friends with benefits - jenzie

that was intense

"okay girls! another lap and you're done for the day." mrs. coddin yelled to us as we passed him.

we had been at track practice for the past hour, and it seemed to be dragging on.

we ran the last lap and then headed for the change rooms. track was my life; the college scouts were coming later this year and i had to be prepared and ready to impress them. 

"mackenzie!" my best friend, sophia, called as she caught up to where i was.

"hey soph." 

"you going to the party on friday?"

i stared at her incredulously. "of course not."

she groaned. "why? you never come to parties and i want my best friend there so i'm not bored."

"you have lexi. and besides, i have better things to do than go to a party." i rolled my eyes.

"like what?"

"homework..."

she threw her arms up in the air. "you're always doing homework or studying or running or working out. why don't you let loose and just have some fun for once? for me?" sophia gave me the puppy-dog eyes. 

"whatever. just pick me up at eight."

"yeah...uhm, about that." she smiled sheepishly. "i'm going with lexi."

i rolled my eyes. "you just gotta go and leave me for your girlfriend. you always do that."

"i'm sorry. but you can still hang with us, of course, it's just she's driving and-"

i smirked. "yeah yeah. i get it. y'all wanna bang in the backseat before you go."

"KENZIE!"

"fine, i'll go. see you there."

lunch time had finally rolled around and i was sitting at a table with sophia, lexi, a girl named maisy, and sophia's brother, joey. 

i saw sophia's gaze catch onto something on the other side of the cafeteria. "they're fighting again." all four of us looked over.

nadia turner stood in front of her usual table, seemingly arguing with her boyfriend, johnny orlando. 

she started to get louder and louder, causing everyone in the caf to turn and stare curiously.

"and you're saying that you don't know what i'm talking about?!"

"yes! she legit-" johnny's gruff voice was slightly quieter than nadia's.

"i don't care! i can't believe anything you say anymore. w-we need to break up."

he rolled his eyes. "that's your answer to everything, isn't it? whatever, nadia. i'm done with your drama." he grabbed his letterman jacket and started toward the exit. he locked his green irises with my brown ones as he walked by. 

"that was awkward. why do they always need to fight in public?" joey rolled his eyes. 

"i don't know. but it sure is annoying."

"i'm going to a party on friday" i stated to my parents. it was wednesday.

my dad pulled his glasses down and started laughing uncontrollably. "you, go to a party? yeah right!"

"now come on, greg. let her do the stuff she wants without you criticizing her." mom laughed.

"it's not criticizing, melissa. can you really believe that mackenzie would go to a party? she's the biggest goody-two shoes we know."

"i'm right here."

"well, have fun. and be safe."

i nodded, and went to do my homework. my family was really supportive and understanding. i had always been the school-driven and well-behaved daughter, maddie was more of a rebel. she did well in school and was on her way to become a professional dancer, but she tended to go to parties and lash out at times. i had been to one party, and that was in eighth grade. 

my friends were more like her too. sophia and i had been friends since we were ten, and joey and i got closer in freshman year. 

i was friends with lots of people, since i was pretty popular. but not like nadia though. she was the queen bee. there was maisy stella, lexi jayde, and hayden summerall who i've also been friends with for a while. 

johnny orlando. a different story. him and i got close in ninth grade, then i developed a little crush on him. he started sleeping with lots of girls, i got jealous, i stopped talking to him, and we've hated eachother ever since.

it was now senior year, and i had a very important track meeting coming up in march. the one that will decide where i go for college. 

i suddenly got a facetime from sophia. "heyyy, girl."

"hey." i smiled at her. 

"so, i have news." she said. "so, you know that nadia and johnny had that fight this morning?"

i nodded.

"well, they broke up...so i had this idea." oh god. "this morning i saw him staring at you when he walked by us. so y'all should go out! i'll even set it up!"

"no."

"oh come onnnnn!!"

"no."

"you're so annoying."

"bye, soph." i laughed.