A Million Reasons

I sat in a patio chair, eating some chips that were set out on the table in front of me as the boys lit up the barbecue and set out more chairs, I got up to help when John walked in, hand in hand with Lauren, which I quickly averted my eyes from and continued setting out chairs and other foods onto the table. Everyone shouted quick greetings before going back to whatever they were doing prior. John spotted me and smiled widely before waving, as did Lauren. I waved at the couple, feeling a small churning in my stomach.

After the food was put on the barbecue, everyone set down, chatting with each other. I happened to be sitting next to Jared, who was talking to Kennedy on his other side.

I didn't notice I was staring at the lovebirds until Jared nudged me with his elbow, shaking me out of my trance. "Hmm?" I mused as I slowly turned my head to look at him.

He furrowed his eyebrows before hesitantly questioning, "What's up?"

"What- nothing, what's up with you?" I stuttered slightly. He obviously wasn't convinced, and wasn't going to be dropping the subject any time soon.

"Macy.." He started slowly, before moving his gaze over to where mine had been a few seconds before.

He looked back at me "You-"

"Don't, I know what you're going to say." I groaned a little.

"Just be careful." He said before turning his head to continuing his conversation with Kennedy.

I quickly looked one more time before tearing my eyes away and quickly walking in side to get a drink. I bent down, looking through the fridge, before deciding on lemonade and just as I stood up, I noticed another figure standing in the doorway.

She smiled and walked in more. "Hello." she said as she walked over to me and sweetly gestured that she needed to get to the fridge. I moved over as she grabbed two beers and shut the fridge door. "So, I know we haven't really met, but I'm Lauren." She smiled (yet again) and put out her hand for me to shake. I grabbed it and couldn't help but smile at how kind she was.

"Macy, Jared's stepsister."

"Yes, I've heard lots about you." She laughed.

"All good things?" I questioned lightly.

"Of course." she laughed again, "I had better get back out there." She said, gesturing towards the bottles in her hand.

"Yeah, me too."

"Maybe we could meet up some time, over coffee or something? I'd love to learn more about you."

"Yeah, definitely." I said, feeling a bit guilty. She smiled and walked back out to where John was sitting, handing him a beer. Her being nice only made it harder for me to dislike her. I sighed before joining them all on the patio.

______________________________________________________________

It wasn't until I got another call from my mother that I realized that John and his too-sweet-to-be-true girlfriend were the least of my problems.

I pressed the 'answer' button before putting the phone to my ear, bracing myself for whatever was about to come.

"Sweetie!" She exclaimed way too happily.

"Hi mom."

"How are you? How's Jared? Are you doing okay?" She questioned enthusiastically.

"Good, great, fine. What's wrong with you?" I didn't mean to sound so harsh but if there was one person that I couldn't hide my true feelings from, it was my mother.

I could imagine the slight frown that graced her lips as she said, "Nothing's wrong. I'm just happy, is that such a bad thing?" I could tell that I ruined most of the good mood she had seconds ago.

"No, just what's going on? What's causing this great mood?" I questioned, trying to sound nicer.

"I got a new job!" She exclaimed.

"Wow mom, that's gre-" I stopped, realizing what direction this was heading in, "Mom.. Where?"

She sighed, "Honey, I was going to tell you sooner, but you wouldn't answer your phone-"

"Mom." I warned "Where is this new job."

At first, she said nothing, then she said too much. "France."

My stomach dropped. Just as I thought this would be the call beckoning me home, it was the exact opposite.

"Honey, listen, I know this is probably hard for you to hear, but I can't help it, you know this is my passion, and it also pays for everything you have, I have called your school and told them that you have moved away for now and will be enrolling in a school-"

"Mom! You can't honestly think that I'm going to stay with Jared for the rest of the school year, I can't, I have friends, a home, a life, I can't live here forever, and you can't leave forever."

"Macy, stop that right now, I'm sorry that this has to happen this way, but it is out of my hands, I need this job, and I can't keep excusing you from school, you will be staying with Jared for a while, and that is that. I am getting your things sent to you and I will put money in your bank account until you get a job, which you will. I have already okayed this with Jared, and he was more than happy to let you stay, he gave me the same goddamn mouthful that you're giving me now. I promise that I will see you sooner than you think, I love you dearly, you know that right?"

Sometimes, I didn't though, I felt more like a burden then anything. I couldn't say what I felt though, mostly because I was on the verge of crying and I couldn't let my mother hear that, so I said what was easiest. "Yeah mom, I love you too." and with that we said our good-bye-i'll-see-you-in-a-few-months' and I hung up the phone. I flung by body onto my bed, silently crying into my pillow before getting up to go to the bathroom for some tissue.

I ran into a small body as I walked into the bathroom, knocking me back a couple of steps.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry, are you okay?" I tried to hide my bloodshot eyes, but I knew it was Lauren.

"Yeah I'm fine." I said before quickly trying to pass her and go into the bathroom.

"Macy?" She said quietly.

"Mhm." I mumbled, still keeping my head down.

"What's wrong."

"Nothing, I'm fin-"

"Macy, I can tell you aren't fine, just tell me what's wrong." So I did, and she listened, and she didn't even say anything until the end.

"Macy, you'll be fine, I'll show you around and you'll make new friends, you can still stay in contact with your old ones, honestly, I look at this as an opportunity." She smiled.

"How is that?" I questioned, finally looking at her.

"You can have new experiences, new friends. You have me and all of the guys, this will be a new beginning." I smiled at her gratefully. She embraced me in a big hug.

Who would have thought that Lauren, they girl who is dating my crush, would be comforting me and offering to be my friend. Shit.