Midnight Masquerade

Chapter 6 How It Could've Been

Travis

"Travis!" Adriana greets me racing to me and kissing me throwing her arms around me.

"Hey to you too." I greet her as she pulls away.

"I missed you." She says taking my hand. "It's only been a few weeks, but it feels like ages."

I try to figure out what she's talking about, but my memory escapes me, where am I? "I can't believe your parents sent you to a reform camp, again." She rolls her eyes and wraps her arm around me.

"You know my parents are crazy." I tell her.

"We're having lunch with our parents, come on." She says standing in front of me and walking backwards.

"Bree!" Ben greets her.

"Benny!" She says gleefully letting go of my hand and hugging him.

"Hands off my boyfriend." Rita says coming up to the two of them, her tone playful.

"Sorry, but you know we've been best friends forever. BFFs." Adriana says with a grin I catch up to her and she takes my hand giving me a big smile.

"I thought I made you promise never to say that to anyone." Ben groans.

"Aww, Benji, it's okay." Rita says patting his cheek.

"Travis my man!" Archer greets as the rest of the gang joins us. His hand linked to Maddie's. Tiger and Lacy, Brandon and Bridget, and Chris and Tiffany? If anything surprises me it's this, Tiffany wouldn't be seen with anyone but Ben. She doesn't want to be with anyone but Ben. He's the ring leader she has to be the alpha female. "Finally back from your personal prison?"

"Yeah." I agree my head still trying to grasp everything. Where was I? I wrap my arm around Adriana. And she nestles into my side, good to know something never change. "So, what are we going to do?"

"You and Adriana have a lunch with your parents." Tiffany says, "The rest of us are going to Six Flags."

"That's not fair." Adriana protests, "I've been planning that trip for weeks!"

"So sorry, too bad. Should've gotten your parents to change lunch." Tiffany says with the fakest frown I've ever seen.

Another thing that hasn't changed, Tiffany is still fighting Adriana for top dog. Adriana isn't even interested in the pedestal that we all seem insistent on putting her on.

"It really isn't fair considering that was her birthday present." Maddie points out.

So it's December 18, or at least around there. Adriana looks miserable as she rests her head on my shoulder. I go to stroke her hair when I finally realize what I'm wearing. I jump back and Adriana is taken by surprise.

"What is this." I ask myself aloud staring in abject horror at my jacket.

"So you finally agree you look like a total geek?" Tiger asks.

"How long have I been wearing this?"

"This is your favorite jacket, you're always wearing it." Adriana says gently but her eyes hold a bit of fear. Ben steps in front of her, just enough that he's protecting her from me.

"Don't understand why though." Tiger continues.

I yank the plaid jacket off of me staring at it in horror. "Are you sure camp didn't change you this time?" Adriana asks softly looking completely confused. She steps around Ben who tries to stop her. "Maybe your parents finally broke you like they'd been trying to for years."

"How long have you known me?"

"Since we were babies, we grew up together. All of us." Adriana says, I can see the tears peaking at the corners of her eyes. Tiger steps forward wrapping his arm around her. He begins to console her with Lacy.