Grey

Chapter 5

"Is the strawberry shortcake any good? I got some anyway," Riel flashed a grin as he plopped down next to me. I let out a breath and nodded.

"It's one of Makenna's favorites," I replied and Makenna perked up a bit as the attention shifted back to her. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and giggled.

"Basically, anything with strawberries is my favorite," she smiled at Riel, who, surprisingly, turned back to me. Normally, when Makenna pulls her flirting tricks, no man can resist, but Riel seemed immune.

"What's your favorite, Jordan?" He asked and I glanced briefly at Makenna, who now seemed utterly distraught. Her date had been a douche, her second chance was ignoring her, and I had scolded her for treating me like I was her mini-me. It'd been a rough night for Makenna, and it was starting to show. She frowned, her pearly eyes glistening as tears began to form.

"Makenna-" I started, but she stood up abruptly and ran through the living room and up the stairs. I let out a frustrated breath, well aware this was at least partially my doing. I had to fix this.

"I'm so sorry, Riel. It was really nice to see you, but I've gotta go take care of her. She's had a rough night. I'll see you at school," I hurried through my excuse, getting out of my chair and hurrying after Makenna. If I knew anything about her, she'd be in the bathroom. Although she cried a lot, she didn't like when people saw her cry. So, she tended to lock herself in the bathroom. I hurried up to the second-floor bathroom and tried the doorknob. Sure enough, it was locked.

"Makenna? Please open up. Can we talk about this please?" I asked, gently knocking on the door and leaning my ear up against its side. I could hear her sniffling on the other side, so I knew I had found her.

"Go away," she replied harshly and I bit my bottom lip in thought. There was only one thing I could do to get her to talk to me. I had to bargain.

"If you let me in, I'll do your organic chemistry homework for a week," I offered in submission. I was going to regret this. As if I wasn't busy enough as it was, but I needed to speak with her. She'd been strung along by Grey and made a fool of herself, only to then be ignored by Riel.

"Fine."

The door cracked open a little and I went inside, closing and locking it behind me. Makenna sat on the floor in a pile of tissues, her brilliant eyes now swollen and red. She looked miserable.

"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, Kenna. I just lost my temper, and you know how guarded I am. I don't like anything that has to do with love. Anything. I don't know why Riel wasn't paying any attention to you, you looked beautiful today," I explained softly, sitting on the ground next to her. She sniffled, blowing her nose into a tissue.

"I know. But you don't know how hard it is to be me when I'm friends with you. Guys always want to be with you. Riel didn't give me a second glance since he first met you. You and I both know Grey is only here because you're here. It's just not fair," Makenna let out a sob and I frowned, unsure of what to say.

"Makenna-"

If only Makenna knew. These are probably the only two guys in the entire world that would ever have picked me over her. Makenna could have any guy drooling on the floor with a flick of her hair, a swish of her hips. She was effortlessly flirty and beautiful, like Victoria's Secret models you'd see in magazines. There had been one too many times I'd wished I was like her- flirty, fun, outgoing, free. She attracted guys like moths to a flame. It was almost ironic that the one time guys chose me over her, she lost it.

I wasn't going to lie. I didn't get it either.

I was standoffish, cold, and calculating. I had a resting bitch face like nobody's business. I was freakishly pale, had weird eyes, and hair too dark for my skin tone. I had bushy eyebrows and was too muscular from all the hours I spent lifting, and I was taller than almost all guys. I questioned everything, planned everything, and was too analytical for my own good. I was an annoying know-it-all. with too many imperfections to count.

Makenna was damn near perfect.

It was odd to see her complaining about not being me when I'd wanted to be like her for as long as I could remember.

There were so many things I should've said right then, that she shouldn't compare herself to me, that she was beautiful in her own right, that I also had no idea why they picked me over her. But instead, I said-

"You don't know how many times I wished I was you."

"That doesn't-that doesn't make me feel better, Jordan," she sobbed quietly and I frowned, hesitating as I tried to devise a better way to comfort her.

"Forget them. You have so many hot guys trailing after you wherever you go. If they can't see how special you are, then they aren't worth your time," I replied softly. Makenna looked at me through her swollen eyes, huffing a little before throwing her arms around me.

We fell asleep on the bathroom floor. Makenna had held on too tight to me for me to escape and was fast asleep fifteen minutes later. So, with a sigh of defeat, I had rested my head against the bathroom cabinets and slowly fallen into an uncomfortable sleep.