Friend Zoned

Chapter Twenty One

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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"So you guys kissed, and then he had to leave?" Brynn asks curiously as we walk down the sidewalk on our way to school. We decided to do this so we could talk about what happened over the weekend.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, well his mom got home and Lauren and they just needed some time as a family so I left. We haven't talked since then." I explain smiling. Even if we haven't talked somehow I just know everything is okay.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"So did he say anything after the kiss?" Brynn questions making my stomach fill up with butterflies. I bite the inside of my lip, but my grin still shines through.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"He said that...I had no idea how long he wanted to do that." I tell her, feeling beyond happy. Everything feels so much better, knowing Johnny is safe, that fact that I have my best friend back, and now we might even be more than that.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"Awh, that's adorable. I always knew you two liked each other!" Brynn exclaims happy, as we continue walking. I giggle lightly at her, finally understanding what she meant that day when she said 'you'll know eventually'.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"Mackenzie?" I hear a very familiar voice whisper as I'm leaning against my locker talking to Lauren. The word sounds shaky, and nervous coming out of her mouth.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀I turn around to face Annie, who I haven't talked to in over a week. Since what happened with Hayden we've just been avoiding each other I guess. As I turn around Lauren quickly taps on my shoulder and pint down the hall, as if saying she going to go there. I nod, and turn my attention back to the other girl.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"Hey." I say nonchalantly, trying not to make things awkward. Annie has been one of my best friends for three years, and I really don't want to lose our friendship.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"I just wanted to tell you that I broke up with Hayden." Annie says nervously, twiddling her hands together. I nod slowly, thinking back to the last time I saw her. The shock in her eyes, as I called Hayden out for all he'd done to me.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"Okay." I say simply, and Annie's eyes seem to bulge. I guess that wasn't the reaction she expected. Like I said, I want us to be friends, but just her breaking up with her boyfriend isn't going to fix everything.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"I...I don't expect you to forgive me, I wouldn't even forgive me....but I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She says looking like she could cry. When she first moved here, Brynn and I were her first friends. I know that means something to her.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"It's okay, well at least we can try to make it okay over time." I tell her trying to be the bigger person. I'm not one for having enemies or holding grudges, I never have been. A small smile appears on Annie's face.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"Thank you...I just wanted to tell you one more thing. I never should have went out with Hayden, I knew how much he meant to you...I was just jealous..." She trails off looking down kind of ashamed. That statement surprised me. Annie is gorgeous, and a thousand times prettier than me. She is kind, and intelligent, what would make her jealous of me?
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"What? Why?" I question confused, as I look at the brunette. She shrugs softly, not really making eye contact with me.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"Because when I first moved here I was like in love with Johnny, and it was obvious he liked you, and why wouldn't he? I mean you're like perfect, and I'm no where near perfect. The jealousy got the best of me I guess, and when Hayden showed interest in me, I just ran with it. It's such an awful thing to do, and I'm sorry again." Annie tells me and as she speaks everything makes sense. It doesn't make what she did right, but at least I understand it now.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"It's okay Annie, and I'm no where near perfect, no one is...you'll find someone who likes you for you and isn't a complete asshole like Hayden." I chuckle, as a smile reappears on her face.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀She stretches her arms out and hugs me tightly. I may not be able to forgive everything she has done right away, but we were great friends before all this and we'll still be great friends after this. I'm not letting a stupid boy ruin that.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀I walk out the front door of school, into the chilly October air. As soon as I step out my eyes travel across the small patch of grass we have in front of our school.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀It's where a lot of the football players hang out before practice, so Johnny should be over there. I begin to push past the crowd of people leaving school to go find him.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀We didn't get to talk at lunch because I'm in student council and occasionally we have thing to do during our lunch period. It's been a few days since I've seen him and I'm just anxious to now.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀As I get past a punch of freshman, I finally see Johnny sitting on a bench by himself. The rest of the team is right behind them he just isn't talking to him.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀He catches my eye, and smiles, which makes all my nerves go away. I smile back as I walk faster to get over to him. I finally step onto the grass, and now I'm only about two feet away from Johnny.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"Hey." I say to him as I walk a little closer. He stands up form the bench, and takes a step towards me which barely leaves any space between us.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"Hey." He says as cups my face and leans down and to peck my lips. I wasn't expecting that, but it makes me smile anyway.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"What was that for?" I chuckle kind of nervously. We've only kissed once and literally no one was around. To go from that, to kissing at school is different.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"Because you're adorable." Johnny says grabbing my hand, interlacing his fingers with mine. It's makes my stomach fill up with butterflies again.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀We're not official or anything, so I don't know exactly what we are but I like it anyway. Out of the corner of my eye I see Nadia walking out of school, and she's starring daggers at me. She's been pissed off since Johnny broke up with her, and probably more so now that her worst fear came true.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"Nadia literally hates me." I whisper turning my attention back to Johnny. He glances over at her then looks back at me. He pulls his hand away, and instead puts his arm around my shoulder.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"Ignore her...she's just jealous like she always was." Johnny tells me, creasing my shoulder with his thumb lightly.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"I know." I whisper, moving a bit closer to him, as his arm slightly tightens around my shoulders.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"Come on, I'm driving you home." Johnny says as we begin to walk towards his car. I look up at him confused.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"What about football practice?" I question, taking one step after another as we near the parking lot. Johnny shrugs lightly.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"I quit, I was only doing it for my dad." He explains, and a smile appears on my lips once again.
It makes me feel a thousand times better knowing he's happy.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"I'm happy for you." I whisper still smiling, and I note the smirk that appears on his own face as we approach his car.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"I'll call you in a little bit." I say to Johnny as We stand outside of his car. We just pulled up in front of our houses, and we're about to go inside.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀He's facing me, so I lean forwards and press my lips to his, as if to say goodbye. It still feels as magical as the first time, I really hope it always feels that way. I pull away grinning, as well as Johnny.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"Before you go, I have something for you." Johnny tells me, causing me to raise my eyes brows at him confused.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀He reaches in his pocket and grasps some type of object. He closes his fist around it as he pulls it up to wear I can see, and then he opens his hand.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀Sitting in the palm his hand is my sliver 'M' necklace, looking exactly the same as when I took it off. I almost gasp when I see it but instead I just smile.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"You kept it?" I ask kind of shocked that he didn't throw it out in spite after our huge fight. He shakes his head.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"Of course not...let me put it on you." He whispers the last part, as I turn around. I pull my hair over my shoulder so that the necklace doesn't get caught in it.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀He drapes the chain around my neck, and I feel him pull it, as if closing the clasp. As soon as it's on I grab the charm, and turn back around.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"I love you." I blurt out without even thinking about it. I kind want to smack myself in the face for saying that, but it's already been said, it's not like I can take it back because it's the truth.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"I love you too." Johnny says back surprising me. We both smile, as he leans down and pecks my lips once again.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"Well...I'll see you later." I say kind of awkwardly as I begin to walk over to my house. Just as I'm going away, Johnny grabs my arm, and I turn back around.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀"Sorry...I-I forgot to ask you. Do...do you want to be my girlfriend?" Johnny asks extremely nervous, but suddenly it's like all my own nerves slip away. Everything has been perfect, except the fact I wasn't sure what we were, you know? It's kind of nerve racking.

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⠀⠀⠀⠀"Of course." I answer him, feeling beyond happy, as I realize my best friend is now my boyfriend. How crazy is that? Looks like I'm finally out of the friend-zone, and I couldn't be happier.