying to locate our friends. we met at the same place every year. everyone knew it was ours. if we weren't there, it'd be considered as weird.

"hey babe!" two pairs of strong arms come up behind me, engulfing me in a long hug. it scares me as i jumped, a small yelp passing through my lips.

i turn around to be faced with clayton. smiling, i replied with, "hey! how was church camp?"

he shrugged, wrapping his arm around my shoulder as he continued to walk with maya and i. "oh you know, the usual. nothing special." he claims. "it was actually pretty boring. but now that i'm back with my girl, life just got way better."

chuckling, i kinda just ignored his statement. except for the fact that he said church camp was boring. and last time i remember, it was actually super super fun. how do you reply to that when you don't respect him. when you don't want to be his girl anymore.

"ugh, look. south siders." what is with everyone hating south siders. they're human.

"i'm gonna go to the bathroom." i tell him, leaving his embrace. with a simple okay, he greets his friends and i separate from them.

it makes me kind of sad, in a way. the people i used to love hanging out with, i'm realizing aren't the people i want in my life any longer.

END OF CHAPTER TWO

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