Alex: Come save me! They've gone crazy!

I laughed at my phone while shaking my head.

Riley: They aren't that bad.

Alex: Thats cause you aren't here. I'm hiding in the closet.

I could picture. Alex hiding in the closet as Harper, Rina, and Layla ran around yelling. It's happened before.

Riley: I'm off in ten minutes. Be there soon. Good luck <3

"Judging by the grin on your face things are going good?" Helen said as she came around the corner. I felt my cheeks flame up.

"They are."

Things were going great. It's been a month since Halloween and the whole Mitch/jail thing. Since that night Mitch has left me alone. He still glares at me at school but he's stopped harassing me, and in turn so has his friends. Even Rebecca has laid off. It was nice...really nice.

Everything else was going great as well. Alex and I...there were no words for Alex and I at this point. He was literally the greatest boyfriend ever. Any sort of doubts I had about being in a relationship were long gone. Day by day Alex slowly erased everything that Mitch had done and said to me. Alex was everything I could have asked for.

Aside from Alex and I, things were going good. School was literally the same, aside from the onslaught of assignments before winter break came. Alex and I did have a big art project due in a week that could possibly be displayed at a local gallery. So just another thing to be stressed about.

But one of the best things to have happened since Halloween was Olivia and Derek. It took everything I had not to confront the two of them after I caught them kissing at the party but a certain someone, aka Alex, made me wait. Told me I had to wait until they wanted to tell us.

Something I absolutely hated. Especially when Olivia acted like nothing had happened between the two. If I hadn't walked in on them making out I would have believed nothing had happened. Even days later they still acted like nothing had happened.

Like at lunch neither would show up until right before the bell rang, both looking a bit frazzled. It took Alex pinching my thigh to stop me from saying something. It was hard knowing the two of your friends were...doing whatever it was that they were doing and not being able to say anything. Of course the others had no problem. They all acted like nothing happened while I was inwardly bursting.

I remember the day they finally admitted it....

Flashback...

"So we really aren't going to talk about it?"

"No."

"What aren't we talking about?"

I paused from kicking the soccer ball back to Alex and turned to Noah.

"The fact that both Derek and Olivia aren't here because they were 'miraculously' busy." I placed my hands on my hips.

"And?" He raised an eyebrow at me.

I sent him a look and glanced over at Nico and Lexi sitting in the grass.

"You guys can't be serious! They freaking kissed! Kissed! Our two friends finally kissed after god knows how long. How is no one else freaking out about this?"

"Aside from the fact that you are the only one who saw them."

"Are you calling me a liar?" I raised an eyebrow at Noah.

"I ain't calling you a truther." Neither of us could fight the grin on our faces at the reference.

"But seriously this is huge. And now they are keeping it from us."

"Maybe they want to figure it out on their own before they tell us. You know in case it doesn't work out." Alex added.

"It's been like two weeks."

"We've found Riley's thing." Noah said, kicking the soccer ball up onto his knee in one smooth motion.

"What?"

"Everyone has a thing and yours is impatience."

"Is not!"

"Uh huh. Then what is this?" He raised an eyebrow at me with a mocking look. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"This is different."

"Care to explain?"

"I do not."

The smirk on Noah's face had me taking a step towards him.

"Thought so." I didn't waste another second before I took off towards him. Laughing loudly Noah took off down the field, me right behind him.

Noah shouted things over his shoulder at me while the others watched me chase him around. None of them seemed too fazed. Over the last few weeks Noah and I have become really close.

After the fight on Halloween Noah and I just found ourselves becoming closer. If Alex was working Noah would come by the bookstore to hang out, or I'd go over to his place. With Olivia making excuses of being busy I was spending more time with Noah. And honestly he was fun to be around.

There was just something about him that made you want to be around him. He was also down for whatever to. Whether that was challenging me to a foosball tournament, which ended with Alex pulling me away from the game five hours later. Or coming up with some prank against the others.

After chasing Noah around for a minute I had to stop and catch my breath. Stupid idiot being in shape.

"You okay over there?" I didn't have to look up to know Alex had a smirk on his face.

"Peachy." I grumbled.

"You can't touch this." Noah boasted coming up beside me. Seeing the smirk on his face I waited until his back was slightly turned away from me, before I stood up and swiped my leg out. In one motion I kicked Noah's legs out from under him. The action catching him off guard that he fell to the ground in a heap.

"What were you just saying?" I peered down at him with my hands on my hips.

"I'll get you back for that Carson. Just you wait."

"Looking forward to it." I grinned. From the corner of my eye I saw Alex shake his head at us. At first I was a bit worried Alex would be mad that I was getting close with his best friend but it was the exact opposite. He encouraged me to be friends with Noah.

Wanting to be nice I extended my hand to help Noah up. As I tried to heave his huge body off the ground new voices came behind me.

"Hey guys." I ended up letting go of Noah, letting him fall back to the ground, as I turned to find Olivia and Derek. Immediately my eyes narrowed on their hands entwined together.

Behind me Noah grumbled picking himself up off the ground.

No one said a word as we stood there. I was bursting to just blurt out that I knew but I made myself wait. From the look Alex sent me he knew I was trying to hold back.

"Derek and I have something to share with you guys." Olivia said while looking up at Derek as if asking if he wanted to do this.

"Liv and I are seeing each other." He blurted. He was met with silence as we all just stared at the pair.

"Finally. You almost drove Riley mad." Noah was the first to speak.

"Wait? What?" Judging by the looks on their faces that wasn't the response they expected.

"Now she can finally shut up about it." Lexi chimed in.

"Again...what?" Liv looked over at me completely confused. I sent her a sheepish look.

"I may have already known about you two."

"How?" If her eyebrows couldn't get any further up her forehead.

"I saw you two kissing at the Halloween party." I was finally able to admit. I felt my shoulders relax happy to finally be able to tell them that I knew. Who knew keeping secrets would be so damn hard and painful.

"You never said anything!"

"Because someone," I sent a pointed glare at Alex who just shrugged. "told me I should wait for you guys to come clean. And finally two weeks later." It was their turn to look sheepish.

"But doesn't matter because you guys are together!"

End of Flashback....

It took a bit of getting use to seeing Derek and Olivia kissing when we hung out but it was cute to see them so happy. If I thought Alex and I were a bit clingy we had nothing on them. Poor Noah was the only one not in a relationship in the group. He was basically seventh wheeling with us but he didn't seem to mind.

"Christmas is in a few weeks, is your brother going to come home?" Helen brought me out of my thoughts.

"I'm not sure. He hasn't told me if he can yet." I played with my phone in my hands as I answered. It sucked not having my brother be home for Thanksgiving but for Christmas....that was always our holiday.

Thanksgiving was a week ago and Trent had tried to get home for it but his Sergeant was a hell no. I was use to spending most holidays alone but I usually had trent by my side. A couple of days before Thanksgiving I was desperate enough that I called my parents to see if they would come home.

Of course I went straight to voicemail and hours later got a text back saying they were both working double shifts that day and wouldn't be home. Stating it was a very busy night for the hospital. It shouldn't have hurt since I knew they would say that but it didn't stop the ache in my chest.

If it wasn't for Noah and Alex I would have been alone for Thanksgiving. Noah's family was kind enough to let me join. For the first time in- I don't even know how long-I had a normal thanksgiving. I ate an actual turkey and mash potatoes while surrounded by people. Not just me and Trent ordering take out.

The entire day was everything I wished Thanksgiving would be. I did manage to FaceTime Trent, and of course Nicholas, a bit later. While I enjoyed Thanksgiving with Alex, Harper, Noah and his parents I wished my brother was there. I was just hoping he would be home in time for Christmas.

"I bet he will. Your brother would never miss Christmas." She gently patted my arm as she brushed past.

The sound of the bell chime made me sit up and quickly put my phone away. Helen may be cool with me being on my phone but in front of costumers she wasn't as lenient.

When the person came into view I straightened up. What the hell is she doing here...again? I tried to silence the part of me that immediately thought she here for something other than books.

Plastering on a smile I made myself greet her.

"Welcome. What can I help you with?" Even I could hear the fakeness in my voice.

"I'm here to talk to you." Rebecca said, not beating around the bush. Okay maybe I wasn't wrong about her being here for something other than books.

"If you are here to just make fun of me or say something rude then you can turn around." I was done putting up with her shit as well.

"Stop being a bitch. I'm trying to apologize." She narrowed her eyes at me.

"Me the bitch?" I glared at her. "I'm not the one who made someone else's life hell for the past few months. I'm not the one who helped spread fake nude pictures of someone for everyone to see." I spat. "I think it's too late to apologize."

"Like you are so innocent!" She suddenly exploded. "You always got everything you want. You always had guys fawning over you. You got good grades which made the teachers like you. You have a brother that worships you. Parents that are successful and love you. You have everything." Rebecca's voice cracked at the end.

"You think I have everything? That I have a perfect life?" I stared at her with wide eyes. "You know nothing about me." I gripped the counter as I leaned forward. "I am alone. I haven't seen my parents in god knows how long because they are too damn busy with work to remember they have a daughter. My brother is miles away in the military. I had no friends and the one person I thought actually liked me used me for a bet with his sick friends. Then humiliated me in front of the entire school and made my life hell. Does that seem perfect to you?" I was breathing heavy by time I finished.

"Just because someone looks like they have it all doesn't mean they do."

"I....I didn't know." She stumbled over her words.

"If you would have talked to me instead of being a bitch."

"I just assumed..." Something about the way Rebecca spoke and the look on her told me there was more to her than I knew. I had a feeling her home life was just as messed up as mine. That there were things I didn't know about Rebecca.

I sighed letting go the anger that filled me.

"I don't want to hate you Rebecca or fight anymore. I'm tired." And I was. I was tired of always looking over my shoulder or wondering if her and her friends will continue to harass me.

"Can we both just let it go and move on? You don't have to like me and can just ignore my presence if you prefer, but I don't want to keep doing this."

All I wanted was to spend the last few months of my senior year in peace. To be with my friends and boyfriend without all the unnecessary drama. I was done with Rebecca. Done with Mitch. They could do whatever the hell they want, just not with me anymore.

"I'm sorry for everything. I was so blinded I didn't..." Rebecca trailed off. I could tell she was trying as she fidgeting with the strap of her purse while pulling on her bottom lip with her teeth, her eyes looking anywhere but at me.

"It's okay." My words seemed to surprise her as she snapped her head towards me. Hell they surprised me as well. "I can't fully forgive you for everything you have done to me." Her eyes dropped, almost in shame. "But I understand. I understand the need for approval and wanting attention, any attention."

I understood that part. The need for approval by everyone because you didn't get it from the one person you truly wanted it from. There are things neither of us knew about each other but that didn't mean we didn't have anything in common either. There was more to Rebecca than knew and I think for the first time she realized the same thing about me.

Did I see Rebecca and I being friends in the future? Probably not. After everything she has done to me I wasn't sure when I'd be able to fully forgive her but I also knew that holding onto it wouldn't do me any good either. Maybe one day I would. But at least for now we both had an understanding of each other.

"But do one thing for me." Her eyebrows raised up at my words. "Let go of Mitch. He is not worth it and the sooner you realize that the better. You are too good for him Rebecca." I said, and I meant every word.

Rebecca and I may have our issues but I wasn't going to throw her in the lions den with Mitch. No one deserved that. He deserved to be alone and the sooner Rebecca realized that the better. I know for a fact one day she will thank me for it. Will thank me for not getting stuck with the guy who will go no where in life.

Rebecca was quiet for a moment before she nodded.

"Thank you Riley." I nodded and sent her a small smile. She gave me one back before she turned on her heel. In that moment we both found something close to kinship.

Would we ever be friends after today, I wasn't sure, but I knew we both held a new level of respect for each other.