SHADE GANG 2 | GROUPCHAT

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As I scroll through my hundreds of text messages, way too many unread from times that my phone number gets out to fans and spam messages from people wanting to sell me porn, I come across my infamous group chat that I started over two years ago with some of my closest friends. 

"Jesus, it's been too long." I catch myself saying out loud. I click on it and realize it's been almost a year that we've spoken and so much has happened since. 

Harry and Niall have been coming out with even more music, Liam got into a shocking relationship with someone barely legal enough to date him, Selena produced a documentary series on what's happening at the US-Mexico border, Perrie and Jade have kept breaking records with Little Mix while they tour, Camila started weirdly dating Shawn, Justin got fucking married, Louis lost one of his little sisters, Lauren announced her new album release, and Ariana's been touring like crazy. Yeah, I came out with an album too, but I still don't feel as fulfilled as I thought I'd be at this point in my life. 

I left One Direction almost five years ago and sometimes I just feel lost and alone. This group chat was really my saving grace back when we talked all the time, but now that we've all been so busy and I've had to deal with Gigi moving on to someone else, it's been hard. 

I drafted countless texts to send to the group chat but none of them felt right. They were all too formal or awkward, which is never how we were in the chat. After a solid ten minutes of feeling stupid and as if I was incapable of figuring out how the hell to talk to my friends after 10 months, I finally decided how to break the ice.

"We spent so much god damn time complaining that Apple hasn't given us group FaceTime and when we finally get it, we all act like little bitches and drift. I hate y'all." I send and laugh a  little to myself. Nothing like some blunt aggression to get this going again.

Less than a minute later, there Ariana is, attacking me back. Oh, Ari, I missed you.

"Yeah, ok Mr. Wallowing alone in my NYC apartment that I bought to be next to Gigi and now I'm bored because she left me and I left my friends in return."

"Damn, would it kill you to be gentle? Ya always bring out the knives without hesitation sis." Perrie replies to her. 

"Awww are you two love birds reuniting?!" Louis replies to Perrie's comment defending me.

"Hey Ari, pass me those knives cause I'd rather gouge my eyes out than leave Alex for this peasant." Perrie lashes back.

"All I do is try talking to my friends again and y'all attack the shit out of me, fuck." I say back.

A few minutes later I hear my phone vibrate and I look to see that Harry is calling a group FaceTime with everyone. We all slowly start to join in until we've all responded to the call.

"Wow, look at the gang all together again! It really shows how fucking lame we are that Harry calls us in the middle of a Monday and here we are, not even taking long to answer!" Justin says.

"Well, well, well, look at you Mr. Hailey Baldwin. I'm surprised you even had time to answer my call after spending so much time up Hailey's ass. I think you only take a breather when you write all those sappy ass Instagram captions!" Harry tells Justin.

"Bro, let me live. I'm happy. After being in a really toxic relationship for years I deserve to be happy!" He snaps back.

"Toxic?? Who made it that way, huh?" Selena says passive aggressively. 

"That is such old news. Can't you guys let go of that shit?" Liam asks them, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Can't you date someone your own age?" I hear Jade pipe in.

"Aw, are you still mad I never dated you when we went on X Factor together Jadey?" Liam coos.

"You're gross. So lucky you're not catching a case over this little girl." Jade says as she rolls her eyes. 

"You guys are sooo dramatic, my god! I forgot how problematic you guys always are in this group chat." Camila adds.

"Don't you have to go make out really weirdly with Shawn and make the entire world uncomfortable by posting it on social media or something?" Lauren says trying to hold back a laugh. 

"You're all just mad that we fell in love." Camila huffs.

"Uhhh, sis, don't you know that Shawn is-" Louis starts.

"Louis, don't start with this please. Go change Freddy's diaper or something and let Camila do whoever and whatever she wants. Come on." Niall says before Louis makes things get messier than usual. 

"Ah, nothing like talking for a solid three minutes and everyone already getting heated." I say as I smile satisfied with the way we all reconnected as if no time had passed.

We continue talking for about two hours, without even realizing that it had been that long. It really makes you realize that when people are truly your friends, it doesn't matter how much time passes. You could go a decade without communication for whatever reason, and when you see each other again, everything feels absolutely normal. 

Eventually people started to say that they had meetings, appointments, or obligations to tend to and we had to end the call at some point. We all agreed that even if we still attack each other for stupid shit, we'd at least talk once a week because we not only drive each other insane, but somehow keep each other sane as well. We all said our goodbyes, which were really more like see you later's. 

One by one, we started hanging up. We gave one another information on what our schedules are like and where we're going to be around the world so that we can hang out, and made plans accordingly. It's been a wild two years, but these people, without a doubt, have become family. Some of us didn't even like each other when we came into this, whether it be from being ex-friends, or ex-partners, but now we've all grown up and seen our worst and best days together. 

Things like this are what truly make life worth living, and I wouldn't have it any other way. These bitches were the meanest motherfuckers I had ever met in my entire life, but they're my gang, and always will be. To life, friends, and the shadiest group of celebrities you'll ever meet. 

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Hello, my loves. I know this has been a long time coming, and that it's pretty short, but I really just wanted to write this ending for you guys so that I could give you all closure for a story you've known about for over two years. 

It was always a dream of mine as a teenager to write a fanfic that would get big and reach a large audience, and while this isn't the biggest one out there, I'm proud of the exposure it did get and all the nice comments and messages I've gotten because of it. I really want to thank you all for coming on this long ride with me, and I just hope that even if it was just something you read in passing between classes or as you sat on the toilet, that I was able to bring some laughter into your lives. As someone who struggled a lot to be happy, it always felt good to see people enjoying my writing that was intended to give you all what I didn't always have. 

I'm now about to graduate from college and go to law school, and it's crazy to think that I was still a senior in high school when I started two years ago. Once again, thank you all for reading. I hope Shade Gang 1 and 2 was as fun of an experience as it was for me. 

With love as always,

B.