"Lydia isn't like that; she's my best friend."

***

Three months. Three whole months. Stiles and Lydia had been together for three whole months, growing closer every day.

Jennifer was forced to watch as they fell more in love. Every morning, they arrived in his jeep and then walked into school, their hands always intertwined. She wouldn't see much of them during the day, but when she did, it always hurt.

She was leaning against her locker, observing the two from afar. Her envy was obvious to those who knew about her crush, yet it was ignored by her best friend. Her heart was torn in two.

"It's either you didn't go through with it or he rejected you." Allison started, approaching Jennifer from behind. "But I'm guessing it's the former."

Her friend guessed correctly, noting her heartbroken composure. "You were right about me regretting it.  I should have just done it after the game was over."

"See, I told you." They gazed at the happy couple, Lydia playfully flirting with Stiles as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Believe me, I'm just as shocked as you are."

"Yeah, it just happened, didn't it," Jennifer stated with a disappointed tone. "Love sucks."

"It might not last though. You could still be in with a chance." She encouraged.

"That's what I thought until their three month anniversary came around." She admitted.

Allison sighed. "Well, at least they're happy. That's the most important thing, right?"

She agreed, for the most part, silently nodding in response. Being a good friend, Jennifer chose to conceal her true emotions from Lydia. She didn't need to fret about her stupid issues. If Lydia was happy, she should be happy too.

"Anyway, we should be getting to English," mentioned Allison. "It will stop you from stalking them."

Jennifer scoffed. "I am not stalking them. If anything, I'm making sure he's not hurting Lydia."

The girls began to walk through the crowded hallway, Jennifer bashing into a few students as she tried to catch up to Allison. "I think Lydia can look after herself. I heard about how she reacted when she learnt Jackson was cheating on her."

"Yes, but I'm her moral support." She affirmed. "I'm her rock. I mean, who else would she rent movies with?"

"I'm pretty sure she rented movies with Jackson when they were together," Allison recalled.

"Either way, we're very close. Our friendship just works." Jennifer insisted.

She smiled at her. "Well, I'm glad you two are close. Not many people are lucky to get on Lydia's good side."

"We've known each other since we were in diapers; it's just natural for us to get along." She informed her. "You know, when we were kids, Lydia and I-"

However, just as she was about to tell a story from her past, Scott Mccall approached Allison from behind and wrapped his arms around her. He picked her up from the ground and spun her around. She squealed in excitement before he finally put her down. "Scott, don't do that!" 

She playfully hit him on the shoulder, the couple laughing hysterically. "Sorry, I couldn't help it. It was just something I had to do."

"You didn't have to, but because it's you, I don't care." Their lips interlocked, the two making out in the corridor.

Jennifer rolled her eyes and walked on, clutching her red sweater in annoyance. She wished that something could hold her like that, yet no one was interested in her. "I hate love..." Jennifer mumbled under her breath.

***

In the comfort of her own bedroom, Jennifer slumped on her bed and scrolled through endless images of her and Lydia. Memories that gave her such joy, yet left such sorrow that was unknown to her. She missed when no one cared about status or whether you were smart or stupid; Jennifer missed when no one judged her.

As she was lost in her daze, Jennifer was abruptly startled by her phone vibrating in her hand. She checked the caller ID, revealing it to be her best friend. Quickly, she answered the phone in a panic. "Hello!"

"That was fast," commented Lydia. "Hey, Jen."

She brushed a lock of hair out of her face. "What's up?"

"I was thinking of going dress shopping for the formal after school tomorrow." She described.

Jennifer squinted in confusion. "But the formal's months away."

"So what? I'm bored." Lydia asserted. "Are you up for it?"

"I can't, Di. I'm going to visit my grandparents tomorrow, remember?" she affirmed.

Lydia sighed on the other line. "Then just cancel."

"Yeah, easier said than done," Jennifer said. "Do you remember when they came round last time?"

There was a slight pause on Lydia's side, reminiscing how strict they were. "Yeah, that's a good point. Well, you can say that I invited you around for a sleepover. That could work, right?"

"Maybe. I'll have to ask." She replied. "They still think you're a prostitute by the way."

She groaned. "Ugh, just because of the clothes I wear? Seriously, your grandparents need to gain some perspective." 

"You know my family. They're very strict when it comes to clothing." Jennifer recalled how her relatives tended to assume every teenage girl was a slut.

"Jen, you need to try and be more independent. Don't try to please them because of their stupid expectations on who a girl should be." Lydia explained, once again trying to boost her self-esteem.

Jennifer chuckled. "You'd have to give me an entirely new personality then. I can't be confident for shit."

"You're confident around me." She mentioned.

"That's because I've known you forever. You probably know me better than I know myself." It was true. The girls had been together for so long that they didn't even keep secrets from each other. Even if they argued about something, the girls would always bounce back afterwards.

It was as if she could hear Lydia grin through the phone, only smiling for her. "I've got to go. I'm meeting Stiles in an hour."

She frowned. "Oh, okay."

"I'll see you tomorrow then?" checked Lydia.

"If I'm allowed," she replied. "I hope."

"Bye, Jennifer."

"Goodbye, Lydia." She hung up on her, soon feeling blue again.

Jennifer sat up from her bed, wandering over to her dressing table. The teenage girl stared into the mirror, staring extensively at her reflection. Some people said that she looked pretty, but her mindset told her something different. Girls like Lydia just looked perfect; she bet that they felt perfect too. Nevertheless, Jennifer considered herself imperfect, even if some people said that she was pretty. She didn't feel pretty. In fact, she felt like no one wanted her at all. Jennifer wanted people to want her, to need her.

She raised a hand to her face, scratching the dead skin away. Just then her mother barged into the room with a washing basket in hand. "Jennifer, I need your dirty clothes-"

"Do you ever knock?!" she fired back, interrupting her in vexation. 

Her mother sternly glared at her. "I just came for clothes to put in the wash. There's no need for you to yell!"

"Well, you didn't need to barge into the room either." Jennifer pointed out whilst rolling her eyes.

"Have you packed your bags for the weekend?" she wondered, marching over to a pile of Jennifer's dirty clothes.

Jennifer grew nervous, glancing over her shoulder in hesitation. "Actually, Lydia's invited me around for a sleepover tomorrow." She lied.

She stopped, straightening up her body. Already irritated, her mother huffed. "Are you serious, Jennifer? We've been planning this trip for a month and now you're going to bail because Lydia told you to?"

"She didn't tell me to. It's just that she..." Jennifer stammered, unsure how to create a good excuse. 

"If you're using her to get out of this trip, or if she's using you for her own personal gain-"

Jennifer argued. "Lydia isn't like that; she's my best friend."

"But how long is it going to last?" she questioned, placing a hand on her hip. "I swear one day you're going to end up killing each other."

"So is that a yes?" queried Jennifer.

Her mother raised her eyebrows in an obvious manner, glaring at her. However, she then sighed. "If it makes you happy."

She ecstatically grinned. "Thanks, Mom!"

"But you owe me one." Her mother stated as she picked up Jennifer's dirty washing and threw it in her basket. "Honestly, sweetheart, I'm glad that you're still friends with Lydia. But just be careful, all right? I don't want you to get hurt because of something Lydia did."

"I'll be fine, Mom. Nothing will happen to me." She insisted.

"You say that..."

***

I know this chapter wasn't very exciting but I hope you liked it anyway.

Fun fact: I've only seen the theatrical version of Jennifer's Body because that's the version of Disney+. But I have seen a bit of the extended version, so I know what to include later.

- Alice ❤