5

When I come back home on Sunday morning, my whole family is definitely shocked to see how different I look, but all I can think about is my throbbing headache. Just how much did I drink at that party? My mother was a bit upset I didn't tell her about the changes I had planned to make and she kept pestering me with all sorts of questions about my new friends and Jessi.

I spent the day in my room attempting to catch up on homework and resting.. and hiding. No such luck with Vanessa sitting in our room all after noon.

"You got drunk last night… didn't you?" She accuses with a giggle. "Shut up Vanessa!" I snap.

I throw a pillow her direction without looking. It falls short of her and lands on the floor. I can't be bothered picking it up so I leave it. "Don't worry, I won't tell mom and dad.. maybe" She laughs and walks out, slamming the door much louder than necessary.

Monday morning English Class, I take my seat next to Liz. She looks awfully upset, I don't know if it's any of my business to ask what the matter is. Or would I be a bad friend if I didn't? I decide to wait until the end of class, she doesn't speak much except for polite, forced chit chat. I decide to work up the nerve to ask her. "Liz, are you ok? You can trust me if you want to tell me what's wrong!"

"It's that whore-face Jamie!" Liz hisses. "She knew how much I liked John, yet she didn't even bother to respect that on Saturday night at all… She said she can't help it that he likes her better… Still doesn't make it ok for her to hurt me like that!" Liz looks like she's about to cry. I don't have any words of wisdom to offer on such a situation.

"I guess, sometimes our good friends just aren't the people we thought they were" I mutter, glancing over at Jessi who's striding down the hall in a hurry with her books. I can't believe she hasn't reacted to the situation on Saturday night at all. Nothing!

At our lunch table, Jamie sits on one end of the table, opposite me, eating her lunch without hardly saying a word. Liz sits on my side of the table, also not saying anything much. Mara and Maria are trying to liven up the conversation. The tension makes me so nervous I can hardly eat.

John Rosen approaches the table, before he can even say a word, Liz storms off from the table and outside somewhere. Mara and Maria chase after her. I'm simply dumbfounded by what just happened, I sit alone and silently still looking backwards and forwards between Jamie & John. " I wish she'd stop running off like that." John tells neither of us in particular. " I just have to explain the other night." "She won't listen to me for me to tell her either" Jamie sighs.

"Wait, hold on.. What the hell are you talking about!" I know it's none of my business, however my recent boldness has even surprised myself. "John and I both regret what happened at George Weiss's party. We were both drinking and made a mistake. Liz likes John and I should have respected that…" "And I really like Liz, so I wish I hadn't blown it like that.. No offence Jamie." John interrupts. "Let me guess? Now she want's nothing to do with either of you?" I throw in.

"Exactly.! Maybe, Mallory.. could you sorta try to talk to her.. for me?" Jamie seems genuinely sorry. I should try to help. "Ok, I'll try to speak to her in private later.. But I can't promise anything". I have no idea if Liz will believe them, or if she'll be angry at me for believing them and then trying to convince her to do the same.

When I'm not nervous about speaking to Liz, the rest of my day I'm confidant and excited. My hair is still strait from the weekend and I'm even wearing make up on a school day. A lot of people have been staring at me, shocked as if they are unsure if it's really me or not.

I find Liz walking alone with her head downwards and arms crossed after school. "Wait up Liz!" I shout after her. She looks up, as if snapping out of another world and stops for me to catch up to her. She doesn't smile or say anything, she just lowers her head again and continues walking. I really don't know why I agreed to involve myself in this situation in the first place, it's none of my business after all.

"Liz, Jamie and John spoke to me after you left at lunch today." I tell her, casually trying to hide the nervousness in my voice. "I'm sorry Mallory, but I don't need to hear anything either of them had to say!" She says, not looking up from the concrete again.

"I really, really think you do want to hear what they said." I plead. "Fine..?" She stops walking and looks up at me with her hand on her hip. "Jamie and John said Saturday night was a huge mistake, which wouldn't have happened if they weren't drunk. Jamie said she knows how much you like him and she's so sorry."

Liz narrows her eyes and frowns sceptically at me. "Is that all they had to say for themselves?" She doesn't seem impressed. "John said he really, really likes you and if this mistake means he never has a chance with you, he will never forgive himself." Liz quickly begins walking again, face down and sniffling. I decide not to chase after her. "Don't take my word for it, Liz. I think you need to talk to them when you're ready." I call out behind her, then turn back and make my journey home in the opposite direction.