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2

Lily's phone buzzed and buzzed again. She reached her hand from underneath the covers to her nightstand. She brought the phone under the covers with her. She faced the phone towards her face which made her eyes squint her eyes. She turned down the brightness and read.

I hope you are getting ready. Don't flake on me. - Jas

Jasmine was Lily's friend since fifth grade. They had become friends after they realized they had the same love for boy bands. The thing that Lily loves most about Jasmine was that she was always there for her and when she needed space she backed off. But never completely left.

Just woke up getting right now. - Lily

Lily stayed in her bed for a few more minutes. After she sent the text she saw that she had another text. She saw the name under Jasmine's. She hesitated before she clicked it open.

Hey, Lil I'm back in town can we talk. I miss you. - Tyler

She could do anything but continue to reread the text over and over again. It was sent at 8:14 in the morning. A knock came at her door jolting her from her thoughts. She shoved her phone under her pillow.

"Yea." The door cracked open and traveled her fathers face.

"Hey. I'm headed to the office. Let me know if your gonna stay out late." He paused. "No sleepovers you need to come home."

"Okay."

"I love you."

"Love you too." Lily mumbled and sat up in bed.
Her father closed the door. She pulled her phone out from underneath her pillow and looked at the message again. Her thoughts went back to the last time she saw him. They were sitting in his car as tears ran down her face.

"Lil...Lily. It's just not working out." He paused. "It's over. But we could still be fri.."

"Just take me home." Lily interrupted.

She put her phone down and got out of bed. She went into the bathroom and proceeded to get ready. She took a shower and finished getting ready in her room. She took off her hair scarf and let her braids fall alongside her face. She laid on her bed and gRabbed her phone. She took one last look at the message. Then deleted. She knew if she didn't she would keep looking at it.

"Lil!" One of her brothers yelled.

"Coming."

She grabbed her purse and put her phone inside. She ran down the stairs and was greeted by Jasmine at the door. She smiled at her brother an closed the door behind them.

"How were you so blessed with such hot brothers." Jasmine questioned.

"You are so gross." Lily groaned.

They arrived at the outlet mall. As they walked to the entrance Lily looked to her left and saw a boy from their school spray painting the side of a building. She paused for a second which made Jessica look back and look into the direction that Lily was looking.

"Isn't that the one dude from school?"

"Yea."

" What's his name? River, cloud?" Jasmine asked.

"Ocean. Jas his name is Ocean." Lily chuckled.

"I knew it was something weird." Jasmine said as she reapplied her lip gloss.

"It's not weird just because our parents went the basic route."

"Ugh lets go." Jasmine said as she pulled Lily by her arm.

The girls spent hours at the outlet. The shifted thru clothes and searched the shoes. Jasmine was into the way she looked while Lily was a little less worried about the way she looked. Most of the things that Lily was carrying Jasmine had picked.

"Lil what's up you're so quite?" Jasmine asked concerned.

"Nothing." She lied. "Tyler texted me this morning." She finally confessed.

"No freaking way!" Jasmine looked up from the rack. "Lets go to the food court and eat so we can talk."

"There isn't anything to talk about Jas. I deleted the message and didn't respond."

"But why was he not blocked months ago?" Jasmine asked with her lips turned upright. Lily just stood their biting her lip. "See, you know he should have been blocked."

"I mean it's not like I knew he was gonna text me after we broke up." She said as they left the store.

They walked to the food court and quickly grabbed food so they could go back to their conversation. She didn't really want to talk about it but she knew Jasmine would want to talk it out to make sure she didn't make any stupid decisions.

"You better not text him back."

"I know Jas."

"Under no circumstances!" Jasmine paused. "Do you still have feelings?"

She pushed her food around her plate. "I mean two years of feelings doesn't just disappear. But we are done. Like done." Lily pushed her plate away from her.

"I can take that. Well let's go and get you home. Before I get put on the banned list and can't visit you."

"There is no damn banned list." Lily laughed.

They walked back out to the parking lot and Lily looked back to the side of the building that the boy was painting earlier. It was finished. She thought it was beautiful. She took out her phone and snapped a picture of it then quickly put it back in her pocket before Jasmine could notice.

They pulled up to Lily's house and into the driveway. She grabbed her bags from the back and thanked Jasmine for taking her out. She fumbled to get her keys from her purse. Finally the door opened. Jacob stood in the doorway looking at the driveway. Jasmine honked her horn twice and waved.

"Bye Jacob!" Jasmine yelled from the car window.

"Go home Jas!" She yelled back.

"Looks like you had fun." Jacob joked.

"Move." Lily said. He moved and she threw her stuff by the door. And went to sit down on the couch. Jacob slammed the door behind them which cause her to glare at him.

"Tell pops to bring some food home for dinner I'm hungry." Jacob asked.

"Jake you text him."

"But my phone is upstairs. It's so far." He whined.

"Your such a baby. How do you manage to keep all these girls around when you never have your phone with you."

"That's just it. I'm not tied down my a phone that it gives me mystery even though I'm being a couch potatoe." She rolled her eyes at his response.

"Whatever."She said. "I can't believe we are only a year apart."

She texted their father. He replied.

I'll bring chicken home. - Dad

"He is bringing chicken." She relayed.

"Tell him to go to the chicken spot on olive and grand. And get extra Mac and cheese. Oh and biscuits."

"Your like an never ending hole." She stated as she texted their father.

"I gotta stay fueled up."

"You are so annoying." She threw a pillow at his head but he dodged it.

"See." He said completely pumped up.