The Six Of Us

Cellphones.

Jacob's POV

I walk a little way ahead of Blake. I get the feeling that he's angry at me for interrupting him and Anna. Or was it Alyssa? I shake my head and continue forward. I glance over my shoulder to see Blake crouching on the curb. I turn and jog up to him. "Hey, you ok?" He looks up at me. "Look, I'm sorry about lunch, I didn't mean to interrupt you and Alyssa or Anna or Alice or whatever her name was. Just, please don't be mad with me." I apologise. Blake stares blankly at the ground. "I'm not mad. And her name is Ariana." He says softly. "Then, what's wrong?" Blake shrugs and stands, beginning to walk again. He's super strange.

Once we're home, Blake disappears to his room. Maybe I did something to upset him. I set down my bag and go about doing my afternoon chores when my phone gets a notification.

Pa-tiiiiiing.

I pull it from my pocket. On the front screen is a message from mom.

{Hey baby J, I'm sorry to hear that you couldn't make it to come see me. Maybe another time?}

I suspect that dad has already talked to her. I place my phone on the kitchen counter and continue washing the lunch dishes.

Pa-tiiiiiing.

I glance at my phone.

{Uknown No.- Hello? Is this Blake? It's Ariana.}

I stare at my phone, puzzled. Blake doesn't have a phone. I look to the hall and he's standing there. "Um, did you...uh...get a uh.. text from Ariana just now..?" I get it, he wanted to talk to her but he didn't have his own phone so he used mine. I smile at Blake and hold my phone out to him. "The passcode is 3231." Blake nods and scampers off with the phone. I smile to myself.

Ariana's POV.

Blake and I talk on the phone for hours. Laughing, talking, being completely silent. I feel closer to him. But not the close you wish you were. My smile drops. I've already been crying my eyes out for hours and the only reason I  called Blake was because he can make me feel better. Sure, I have female friends. But they're as fake as Barbie dolls. Especially the ones who made me...restort to self harm. I'd been cutting myself for weeks but it has never been this bad. I'm thankful that its coming into the winter months. It'll give me an excuse to wear long sleeves. "Ariana, I have to go." I snap out of my trance. "Oh uh, o-ok. Talk to you later."

Beep, beep, beep.

I sigh as I turn off my phone. I head down the hallway and suddenly, I'm pinned to the wall. I shake my hair out of my face to see Sophie. Her runny mascara, crazy hair and bloodshoteyes told me everything. She's drunk. I struggle against her buy she slams me into the wall. "Who the fuck were you talking to? Your boyfriend? Or one of those fuckboys you're toying around with?" I manage to push her off me and get her to the ground. "First of all, it's none of your business who I was talking to. Second of all, don't come abusing me just because you've got problems." I start to walk away and she grabs my ankle. "I've got problems?! Says the one who cuts herself!" She shrieks. My eyes widen, fury filling them. I turn around and deliver a sharp, hard slap to my sister's face. "Fuck off Sophie. You're not much better." I hiss, stalking off to the kitchen.