It All Started With a Diary

okay

Maggie's scowl deepened while Jax's and Raven's smile widened. Just as Jax went to speak, something behind me caught his eye. I guessed it was one of his teammates.

He dismissed himself, and we said our goodbyes before he promised a quick return. I doubted it, but chuckled and nodded anyway, watching as he left the table.

"In other words, if you don't like it, then fuck off," Kade added, to my dismay. His eyes were glued on Maggie. "That came from me, directly, too."

She sat up in her chair, eyes squinted. "Well, I don't like it. You're an asshole who doesn't deserve Kimberly." She shook her head, palming her face. "This is a joke. A terrible joke."

"Mags," I tried to calm the situation, but I was void in their anger.

"So is your makeup," Kade shot at her in a deceptively calm voice.

Maggie raised herself, her head tilted. "You wanna say that a little louder, bitch?"

Kade shrugged his shoulders. "You heard me. You look like you were raised right out of the Hot Topic dumpster, before having your makeup professionally done by Michael Myers." Just as he quit talking, he popped a fry in his mouth.

My eyes widened with shock. "Stop it, Kade."

Kade had no care in the world. "She started it."

"That was uncalled for," I hissed at him. "Don't talk to my friends like that, again. Ever." He raised his hands in surrender, an eye roll following.

"Maggie," I looked at her. "I understand that you two don't like each other, but you both are in my life. I'm asking you guys to just at least tolerate each other."

My eyes bounced between the two. "Please," I smiled at them both, but the rage that leaped off of Maggie was hard to tame at this point.

"I'm sorry, but I can't right now," Maggie seethed as she picked up her things from the table. "It's insane."

Raven sighed. "Mags, you're being overdramatic," she tried. "Just hear—"

"What?" she laughed, though it was everything but humorous. "So, we're all going to pretend that this piece of shit never walked over Kimberly? That he never hurt her? That he deserves her?"

Raven tried to reach for her arm, but she nearly smacked her as she jerked it away.

"I'm sorry that I'm not fake to his bullshit," Maggie shook her head before looking at me. "But, I know that my friend would never go towards the bullshit, instead of away from it." With those parting words, she left the lunchroom.

We all sat in silence, staring at the spot she'd just left. Just as she exited, Jax came back in. His eyes wandered after his sister curiously before returning to us. It didn't take much for him to piece the situation together before he spoke up.

"She just needs some time to cool off, right now," he said. As soon as he was sat, he placed his hand on mine. At Kade's raised eyebrow, Jax pulled his hand back with a chuckle.

I nodded, plastering a smile on my face. "Thanks, Jax. Really."

I understood Maggie's skeptism to my relationship with Kade. She came into the picture when things between us were bad, so I'd never had the time to tell her of the good.

But, Kade and I understood the truths about each other, now. Things were different. The past was still there, and even though I hated to visit the memories, they wouldn't just leave at my wish. I knew that the future would hold brighter images than the past, though. And, that was worth it in our relationship. When I was with Kade, I felt my world turn upside down. My smile's were finally genuine. My downs were now ups. We saw things in the other that were blind to the world.

Maggie was my friend, but she wasn't my guardian angel. I knew how to fight my own battles. I might lose over half of them, but I still knew how to fight them. I wasnt a puppet on a string for her to control, and I was done carrying around that reputation.

It was time to take control of my own life, something I should have done long ago, with or without Kade, or Jax, Raven, or Maggie. Just me.

I'd always be open to their concern, but not their opinions. No one ever came behind the scenes of our lives. That made them a bystander.

"Are you okay?" Kade whispered in my ear.

I nodded, turning towards him. I drew in a breath before answering with physical words.

"I'm okay," I said it with a smile. "I'm perfect."

The words were so easy to say because they were finally the truth. Things weren't the best right now, but I knew that it could be worse. That was why I was okay.

I was okay.