Chapter 1

"Why the hell do you hang out with a douche like him?" Equius asked for the hundredth time. He never understood why a sweet girl like Nepeta would enjoy being around a pretentious, self-centered, jerk like Eridan.
"He's not as bad as you make him out to be," Nepeta argued. "Maybe if you talked to him for once you'd understand..."
"Why would I talk to the guy who beat up Karkat just because he was gay!?" Equius explained.
"YOU KNOW DARN WELL THAT WASN'T THE SITUATION AT ALL!" Nepeta was furious now. "IF ALL YOU'RE GOING TO DO IS BAD MOUTH MY FRIEND THEN I'M SITTING SOMEWHERE ELSE FROM NOW ON!"
"Fine..." Equius didn't want her to leave the lunch table. If she did he's be left alone with Aradia, Sollux, and Karkat. It was bad enough Aradia and Sollux we're almost always making out. "I'll stop bad mouthing him. Just don't leave."
Nepeta didn't talk to Equius much more during lunch that day.

She went through the rest of her classes until the final bell rang. Her locker was right next to Feferi's. She's the cheerleading captain. She had beautiful, long, caramel hair.
"I still don't understand why you won't join the cheerleading squad," Feferi said to Nepeta. "You're extremely flexible, not to mention pretty."
"Oh I'm not pretty Fef..." Nepeta mumbled. She always blushed when people complemented her.
"Like shoosh you aren't," Feferi was always strong willed; never changed her mind on anything. "Well, I'll see you on Sunday."
"Yeah, see ya," Nepeta waved goodbye. She was just a small girl, dark brown hair. She never really considered herself to be much.
She pulled the hood of her blue jacket up. It had little cat ears on it. She loved cats ever since she got her pet kitty Jaspers when she was 7. Nepeta was now 15. Sunday was her Sweet 16. She didn't want a big party, but her mother insisted on it.
Nepeta was just exiting the school when Eridan walked up behind her, putting his arm around her shoulder. "Some day, me and you will be driving out of here in style," he said in his usual cocky way.
Nepeta pushed his arm off and started walking towards her house. Eridan lived a couple blocks away from Nepeta's house, in what the town called the "rich neighborhood".
Eridan had rich, blond hair with a chuck of purple in his bangs, which her always slicked back a bit. He always seemed to put so much time into that precious hair of his. He worse these think, back rimmed hipster glasses, even though he didn't need them.
"So when's the party?" Eridan grew up with Nepeta, due to the fact their mother's were in a book club together while they were both pregnant.
"Sunday at 5," Nepeta informed. "It's a pool party."
"Sweet. Will Fef be there?"
"Yeah," Nepeta had known Feferi since kindergarten. Feferi grew into a different friend group, but thanks to having similar classes they never really grew apart.
"Hey," Eridan could always tell when something was wrong with Nepeta. "Something wrong, Nep?"
"Equius was bad mouthing you again during lunch..." Nepeta hated the fact that Equius and Eridan never got along.

"You'd think that guy would lay off," Eridan never showed that he cared that much for Equius. "What happened? I mean, we met because we were both protecting you from bullies in elementary school."
"You're the one with the answer. You two both went to a different middle school than me," Nepeta explained. "What happened while you guys were there and why will you never tell me?"
Equius and Eridan went to a different middle school than Nepeta. She always stayed in touch and it seemed like nothing happened between the two during that time, but when they all came to high school there was a change. Equius and Eridan avoided each other. Equius was always open about how much he disliked Eridan, but Eridan never showed that he truly disliked Equius. Everytime Nepeta would ask them what happened neither would answer. Eridan played it off like nothing happened and Equius would just go silent.
"I don't know, Nep," Eridan looked away.
"Why do you two do this!?" Nepeta stopped walking; she curled her hands into fists. "Why am I excluded from this!?"
"Look, Nep-"
"NO! I DON'T NEED ANOTHER LAME EXCUSE!" Nepeta exclaimed. Tears began to form in her eyes. She started running. Eridan caught her by the wrist before she could get too far past him and he pulled her into a hug.

"Nep…" Eridan began. "We just want to protect you from what happened. Equius and I have different views on what happened and we don't want to make you choose between us. I'm sorry it's eating you up."

Nepeta pushed him off. "I said no more lame excuses…" She turned and walked home alone.