Mackenzie

Chapter 23

Movements. If there was one thing that made me wake up, it was movements. I could swear someone was moving around in my room, and I struggled to open my eyes. When I did, I saw Bambi pacing.

"What the... Bambi, if I didn't know you at all, I'd say you were contemplating whether to kill me or not." I said, still very groggy.

Bambi threw her hands in the air,

"Thank God you're awake! I didn't want to wake you up because I remembered you saying yesterday that you didn't get enough sleep. You sleep like a freaking log!"

"Well, I'm actually not done sleeping because of your movements, but that was quite thoughtful."

"Right. Now sit up!" She walked to me and pulled my hands up, until I sat up in my bed.

I groaned,"What's up?"

"I'm freaking out!" She placed her hands over her ear.

"Huh? Why?"

"I'm hanging out with Jesse today!"

I rolled my eyes and said in disbelief,

"You woke me up from sleep because you wanted to tell me you were hanging out with Jesse today?"

"Well, I didn't exactly wake you up. You were just disturbed by my movements."

I rolled my eyes,"If you're hanging out with Jesse, then why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be getting ready or something?"

"It's just past eight! He's coming to pick me up by twelve."

"Where are you guys going to?" I asked, smiling.

"I don't even know." She bit her lip.

"Look, calm down, okay? It can't be that bad at all.. just don't think of him as a bad boy-"

"But that's what he is! What if he really sweet talks me and I fall, and then we end up in the same bed-"

"Reading Shakespeare?" I asked, playing dumb.

"No, Kenzi! You know what I mean... He isn't even in Literature."

"Calm down. Just calm down... Look, it usually takes nothing for Jesse to get a girl, right?"

"Yep. A wink and a smile does it." She nodded

"He's clearly chasing you! I haven't seen him with any girl since the party, think about it.. I really don't think it'd be bad, c'mon... We agreed you were gonna try."

She sighed,"Yes."

"Right. Do it for your Kenzi." I smiled

"This is the part when you start feeling really important."

"Oh, please. You know I am, so, let's not go there."

"Yes, you are." Bambi let out a breath and bounced on my bed, laying beside me.

"I told Tanner about mom yesterday." I said suddenly.

Bambi looked up at me, "Really? I thought you already did?"

"No, like, in details this time."

"Ah, someone's already falling.."

"No! He begged me to, and he did seem really sincere. He even asked to follow me to see her the next time I'd be going."

"Are you serious?"

"Yep." I nodded

"Wow... That's unbelievable.. I mean, Tanner?"

"No. This is unbelievable. So, yesterday, Darren offered to bring me home, and well, I accepted... While he was waiting for me to grab my stuff, Tanner pops up from nowhere and says he's ready to take me home.. at the end, Darren had to leave because Tanner had to go far by saying some s**t about us agreeing that he took me home!"

"Girl, there's only one summary to that story."

"What?" I looked at her

"He was simply jealous!"

"Ha ha, Bambi. Very funny."

"No, I'm serious. You guys didn't actually agree on him taking you home, did you? And you said, Darren had to leave. Tanner was jealous"

"Jealous that I don't have a car?" I tried playing dumb again

Bambi rolled her eyes in frustration,

"No! You don't understand-"

"No, I don't. In fact, I'd love to get back to sleep now." I laid back down and closed my eyes, but then, I opened it back to look at Bambi who was still laying beside me, "And oh, everything would be fine with Jesse. If not, call 9-1-1."

"Yeah, sure." Bambi chuckled.

..................

Feeling better and less sleep- deprived, I walked into the bathroom to freshen up. I stayed in there longer than usual as I took some time to reflect on the events of the week.

I got out minutes later and got into comfortable clothes. Clothes comfortable enough to make me spend practically the whole day outside searching for a job. I grabbed my sling bag from my dressing mirror table and walked out of my room. I took the house key from the dining table and leave the house, closing the door behind me and locking it before throwing the key into my sling bag. When I turned around, my eyes widened.

Edward stepped out of his car, his jacket rested on one shoulder as he walked to the front steps where I stood.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, voice flat and steady, but as tight as anything.

"Mackenzie, I really have to talk to you." He said

"Well, as you can see, I'm going out."

"I can take you where you're going."

I looked at his car, then him and then, I laughed, ignoring the hurt expression on his face, "No, thanks Edward. I'd rather walk."

"Look, Mackenzie... What you heard that day-"

"Isn't what I think?" I chuckled,

"You've got to be kidding me to think I'm that stupid."

"No, no Mackenzie. I didn't mean anything I said... I swear, I didn't-"

"So Lenore made you say it, I guess?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yes." He said and I was surprised. It seemed like she was a jealous girlfriend. Of course she was, but I didn't say anything. I mean, for him to have said that because of her. "If I didn't say it, she wasn't​ going to leave it at that. I didn't mean it. You have to believe me."

I stared at him in disbelief, "Including the part where you said you can't want a girl like me? Obviously, it's not that I want you or anything, but are you freaking kidding me, Edward?"

"Ma-"

I chuckled painfully, "Of course you can't want anyone who's life is as messed up as mine-"

"No, don't say that. I didn't mean it. I only said it to make her calm down.. I didn't mean it."

I stared at him blankly.

"Mackenzie? I'm sorry." He said.

I sighed, rolling my eyes, "Right.. it's fine."

He sighed in relief, closing his eyes and then opening them, "Thank you, Mackenzie. Thanks a lot."

....................

It was evening.

I didn't think searching for a job would be as hard as that. I bounced on my bed, my hair sprawled around me as I closed my eyes, tired. I had entered just a few stores, asking if they needed a sales girl or a cleaner

(Not toilet cleaner, though). All said, spaces were already vacant. At the end of the day, I didn't get a job and my heart went out to the unemployed out there struggling to find jobs. It really wasn't easy. However, I made a mental note to myself to go in search for a job on a weekday, because today was a Saturday and so some stores didn't open.

I got up from my bed and walked to the kitchen. Having only a serving of cereal, I went back to bed.

Sleep was a good friend.

..................

"What the hell happened to your phone?" Bambi asked me, throwing a quick glance at me before turning back to face the steering.

"My phone isn't always on my mind these days. What's up?" I replied, leaning into the seat.

"I wanted to tell you about my day with Jesse!" She said, smiling.

I was too busy thinking about getting a job that I forgot Bambi's​ day with Jesse. My face lit up, "Tell me about it!"

"Okay, so, I was nervous as hell at the beginning. Damn, I was turning red, like, every five minutes, but then, I started warming up to him when I saw that he was extremely funny, he wasn't even trying to be.. And for the whole day, I didn't even think of him once as a bad boy!" She was smiling widely now, I was wondering if her cheeks weren't hurting.

"You see, girl? It wasn't bad.. what did you two talk about?"

"And you know that was another funny thing. It was all just random stuff.. and just talking about ourselves-"

"In other words, you were getting to know each other better."

"Well.." She smiled, shrugging

"Aw, take a look at you." I teased, playfully poking her in the shoulder.

.................

Everyone seemed uninterested in class today. Somewhere at the back, I heard someone smack a bubblegum. I rolled my eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time that minute.

Boring class, yeah?

I looked down at the paper Tanner just slid in front of me and smiled. Did he really send that?

The thing was, I'd expected that after yesterday, things might be awkward between us and be might not want to say anything to me. Well, he didn't talk, but at least, he found a way to communicate with me. And so I wrote back.

Extremely boring. I can't stop looking down at my watch.

I passed the paper back, trying not to smile, so Mrs Martinez didn't suspect anything. It didn't take long before I saw the paper back in front of me.

Don't you just hate it when the most boring classes take forever to end?

I let out a small chuckle and just as I was about to reply, I heard Mrs Martinez say, "That's it for today, class. I see you all enjoyed the lesson. Don't forget your test coming up this week!" And she walked out of the class.

I didn't know if I was to turn to Tanner to say something, but I knew I shouldn't bother when he said already, "She actually thought we enjoyed the class." A small smile played on his lips.

"I wish." I chuckled a bit.

He looked at me for a while,"Hey."

"Hi." I replied, turning red a bit.

.................

I was walking to the cafeteria hours later. My tummy was rumbling and I needed to have something to eat quick, but I wanted to get to my locker. As I walked, I caught the sight of the chestnut brown hair that looked all so familiar. That was Chanel! She was talking to the guy I remembered Darren introduced as Todd, and then, she looked up at Darren to smile at him. I remembered what happened on Friday​ and I felt terrible. I had to apologize and so I walked up to them.

"Hey guys." I smiled as I reached them.

"What's up?" Todd and Jake replied while Chanel smiled.

I looked at Darren, smiling, "Hi. Can I see you for a few minutes?"

"Yeah. Sure." He smiled as he moved away from his friends who walked to the cafeteria. "What's up? Are you okay?"

I sighed,"Yes, Darren.. Look, I'm really​sorry about Friday, I-"

"Hey.. hey. It's okay.. he was meant to take you home and-"

"No, he actually-"

"I understand, Mackenzie." He smiled.

Why was he so understanding?

"Yeah?" I looked at him.

"Yes. It's okay," he smiled again,"Are you ready for lunch? We could, uh, go together."

"I was actually going to get to my locker, but I'd see you later, for sure." I told him.

"Alright." He nodded, smiling as he walked away.

I continued the journey to my locker, humming softly as I walked, but it wasn't long before I stopped dead in my tracks. I took two steps back and looked into the classroom by my right. I blinked hard as I looked at the two people in the corner of the class, practically swallowing each other up. The girls hands were wrapped around his neck and his hands were tightly circled around her waist.

Lenore? And no. Not Edward.

Who the hell was that guy? I shook my head. Why would Lenore do this to Edward?

The question rang in my head till I sat down for lunch with Bambi.

"Bambi, you wouldn't believe what I just saw." I said in disbelief.

"What?" Bambi took a sip of her Dr Pepper.

"I just saw Lenore with some... guy!"

"Uh-"

"A guy that wasn't Edward."

"What? That's impossible!"

"I swear, I saw them.. they were kissing like they were... Ugh, Bambi! You know what I mean."

"No, Kenzi.. it's impossible, because that's Lenore there." She pointed to Lenore who was sitting beside Edward, talking to Jesse and Tanner, and was planting kisses on Edward's lips from time to time.

"What? I don't even get it. I can bet it was Lenore."

"You must have taken her for someone else.."

"Maybe." I shrugged, still full of doubt.

.................

After school, I stood in front of my locker, packing my books. It looked like I was gonna walk home today, but that'd be good. It would give me the chance to search for a place to get a job.

"Hey Kenzi!" I spun around at the voice of Ryan. He walked to me, smiling.

"Ryan... Wow. I never thought I'd see you again."

"What do you mean?" He smiled, looking confused.

"Are you seriously ​asking me that, Ryan?" I asked, voice clipped with anger.

"I don't understand, Kenzi-"

"Where have you been?"

"Ken-"

"You don't even know Bambi and I anymore! You're always busy now, busy then... And somehow, I'm already used to you not being around and it's not meant to be!"

"Look, Kenzi, I'm really sorry. I swear I am.. I haven't forgotten you or Bambi. It won't ever happen-"

"Are you sure? Because I'm not. So fix everything. Everything, Ryan." I took my bag and angrily walked out of the school building.

"Kenzi-" Ryan called as he followed me out, his eyes pleading.

"You heard me, Ryan"

"What do you want me to do?"

"You've got to be kidding me, do you actually think Bambi and I have not noticed? Do you think we're actually think we're blind that we don't see you and whoever that girl is?-"

"Kenzi, if it's about Brooke, there's nothing I can do about it."