Ex Best Friend Benefits

Chapter 1: The One Who Got Away

It felt nice to have something to look forward to each morning―I had forgotten what it felt like. Until the move.

At first it was unpacking the first week; helping mum put things where they ought to be, exploring every inch of the house and getting lost in daydreams about how I expected my life here to be.

When I had told mum that I needed a change of environment, I meant that, and not just something to reassure her. Even if the change of environment came in the form and shape of a house stuffy from the amount of time air passages had been shut, I appreciated it.

Now, everywhere was a bit airier, the smell of paint was less and my newfound optimism still burning. I believed that this was a new slate to my life, the excuse I'd been looking for to change and this gave the pessimistic part of me a reason to call me a clown.

Mum had told me to "go make some friends around the block" a week ago and I found it cute how she thought I was suddenly an extrovert after a drive across states.

I didn't push myself to make new friends; the neighbours that visited was enough socialization for me. However, I found something else to do that I actually enjoyed.

The morning runs.

I gathered up the morale to start it a week and several mum persuasions later after we got here. Honestly, I had thought that after 3 days or something I would get discouraged but still mark it off as things I'd finally done but it's been a little 3 weeks now and I haven't missed a single day.

Even if I did nothing else with my life the whole summer break, this was enough to make me feel productive. And it was great to always have something to look forward to.

Like I had looked forward to my new school but now I wasn't so sure anymore.

The pessimist won for now; life wasn't suddenly going to be great because we moved stuff to a new place. Who was I kidding?

The morning run had helped me blow off some nerves, but it was still there. I honestly didn't know what to expect from mingling with strange people. I always used to have expectations, and all of them never met up, so thinking that this would be a great start would surely hit me back in the face. I rather think the worst and get (not) disappointed that it didn't come through since the universe always seemed to give me the opposite of what I wanted.

"Sarah, you'll be late!" Mum shouted from the kitchen and I groaned slightly. "Come eat breakfast."

"It's 6:43, mum." I sighed after looking at my phone on my way out my room. "Sure I'm not going to be late."

It used to physically hurt me to be up so early but it got better after my morning run routine, where I had to wake up earlier than usual so I could be back before light broke. The fact I woke up by 4 and got back in time to already be prepared by now should say something.

The light smell of coffee hit my nose when I got into the kitchen. Mum at the kitchen island was sketching something into her smaller iPad, still in her sleepwear: a sauce stained yellow t-shirt and a non-matching pajama trouser. Paired with her extremely messy bed hair.

What a beautiful sight.

"How's it going?" I asked, slipping into a high stool by the island we'd just gotten recently.

Mum sighed, pausing her drawing to rotate her neck. "Will meet the deadline at this rate."

"You know, I do take it personally when you don't give me spoilers," I complained, taking my time to savor the taste of the eggs. Mum had 2 webtoons out and completed and was working on a third one.

And only once or twice had she given me spoilers in all. Being her daughter and plot helper, I expected a little preferential treatment but no, I had to sneakily read the next episodes before it was released.

"Here's one that'll break you; Rufus died." Mum smirked.

My fork dropped to my plate. "You're lying. You're just saying that to get me off your back."

She stood and stretched, looking too happy for someone who ruined my entire day. "I'll go get ready now. Be done eating before I'm done."

It took a minute before I came back to it and I called out. "Mum, you were lying, right?"

30 minutes later, mum pulled into a free parking space on my new school grounds. I looked out the window and the first people I saw were a group of about 4 girls coming out of a pretty smooth looking ride. They were all dressed so prettily too.

Depressing.

"Honey? You okay?" Mum asked and I tore my eyes away from them.

"A little nervous to be honest." Lies. I was a whole lot more nervous again and I tried so hard to hide my shaking hands from her.

"Won't lie, first days are always terrifying; I would know." Mum sighed and I subtly raised a brow at her. "But I promise, it'll get better."

Or get worse. And just keep getting worse.

"Yeah, I would know." I teased with a smile before pushing the car door open. "Thanks, mum. See you later."

"Wishing you a nice day." She called after me as I closed the door and I sighed.

I'm wishing me a nice day too.

In 5 minutes, I was standing beside my homeroom class, trying to control my breathing. Come on, Sarah! Where's the optimism?

Conjuring up fake courage, I walked in. There were a few students already there and I instantly regretted my decision. Should I have gone to my homeroom teacher first? I should've gone to my homeroom teacher first.

I spotted an empty desk and made my way towards it, ignoring the stares I felt and desperately wishing the desk was an unoccupied seat. I couldn't have anyone talking to me just yet and because I took their seat. People could be pretty possessive even in new sessions.

"New face, aren't you?" A voice spoke up and I internally groaned. I really wasn't ready to socialize so soon.

I faced the speaker and my eyes met probably the prettiest girl I'd seen since we moved here. Her brown hair was in soft curls and combined with her plump face it gave her an adorable innocence.

"Yeah, I am." I tried my best to keep my voice at a polite level. Without control, it usually came off rude without me meaning to.

She smiled and deep dimples appeared on both her cheeks. "You can sit here, no one's taken it yet."

There was an empty seat in front of her and honestly, that spot wasn't what I'd normally go with, I was aiming at a chair by the window where it was easier to tune out by looking out. This seat, however, was smack in the middle of the class, nowhere to lean on, nowhere to look. Vulnerable.

But I was the new girl, and this was a chance to make a new friend, maybe; even though I'd planned to observe everyone for a while. I can't be picky here, I planned to make this move a fresh start.

All these thoughts all because a girl asked me to sit in front of her.

"Thanks." I tried at a smile as I took off my bag and slipped into the chair. I heard her chair scrape forward and then she was talking to me.

"I'm Amber-Rose, call me either but never both."

I turned slightly to her. "Sarah."

"I'll show you around later." She said like she was making a reservation. "Remember, I asked first, a lot of people would try to later."

I smiled, she seemed nice and the type of niceness that doesn't give off weird vibes.

Those girls I'd seen in the parking lot earlier walked into the class, smiling at people and looking overall genuine.

"That's Tara and co," Amber filled me in, moving her chair closer. "Everyone pretends to find them annoying but never to their face. Sure they would join their clique in a heartbeat."

"So... the mean girls of this school?" I mentally rolled my eyes. I came from a small town so we had that hierarchy thing in school because people didn't know there was a life outside the town borders. However, in a big city like this, I would've thought no one gave a s**t.

"Not so much." Amber laughed so softly. "The only mean one's Doris, the brunette in a yellow top."

I looked to see Doris pushing a chair back to sit in, she had this scary resting b***h face going on and I made a mental note to not cross paths with her.

"Not someone I'd like to mess with." I admitted.

"Trust me, really not."

I smiled, a little bit giddy inside. This had to be the first closest to a friend I've made in a long time. Even though I made a mental note in my angry moments to stay away from potential friends because the last one I had messed me up, it still felt nice.

"Nate, man! Look at you!"

My breath hitched.

Some boys started making a hell lot of a ruckus, blocking the entrance and preventing me from seeing who they were talking to.

Nate? It can't be, of course, people share names. It's some other random guy.

And by the way, the Nate I knew wouldn't make these types of wild-haired friends. Nah, their fuckboi images didn't fit at all into the type of friends Nate would make. It wouldn't...

I saw him.

His hair was definitely due for a cut, dirty blond curls a mess on his head. This wasn't Nate. No way puberty hit him this good.

"Ugh, that's Nathaniel Chambers." Amber filled in as my eyes were still fixed on him. "No one can still recover from his extreme glow up even if it's been a few years like, damn, scrawny Nate became most wanted Nate."

Scrawny Nate. The name seemed to have followed him everywhere.

Maybe it was because I was staring too much but Nate's eyes met mine and I froze.

It was the same grey eyes.

That was my runaway best friend right there.