moments.

five

lauren's pov

over the years, johnny's changed a lot. since mackenzie and maddie left, he's been more depressed. it's more obvious now, but somehow, he became more popular at school. i guess since he stopped caring. he hangs out with the popular kids all the time, and hell, he's one of them. he doesn't lead onto his depression with them, because it's "not cool." to them, he's just a great party thrower, as well as party attender, and a total player, heartbreaker, whatever you wanna call it. he fucks a new girl over every week. i hate watching my brother be like this, but i don't know how to fix it. i hope he gets some sense into him soon.

about two years ago, mackenzie texted me and said she wouldn't be able to keep contact with us, and that i couldn't tell anyone else that i told her. she told me she loved me and that i'm her best friend, but she just couldn't. i didn't know why. i still don't. and i intend to ask her when we go over to her house today.

speaking of which. "hurrryyyyy up!" i yell to john, who's making us late. again. shocker. he comes downstairs eventually, and we get an uber to mackenzie's house. john is fidgety the whole car trip. i don't know why.

finally, the uber slows to a stop, and we get out. "kenzie!" i shout, seeing her on the lawn. she squeals and runs over to me, and we hug for a long time.

"lolo, my god. you've grown so much prettier!" she exclaims, and i giggle.

"same can be said for you!" it's so crazy to see my best friend here, in person, two years older than when i last saw her. my kenzie bear, i cant believe it!

"you seeing anyone?" kenzie asked with a smirk.

"no, you? any love interests?" i reply, and it's a quick topic to talk about. she says no, LA guys are just not for her, but that she does have her eye on someone. i pry at who it is, but she won't tell me. that's when i look over at john and realize that his face is beet red.

oh.

my brother and my best friend? if they work out, this could be amazing.

"aren't you guys gonna hug, too?" i ask politely, and john shoots me daggers with his eyes. kenzie smiles and hugs him, and remarkably, john smiles and hugs her back.

what? is? going? on? my brother looks so happy. and so does kenzie. okay, not gonna lie, this is cute. i've gotta talk to them one on one about this.

or maybe i'm overreacting, because for once john is smiling around a girl and not smirking? he's not playing her, because he's her best friend. i shouldn't interfere.

"come on, let's go inside." kenzie smiles at us.

"actually, i have to talk to you." i say somewhat uncomfortably. "john, go inside."

"wowwww okay!" john laughs, putting his hands up in surrender and walking inside kenzie's house.

i immediately hear a scream. "melissa?" i ask, and kenzie nods. melissa loves john like a child of her own. actually, she loves all the orlando kids like her own, but her love for johnny is... insane.

"did you tell her we were coming?" i ask.

"of course! she would've gotten mad otherwise." kenzie laughs. "same old mommy mel, right?" i giggle.

"so what did you wanna ask me?" she asks, smiling.

"oh, right. um, why couldn't you contact us?" i say, and i watch kenzie's expressions twist.

"i... i cant say." she mumbled, and i'd never ever heard kenzie mumble. she was always bubbly and happy. i wondered what was so terrible that she looked this upset.

"it's okay, mack." i smiled forcefully and grabbed her hand. "come on! i wanna see mel!"

and with that, we ran inside, still a feeling of tenseness between us.