Madeline pov

Mrs Archer and my mom were chatting, mostly about stupid stuffs as usual. they always talked about their pasts and the funny things they did while they were young adults like dudes get over it already you're adults now! no one asked you to stop living like teens and tie yourselves to marital duties so stop whining and let our ears be.

But of course I couldn't say that out or they'll find another punishment to give to me. Unlike with every other family, you're grounded! In my family means I have to go out. They soon figured out that grounding me by making me stay at home is exactly what I want and changed the meaning to the opposite of what it actually meant.

Mr Archer and dad were talking business as usual. I didn't like to hear about business but I'd rather sit with the dads than to sit with the moms and hear all about the latest fashion shows and what not. Opposite me sat Justin Archer and his girlfriend, Susanne Bliss. That was the fourth girlfriend he was having in 6 months. He always changed his girlfriend the same way his father changes his cars. Use and dump.

They were whispering into each other's ears with Susanne giggling and Justin looking smug. I snorted which pulled everyone's attention to me. Oops! I stared at my food and continued eating in hopes that they'd ignore me and continue with whatever they were doing but that didn't happen, the silence seemed to get pregnant the longer it lasted.

"Do you have a boyfriend now?" That was none other than miss stagnant brain. I sometimes wonder if people like her were Justin's type, dumb, stupid and shameless. Mrs Archer wasn't a fan of this girl, she always complained to her son about how she looked faker than the past girls and would not even try to pretend she likes her. I was glad though, of all the girls Justin had dated Susanne is the only one who hadn't gotten a lash from my tongue that explains why she was willing to spit stupid questions at me.

Taking my time to chew the food in my mouth and swallow, I reached for the napkin and gently dabbed at my mouth before giving her what she asked for.

"Dating is like finding a parking space, all the fucking good ones are taken and the rest are handicapped." And like the idiot that she was, she fell for the trap. I ignored my mother's glares at me for saying a bad word and pretended to tale interest in what the bimbo was about to say.

"Oh yeah, you're right though. I mean all I kept seeing were handicapped guys before I met Justin." She turned towards the player giving him gooey eyes which made him smirk. I almost puked.

"Yeah, and that's why he's going to dumb your ass in approximately uhm-" I pretended to think by tapping my chin, all the while getting multiple glares from everyone around the table, the strongest coming no other than the dumbshit himself.

"Three days?" I completed feeling satisfied with myself. Standing up from the table, I gave a dramatic bow to everyone sitted and slowly left the table, as expected she stopped me.

"He won't! I trust him." I turned back to look at her. She tried to put a brave face on but guess who was good at reading people? Her eyes glistened just a little bit but I noticed and laughed inwardly. Putting a hand over my heart, I faked a concern look and pulled the corners of my lips down for more effect.

"Oh dear, but that was what the last girl said, and the one before the last and the one before the one before the last." Aunt Isabelle always said I looked like a witch anytime I glared and could even pass for a cold blooded murderer when I laughed a wicked laugh so I did exactly that.

"Y'all know he's a player I wonder why you chase after him like lost puppies, even if you'd chase after a bad boy chase after one with good body and brains." With that last bomb, I left the dining room and headed to my sanctuary aka my room.

Justin's POV.

After Made dropped the bomb, the whole gathering went silent. I swear I hate that girl, I would have assumed our parents lied when they said we were once inseparable if I didn't have some memories of our times together. How my younger self was able to put up with her is beyond me.

Susanne bursted into tears, I internally rolled my eyes at her childish act, Made was right, I'd soon dumb her ass she was even dumber than the other girls I've dated but I didn't let that stop me from reaching out to her and patting her back like the good boyfriend I was.

I caught my mom's eye roll from the corner of my eyes and glared at her, I'd had enough drama today I couldn't bear it if my mom decides to pick on Susanne too. Everyone one took their turns to apologize to Susanne, telling her Madeline was not always like that and that she was probably in a mood, when was she ever not? I wondered when they'd stop lying to each and every girl I brought home and just tell them to deal with the fact that a member of our extended family is insane.

Mr Collins suggested we end the dinner and we did just that but not after having a little after food prayer session which my mom always insisted we observe. My dad and his friend headed into his study to discuss more business while Mom and her friend headed to the living room to watch some TV show. What was expected of me would be to see Susanne off as she goes back home but instead we sneaked to the permanent room I have in the Collins' home since I stay over a lot and decided to continue what we started that evening. And oh how fun it was!

Third person's POV

Madeline sat on her bed looking out her window which was opened, she was physically in the room but her spirits where somewhere else, presumably far away from the confines of her home. A book laid in front of her folded legs, unconsciously holding the page down with a toe. Her mind wandered back to when she still had a best friend... A question she had asked herself several times within the last 6 years repeated itself in her mind. When did they start to drift apart?

It was sudden, without warning they just stopped talking. Little by little, the agape love they shared disappeared, in its place now stood a growing hate for each other. She couldn't help but hate him more every time he came in with a new girl beside him. At first, it was okay with her, he was a player he'd leave dump them one by one but soon it began to occur to her that those girls were the ones between them. She'd never admit that she missed him but she missed those times when they wouldn't eat without each other and would fall sick when the other was sick. She longed for her trusting best friend the one she now watched getting replaced by some heartless, brainless fool who thought all women were some play thing.

If only she could go back in time, she'd have seen were everything started to go wrong. But she couldn't. But can we? Let's see!

It happened 6 years ago when Justin stood in front of Madeline and tried to ask he'd to be more than just his friend. They were inseparable at that time. Justin, having searched and asked from different places on how to ask your best friend to be more than just a friend without having to say the real words. After lots of researches he had found one that sounded reasonable to a 13 year old boy.

He opened his mouth and looked away, unable to say the words he'd rehearsed so many times. Madeline frowned, her friend would never be shy to say anything to her so why was he looking nervous and uncomfortable? Was he sick? Without warning, she pressed her hand to his forehead, trying to check his temperature. He blinked several times, confused at her actions until she voiced out her concerns.

"Are you sick, J?" He calmly shook his head. Reaching out, he played with some strands of her hair and looked straight into her eyes.

"Lately, I can't stop thinking about you. Everything reminds me of you." His heart started beating in an uneven rhyme, this was it. Her response would determine if he wasted his time or not. Her frown deepened and not two seconds later, a smile lit up her entire face. He released a relief sigh. She liked him too. He thought.

"I thought i was the only one that always has something to remind me of someone I know. Oh, you know aunt Isabelle's bunny, jihad? He reminds me so much of you, your ears look almost the same and-" He couldn't hear more, with his hurt ego, he walked away from her. He was so sure she understood what he was trying to say and thought it was better to make a joke out of it since she didn't like him back.

Secretly, he was hoping she'd run after him, maybe he'd have forgiven her and their friendship would continue but she didn't, he always did that, walk away when his pride was hurt but he always came back to her, not this time though. He was going for good and she didn't know so she turned her back to him and walked the opposite direction. If only she had known.

Their parents tried everything they could to bring them back to being friends but nothing worked. Madeline not knowing the real reason why her best friend stopped talking to her and thought that perhaps he was just tired of her got angry and swore to never be friends with him again. Just like that, a childhood friendship was destroyed.

***

The book hasn't been published yet but will be by next.

A/N:

This book will be entered into the wattys 2021, wish me good luck and please leave votes and comments I love you all, thanks for your commitment to this book. This is not the end, but the beginning.... See ya😘.