22. The True Meaning Of Turning A New Leaf

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"Mason, I want that back," I demanded, my hands on my hips. He had taken the snapback he gave to me a few weeks ago. Well, he didn't really give it to me. More like he put it on my head and I never told him that he forgot it at my house.

"Isn't this mine?" he asked, swinging that hat around his finger. I looked away, desparate for him not to notice my facial expression. You see, that's the thing. He knows everything about me and reads my face like an open book.

"It is mine, isn't it?" he decoded, smirking while taking a step closer to see my face.

I groaned and stomped like a child. "Yes, it's yours but I like it," I huffed, poking out my bottom lip and folding my arms across my chest. Mason laughed and pulled my arms from their position on my chest and hugging me from around my waist.

"You look cute when you do that," he pointed out. I turned my pout into a smile and looked up at him. Being 5'6 with a 6'0 boyfriend had its ups and downs. He leaned down and kissed my lips softly. I smiled while kissing him back as his mouth melted with mine. The butterflies did their job as he kissed my jaw line and my forehead, hugging me tighter. Suddenly, he took his hat and put it on my head.

"You can keep it. Because it looks cuter on you," he said.

You see, there are those moments when you feel like you're on cloud nine. Like you're on top of the world, soaring above the clouds. Your  heart feels lighter, your head is clearer and you feel like you don't weigh as much. You feel like you don't need to have your guard up constantly. As Mason sits on my bed and pulls me on to his lap, cuddling me from behind and kissing my neck softly, I feel that feeling.

I think they call it peace.

***

Mr Henshaw walked into the classroom and I jumped off Mason's lap to stand up. He motioned for us to sit down and we followed.

"Chat amongst yourselves this form time but don't be too noisy," he said as he sat at his desk with a ridiculos amount of blue Chemistry books. I returned to my seat in Mason's lap as Mai and Jayleen turned their chairs towards us. I know: where's Alisha? The three dont's. Don't know. Don't want to know. Don't care. Yeah, I may be a little harsh on her but she deserves it. After two fucking years of this, she's still pulling shit. I honestly don't know what to do with her; she's a hopeless case. Speak of the devil...

"Hey Alisha!" Mai chirps as Alisha takes a seat next to Mason. I hide my scowl and turn all emotion into an unreadable facial expression. Jayleen and Mai still didn't know what happened and I planned on keeping it that way.

"Hey," I let out, hiding all edge to my voice. As soon as Alisha was about to say something, Mason buried his face in my neck, leaving a small kiss on my jaw line. I smiled and he kissed my forehead. Turning back to Alisha, I saw her gaze fixed on us.

"Alisha?" Mai questioned when she didn't blink for a good minute. She blinked and looked at us.

"I've realised something. The way you and Mason act is cute. The love that radiates of both of you is contagious. You both love eachother and I now see that I've come in the way of that one too many times. Sure, I like Mason but it was only a small school girl infactuation that will pass. The love you two share is intense. You're like fire and I like it. I see that Joanne only gets jealous because she doesn't want to loose you and Mason's possesive as fuck. I think that being Mason's best friend for years, I've learnt stuff about him: stuff he would tell to good friends. I used to see this as a sign of trust. But he tells Joanne things that he would only tells someone he loves. I've realised that I only see Mason as a brother. And I'm sorry that it's taken two years to figure that out. And, Joanne, I know I've screwed you over an uncountable amount of times but, now that I've finally got my head straight, could we start over?"

I blink, taking in all of what Alisha had just said. Wow, just wow. After moments of silence, Alisha sighs and straightens her skirt. I guess she's nervous. She always did that when she was nervous.

"Hello, I'm Alisha Robinson. I'm fourteen and I'm an idiot. Who are you?" she said, extending her arm. I smiled and shook it.

"Joanne McKinley. I'm also fourteen and deeply in love."

"Mai DiGenerio. I'm fourteen and very agressive when it comes to protecting my day one."

"Mason Johnson. I'm fifteen and in love with the girl sitting on my lap."

"Jayleen Hitchy. I'm fourteen and an ex queen bitch."

"Nice to meet you all," Alisha said, a smile taking over her entire face.

"Would you like to be friends?" I asked her, as if we had just met.

She shook my hand. "Yes, I would like that very much."

Alisha pulled me in for a hug and I hugged her back tightly. I was relied to say the least but I was also happy. Happy that Alisha had cleared her head and that I had gotten back the girl that helped me off the pavement after my first panic attack. The girl that got her dad to give me a lift home when all was not going well. The girl who got her dad to drive her, Mai and Mason to my house once they found out I was going to end it all. With my BFFUTEBHBTSRPBSLEO (best friends until the end but have been through some rough patches but still love each other), ex tormentor, boyfriend and newly reformed friend, we were going to take the rest of this year by storm. Even though it took blood sweat and tears to get here, we still made it. I had made it so far from where I was. I was a different person and I had my priorities straight. I was going to make make it through life. Jayleen was going to make it as a marine biologist. Mai was going to make it as a rape awareness worker. Alisha was going to make it as a counsellor and Mason was going to make it as an athlete. And me?

I was going to make it.

I don't know what but I am.

Because that's what hope does.

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