Friend Zoned

Chapter One

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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Hey loser." I spoke as I sat my lunch tray down on the red table. The whole lunchroom was buzzing with chatter, as I took my usual seat next to Johnny.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Hi Mack Z." He answers raising his eyebrows with a chuckle. He knows I hate when he calls me that, but that doesn't ever stop him from saying it everyday. Mack Z was a fake rapper name I had made up when I was eight years old, and Johnny never forgot it.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I hate that nick name." I sigh kind of annoyed as I sit my back pack down beside my chair.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I know, you tell me everyday." He smiles at me with a cheeky grin. My eyes dart around the table as I notice the rest of our friends aren't here yet.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yes and you still say it....where is everyone?" I ask as I eat one of my apple slices off of my tray. Don't worry, I'm not one of those people who pretends to be overly healthy, I just like apples.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Brynn said she'd be late today remember?" Johnny questions, obviously knowing I didn't remember.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Okay, but what about everyone else?" I ask and Johnny just shrugs lightly.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I don't know where Nadia and Ruby are, but I think Annie and Hayden went out for lunch somewhere." Johnny explains, and when he mentions Hayden and Annie a lump forms in my throat.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Hayden is my ex-crush of a couple years. I was so head over heels for him, and Annie being one of my good friends knew this. Yet, the second he showed a tiny interest in her, they started dating. It's been that way for almost a three months, yet sometimes I still feel so...betrayed I guess. There's also the fact that when you have that strong of feelings for someone, it's hard to just shake off.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh. Well uh I guess it's just you and me for now." I say kind of distantly. Johnny never knew I liked Hayden, because...well he's very protective of me. He never seems to think any boy is good enough for me, and Hayden being his best friend, we'd have ended up in a fight if I told him.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"What's wrong?" He asks as he takes a bite out of his sandwich. I look up at Johnny then back down at the table.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Nothing." I lie, as I eat another apple slice. I'm a very bad lair though, everyone knows that, especially him.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Your lying." Johnny answers me simply, and I raise my eyes brows at him. I have kept all my drama with Annie and Hayden from him this long, ik not going to give it up now because I'm a lousy lair.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"No I'm not." I deny it shaking my head slightly but I know he doesn't believe me.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I'm your best friend Kenz, I know when your lying." Johnny chimed as I sighed softly. That was the one downside of being so close to someone that they know you better than anyone else in the world, they always know when your lying, even if you're good at it, unlike me.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"John it's nothing for you to worry about, okay?" I ask calmly, if u tell him analyst Hayden now, we'll end up in an very unnecessary fight, considering I'm basically over him. It's honestly a miracle he hasn't caught on to any of it by now, but I'm glad he hasn't, because not only would I be in a fight with him, he'd also get in a fight with Hayden.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Mackenzie Ziegler!" I hear a familiar voice basically shout from behind me, cutting Johnny and I's conversion short. I smile as I turn my head to see my other best friend, Brynn.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Brynn Rumfallo!" I imitate her, as she rushes over to her seat next to mine. The blonde places her lunch box down onto the table, as she quickly pulls her chair out.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"You'll never guess what just happened." She says with a huge grin, as her knee bounces up and down. Brynn is a very hyper girl if you couldn't already tell, and her being excited about something just amplifies it.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"What?" I ask kind of confused, but I know even if I don't ask she'll tell me anyway.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I have a date, with....LUCAS." She practically screams the last part, as I chuckle. Lucas is this boy that Brynn has basically been in love since like third grade. I would know, because she tells me about him all the time, since we were eight years old.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"He asked you out? How? What did he say?" I ask all very fast. I'm beyond happy for Brynn, it seems like her and Lucas were made for each other. I always wished I had what she had with him with someone.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Well you know how close we've been since last year, and well I guess he just finally developed feelings for me. It was so cute, his whole little speech thing, but I forget it because I was so shocked." Brynn laughed, and I smiled.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I'm so happy for you Bry!" I exclaim as she lets out a little happy sequel.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Wait where is everyone?" She asks suddenly noticing the absence of our friends. I shrug my shoulders.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I would like to know that too, can you text Nadia for me?" Johnny asks suddenly, I almost forgot he was here. I sigh and shake my head at him.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"She's your girlfriend why don't you text her?" I question slightly annoyed, because of Johnny's laziness.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Because I'm eating, duh." He says as he takes a sip of his drink, and I exchange a look of annoyance with Brynn.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"So am I John, plus I don't even have Nadia's number." I explain as I take my phone out of my pocket to look through Instagram.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Fine, I'll call her whatever." Johnny answers pulling his phone out of his book bag. Just as he began to call Nadia there were foot steps from behind us.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Johnny, I told you to meet me at my locker before lunch!" A high pitched voice says angrily from behind us. Brynn and I look at each other and roll our eyes, to say we don't like Nadia is an understatement. I really did try to be friend with her when John started dating her, but she's so annoying.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh, hey babe. Sorry, I forgot." Johnny answers turning around to see his girlfriend. Today Nadia's orange hair is straight, falling loosely on her tight pink shirt. She has on blue jeans and high heels, it's a pretty outfit, but I personally would never wear something like that to school.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Whatever." She sighs as her and Ruby walk over and sit down on the other side of Johnny.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Ruby looks a lot different than Nadia, and luckily she is a lot nicer. She has short curly blonde hair, and blue eyes. Of course she is the sister of Nadia so she isn't perfect, she can be kind of judging at times but other than that she's pretty cool.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh, Brynny, and Kenzie you guys are invited to my birthday sleepover on Friday!" Nadia suddenly says happily, catching my attention. That girl is always all over the place, one second she's furious then next she's all giddy and happy.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀You probably excepted Nadia to hate me, you probably assumed that's why I didn't like her. It's not that, she's just so over the top, and obnoxious. She surprisingly really likes Brynn and I, it kind of freaks me out considering how popular she is, and how cruel she can be at times.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh, okay...we uh, we'll be there." Brynn answers, as I shoot her a look of panic but she already said it.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yay, were going to have so much fun." Nadia says happily as Ruby nods along with her sisters statement. Well, looks like I'm going to her sleepover, this ought to be interesting.