I just got finished yelling at Paully, and now I was looking at a text from Johnny. Why is he messaging me? We weren't what I'd consider friends...more like friends by association. Johnny and I grew up going to the same schools all my life. It wasn't until last year that we started talking as friends, and that was only because I started dating his best friend, Ryan. Of course, Ryan and I broke up because I had to move...which sucked. But, I coped by convincing myself we would have broken up after highschool. Getting a text from Johnny was like getting catapulted back into my old life. The life when I had a connection to people, and knew that they had one with me. I could count on them to have my back, no matter what. I still did, even though I was miles away, in Texas. I knew they'd be there for me if I ever needed them. I hoped he wasn't planning to beat around the bush. I couldn't stand when people did that. I was more of a "rip the bandaid off quick" type of person. But, if I knew Johnny, he'd want to ease into whatever news he had to tell me, especially if it was bad. It took only a minute or so for him to respond. Okay, so whatever he had to tell me he thought was too important to text. That's wasn't making me nervous at all. Nope, not one bit. I was as cool as a cucumber. And yes, I was being sarcastic. "What's going on?" I asked, bluntly, as soon as I heard the call connect on the other end. "Hello to you too, Nat," he said in a smart-alec way. "Hi, Johnny. Now, what's going on?" "Well, hold on a second. Why don't we catch up a bit. How's it in Texas? Are you feeling like Sandy Cheeks from Spongebob, yet? Or are you feeling more like-" "Johnny, get to the reason you had me call you. Then we can catch up," I asserted, cutting off his nervous ramble. "Right...the reason I wanted to talk to you. Well, you remember Kennedy, right?" he asked, his voice going up an octave at the end of his question. "Of course I remember her. She's my best friend who I just talked to a couple days ago. Why?" I listened for his answer, but he was just silent on the other end. "Wait, did something happen to her?! Is she okay?! JOHNNY, FREAKIN' ANSWER ME!" I demanded, suddenly feeling like I was going into cardiac arrest. "No, no, God no, Nat. She's fine. It's nothing like that," he assured me. "Oh, thank God. I don't think I could handle the idea of her getting hurt," I said, catching my breath. "It's just, she's kind of hooking up with Ryan now," Johnny rambled in a rushed voice, like he had to hurry up and say it or he wouldn't be able to finish his sentence. "What did you just say?" My mind was moving a mile a minute, but my heart was standing still, frozen. I've only been gone a week. A WEEK! There's no way he's telling the truth. Johnny must've been confused, or misunderstood something he saw, that's all. "Kennedy and Ryan are hooking up," he stated again, his voice steady but also remorseful. "I know Ryan is my bro and all, but I just felt like I owed this to you, you know, after everything you did for my family." Johnny was referring to how I babysat his little sister for free when his family needed it. His dad was like mine, a single father, and they were struggling to make ends meet. One day I got a call from his dad who had seen one of my flyers and just like that, I was watching Johnny's sister. The first two years of highschool, I would watch Camille everyday after school, while Johnny went to his part-time job, until his dad got home from work. "Thanks for telling me, Johnny," I managed to say after calming myself to the point I felt my voice wouldn't break with anger. "No problem. I'm really sorry. I know this probably hurts, but if you could not-" "I won't say you told me." "Thanks," he said. "I'll talk to you later?" "Sure." After ending the call with Johnny, I opened my laptop, and logged onto FaceBook. Still hearing Johnny's words replay in my head, I knew he was telling the truth. He had no reason to lie. It sucked hearing what happened so soon after I left, between the two people that should have been the most upset about it. But, everyone has a choice, and they made theirs. I guess when I finally moved back, I'd have two less people to visit. I pulled up Kennedy's profile, and without hesitation, I unfriended her. Then I did the same thing to Ryan. And I repeated the process again on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. I didn't bother sending them a message. They didn't have to know that I knew, at least not now. I actually wanted to see how far they'd take it, or if they'd even bother telling me. I assumed they weren't doing this behind my back when I was still in New Jersey, but even that was questionable now. Man, you think you know a person and then this happens. The rest of the night went by like usual. Tracy came home with dinner, and we ate; although this time I took my plate to my room. Then, I took my shower, did any homework I had, and lounged in bed until I fell asleep. I hoped I'd dream of those backstabbers getting a certain type of disease, but as usual, I was disappointed. When I woke up the next day, it was because of a knock at my door. Something that never, and I mean NEVER happened. "Ugh, come in?" I said, well, more like questioned. The door swumg open and Paully was awkwardly leaning against my door frame. A little in doubt, I reached over to my bedside table and grabbed my glasses. When I put them on, sure enough, Paully was standing there. Well, this is new. "What do you want?" I inquired, still a little bitter from yesterday. "Will you give me a ride to school today?" he asked, looking everywhere but me. I'm sure my jaw was nonexistent at this point. Did he seriously just ask me for a ride?! Is it because he doesn't want to walk, or is Tracy not driving him today? I knew he didn't have a car, but he never asked to ride with me anywhere. I guess he kinda couldn't considering he never spoke to me. "I understand if you don't want to. I just thought, maybe we could talk?" He scrunched his shoulders at the end of his question, and suddenly everything clicked. Paully was actually trying to spend time with me. I guess something I said yesterday bothered him and this was how he was making an effort to fix it. "Uh, sure. Be ready by 8," I agreed. After three years, I wasn't going to say no to this opportunity.