"Where are you going?"

"Oh, I'm going to coffee with a friend," my mom tells me as she puts her phone in her purse, "Karen Montez, from church."

Montez. Gabriella Montez. That's her full name. I like it.

And now my mom was going to coffee with her? What for? It's not like she needs more friends. My mom has plenty of those. And it's 5 in the afternoon, why isn't she still at work like she usually is? I have so many questions. One of them being why I'm actually here if she's going off with her friends.

"Mom, I came over so we can have dinner together like you wanted to a couple nights this week and now you're off to coffee with some lady you just met."

"Troy," she sighed, "don't be like that. I'll be back in a couple of hours, I can grab us some take out or something."

Yeah, no, thanks. I don't know. I didn't even want to come to Newport today and I did it for her and now she's leaving me by myself.

She left and I took out my phone and called my best friend Morgan who lives a couple of blocks over from me.

I asked if she wanted to grab some food or something since I was hungry and to be honest, I was kind of mad at my mom. Sure, this was a surprise visit but she told me to come any day of the week so I did. I chose Monday, thinking she would have nothing going on whatsoever and what do you know?

She's off to coffee. Which will probably take hours.

Morgan said she'd pick me up in about 10 minutes so I just waited for her.

And when she came, I hopped in her car and reclined my chair back right away. I was so tired.

"What's up with you?" she asks.

"Nothing," I tell her as I close my eyes, "my mom's just being annoying. She tells me to come over and have dinner with her and I do and she's off to coffee with some lady she just met and I have no idea why. It's freaking Monday, shouldn't she be at work or something?"

Morgan's that friend that doesn't always agree with you or what you're saying, but she'll still listen and let you vent. She's also that friend that will tell you when you're wrong or when you're acting stupid.

I mean, she's been my friend since we were in diapers. Literally. Her mom and my mom are the best of friends. The absolute best. So I grew up with her.

She's another sister to me and although, she can be a pain in the ass sometimes, we're always there for each other. Always. And sure, she's beautiful and everything, but no. No romantic connection at all. So weird. It will seriously be like dating my sister. And yeah, that's way too weird for me.

"Well, Troy, that's how you make friends," she tells me turning left onto PCH, "you hang out with them and get to know them."

"I know, Morg," I roll my eyes, "I don't know. I'm suddenly trying here and she's... not."

"Oh my gosh, she's ditched you once. Calm down, you're overreacting."

Maybe I am. Yeah. Maybe I'm just mad that my sister isn't coming home this weekend after all and I'm taking it out on my mom. I was really looking forward to her coming this weekend because I miss her.

Yeah, maybe I should lighten up a little bit. "Sorry, Sam just bailed and it's like, when you think things are getting better, it just stops."

Morgan frowns. She knows everything. She's been through everything with me and she thinks I'm dumb and there's better ways of handling shit, but she's still here for me regardless. And I love her for that. Jason's my brother and she's my sister and there's no way I could have gotten through this without them.

"Well, she's busy. And it's not like Santa Barbara is ten minutes away from here."

"I know," I tell her, "it just all used to be so simple."

"But that's life," she continues, "it changes. There are so many families out there that are broken. With divorced parents. You're not the first one. So stop acting like it's the end of the world. At least you still have them."

She's right. But at the same time, like, my family was perfect. We all never fought, we'd have Sunday night dinners as a family, we'd go to parties together, we'd celebrate Christmas all over the top. We'd laugh and have movie nights. Seriously. We were the perfect family.

Then one day, it's gone. Like that.

And I just so badly wish that it can just all go back to the way it was.

"Morgan, this isn't what I had in mind when I asked if you wanted to grab some food," I pretty much whine like a girl as she rummages through some clothes at Brandy Melville.

"I'm done," she tells me, stepping away, "I just wanted to check it out. I'm always down for some new clothes."

I rolled my eyes and we walked out of there and headed towards Yardhouse. I didn't necessarily want to be here at the mall but she just drove us here and whatever, there are a ton of places to eat here. Like Yardhouse. It's delicious. And it's here. So I guess we're killing two birds with one stone.

We walked by some more stores and of course Morgan popped into one.

Not me. I waited outside for her as she looked through some more clothes. Clothes she didn't need.

I sat down on a bench and took out my phone and saw that I had a couple of text messages. One was from my mom asking me to tell her if I wanted her to grab anything for dinner. Another was from Jason asking about some homework. And the last one was from a girl named Brianna.

Who I hooked up with about a month ago.

And she was asking me if I wanted to hang out. No. That was a one time thing, unfortunately. She's nice and all, but nah, I'm off girls.

I replied to them all, making up some bullshit excuse for Brianna and then put my phone back in my pocket. And the minute I looked up, I saw none other than Gabriella Montez.

In the flesh.

Walking with her friend, Sophie. And sipping on some lemonade.

And they were coming my way. Shit. Shit. Shit. Do I say hi? Do I look away and pretend not to see them or what?

As they were approaching, Morgan comes out squealing about something and comes running up to me, pulling me up. "Oh my gosh, I finally found what I've been looking for, for the past 2 months! This is so exciting, Troy. SO FREAKING EXCITING!"

Sophie, I don't think recognized me, and she was on the phone so she didn't pay much attention to the squealing, but Gabriella sure saw.

She was staring right at us.

"Ahhh, I'm so stoked right now!" she hugs me and dances around.

"Okay, calm down," I tell her quietly.

She composes herself and agrees with me and then marches back into the store. and when I look around to find Gabriella again, she's gone. I look the other way, and there she was walking away with Sophie, her back to me. Did she not recognize me? Or maybe she just didn't want to say hi? Right? Maybe she couldn't make my face out since Morgan was all over me. I don't know. I would have said hi to her. She did save me Saturday night, after all.

Morgan finally came out of the store a couple of minutes later carrying a bag, "I'm sorry, I've been looking for these shoes for the past 2 months. They never had my size or they were sold out and I can't buy them online and it's such a big moment for me, Troy."

"It's fine," I tell her, looking over to where Gabriella walked to, hoping maybe I'd see her again. But nope. She was gone.

"Are you okay?"

"What?" I shake it off, "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Let's go eat, please, I'm starving."

So we did. We walked over to Yardhouse and they took us in right away, seating us in a booth in the back. I texted my mom and told her I was grabbing dinner with Morgan so she's on her own for dinner and then I looked over at the menu and quickly decided on what I wanted... the steak.

Morgan took a little while to decide, like a typical girl.

And once the waitress came to take our drink order, we gave her our order as well.

"I'm sorry," Morgan apologizes again, "I know you probably just wanted to grab something at, like, Sol Cocina and had no interest in coming to the mall."

"Nah, it's fine," I lean back in the booth.

"You don't understand how happy I am right now, though. Seriously, two months of looking nonstop for these shoes!"

Well, I'm happy for her. I am. And I guess in a way it's good that we stopped because I got to see Gabriella. I didn't see her Sunday at church because my mom woke up with the worst headache so we didn't end up going.

It's not like I like her. I don't know this girl. But I am interested. She's drop dead gorgeous. Interested enough to get to know her? Nah, I've sworn off girls for the remainder of my senior year. But who says I can't have friends? Or you know, be around really pretty girls? Or just admire them from afar?

Seriously, today, she was wearing running shorts, a simple tank top and running shoes and her hair was pushed back in a pony tail and she looked better than most girls who get all done up. It was crazy.

It was crazy how someone can be that beautiful to me.

"Anyway," Morgan changes the subject, "can I set you up with someone? I feel like you'd hit it off with Roxy Adams."

"Roxy Adams?"

"Yes," she smiles, "she's pretty."

No, yeah, she is, but um no, thanks. "Why is everyone trying to set me up? I'm fine. I don't want to be set up. I don't want to date. I'm good." I really don't want to date. Last time it didn't end so well so yeah, I'm good. I pass.

Morgan sighed, "dating is a part of life, Troy. And so is getting cheated on. You pick yourself up and move on."

"Easy for you to say, you've never been cheated on so you don't know how it feels," I argue back, "plus, I think I have way too much going on in my fucked up life right now to romance a girl. I'd probably be the worst boyfriend ever right now, if we're being honest. Don't you think?"

"I don't think," she shrugs, "sure you've been hooking up with stupid girls here and there, but I know you're a relationship guy no matter how hot you are and no matter how many girls you can get."

It's not awkward that she just called me hot. That's how we are. It's how we've always been.

But she is right. "No, yeah, but I don't want to date. I just want to finish my senior year in peace and I don't know, I'll think about it in college."

"I don't know, I just thought that if you find someone you click with, you really like, it'll get easier for you. It did with Kenzie."

She has a point, but if I'm being honest, I don't think it's Kenzie that took the pain away. Sure, she helped play it down, but it was still there. My anger and resentment was still there. But she did make me forget about it a little bit.

So I get where she's coming from. "I know, but no, I do not want to be set up. I'm having a girl free senior year."

"So no hooking up with anyone?"

"Nope," I shake my head, "can't risk catching feelings."

"You suck."

Morgan loved playing matchmaker. It was her thing. She set up her best friend with her boyfriend and they've been together a year now. And she recently set up her other friend with this guy and they're going on four months now. So, yeah, I hate to be the one to break her track record, but I have to.

Whatever. Our drinks came and I changed the subject. I did not want to talk about this.