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There was a positive and a negative to being the first person in class.

On the positive side, you had the privilege of choosing your preferred seat. Being a fan of the back of the class, I seized the opportunity to settle into a seat at the rear. As the rest of the class shuffled in, visibly exhausted from a likely sleep-deprived night, I couldn't help but appreciate my strategic choice.

However, on the flip side, being the first in class meant not having control over where others chose to sit-like your ex-best friend and ex-roommate.

And, of course, she opted for the seat right next to mine.

"Hey, saucy sa-sa!" I rolled my eyes at her ridiculous nickname. While I used to enjoy her spontaneous nicknames, now that we were at odds, every word from her felt like nails on a chalkboard-aggravating and longing for the return of silence.

There she was, Kalea Bennett, in all her glory, occupying the seat next to mine. Once my biggest cheerleader, full of support, she was now someone I couldn't even pretend to appreciate.

Kalea and I had grown up together due to our parents' friendship, we became best friends. She was the outgoing cheerleader, and I was the introverted, prefer-to-be-alone best friend. I tagged along to parties, avoiding gossip and boy talk, and maintaining a silent presence.

Despite my inclination for solitude, she always stuck by me. Her other friendships were fleeting, but ours endured. However, a different side of her had started to emerge. She was no longer the best friend I grew up with; she acted like she walked on water when she only wore high heels and acted like her BO smelled like lavender and roses when she spent hours in the bathroom every day.

What I despised most was her ability to believe everything was okay between us after a massive fight, and her cluelessness in the face of my anger. It wasn't solely her fault; I had allowed our passive-aggressive friendship to persist for far too long. I was passive, and she was aggressive.

All of a sudden, I sensed the presence of a person casting a shadow in front of us. Glancing up, I discovered Maddox standing there, with Phoenix and another guy trailing behind him. "Do you mind if we sit here?" he inquired.

I nonchalantly shrugged in response.

Observing Kalea's visibly surprised reaction to Maddox's presence, I found myself caught in a state of confusion. Phoenix chose the seat on the other side of me, accompanied by an unfamiliar guy who settled on the opposite side. Meanwhile, Maddox stood frozen in front of Kalea, almost as if he was expecting her to move.

My assumptions were confirmed when Maddox gruffly asked, "Can you move?" Kalea eagerly nodded, ready to relocate to the next seat over, but he preemptively placed his bag on the seat, uttering, "Sit somewhere else," surprising me.

I observed the interaction while Kalea looked at me expectantly. She nodded before finding another seat. Once she was gone, Maddox turned his attention to me and casually pointed to the mysterious guy next to Phoenix. "This is Larken," he stated before facing forward, awaiting the teacher's arrival.

Attempting to clear up my confusion, Phoenix remarked, "Ignore him. He's not a fan of conversation," making me laugh. "As he said, this is Larken; he's our brother," he added.

I nodded in understanding at Phoenix and then turned my attention back to Maddox, expressing my gratitude with a sincere "thanks," reflecting on the earlier incident with Kalea.

He shrugged nonchalantly, replying, "It was nothing."

Rolling my eyes, I retorted, "It was to me," just before the teacher entered the room.

As the teacher called for the class to settle down, Maddox whispered into my ear, "You can thank me later."

Feeling eyes on me, I scanned the room and noticed Kalea looking at me with a smile, leaving me confused.

It was three in the afternoon, and I found myself impatient, watching the clock, eagerly anticipating the end of the class. The professor had dragged it out a little longer than I had intended for it to go.

I had plans to meet up with someone and I was already late.

The teacher continued for another fifteen minutes before concluding the lecture, making me half an hour late.

I was just hoping that Knox didn't think I stood him up.

Arriving at the designated restaurant, I surveyed the surroundings in an attempt to find him. Towards the back, he sat in a booth, dressed in a dark-style denim jacket, sporting his usual frown. As I approached, he commented, "Hey, you're late."

I nodded and offered my apology, "Sorry, my teacher held up the class."

He simply nodded in acknowledgment as I took my seat. "I thought they were going to kick me out since I hadn't ordered yet," he joked, pointing behind me with a serious expression.

I chuckled and turned around to see what had caught his attention. A young girl in a uniform, likely a waitress, tried to conceal the fact that she had been glancing in Knox's direction.

Reflecting on our history, I couldn't help but acknowledge how much Knox had changed since our elementary school days. Back then, we used to call him Lenny instead of Knox, as his full name is Lennox.

He'd probably kill me if he found out i told anyone that, he was not a big fan of it.

In his present appearance, he wore a black tee beneath a denim jacket. While I couldn't discern his lower attire, I'd venture to guess it involved some type of jeans. His hairstyle resembled Maddox's, with slightly longer hair that didn't obstruct his eyes.

"So... Kalea, huh?" he started, revealing his proficiency in the art of brief sentences evident, much like Maddox.

I couldn't help but wonder why I was drawing comparisons to Maddox. I shrugged, "You know that waitress was totally checking you out?" I asked, finding amusement in the situation.

He shook his head, "Nah, probably wondering what I'm still doing here," he dismissed her blatant staring.

Rolling my eyes, I insisted, "She definitely was staring. You should ask for her number."

He looked unsure, "You sure?"

I nodded in response, but he made no move to get up. "Anyway..." he started, redirecting the conversation. "Stop changing the subject. What happened with Kalea?" he inquired, steering the discussion back.

I shook my head, a touch annoyed. "It doesn't matter, K," I told him honestly.

"If it matters to you, then it matters," he stated.

"I don't want to talk about it," I honestly admitted. "I just want to forget about it," I continued.

"So you don't want to know that she came over to the house last night and trashed you half the night?" he asked.

My head snapped up from the table in front of us, disbelief evident in my expression. "What?" I asked, taken aback.

"Yeah, Loki was about to rip his hair out because she wouldn't shut up," he said, shaking his head and displaying irritation at the memory, which made me laugh.

"What was she saying?" I inquired.

"Just a bunch of shit," he shrugged.

"Like what?" I asked, feeling curious and a little worried.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't believe anything that came out of her mouth," he assured me.

Knox and Kalea never really got along. While I was the more introverted type, so was he. We would always hang out together, and if Kalea was around, it usually meant he wasn't. But on the rare occasion he was, they would spend most of it arguing and messing with each other.

I laughed, reminiscing about those times when things seemed a lot simpler. Well, they even did a few weeks ago before I found out everything.

"Still haven't gotten around to liking her yet, have you?" i joke.

His face twisted into a grimace as if the idea was outrageous. "Hell, no!" he exclaimed a little too loudly, drawing unwanted attention.

I suddenly realized he was changing the subject, so I leaned over and playfully slapped him, knowing he wouldn't even feel it. "Hey!" he shouted at me.

"That's what you get for changing the subject," I told him.

He laughed, "Fine! Ugh, I'll tell you what she said," he surrendered.

"Okay...?" I prompted, eager for him to continue.

"She said..."

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