I challenge you all: message, call or tell a friend/boyfriend/girlfriend that you're thankful for them.

I'll do mine here on Wattpad, though I'm not 100% positive that the person is reading this:

Jonathan: THANK YOU for being the BESTEST FRIEND. I wouldn't want another doubles partner, gossip queen, cookie eating, Aina insulting, eyebrow waxing, funny facing person in my life. Even though you're a Frenchy (and I can't speak a word of it), we're still able to communicate relatively awkwardly. Je'taime (I probably didn't spell that right, but you get it)<3

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"So what do you want to be when you 'grow up'?" Jesse and I were seated on the couch, facing each other. I was wearing large sweatpants, a sweatshirt I got from a thrift store down the street and fuzzy socks that had cats all over them. I had lent Jesse some of my dad's old stuff- basketball shorts and a sweatshirt...his feet were bare, but we were both covered in large blankets. It was probably eleven thirty, and Jesse had decided to stay longer, which was most likely because he thought I was upset. It wasn't that bad of a guess...but I was honestly just mentally drained. Waiting for him to answer my question, I pulled my hair out of the bun and let the waves tumble down my shoulders.

"Policeman." My eyes jumped to his face in surprise, the tone of his voice confident and sure.

"Really? Why?" He gave me a calculated look and I could tell his answer would be deep...which was a problem. I was about as deep as a kiddy pool- so I couldn't compete.

"I wanna help people who can't face things on their own. I like the idea that everyone sees me as someone they trust." His response made me think.

"Isn't it dangerous though?" He shrugged.

"I'd take danger over just standing by and watching people struggle any day."

"That's noble of you."

"It's not nobility. I- I wanna help. Simple as that." I nodded, impressed.

"You've earned a whole lot of respect from me just now." He grinned.

"I should start saying thoughtful things more often then." Laughing, I snuggled more into my blanket. Jesse watched me and I could practically hear the clockwork within his mind whirring.

"You look deep in thought. Something up?" He swallowed, as if building the courage up to speak.

"Charlie, I know there's something wrong."

"Wrong with what?" Staring right into my eyes, I felt like my mind was open for him to read leisurely, and it scared the hell out of me.

"You're life."

"That's a pretty big statement to sound so confident with."

"I'm a confident guy."

"Obviously." I was slowly avoiding his comment.

"Now who's the cocky one?"

"Never said cocky, just confident." He rolled his eyes.

"Confident guys are the sexiest."

"I didn't know you went that way, but I accept you for who you are." His face blanched, and I was holding in my laugh.

"No- I didn't mean it that way! I'm strai-" Finally bursting out giggling I said,

"Jess, I know. I was messing with you." He let out a breath and looked at me, annoyed.

"Rude." I shrugged.

"That's my job." After pausing for a moment, I heard my phone ring with a text. Opening it, I read the message, which was from Gina.

G:Hey Coco- what's up with you? I grinned unconsciously at the nickname she had given me. Over the past few months Gina and I had become closer than I thought was possible, and she definitely claimed the title as my best friend. Answering her back, I wrote,

C:Hanging with Jessabelle....wbu? Gina had once teased Jesse that his parents had been planning to name his Jessabelle if he was a girl (which they were), so it was a fun joke within our friend group. 

G: Bored af 

C: Sounds like a party. Do ur hw. I laughed to myself as she responded with a couple of curse words directed towards me. Jesse was staring at me like I was a nutso, which I probably looked like. 

"Having fun?" 

"Texting Gina." 

"Ohhhh." Checking his watch, I watched as he yawned. 

"It's twelve thirty beautiful. I need to get to bed." I rolled my eyes, knowing that he went to bed wherever, whenever. 

"Yes your highness. I'll leave." He smirked and sighed. 

"Thank you peasant. Before you go, bring me a cover and tuck me in." 

"I can't tuck you in on a couch idiot." He pouted. 

"Fine then don't." I pushed myself off of the pillows, throwing him a blanket in the process. Flipping off the light switch I said quietly,

"Okay with me." I heard him laugh. 

"Sassy McSassquatch over here." 

"Die."

"Will do." The lights were off and I tiptoed up the stairs, ready to slip into bed. I'd had a long, tiring day and I was ready to just close my eyes. 

--------

That was how the rest of the winter and early spring was spent- Jesse staying over most nights, Ryan and I arguing with Jason taking his brother's side, Cameron growing up everyday, my mother disappearing for days on end and me staying far away from those I had once been close with in school. 

I had just dropped the boys off at daycare (Ryan had spent the night at my Dad's, so I wasn't responsible for getting him out on time for the bus) and was driving to school. Jesse had slept at his own house that night because I made him, knowing that his parents probably missed him, even though he insisted they didn't. Pulling into a spot, I saw Caleb, Gina and Jesse all waiting for me, even though classes wouldn't begin for another twenty or so minutes. 

"Hey Coco." I linked arms with Gina and she pulled me into a side hug. 

"Hola Bugs Bunny (don't ask the story behind the nickname....it involved frozen yogurt, a tub of carrots and a bunch of spilled milk)." She flipped her brown hair behind her shoulder as she spoke, the two guys not listening, instead chatting about a baseball game coming up. 

"I have to tell you something." I raised my eyebrow. 

"Yeah?"

"I like someone." Rolling my eyes, I smiled. 

"Gi, you always like someone." She shook her head.

"No it's different this time." 

"Who is it?"

"James." I almost choked on my own spit. 

"James? As in Logan's best friend?" She nodded. 

"Oh yeah. Him." 

"But he's a-" She interrupted me, knowing what I was going to say. 

"I know, I know, a flirt. And that he probably doesn't mean a word that he says. But I don't know Coco," she paused, as if searching for the right words, "It doesn't feel like that. I can tell that there's something special with him." I wanted to snort, but held it in. 

"That's what you said about Max too." He was one of the bad boys in our grade, the one who would win the 'Most Likely To Die From A Drug Overdose' award for yearbook if we had one. Yes, he had a nice side, but he hooked up with a different girl every week, though there was one girl in particular that he kept going back to (Vanessa, another school slut). Gina had liked him for as long as she could remember, around sixth grade. Even though she was a year older than me, I could still relate (obviously) and was glad she confided in me about it. 

"But Max is a man whore who I'm totally over! James's the nice guy, the one that'll buy me flowers and take me on dates and cheesy crap like that." 

"Gina, you hate cheesy stuff." She looked into the distance dreamily. 

"I know." The boys finally started listening. 

"What cheesy stuff?" I didn't want to answer Caleb's question with the...well actual answer, so I veered off the topic. 

"Mozzarella, feta, gorgonzola-" Jesse started cracking up and Caleb flicked me in the ear. 

"You ramble." I stuck my tongue out at him.

"It makes me adorable." Gina fixed her hair into a braid and smiled at me like I was a lost child. 

"Keep thinking that honey." The bell rang, stopping me from pinching her. I didn't want to be late for class, because it was almost the ned of the year and I seriously cared about my grades. 

"I'm going to get you one day Bugs." She slung her backpack over her left shoulder. 

"Don't call me bugs and I'll consider this situation even." I started jogging down the hall to my classroom, calling over my shoulder,

"Does it bother you?" Her voice came faintly from the other side. 

"Duh!"

"Then why would I stop now?" I shut the door to the class and plopped into a seat, pulling out my notebook and my pencil, whose led was reduced to a small stud. 

----

As the teacher droned on and on about meaningless crap that totally would not apply to real life, I felt something hit my arm. Looking down, I saw a crumpled up piece of paper and looked around the room for the sender. Logan's eyes met mine and I knew that he was the one who wrote it, so I opened it with caution.

I'm sorry

I crumpled the note back up and didn't turn back to look at him. Nope, I was too angry at him, and I don't forgive easily. He should know. However, my teacher Mrs.Andleman did notice and came over to the desk, taking the paper. I didn't try to get it back, knowing I wouldn't get in trouble. She read it then raised both of her eyebrows. I knew she saw who it was from, so when she said,

"Mr.Emerston seems to be having girl issues," I erupted into a fit of laugher, along with the rest of the class apart from Logan, who had turned red. But that wasn't even the best part. 

After class I was walking out of the door and saw Logan and Ali arguing. No, I had no feelings for Logan whatsoever anymore- in my opinion a guy becomes ugly if he's a douche and Logan had proved himself worthy of that title. But, I was nosy, so I listened in. 

"What did she mean 'You're having girl issues?'" Logan rolled his eyes. 

"Nothing Ali." She crossed her arms. 

"Well obviously it meant something. Why did you give the note to Charlotte of all people? You told me just last week that you hated her!" Ouch, okay that hurt a bit. 

"It's none of your freakin business!" I heard a slap and then Logan's angry voice say,

"What the hell was that for?" Ali responded with equal fury.

"For being a douchey boyfriend."

See? That was the best part. 

Actually, just kidding. Even that wasn't the highlight of my day. 

I walked up to Ali's table at the start of lunch and saw all eyes turn to me. Oh puh-lease guys, I wasn't totally unpopular, so it shouldn't be THAT BIG of a deal if I talk to someone higher than me on the high school food chain. 

"Hey Ali?" She looked up and once she saw it was me, she glared. 

"What." I held my hands up in surrender. 

"Just wanted to say thanks for slapping the asshole. He deserved it." Her eyebrows went up in surprise. 

"Uh thanks?" I gave her a half smile.

"Don't let him boss you around." With that, I started to walk away when Ali called,

"Two of an enemy's enemies are allies." I turned my head slightly and nodded, feeling a strange happiness build up inside of me, understanding what she had said. 

I was Logan's enemy.

She was Logan's enemy. 

We had a common enemy. 

So we were allies.

Strange how you can go from black to white in a second, right?