"OMIGOSH TOMORROW WE WILL BE SENIORS! Ya know SENIORS the UPPER OF UPPERCLASSMEN! WE ARE GONNA BE ON TOP OF THE WORLD!" Ellie screams as she plunges off her bed.

"Yeah, but you sure don't act like it."

"Well I'm still a Junior. I can act a bit childish," Ellie pouted.

"A BIT? You just dove off your bed."

"World, get ready for a new Ellie!" she continued, "Tomorrow I, Ellie Thrawn, will be a SENIOR of Midwood High School. I will be popular, classy, and a well rounded senior!"

I couldn't deny it. Though Ellie was pretty goofy, she was smart and popular. I on the other hand... yeah. not so much.

"Mal it's just you and me ready to conquer the world."

As El was doing her pre-school day rant, I was taking a look at all the pictures on her wall. I was looking at one that caught my eye.

Derek Cooper

Jet black hair and bright green eyes.

I remember the day so well. 

Last day of school, 5th grade. We had just finished performing our cheesy graduation ceremony. Everyone's parents came out to hug and talk to their kid. Everyone, but me. It was the end of the day, so I decided to leave. Leave the parents. Leave the kids. 

I was different.

I was alone.

I was the outsider looking in.

I held my tears in and began to walk out of the school. But I was stopped. It didn't take much. A strong hand grabbed my wrist making me come to a full stop. I knew who it was immediately.

Derek

I sighed, "What do you want?"

"I'm not letting you leave."

I gritted my teeth, "I'm literally an outcast."

"You're not to me. C'mon, my parents are here. Come meet them."

Not waiting for my response, he dragged me off to where his parents were waiting along with Ellie's family. Ellie knew what I was thinking. She's a freaking psychic. It's quite creepy actually. Her mom being an older version of Ellie understood as well.

"How does this sound, let's go get ice cream as a celebration!" Mrs. Thrawn offered.

Everyone started heading out. I was left. Thinking. Thinking about how these people were being so nice to me, and I wasn't even like them.

"Watchya thinking about know Squirt? Heck ya shouldn't even be thinking about anything else, but what ice cream flavor you want."

I look up to see Nick standing there, and I couldn't help, but smile.

"Race ya to the car!" And with that he took off.

~*~

"You cheated,"

"I didn't. It's not my fault you're a sore loser,"

Nick ambled into the car still denying the fact that I beat him in the race.

"Cheater, cheater, cheater, cheater, CHEATER!"

"NICK! Stop yelling at Mallory. It's not her fault she's fast unlike you," Mrs. Thrawn states mad at her son.

"Well it's not my fault I got your genes," Nick retorted.

"Actually you're just lazy," Ellie butts in.

"AM NOT!" Nick whines.

"Just face it already," Everyone chimes in unison.

We all got out of the car leaving Nick grumbling to himself, "Everyone's against me."

We all decided on our flavors.

"What can I get for you?" the employee asks.

Ellie went first. "Hi, can I get one scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough?"

Ellie got her cup and sat down. Derek got cotton candy, and I asked for sorbet- obviously. The parents paid for it and stepped outside. BAD. MOVE.

"Can I get a scoop of sorbet please?" I asked.

"You mean sherbet." Derek corrected me as I received my scoop. 

"NO, I mean sorbet."

"Sherbet."

"Sorbet"

"Sherbet!"

"SORBET!"

SHERBET!"

I threw my hands up in exasperation. BIG. MISTAKE. It flew up and splattered all over Derek's face. I stifled a giggle.

He licked it and said cheekily, "Sherbet."

"Derek, are you okay!?"  Ellie exclaimed.

"He's fine, but the ice cream...what a waste. Rest in peace," I shook my head in sorrow.

"Just for that, I got you a present," Derek said.

I looked up inquiringly. EVEN. BIGGER. MISTAKE.

Derek grabbed the ice cream off the top of the cone and threw it at me. Right in the face. The only  person who add ice cream left was Ellie. We both looked at her.

"No, no, no, no, no," Ellie says bringing her cup closer to her.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes," I said half crazy.

Derek and I both grabbed for the ice cream, but we missed. Ellie was standing on the chair holding her ice cream in the air. BIGGEST. MISTAKE. EVER.

Ellie jumped up screaming, "Take that sucker-"

"WHAT IN THE-"

SPLAT

BULLSEYE!

Everything happened so quickly. While Ellie was jumping the manager came out to see what all the noise was about. Ellie lost her balance and let go of her cup which flew into he manager's face.

Whoops.

The manager's face turned bright red underneath the layer of ice cream. "YOU STUPID KIDS! NEVER SHOW YOU'RE UGLY FACES AROUND HERE AGAIN!"

"Triggered," I sang. My friends laughed as the manager walked up to me. He wore a deadly look on his face, and leaned down to face me. He was so close, that ice cream dripped off of his face onto my clothes.

"You kids are banned from here," he whispered dead serious. He took a step back. And another. And another until he backed into the counter hitting himself. We burst into laughter.

"GET OUT!" And with that he started laughing like a mad man. Scared, the three of us ran outside.

"What in the world happened in there?" It was Mrs. Cooper, Derek's mom.

We looked at each other, dripping in ice cream, and burst into laughter again. Our parents resumed talking to each other not even wanting to know. 

"How about we take a photo to remember this day. Howie get your phone."  Mrs. Thrawn said, "On the count of three say cheese!"

"No, how about ice cream?" Ellie offered.

3...2...1...

"ICE CREAM!"

 I laugh reminiscing over the memories. I kinda miss hanging out with Derek. As we entered middle school, we slowly grew apart. He started hanging out with more guys, and we didn't have many classes together. So we basically drifted apart.

"What are you laughing at? I've been asking you which outfit I should wear tomorrow, and you just laugh at me. Ugh so rude."

"El I wasn't laughing at you, I was laughing at that."

Ellie looked at what I was pointing at and grinned, "Uhuh sure. I'll let you get away with that one." I gaped at her.

"So back to the matter on hand," she said as she held up two outfits.

I flopped onto her bed doubled over in laughter, "Me? Funniest joke ever!"

She glared at me, "This is NOT  a joke."

"So it's unlike you."

Ellie gaped at me. "So now you're calling me a joke. Maybe our friendship is a joke."

It was my turn- I gaped at her. She was my closest friend. We were sisters. That was a low blow.

She turned to see my expression, dropped her clothes, and ran over to me. "Mallory, I thought you knew I was joking. I thought you knew- I thought- I never meant to hurt you, I thought you knew it was a joke." Her eyes brimmed with tears.

"I didn't mean it like that. I would never say something like that to you." She was crying- full blown.

"El you didn't do anything wrong. I just have not adapted to that kind of joke," I comforted her. 

After an hour of comforting her she was okay.

"You do know I would never say that to you, I mean I said it, but I mean- You know I would never mean it, right?" Ellie asked.

She didn't mean it now. She would mean it sooner or later. I've never had a real friend. Only people who pretend to be my friend to take advantage of me.

"Yeah... I do," I reassured Ellie.

"Good, I love you." 

There was a long period of silence between us.

"Soooo, are you ready for tomorrow?"

"Yep, big day. Totally excited," I remarked rolling my eyes.

"I know right!"

"If you couldn't tell, that was sarcasm."

"I know, I just chose to ignore it!" She grinned.

Are they ready for their "big" day?

Do you think their friendship is going to last?

More drama at school coming up!

Hope this chapter was good. It was more of an intro to what's going to happen later. Hope it's enjoyable, and you don't have to suffer through this book!

~EverFaith03