*Willow's POV*
This is the worst day of my fucking life.
"But they can't do that!" Vern protested.
"Yes they can," Chris said with a sigh.
"This sucks balls," Jayme stated, crossing her arms over her chest.
Gordie, Chris, Teddy, Vern, Jayme, Paige, and I. All seven of us were there. All seven of us were there when they tore the treehouse down.
We begged and pleaded, trying to explain how much the treehouse meant to us. How we had smoked and played cards up there for years, our friendships slowly building as we became a gang. How the treehouse was where Teddy and I had our first real kiss, where Gordie realized Paige was more than just my little sister, and where Chris told Jayme he loved her. We begged them to have a heart, but the construction workers just shook their heads and said, "Sorry, kids," and then took out their chainsaws and started hacking away at the tree.
Our arms were loaded with all the stuff that used to be in the treehouse: playing cards, our smokes, girly magazines, my guitar, the table and stools we used to play cards, etc.
With a large roar, the chainsaw met the trunk of the tree and ripped through the wood, making the entire thing shake. It kept at it until, with a splintering crack, the tree tipped over and our treehouse was smashed to smithereens.
The seven of us stared sadly, silently at the pile of woo that is now our treehouse.
Construction workers spanned out, chopping down more trees to make room for a parking lot. That's right. They destroyed our treehouse to build a fucking parking lot.
"Come on, guys," Paige murmured, sadly, tugging at mine and Gordie's arms.
"Let's go," Jayme agreed and one-by-one, we left for our houses.
Teddy and I walked side-by-side to our homes with Paige trailing behind, neither of us saying anything. What was there to say?
When we approached our houses, Teddy kissed me on the cheek and murmured, "See you tomorrow," before heading inside.
Xxx"I hate my life," Jayme announced as she came stomping up to the counter at Blue Point Diner for her shift. "So much. I mean it."
"Uh-oh. What happened?" I asked.
"Maddie happened."
"Oh God. What did she do?"
Ever since last year, Maddie and Jayme have been having a—what's the word?—fued. It started off with petty little arguments and nasty remarks like Maddie calling Jayme a slut and Jayme reminding Maddie that she's bitter and alone. I never thought it would get any more serious than that until Jayme took out the big guns—bragging about how she and Chris slept together and mocking Maddie about how she never got that far. So Maddie turned around and told Jayme's dad what Jayme said, who got grounded and temporarily banned from seeing Chris. Then, when her punishment was lifted, Jayme told Maddie's parents about how their perfect daughter wanted to have sex with Chris at fourteen, which ultimately got her grounded. Correction, locked away in her room.
Now it was Maddie's turn to retaliate.
She invited my dad and Chris and me to dinner last night…so we could meet her new boyfriend!"
"Her new boyfriend? Hold on. Isn't she still grounded?" I asked.
"No! Because according to Aunt Melinda and Uncle Roger, their precious Maddie can do no wrong! GOD, I HATE MY LIFE!" she screamed, making everyone in the diner stare.
"Okay, you need to calm down," I said.
"Yes. And both of you nee to get to work!" Bertie cried.
"Sorry," we quickly apologized and actually did our jobs, saving the gossiping for when our shifts were over.
So now the two of us are walking back to my house, the August sun beating down on our heads.
"So are you going to tell me what happened?" I asked.
Jayme sighed before she started to explain: "So my dad, Chris, and I show up at Maddie's house for dinner when who should answer the door? Jamie Gallant, with Maddie hanging all over him and batting her eyelashes and flipping her hair in that annoying way."
"Gag me," I said, shoving a finger down my throat. "I just can't believe someone as cool and badass as Jamie Gallant would go out with someone as shallow and annoying as Maddie."
"I know. And throughout the entire evening, she laughed at everything Jamie said and made googly eyes at him and everything. She even made this remark about us having the same name. I believe her exact words were: 'That's so funny! Sort of like you have a boy's name, huh, Jay? Cuz that's so un-feminine, you know? It sort of fits!'"
"Bitch."
"Tell me about it. And to make it even worse, I asked Chris what he though about my name and he got all quiet and fidgety."
"Uh-oh."
"So I told him to tell me the truth and he told me he didn't like it, but he was trying to be nice about it, you know?" I nodded. "And I asked why and do you know what that tool said? That he doesn't like my name because when he tells people he's dating a girl named Jayme they either think that he's gay or I'm imaginary."
I giggled.
"Willow! It isn't funny!"
"It kind of is, dude."
"You're not the one with a dude's name. God, what was my dad thinking when he named me?"
"He probably wanted a boy."
"WIL! NOT HELPING!"
"Sorry."
"I fucking hate Maddie. It's her fault Chris and I are fighting. She's evil," Jayme said as we reached my house.
"Hey, you don't have to convince me. I know she's evil," I pointed out. We walked inside to find Paige and Gordie making out on the couch.
"Oh, gross!" Jayme yelled.
"Jesus Christ, if you two are that jacked up on hormones then I'll just rent you a motel room," I offered, getting ice cream out of the fridge.
"Thanks, Wil," Gordie replied, sarcastically.
"No problem. Just don't get her pregnant."
"GUYS!" Paige moaned.
"What? I'm just trying to help you out! You don't want to be pregnant for your first year of high school, do you?" I teased.
"UGH!" She stormed upstairs and Gordie shot me a death glare before following her, calling, "Paige! Don't be mad!"
"God, where is her sense of humor?" I asked, laughing.
"Maybe you're just not funny," she replied.
"Ooh, ouch."
"Sorry. This whole thing with Chris is still bugging me."
"Then go talk to him about it, retard."
"Do you think I should?"
"GO!"