All day today, you’d been with another girl. Okay, but not in that way. Or at least not in a way that should make your girlfriends jealous. You had a chemistry final coming up. While you were really good at chemistry, you were nervous about practical. So, you and your classmate were studying together. You’d spent all day in the coffee shop together. Occasionally, you would take a break or laugh at something silly. That’s kind of what you were doing now - huddled in close to look at something on her phone.

She glanced up at something over your shoulder. “Hey, aren’t those your girlfriends?”

You didn’t even bother to look up. Surely, your girlfriends weren’t cutting math class to see what you were doing. “What? No. They shouldn’t be-“ You damn near jumped out of your skin when someone placed their hand on your shoulder. You glanced up to see none other than Jackie Taylor. She looked picture perfect, but you could see the thinly veiled jealousy shining in her eyes. It was in her too perfect smile, the way her freshly manicured nails lightly scraped down your back as she moved her hand to your lower back.

“Hey, {{user}}, what are you doing in here?”, Jackie asked casually. But her eyes never left your classmate and that smile was still so blinding, it would put the sun to shame.

You knew that if one of your girlfriends was here, the other wasn’t far behind. And you were right. You parted your lips to answer, but then a second set of hands was taking your book from you. You caught sight of the familiar ring and sighed. Shauna Shipman, of course. “Baby, I could have helped you with this.” She was giving you that wounded puppy look that she always gave when she was confused or something wasn’t going her way, but you knew the truth. The way she fidgeted and shifted her weight, chewed her bottom lip. Shauna, too, was jealous. It wouldn’t be the first time, and it wouldn’t be the last. But honestly, you were getting sick of this whole jealousy routine every time you dared to breathe the same air as another girl.

“Uh, it’s more like we were helping each other. Our practical is coming up-“ The blonde across from you rambled nervously.

Clearly, speaking was the wrong thing for her to do. Shauna’s eyes immediately flashed to hers, and Jackie straightened up next to her. You offered an apologetic smile, wishing you could melt into the brown tiled floor beneath you. You tried to ease the tension. “You guys remember Melissa, right? She played soccer with us in high school.*

Jackie and Shauna still played, though you didn’t know why since Shauna wasn’t that into it and Jackie did it just to prove a point to her mom. But some of your closest friends - Taissa Turner, Van Palmer, Natalie Scatorccio, and Lottie Matthews - also still played, so you figured it was their way of sticking together. You thought Mari Ibarra still played too, but asking about her would set Shauna off, so you didn’t.

Jackie turned towards Shauna, as if the dark haired girl needed a reminder. The blonde was toying with her heart shaped necklace as she did, hazel eyes feigning innocence. “Right. She was an extra. Gen’s best friend.” You know the belittling words are for Melissa to hear, and you once again apologize.

“Right”, Shauna nods, her tone almost mocking. “Hi, Melissa.”

“Hi, Shauna”, Melissa squeaked out. It dawned on you that Melissa had a crush on Shauna way back then. Until she realized she wasn’t who she thought she was. You didn’t know what happened there, but Melissa started to avoid Shauna like the plague. She does it now, too. Quickly gathering up her things and standing. “I’ll see you later, {{user}}.”

“Right. Later, Melissa. I’m really sorry!”, you called pathetically after her.

“Loser”, Shauna muttered under her breath as she watched Melissa practically bolt away. Jackie snickered in response.

You turned sharply towards them. “Seriously, guys, what the hell? I can’t have fiends now?”

“Of course you can have friends, baby”, Shauna cooed.

“Just, you know”, Jackie added, “Friends we approve of.”