How Things Are

Chapter One

MARIANA

"I can't do that... I'm sorry." I say.

"Please... I know it's almost impossible but... I don't know... I love you, please, Mariana."

Sophie wants me to try... She wants me to try to be in a relationship with her even thought I don't love her... Well, I do... I did. I do love her but not like that anymore. It should be over by now but she's obsessed.

"I don't want to hurt you anymore. It's over. That's how things are." I mean it.

"Are you in love with someone else?" She asks and I see tears coming to her eyes.

"You know I'm not but"

She interrupts.

"So do it, please."

"Fine. Let's ruin this awesome friendship that we had left... Sure, why not?" I say sarcastically. "But don't blame me when all of this falls apart."

•

It's almost 10am. and I'm late.

"Mierda..."

I get ready and get to school as fast as I can. Driving it takes me 10 minutes to get there but my classes started at 8am. so I'm screwed.

"Miss Rodriguez, you are late."

"I know that... And I'm sorry. Can I come in, Miss C.?"

"Yes, you can. But I won't let you come in 20 minutes late again, Miss Rodriguez. It was your last shot."

I sit next to Bradley since Taylor is next her best friend, but when the class is over, Miss Carpenter wanted to have this huge conversation about how distracted I am latelly combined with every class I walk in late and how it will ruin my academic journey to college.

•

I'm in the hall and I see the three musketeers, Sophie, Taylor and Summer. They are by Summer's locker with Blake.

"Hey!!" I hear Sophie yell. I turn around facing her and waving.

"You are so dumb... What the hell is wrong with you?" I hear Blake almost yelling to Summer.

"What is going on?" I whisper so that only Sophie can hear me.

"You know Blake." She says rolling her eyes. "He's going crazy."

"He's an ass..." I say to Sophie a little louder  I wanted to.

"What did you say?" Blake approaching me like a dog prepared to attack.

"I said you should lick your lips, Blake."

"What? Do I have something on my lips?" He says while licking his lips.

"Did you tasted it?" I asked him but I know for a fact based on his IQ that he will not understand where I'm going with this. "All the crap you just said... Did you tasted it?"

Taylor starts laughing so hard that tears cover her face.
He just turns into a beast, all red and furious and I'm just laughing in his face.

Summer whispers something to his ear.

"I will kill you, you mexican piece of sh*t! I swear to God I will!"

"Calm down, baby... Come on, please, stop." Summer says, always kissing his ass.

I turn around giving him the finger. I have to go to class.

SUMMER

"He's an ass..."

We all hear Mariana just say that my boyfriend is an ass... He is going to lose it. Even if we all ignore it, he won't drop it.

"What did you say?" Blake asks her.

He is shaking.

"I said you should lick your lips, Blake." Mariana says without taking her eyes from him with an inconvinient cocky attitude.

"Do I have something on my lips?" Oh God...

"Did you tasted it? All the rubbish you just said... Did you tasted it?"

This girl is crazy. I'm 5'2.5" and she is less than an inch taller than me and she is fearless. Blake is the 6'2" jock I'm in love with but, I have to admit, she was amazing...

Taylor is still laughing, in tears, and Blake needs to calm down.

"She is nothing. Calm down." I whisper to him.

"I will kill you, you mexican piece of sh*t! I swear to God I will!"

I honestly hate when the only thing he can come up with is racist or some homophobic insult or even mocking serious illnesses or disabilities. And he does this daily.

"Calm down, baby... Come on, please, stop." I said to him.

She turns around giving him the finger. Blake wants to go after her but instead of letting him do that, I decide we should skip class and go to his house. He needs to calm down.

MARIANA

"You have to come. You are my girlfriend!"

"Leave me alone, Soph. You can go with your friends."

Sophie insists for about an hour and somehow I gave up fighting about this stupid party she's invited to and I wasn't. I'll join her... We'll see for how long though.

"Thank you! Thank you, thank you!" She says kissing my cheeks while sitting on my lap.

"I'll pick you up at 9pm and we go to Brad's." I say.

"Not quite. We have to pick Taylor up first and then go to Bradley's."

This relationship has got to an end a long time ago but Sophie didn't realised that yet so she is pushing it so much that I'm starting to feel annoyed just for being in the same room with her. I need some space.

"I'm going to the beach. I'll drop you at your place."