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"i'll call it." andre said, tossing his red counters in the middle.

"full boat, jacks over queens. i win!" trina grinned, laying down cards on the table and sliding all the counters towards her.
we all groaned.
"don't hate me because i'm pretty and lucky!"

"but can we hate you because you're conceited and untalented?" i laughed bitterly.

trina rolled her eyes, taking umbrage.

"guys, i feel really bad about not inviting jade and beck to play cards with us." tori sighed.

"if you invite beck, you get jade too." andré took his lollipop out of his mouth.

i frowned. "what's wrong with jade?"
the others just looked at me like i was stupid.

"and they're always fighting." cat sighed.

"and i'm not sitting here playing cards while they scream at eachother." robbie added.

"alright, alright. are we going to chit-chat, or play some cards?" i asked. we all put our cards in the middle, ready for them to be shuffled— until tori's phone rang.

"one sec." she said, picking up her phone from its car battery stand that robbie had hooked up, and putting it to her ear. there was a zapping sound and my sister shook violently, her hair standing up on end.

"who was it?" cat asked.

"i don't know... i was too busy getting electrocuted to hear!" tori yelled in disbelief.

"the worst those batteries can give you is a mild shock." robbie scoffed, dismissing her.

tori grabbed her phone and put it on robbie's pants, shocking his balls and making him shake violently, to prove her point.

"just buy yourself a new pearphone gx." i sighed.

"no, if i buy another gx, they're going to announce the—"

"—xt the same day, and then everyone will have the new xt, and i'll be stuck with the stupid gx!" we all mimicked, tired of hearing the same thing over and over again.

"man, i'm so sick of hearing that." rex grunted.

"well, there's no need for you guys to mock me simultaneously."

"is it my turn to deal?" the artificial red-head asked eagerly.

"yep, do it." andré nodded, passing cat the deck of cards.

"look, my uncle taught me how to shuffle cards with one hand. ready? look-it. schmozzle!"
she flicked the cards across the table and they went flying all over us.
i chuckled at her antics.

"i got it." tori said, getting up for the doorbell.

"yeah, get it." trina said.

she opened the door and beck and jade were stood outside. "oh... it's— it's you guys..."

"see? i told you they'd all be here." beck said, marching into the house.

"look, i'm sorry we didn't invite you guys to play, but—"

"tell jade why you didn't want us to play." beck said.

"well... 'cause... we were planning a surprise party?..." tori lied.

"alright—" andré got up. "we didn't invite you guys to play, because you two are always screaming at each other! it makes everyone feel awkward, it makes cat faint, it makes tati shout, and sometimes it makes robbie cry."

"one time!" robbie put his hands up in defence. "it was one time!"

"six, rob." i corrected.

"see? we fight so much even our friends don't want us around!" beck shouted in disbelief.

jade crossed her arms. "tori's not my friend, i only tolerate robbie, no one likes trina, and cat's basically a pet." she corrected.

"arf." cat mimicked a dog. jade raised an eyebrow.

"uh... why don't you guys just play cards with us?" i suggested, trying to decrease the awkwardness.

"look... i don't wanna be your boyfriend if we're just gonna fight all the time." beck shrugged.

"so you want to break up?"

"no, i didn't say that—"

"well i did. we're done." the raven-haired girl announced. "it's over." she grabbed her bag and stormed out of the house.

we all looked at eachother awkwardly.
i got up from my chair and grabbed my jacket and phone.

"where are you going?"

"i'm going after her, of course." i said, putting my hand to the door handle.

"just leave her, tatiana." beck said.

"i'll do what i want, oliver."

jerk.

i slammed the door behind me, walking underneath the orange street lamps.

"jade?" i called, catching up to the girl walking down the side walk.

"what?" she huffed.

"i just wanted to make sure you're okay—" i touched her shoulder gingerly.

"just leave me alone. i'm fine."

"i know you're not, and it's okay—"

"you don't know me, tati. you think you know me, but you don't. just forget it."

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