𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐚 | ✓

f o u r t e e n

Magnolia and Brad were sitting in his car, eating burgers and fries. It is now Christmas break and they are off school until after New Years.

Brad looks at Magnolia with his eyebrows furrowed when she takes the top bun of her burger off and sets it in the styrofoam container that it came in.

"Why are you not eating the top bun?"

"I don't like it."

Brad laughs, almost in disbelief. "How? It's the same as the bottom one."

"Too much bread."

"You are by far the weirdest person I have ever met," he chuckles, then kisses her cheek. "But that's what I like about you."

"And you chose me."

"Hm?"

"You chose me. You're friends with so many girls; many of them throw themselves at you. They're your age and they're popular. I'll never understand why you chose me."

"There is a lot more to it than just looks and popularity, Magnolia," he looks at her, then chuckles. "I didn't fall for your looks until puberty."

"Funny," she playfully rolls her eyes. "You're such a comedian."

Brad smiles, "You know, I've never heard you curse."

"That's because I don't."

"Say fuck right now."

"I will not say that, Brad," she laughs. "I don't curse. Never have never will."

"Please? For me?"

"You do quite a lot of whining."

"Say fuck and I'll stop whining."

"You couldn't pay me enough to say it right now."

"Fine," Brad huffs. "But I'll get you to say it someday."

"I wouldn't count on it."

"Magnolia?"

"Hm?" she responds with her mouth full of french fries.

"I want to tell my sister."

"We can't yet." she briefly says, dismissing what he said immediately. She didn't want to talk about that right now.

"Why?" he frowns. "I'm so tired of hiding it. I want to kiss you in my own house without having to worry about her. I'm graduating soon, Magnolia. I'm going to university. I'm sure you don't want our last few months together to be so secretive and stressful. I know I sure don't."

"You don't understand," she shakes her head. "We've had this pact since we were super little. If I go behind her back and completely go against it, how does that make me look?"

"How do you think it makes me feel that you're putting me below that stupid fucking pact?" he asks, his voice beginning to get angrier. "I understand that you two have been friends for a very long time. But I am here now and I don't want to do it like this anymore."

"You know it's not like that."

"Don't make me look like the bad guy. You brought this upon yourself. You should have told her within the first week of us being together. Not only have you broken the pact, but you also have been lying to her."

"You are not helping at all."

"I'm not trying to. I'm trying to make you realize that this is stupid."

"What would you like me to say?"

"I want you to say that you're going to tell my fucking sister!" he snaps. "I have waited so long to finally be with you and it's getting ruined because you don't want to tell her. Did it ever occur to you that she could be forgiving? That she could be nice about it?"

"Have you met her? She is going to explode! She has jammed that pact down my throat and still does. I'm sorry I don't want to just drop the only friend I've ever had. You clearly don't understand what it's like to have one singular friend."

"Then what's the point? What is the fucking point of this entire thing?"

Brad was too caught up in shouting at her that he didn't realize she was crying. She wasn't crying because he was yelling, she was crying because he basically just told her that there is no point in any of this. When he finally realizes, he turns toward her and says, "Magnolia—"

"Take me home."

"Wait—"

"Take me home, Brad."

The way home was silent and very, very awkward. Especially when the song I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston came on the radio.

When Brad pulls in front of her house, she immediately gets out of the car and goes inside. Usually when he drops her off, they sit in his car for a good fifteen minutes. Not this time, though.

"Hey, honey!" her mom says as she walks in the house. "How was Charlottes house?"

"Fine." she says bluntly before going upstairs to her room. Magnolia didn't know how to feel. She wanted to be angry, but she was too sad. It's never good to hear to boy you like say that he doesn't feel like that there is a point.

She wants to tell Charlotte, she really does. But she doesn't want to end up losing her only friend. Though, shouldn't Charlotte respect Magnolia and Brad's relationship if she truly loves Magnolia?

There were so many thoughts going through Magnolias head. All she wanted to do was sleep and try to forget about everything.

Sleeping wasn't an option anymore with the sound of knocking on her bedroom door. She manages to mumble a come in and the face of her older brother is revealed.

"Maggie?"

"Don't call me that," she sighs. "What, Peter?"

"Are you okay?"

"Did mom send you up here?"

"Well, yes. I'm not gonna lie to you. But I still want to help." Peter then closes her door and takes a seat on the end of her bed while she still lays down.

"Why do you suddenly care about me or my life?"

"I've always cared, I just—" he sighs. "This isn't the point. Tell me what's wrong. Is it something with Brad?"

"How do you know about me and Brad?"

"I see you get in his car everyday after asking mom to go to the mall with Charlotte. I'm not an idiot."

"Does anyone else know? Because if Charlotte—"

"I haven't told anyone, Maggie. Don't worry."

She sighs, giving up on correcting him every time he calls her that.

"Why did he make you sad?"

"He wants me to tell Charlotte. I don't want to tell her yet. He said that there is no point in this if we're going to keep it a secret the entire time."

After repeating it to herself (and Peter), she realizes that Brad could be right. He just wants to be able to show off his girl without worrying about his sister. If only it was that easy.

"Why don't you want to tell Charlotte?"

"Because she's my only friend?" Magnolia says in a duh tone. "I'll have no one left if she's gone."

"You'll have Brad."

"Brad doesn't care about nails and hair, Peter."

"This is a tough one," Peter says. "But I think you should tell her soon. You're just going to dig yourself deeper and deeper into a hole of guilt if you keep going on like this. If I were her, I'd want to know while it's still fresh. The longer you wait, the more you lie to her and betray her as a friend."

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