"Mitch has friends now" Liv opens her big mouth as we eat breakfast
"Shut up Liv!"
"Friends?" My mom turns to me smiling
"I was just playing football with some guys yesterday it's not a big deal"
"That is a big deal honey you're making friends, isn't that great Gus?" Yeah because making friends is gonna do me a great deal as a senior in high school.
"Good for you kid" my dad says then keeps eating
"Thanks... I'm gonna go finish getting ready. Thanks for breakfast mom" I put my plate in the sink and walk up to my room shutting the door.
I put my belt on when my mom walks in "hey honey"
"Hey"
She shuts the door and watches as I loop my belt around my waist "I'm so happy you're making friends"
"Stop saying making friends mom it was just a football game"
"Yeah and you got invited to a party tonight"
"A party for Jax who's mad at me because I told him he doesn't need to party"
"Sounds like it's going to be fun"
"So fun" I reply sarcastically. Sitting in my bed I put my shoes on
"I'm sorry you guys are fighting"
"It's not serious don't worry" I stand up and grab my bag "I'll see you later." Leaving the house I get in my car but before I pull off I text Summer Should I pick him up?
Starting the car and putting on my seatbelt Summer replies I got him and I pull out of the drive way.
•—•
"Hey man fun game yesterday" one of Summer's boyfriend's friend says to me as I walk into school
"Yeah thanks"
"The guys and I were gonna meet up at Cam's a few hours before the party tonight and pregame if you're down"
"Okay?"
"So are you down?" Don't even know what I'm being asked to be down with but who gives a fuck right? If I'm gonna spend my night watching Jax I might need a distraction
"Yeah why not"
"Cool... we're meeting up 'round 7... sound good?"
"Yeah"
"Alright man later" He walks away.
I walk away confused as to what the fuck just happened? "What was that?" Summer walks up to me smiling as I walk
"Billy just invited me to pregame at Cam's house tonight before the party"
"Wow that's new for you" she bumps my shoulder "are you gonna go?"
"Yeah figured why the hell not." Looking around her "where's Jax?"
"He ran that way when we walked in and he saw you" she point to the opposite direction of where we're walking
"How long does he think he can keep avoiding me?"
"Till you apologize"
I scoff "that's not happening so..."
"That's your problem, it's both of your problems, Jax thinks he's right so he's not gonna apologize, and you think you're right so you won't apologize either."
"I am right and it's not about apologies Summer it's about Jax getting help"
"Well if you both weren't being dumbasses you'd know that he spoke to his mom about getting help. He spent all after school yesterday looking for therapists, and his parents made him quit his job to focus on getting better"
"Oh... I didn't know that"
"Because you two refuse to talk to each other! Anyways I'm gonna go be happy with my boyfriend while you two mope" she speeds up walking ahead of me.
"Hey!" I call out to her and she turns around "what's a pregame?"
"Oh my god you're like an old man" she laughs "it's getting drunk before a party"
"But wouldn't I be drunk at the party?" I'm not getting drunk
"I don't know Mitch boys are stupid!" She walks away.
Walking to class I get this day, like every other day over with.
The week's up and no one's mention the fire, it's like everyone is acting like it didn't even happen. I guess they did a good job covering it all up, you can't even tell there was a fire.
"Mom I cancelled it alright just come pick me up!" I hear someone cry as I walk past an empty room, stopping I hear her continue "I've been trying all week obviously no one cares I just want to go home" she cries. "...Yeah I'll wait outside" I hear her hang up and walk to the door. She walks out and bumps right into me, wiping her eyes "what are you looking at?"
"Sorry I didn't mean to-"
"Yeah whatever" she walks away
I follow behind her "you're Elena right? Elena Montoya?"
"He knows my name" she mocks me smiling as tears run down her cheek. I continue to walk next to her and she walks faster
So I do too "I remember you, when we were in middle school your little brother Toby use to have play dates with my sister Liv"
"His name's Teddy and thank you so much for remembering"
We get outside and she stops in front of the carpool lane sidewalk "are you ok? I can give you a ride home"
"Mitchell the ever so popular asking to do favors for us little people" she gets in my face "get away from me."
This is not how I remember Elena Montoya, she used to be so jolly and nice. She always cared about people and helped however she could, then she disappeared for a year and when she came back she was different. Elena dyed hair dark, wore dark clothes, and she stopped talking to everyone. Teddy doesn't go to our school but Elena and I have been going to the same school since like second grade.
"I didn't mean to make you upset" she moves away from me and turns waiting to be picked up "what were you doing in there?" Grunting annoyed she shuffles in her bag, turning to me she hands me a paper I take it from her and read it. "You're starting a support group?"
"No, I started a support group thinking maybe there'd be people who were actually affected by something so traumatic that happened to us JUST TWO WEEKS AGO!" She yells but not at me "but everyone is just acting like it didn't happen, like we didn't almost die!"
"My boyfriend Jax-" I start to talk
But she scoffs cutting me off "I know who Jax is, you're ex girlfriend's right hand man. Good for you by the way you dated the biggest bitch in Southern California and now you're dating her bitch"
"Don't talk about them like that"
"Fuck you Mitchell! Fuck them! Fuck this whole place! You think because you're not like those assholes it doesn't make you just as bad?"
Ignoring her insults I continue talking "Jax was in a coma for a week because of the fire"
"And he's getting a party right? So everything's fine"
"No it's not but I can't make him see that. Your support group can really help"
"If anyone bothered to show up. I put flyers up all week, I sit in that room everyday after school but nope no one shows up"
"I can help you"
"No I'm done" A car pulls up and she walks to it, but before she gets in she turns to me "can't help people that don't want to be helped Mitch" she gets in and the car pulls away. That was so weird, I haven't spoken to Elena years and it's sad that I didn't even notice how much she's changed.
Taking the flyer I walk to the parking lot looking for Jax, seeing walk with his friends I walk up to them "Jax"
He turns to see it's me "I'll meet you guys by the car" they walk away "come to apologize?" I hand him the flyer instead of replying "you wrote me a letter?" He smiles taking the flyer. He scans it "a support group? Webster high's fire survivors? Everyone survived Mitch" he continues to read after making the comment "lead by Elena Montoya" he looks up at me "the emo chick?"
"Maybe don't call her that"
"So far this apology is shit" he hands back the flyer "try again"
"I'm not apologizing Jax I'm showing you the flyer so you can join"
"Yep I'm gonna join a support group with a bunch of losers and talk about my emotions and feelings"
"Why are you being so difficult? This can help you"
"Difficult? Fine Mitch I'll be difficult then. Have fun in your support group with wears all black, shows no emotion, but definitely isn't emo Elena" he smiles walking away then turns back "I'm gonna go do the same, with my friends, how we always do." He leaves me standing there.
My blood boils as I watch him walk away from me, like hell I'll let him walk away without saying what I need to say. Rushing to him I stand in front of him "I'm done playing Jax I don't want to fight anymore"
"Good then apologize" he crosses his arms
"Join the support group"
"Mitch! What is your obsession with this?!"
"Do you know what happens to you when you black out at parties? No? Okay I'll tell you, Summer and all your other friends find you a very comfortable corner on the floor and lay you there, then people walk all over you, or worst some creep grabs you by the wrist claiming they found you first. I'm not letting any of that happen again Jax" staring at each other I wait for him to reply
"JAX COME ON WE NEED TO GO TO THE MALL!" Summer calls out from her car
"I'll see you at the party Mitch" he walks past me to Summer's car.