Hearts ✓

Thirteen 💕

There is never perfection, we have to sacrifice one for the other, constantly.

------

"We should hang out tomorrow," Ally says out of nowhere. "I mean, why don't we just grab coffee at that new shop and kind of catch up."

"I'm not so sur-" Elliot says.

"Come on! It'll be so fun, and we haven't hung out with you for such a long time Callie!" Ally looks so excited.

"Well, maybe." Elliot looks at me.

Well, I haven't been completely honest with my friends. While they thought that Jake was taking up all my time trying to mess with my head, I was actually using half the time hanging with Lauren and taking advice from her, and her friends. Jake, of course, was also still hanging out, and annoying the life out of me, but not as much as I made them think.

I just didn't know how to tell either of them that Lauren and I were quite close once more. Although she had apologized to Ally, Ally had not been keen on forgiving Lauren and still half-heartedly disliked her, so I couldn't exactly come up to them and told them that I was casually constantly hanging out with and consulting their temporary 'enemy'.

It was as if there was a system at Narven High. It was boys versus girls, not the regular stereotype hierarchy. No matter what, the girls always had to rely on each other, because that was all they had. They had to help each other pick themselves up from the broken pieces their hearts were left at. And in my case, they needed help to analyze these insane creatures. So, no matter how much you hate this one person, you're going to have to become friends eventually, because that's how the system works.

I stared blankly at both of them. Lauren had told me that her friends were willing to show me the ropes, and answer questions that even Lauren couldn't answer me. I had thanked her for her generosity, and although the girls were banded together, an opportunity to ask them questions that they'll answer as truthfully as possible was something that was not easy to have.

"I'm sorry guys, I-I can't make it."

I hated lying to my friends, but what has to be done, has to be done.

"Oh," Elliot says disappointedly. "Why not?"

"I-I." I stuttered trying to come up with something quickly, I focused myself. "I need to babysit Taylor."

Although Taylor was fourteen, and perfectly capable of managing herself, I was often told to watch her every so often to make sure that her brilliant idea of teenage anarchy didn't actually make it out of her system, and she didn't do anything ever so crazy.

I know that the bluff worked because Ally and Elliot both gave me the 'Oh' look and told me that they could reschedule, but I told them that it was okay, and they should check the place out while it's new. Then I tell them I have to go.

As soon as I get through my door, I slam it and collapse while leaning on the wooden frame of my door. I feel bad, really bad.

------

As soon as I wake up, I put on my black tank top, ripped jeans, and a pair of white converse shoes. I make sure to tie my blonde hair into a loose braid and I apply a decent amount of makeup.

"Tay!" I call. "If Ally and Elliot come over, tell them I'm babysitting you, and I'm out getting something."

She pokes her head out of her room. "I won't ask why, but okay."

"Thanks."

One of the reasons I love my sister was her trait of not needing to know absolutely everything, and when I'm stuck digging through my own lies, she doesn't pry.

Lauren's car pulls up just a second later and I hop in it, she smiles as she nods to my loose braids. "Classy."

I smile happily that my effort was noticed. "Where are we going?"

"Actually, we're checking out that new coffee shop downtown. I heard it's sick." I freeze just as her eyes lift to meet mine, "I didn't actually mean that it would make you sick."

"I know." I say, "It's just that Ally and Elliot are going just there."

Of course, Lauren was the first to know that I was spending more time with her by skipping time with them. And of course, she knew about my lie that Jake was taking up all my time.

She too freezes.

"Well," She starts. "Then we just need a masterplan in evading them."

My breathing starts huffing at a constant quickening pace.

------

Ally and Elliot are relatively easy to spot, in fact, we can already see them before we even have to enter. Their sitting near the entrance and Lauren's friends are sitting near the back, thank the world for luck.

Slipping through the entrance was easier than I thought. Because I wore my hair in a braid, something I never do when around them, and with the addition of Lauren's hat that she lent me, all I have to do is hide my face from them and I can strut straight through. It's not like their full entire attention is focused on me anyway.

Lauren and I get to the table really easily, thank the lord for Ally's lack of attention, and Elliot's back facing towards us.

"Hey." A brunette with ombré hair nods in our direction. "Nice to meet you, Callie?"

"Aubrey!" Lauren hugs her. "Cals, this is Aubrey, Aubrey, Callie."

"Hey," I hug a few lightly enthusiastically.

Lauren and a few take a seat, and the rest eventually follow. She motions to Ally and Elliot and tells them to not call me by my name so they wouldn't here.

I quietly thank her, and she nods.

The morning passes by, quite pleasantly, actually, until of course, Ally walks to the toilet, which is located unusually close to us, and I squirm in my seat.

And approximately two minutes later, when Lauren gives me the 'shit' look, I know exactly what's happening.

"Callie?"