Simple Manipulation

Chapter 28

A strong voice boomed from behind me and the sound of fist hitting skin came almost immediately after. Except the receiver of the impact was Derek.

"DON'T EVER HIT MY FRIEND! I WILL BEAT YOU UP JUST LIKE IN THIRD GRADE! AND DON'T TEST ME BECAUSE WE BOTH KNOW MY HAIR ISN'T RED FOR MY BUBBLY PERSONALITY! IT REPRESENTS THE BLOOD OF MY FALLEN ENEMIES!"

I could not help but stifle a short outburst of quick laughs as Marren slapped Derek's face from right to left throwing insults and threats towards him.

"WANT ME TO KEEP GOING? YES? MY PLEASURE!" Marren screamed once more this time gifting him with a full throttle punch to the nose. And with a loud crack, I can only assume she broke it on impact.

Derek yelped from the pain. I winced myself knowing the feeling of utmost pain caused by broken bones.

I wanted to say something. Even a simple, 'yeah what she said!', but nothing came out of my mouth. Besides, my voice would never too the strength and magnitude of Marren's

"So this was a little game huh? Something fun for you and your jerk of a friend? Well let me get something straight with you. LIFE IS NOT A VIDEO GAME AND WE ARE NOT YOUR PERSONAL SIMS. IF YOU WANT A GAME GO BUY YOURSELF A WII!" Marren delivered Derek one last kick to the family jewels. He doubled over in pain reaching a state I had never seen of his.

"I-I-I'm sorry!" He cried out to Marren.

"Sorry ain't cutting it pretty boy- well- boy. Besides I am the last person you should be apologizing to." She spat.

"Peyton I-"

"Uh uh uh. You are not allowed to speak to her. Don't even look at her. Don't even blink in her general direction or even breath the same air as her. Come on Peyton, I'm taking you home." Marren whirled around in a fit of anger and gently laid her hands on my shoulders, guiding me away from the scene.

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She walked us all the way back to my house never breaking the side hug she had formed between us. No words were spoken because I didn't know what or how to say anything. Together we simply enjoyed the gentle breeze that brushed our skin and swept through our hair.

As we came up to the driveway I turned to say something, anything. "Marren, I need to apologize." I mumbled tears beginning to well up in my eyes.

"No." She replied softly pulling me into a tight hug. "You don't need to say anything."

"No I do! I was selfish. I got all caught up in drama and boys and myself and wasn't there for you. And I was so stupid that I only realized what I had done, or had not done, when you left. I did exactly what I have spent my entire life trying not to do. I'm sorry." I tried my hardest to give a heartfelt apology without crying.

Marren's eyes softened as she smiled at me. "Pey, none of this is your fault. You did nothing wrong. You didn't get caught up in drama. You just got caught up in life. There is no one, I repeat no one in this entire universe who can live a drama free life. Life is drama. Life is pain, life is deception, but life is also learning and happiness and cake. And maybe a few fanfictions, but all lives differ I guess. I think we both knew you couldn't escape life forever. One day you were sure to fall away from moseying your way around life's struggles. Besides I am the one who got you into this whole mess anyways. You were perfectly fine with leaving it be until I proposed our little Sherlock Holmes scheme! And I only left because that pig lied to me. And I came back, because you are my best friend. And best friends stick together. It's kind of like a marriage. We can fight, argue, plan each other assassinations, and mistakenly higher an assassin, but in the end, we will still write each other some butt kicking eulogies. If anything, I'm the one who should be sorry." Marren pinched my cheeks like a grandmother and laughed. "Now cheer up buttercup and let's eat some popcorn and cry over titanic!"