Friends with Benefits

living a cliche

I groaned as my phone's alarm blasted throughout my room. I yank it off its charger and hit the 'snooze' button.

I slowly get out of my bed, since it's only six am and school doesn't start till eight. I then walk over to my closet, pulling out a sweater and a pair of jeans.

It was only early November, but it was super cold regardless.

I walk into my bathroom to brush my teeth and hair before grabbing my laptop and putting it in my bag.

I quickly text my best friends, Lottie and Gemma, double checking that we're meeting at the coffee shop close to our school.

Gemma responds within a minute, saying she'll be there in twenty minutes, around seven fifteen. Lottie says she'll be there five minutes after.

I head downstairs to the kitchen and sigh at the sight of the empty wine bottle left on the counter.

I wet a paper towel before wiping it on the counter, to get the bit of wine that had apparently spilt on the table off. I throw it in the rubbish and then leave my house, walking to our garage.

I unlock my car and turn the key in the ignition before pulling out of the driveway, heading straight to the coffee shop I'm meeting Lottie and Gemma at.

I park my car ten minutes later and then enter the shop, looking around the room for my best friends.

I spot them towards the back and head over to the table, plopping down in the seat next to Lottie.

"Morning, love! Your usual," Gemma says, handing me a cup of coffee from across the table. "Ugh, I love you," I say, sipping the steaming hot coffee.

"Bitch we know," Lottie replies. I roll my eyes and take another sip of the coffee, immediately feeling more awake than I felt ten minutes ago.

We leave the coffee shop after finishing our drinks and Gemma gets into the passenger's side of my car, while Lottie gets in the back.

Gem had walked from here and Lottie leaves her car in the parking lot of the coffee shop.

The two of them usually drive to school with me, because the two of them live about five minutes away.

When we pull into the parking lot, the three of us grab our stuff and then head into the school.

We walk up the stairs, complaining the whole way up that our legs hurt and then walk into the classroom for our history class.

I sit down in my usual seat towards the back of the classroom with Lottie on my left and then groan when I remember Zayn Malik, one of the defensive line players on our school's football team, sits next to me in this class on my right side.

He's one of Harry's closest friends, but unlike Harry, he can be an asshole.

Not towards me so much, but that might just be because I do my best to stay out of his way.

Harry's other friends, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson are much nicer. Niall sits with me in spanish and he's really nice. Liam's in my art class and Louis is Lottie's brother. And Harry is Gem's brother.

I know it's cliche to like your best friend's brother, but I've had a crush on him for years.

There were little gaps in those years when I didn't like him, during the times I had boyfriends.

But my feelings for him come crawling back almost every time I go through a breakup. You can't help who you fall in love with.