I spent the rest of the lunch period sitting on the grass outside, Kenzie didn't bother to run after me because she totally understands that I wanted some space. I wiped the tears under my eyes and decided to get up to go fix the mess that I created in my face. 

I re-applied some mascara and eye-liner and I brushed my hair in the bathroom, then, I grabbed my bag to go to the libary. I stopped by my locker to put my books and when I closed the door, I found Nash leaning on the iron material. He is my ex-boyfriend and we are good friends even after breaking up. 

"Hey Keller." He said flashing me a smile, I leaned against my locker crossing my arms. "Hey Nash, how are you?" I asked smiling. 

"I'm good, is it true that you pushed Ashton Irwin during lunch?" My eyes widened when I heard what he said, we were in the end of the hall and as long as I remember, we were alone. 

"Well, how do you know?" I asked pressing my lips together. He smiled a weak smile before replying. "All the school talk about that, they think that you have a thing with him." 

"What the fuck? Are you serious?" Of course, Ashton is going to tell his assholes of friends which consisted of Madison and Ashley, the gossip girls of the school. God, in what shit have I involved my self. I am going to suffer from these fake stories.

"Yeah I am, because, I read that on Ashley's facebook account." He shrugged and I felt my blood boiling under my skin. 

"Thank you for telling me, I need to go now." I exited the hallway full of lockers and I entered the bathroom another time and I pulled out my phone opening the app. 

Ashley Cole : Looks like Ashton Irwin hooked up with Lauren Keller :') 

This was her post on facebook, there was over a hundred likes on it, plus, so many comments. My account was attacked with messages, friend requests and posts on my wall. I'm not used with all this attention neither with this big amount of hates. I need to be strong, these are all lies and nobody knows who I truly am. But, now I really need to talk to Ashley. 

I entered the library and I spotted Kenzie sitting with two girls, but, I went straight to where the gang were sitting. Calum saw me first and he smirked directly. "Well, look who's coming to sit with us." 

"Shut the fuck up Hood ." I snapped, I'm not in the mood to joke around with him. I pointed my finger at Ashley who was too interested in some magazine rather than what Michael was talking her about. 

"Listen Ashley, you better delete that fucking bullshit you posted because first of all, it's not even your business whether Ashton and I have a thing or not, which it isn't even true anyway, and second, I'm warning you to back off, you and your assholes of friends, because you're all fucking trash to me and I don't need attention from people and especially if it's because of you. Okay?" I warned raising my voice and all of them were watching me in disbelief. 

"Why are you mad if it isn't true?" Ashley spoke flipping her bleached hair behind her shoulder. "I'm receiving hates because of you." I said glaring at her. "Well, you can stand for yourself I think. Now, go away, you're giving me asphyxia." 

"Stop Ashley, I don't even know why you did that. I just told you guys about what happened and you didn't need to post it everywhere." Ashton said shutting her up and she looked at him confused. "Ashton, are you serious?" She asked and he nodded. "Totally."

My lips were debating to curl into a smile, but, I turned on my heels leaving their table and I put my bag on Kenzie's table who was sitting with Luke right now. Oh yeah, he wasn't with them anyway. 

"Are you okay buttercup?" She asked worried. I nodded smiling. "I am, thank you. What are you guys talking about?" 

"Luke was telling me about Sydney." He smiled at me before speaking. "I'm sorry about them Lauren, I was sitting there earlier and Ashley was trying to create some drama, Ashton has anything to do with them." 

"You don't know them Luke, these people are betrayals and they don't care about anyone, involving Ashton. Be careful around them, please." He nodded pressing his lips together and I smiled at him.

"But, seriously Laur, don't worry about me. I'm not dumb." He laughed and that sound gave me butterflies in my stomach. "Oh yeah sure, but, I warned you." 

"Guys, I exist." Kenzie interrupted our conversation, causing Luke to blush. "Okay now that I have your attention again, are you guys coming to tonight's party?" 

"A party in a school night?" Kenzie nodded before explaining. "Yeah, Nash invited everyone to his beach house, since it's still summer." I sighed leaning on my chair crossing my arms over my chest. It's the second time that someone invited me to his party, and it's the complete opposite according to Kenzie, she's such a party-goer. 

"I'll come anyway, because, Calum told me that he's going too." Luke replied, I rolled my eyes. Of course, Calum is going, how can he miss a party? But, I don't care, I'm going to this party, I'm going to have fun. I need to forget about what happened today, it's not like they mattered to me.

"Fine, come over Kenzie after school, we're going to get ready together." She cheered causing me and Luke to bust into laughter. She's such a dork. 

At around 4 o'clock, we arrived to my house. I opened the front door and Mum appeared out of no where. She greeted us and asked about our first day of school but, then we quickly went upstairs. Kenzie hurried to my music library on my computer and soon, Chocolate by The 1975 was blasting in my room. 

"I going to borrow a dress from your closet, buttercup." Kenzie was passing the hangers searching for an acceptable dress while I was scrolling through Tumblr. I'm not going to spend all the afternoon choosing a simple dress, it's not like I have someone to impress. Well, maybe I have. My thoughts were quickly drifted to the new blue eyed boy that arrived to our school today. Something about him makes me weak in the knees, maybe, that beautiful smile or that extremely attractive accent or those blue eyes that when I first saw them, I knew that it's my favorite shade of blue. 

But, in the other side, we have Ashton. The boy that once represented everything in my life. I don't even understand why after three years of ignorance, he decided to defend me, talk to me and argue with his friends. There is something about him also, that makes me want to discuss things with him, I'm dying to know why he changed all of a sudden. 

"Hey Laur. I'm talking to you." Kenzie snapped her fingers in front of me waking me up of my deep thoughts. "Yeah, sorry, what were you saying?" I asked pulling my chocolate brown hair on the side, Kenzie furrowed her eyebrows looking at me confused. "What's up with you Laur? Is it because of Ashley?" 

"It's Ashton." I mumbled keeping my gaze on the floor. She took a seat next to me on my bed dropping the two dresses she was holding. "Did he annoy you? Because, I'm ready to go chop his balls without pity." I chuckled at my best friend's plan, I'm glad that I have her by my side, as cheesy as it may sound, we're a team, it's me and her against the world. We've been together since the first day, Ashton told me to forget about us. 

"Why you're doing this to me Ashton? What have I done?"  I asked with a trembling voice, I was on verge of crying and I don't want to broke in front of him. 

"You don't want to hang out with them, then fine, I'm choosing them over you. You're always sad and insecure and they are funny people, plus, they know the whole school. I want popularity." His words hit me like a train leaving me in pure disbelief; this isn't my best friend Ashton, this isn't him. I knew since the day, I found Calum talking to him in gym class, that he's going to change eventually. I hate them for taking my best friend from me. 

"Fine, Ashton. Whatever you want." I shook my head and left the empty hallway without looking behind me. I knew that the second I'm going to exit this place, everything is going to take a new turn. Ashton is gone, so our friendship, so our moments. 

I entered the bathroom and I sat on the floor hugging my knees to my chest. Tears spilled from my eyes. My chest was hurting, and my mind couldn't process what happened. I couldn't believe that he left. He only left because I'm an annoying piece of shit, because I'm insecure and always sad. 

"Hey are you okay?" A voice said and I lifted my head up to see who was talking to me. A brunette was kneeling in front of me with a worried expression on her face. "Yeah, I am." My voice cracked when I spoke, she shook her head then, sat beside me. She put her arm around my shoulders, rubbing my arm to comfort me. 

"You can tell me, you know? Even though we're strangers." I wiped the tears under my eyes and nodded. "My best friend decided to unfriend me, if you want, because I didn't accept to hang out with his new friends, he chose them over me. We're over, and you know, it hurts, because he was my only friend." My heart dropped when I said, he was. Tears filled my eyes again and a sob left my dry throat. 

"Hey hey, stop crying. I totally understand what you're going through, my boyfriend did the same to me. But, you need to move on, I'm pretty sure you're way better than him, if he decided to drop you only for becoming popular, than, he's a total asshole. Show him that you're better without him, you don't need him, okay."  My heart warmed when her words were spoken, he was the one who betrayed me, he was the one who threw ten years of friendship without any care. I don't need him. I managed to flash a smile at the worried brunette next to me. 

"Thank you so much, I needed this." I said grateful to her support, she squeezed my arm before pulling her hand out to shake. "I'm Mackenzie, but, Kenzie for friends." I shook her hand smiling. 

"Lauren, nice to meet you." 

I smiled at the memory, it was such a bad day but, also a good one, because I met one of the best people in my life. "Are you going to tell me, what this jerk did to you?" Kenzie interrupted my thoughts, causing me to jump in my spot. 

"He defended me two times in front of his friends. He totally snapped at Calum and Ashley, because they were messing around with me. Also, he ran after me to comfort me, and it's driving me crazy." I admitted looking at my best friend who was listening carefully to what I was saying. 

"Are you sure he's not high or drunk? 'cause, seriously this is odd." 

"I'm sure. He's trying to prove a point though. I need to figure this out." I said sighing and Kenzie nodded her head before standing up grabbing the two dresses.

"Okay, forget about that jerk, he's not worth your time anyway. Now, let's focus on this party tonight." I rolled my eyes on the mention of this party. I lay on my bed watching my best friend examining the two dresses in her hands. 

"Which one of them?" I eyed the two clothes, then, pointed to the dark blue one, it was strapless and mid-thigh. "Yeah, now, get your ass up, I'm going to dress you up to impress the aussie boy." 

"Aussie boy? You mean Luke?" I chuckled at her words and she raised her eyebrow looking at me. "Don't tell me you don't fancy him, because, I know you too well." 

"Well, I don't think you do, because I don't fancy him." 

"Mmhm, sure you don't." 

- 

hiiii 

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i'm already so excited for this story, hope that you are too haha 

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