NICKNAMES [1], jj maybank

CHAPTER 7

  Kie always says that the blonde isn't as pure as everyone thought and of course no one is pure but we never got the full story from Kie to understand why she's so bad. So I just went with my gut feeling, Sarah is nice. Sarah can be trusted—to an extent. I never fully trust people now unless it's the Pogues anyway.

  I sit on my bed as Sarah examines my room like she usually does. "New rocks?" She points at my shelf of rocks which does indeed have one new one. Just a normal quartz though.

"Yeah! The quartz. JJ got it for me."

  "Here. I bought a pink rock for you."

JJ handed me a rock which I knew immediately was a quartz. Of course he didn't. He called them by colors because he never got into that stuff.

"Bought or borrowed?" I giggled as he placed the rock in my hands. "Hmmm....it fits in my pocket."

"If it fits in my pocket, why would I buy it?"

  She picks up the quartz for a second and puts it down. "Y'know what they say when someone gives you quartz right?" I roll my eyes at her. Of course I know it. That quartz is supposed to attract someone to you or make them attached.

   "JJ doesn't even know what that crystal is called so there's no way in hell he knows what it does."

  "Uh, huh. I heard he's slick. He might be lying." She sits down next to me and I shift so she has more room. Sarah got really comfortable with me really quickly but to be fair most people do. It's not the energy I want to radiate but it somehow just happens.

   "Doubtful. Anyway, is anything going on with you?" I wiggle my eyebrows at her.

  She rolls her eyes and flops next to me on my bed,"Nothing official but boys just annoy me. They always think I owe them something. Plus Topper, my brother's friend, keeps flirting with me."

Topper.

  I've always been iffy on him considering his best friends. When he's not around them he's a bit nicer but very manipulative. Always made me feel like no matter what I told him he would try to gaslight me into thinking the opposite.

   "Do you like him flirting?" Sarah shrugs her shoulders at my question just picking at the lint on my bed sheets.

   "I don't think I even want to be with anyone right now. I like not having a label and just talking to talk."

  "Sounds like commitment issues—" My thoughts speak out loud and I immediately stop myself and look towards Sarah for her reaction.

"I—was just telling the truth because I went through that too—" Sarah puts her hand on my thigh, making my eyes widen. "It's okay because I know you're right. Even my 12 year old sister said the same."

  She smiles at me. Okay, cool, didn't offend her.

   I didn't want to offend Sarah, I unexpectedly like being around Sarah all these years. I just hope she isn't going behind my back and talking shit. Kie's voice calling her a snake at every chance.

  Suddenly, my door swings open with no knock and there stood Wheezie.

"Dinner?" I ask her.

"Yup! Sit next to me. I know Rafe is a bitch to you." We both gasp at her words but while I'm laughing, Sarah yells at her for cursing.

   Walking into the dining room is enough to want me to puke. Rafe is talking to Ward about something. "Sam! You left before I could even say hi!" Rose struts over to me. I'm pretty neutral about Rose. Nothing strikes me as bad. "Hi Rose, how are you?"