His blonde, her brunette, one beautiful mess

[2] Diet coke's not strong enough

"Hey girlll! Already started thinking you'd forgotten all about me!" Samira screamed on the other side of the phone. 

"How could I ever forget you," I laughed. "You wouldn't let me even if I tried."

"Darn right I wouldn't!" 

I'd met Samira when I was at my aunt's. I'd sometimes worked at my aunt's hair salon, helping with keeping the floors and brushes clean, and one day Samira had barged in. While cutting Samira's beautifully curly hair my aunt had blabbered on about my stay in Canada, and Samira had offered to show me around. 

We had spent the whole summer together and turns out she was actually moving to the same city as I was from. Sadly she didn't move to the east side of the tracks, meaning we didn't go to the same school even if we were the same age. It sucked because I was probably as close to her as I was to Trin.

"So what's up? Everything good there on your shitty side?"

"They've already brainwashed you into hating on everything east-related?"

"Yep!" she chirped happily. "I didn't believe when you told me how deep this conflict runs, but deem you weren't kidding! These people all seem to have a personal vendetta against your side."

"I know, it's the same on this side. Everything west of the tracks is referred to as trash."

"Hey, I'm west of the tracks!"

"I didn't say I personally hated on the west!" I corrected her, a grin on my face. 

"But really Ella, why are you calling? I love that you do, but you know it's one am? I'm not saying it's weird for me to be awake, but what's keeping you awake?"

I told her about the incident with Thomas, which had happened a week ago.

"And everyone's been acting so weird around me after that," I whispered, suddenly tearing up recalling how cold everyone had been toward me the past week. "First I didn't want to bee around him, so I sat on my own at lunch. But when I sat down next to them on Wednesday they all just stopped talking and stared at each other. Then they picked their trays up and left without an explanation."

"Shit Ella, I'm sorry they're treating you like crap. Isn't that one girl sticking up for you? What was her name again?"

"Trin... Yeah, I don't know, she's been sick the whole week so I haven't seen her. I don't know what to do Sam, they seem to hate me all of a sudden. And the weirdest thing is that they act all normal around Thomas."

"Go to school tomorrow and confront them. See what explanation they give you. If they ain't got anything to defend their actions you take Trin and go find yourself some new friends. Or then maybe... I mean it's stupid really."

"No say it."

"Maybe you should move to this side of the tracks El?"

Normally I would have laughed, but honestly, the idea sounded tempting. Move away from all the unnecessary drama and shitty people, start fresh...

"Maybe I should."

_____

It was Friday, which was usually the best day of the week, except it wasn't this week. 

Trin was back in school today, and she was to my relief acting normal around me. We walked together to the table where everyone else sat. Luckily Thomas wasn't sitting with them today.