Chat [Instances of Thought]

"Meg," Jessica touched her shoulder softly as they watched Connor stumble out of the doors.

"C'mon, he-er-he doesn't really mean that, he's just having a tough time lately and he...Connor did plan on telling you about the notes, okay? Just not like this," Jacob awkwardly spoke up for his best friend as a small crowd began to gather around them.

Megan turned to him, shocked, "You knew about this!?"

"It wasn't my secret to tell!" he defended himself, looking at Jessica for help.

"H-how long?" Megan croaked, throat dry.

Jacob backed away, "Since forever, I suppose."

"Did you know about it too, Jess?" she asked quietly, tears threatening to drop from her eyes.

"What, no!" Jessica said, putting an arm around her. "Meg, let's just get out of here okay? We'll figure it out. Everything will be fi-"

Megan jerked free, "Everything won't be fine so don't try to say that. Leave me alone, please."

"I can't do that, I'm your best friend, I'm not leaving you," came the stubborn reply.

"Spare me the pity, Miss. Perfect," Megan retorted wildly. "You go live your happy little oblivious life with your troubled boyfriend who doesn't give a damn abut your friends, okay?"

Jessica looked as if she had been slapped but tried to stay calm, "If you're trying to push me away, this won't work."

"Excuse me, excuse me," Lobster pushed through the crowd. "What is happening here? What is the cause of this commotion? Aha, Mr. Lawson still upto his tricks, huh?"

He caught sight of Megan and Jessica too, "And Miss. Jackson, of course. Well, detention for the three of you."

"I already have lifelong detentions," Jacob quipped.

"He wasn't doing anything," Jessica butted in. "Seriously, you can let-"

"Are you telling me how to do my job, Miss. Summers? Your company seems to be affecting you. Might I add another detention to remind you of your place?"

Jessica reddened, "No, sir."

***

"Did you know about it too? Who all knew?" Meg asked quietly.

"No, of course not" Jessica replied. "Why would you think that?"

They were sitting in Jessica's house drinking tea that Mrs. Summers had immediately made, seeing their worried expressions as they had walked wordlessly into Jessica's room. The tea had done nothing to calm the situation. In fact, pretending to drink sips of the liquid might have actually worsened Megan's mood.

"Your boyfriend does tell you everything and he knew from the start!"

"My boyfriend has a name, Meg, and no he doesn't tell me everything so stop that tone that you're using with me. I'm as much in the dark as you and I will talk to Jacob about it but this isn't about me or him."

"If you're just going to make me feel worse, I'm going," she stood up, trying very hard to stop her lip from wobbling. She was going to cry and she hated feeling this weak in front of someone else. And that too because of a guy.

"Wait, stop, I'm sorry," Jessica caught her wrist.

Megan's voice was trembling now, "I don't know what has happened to you, Jess. You're either busy with your studies or with Jacob. In fact, no one ever seems to care about me. Everyone is just so...so busy with their own lives. Dad is busy with his job. All my friends hide stuff from me, Connor hates me now and everyone else thinks I'm a bitch. Not-not that I care but it just gets really tough sometimes. I'm just not important for anyone. Do you even know how that feels? It's just-"

Jessica stepped forward and hugged her best friend, "Megan, you're the most important person in the world for me. Always. I love you and you're the kind of best friend everyone wishes for. Connor doesn't hate you, not after everything. He likes you."

Megan was surprised by the hug but the softly spoken words had an even stronger effect and for once, she was letting it all go. She was crying, her whole body racking with sobs. She whimpered something as Jessica rubbed her back.

"You probably don't want to hear this right now," Jessica said with a smile, "but Jacob cares for you too. As for others, let anyone say anything wrong about you, they'll have me to fight. I've earned quite a reputation, you know, after punching the school bully during Art Appreciation. Even Harley seems to appreciate you which is weird so let's not talk about him. Since we're breaching the topic now, you should know that I'm kind of on Team Connor because c'mon, that guy has undergone a sea-change since you befriended him. He really dotes on you and if I'm not wrong, don't you have like a tiny crush on him?"

"But he hates me now," Megan groaned against her shoulder. "And you probably hate me too after all I've said. I'm such a idiot. I hate myself too."

"You're a very difficult person to hate," Jess laughed. "You get overbearing sometimes but you make it alright sooner or later."

Megan stepped away, feeling a bit better, "Ugh I hate how amazing you are."

"Yeah, well I'm fabulous," Jess said, flicking her hair dramatically. "Now, will you sit down and talk like normal people?"

"Yeah."

"So..."

Megan made a face, "What am I supposed to talk about now that I'm being a bit sane?"

"Uh I don't know, I didn't think you'd become sane so quickly. I didn't think that far, to be honest."

"I messed up, didn't I?"

"Uh uh."

Megan sighed, "That was comforting."

"Meg, do you like Connor?"

"I'm angry with him," came the childish reply. "I trusted him so much and he didn't. Not even one bit. It just makes all our time together, all the evenings in the stuffy bakery, the conversations, the jokes...it makes everything seem unreal, as if it didn't mean anything to him."

"That doesn't answer my question. If this was an exam, I'd give you a zero."

"Wow, thanks...I don't know, okay? There he is, a weird guy just tagging along to the bakery one day and then fast-forward a few weeks and I'm looking forward to the evenings because I'd meet him there. I started going even on my off days, just to hang out with him. I'm so protective of him and I'd do anything to make him happy because beneath that exterior of dumb jokes and fidgeting, is a guy who's deep enough to drown you in. He has problems but he doesn't want my help. He hardly ever tells me about himself but he's the kind of person you find yourself telling everything to. He doesn't just listen, he comforts. He makes me relax. I don't need to put my guard up around him. I'm just myself with him. Is...is that how you feel when you're around Jacob?"

Jessica gave a very uncharacteristic giggle, "Yeah." They sat in silence for a long time, "So, what are you going to do about it?"

Megan turned towards her thoughtfully, "Do you think I go a tad bit overboard sometimes?"

"But you'll make it alright," Jessica said wisely.

[ I won't let this friendship die :')

Writing Megan is actually so tough, nobody understands that huhuhu lol okay tantrum over, on to important stuff-

If you go on my profile there's this magical little blog book called Room of Requirement. AND GUESS WHAT? I just posted sneak peaks for Books 3 and 4 of the & series. What's next and all that. So if you want to know then what you waiting for? Go check it out. Plus, you get to decide which story I'm going to write next in this series, following Chits and Chats. And because you're all so awesome, you get the behind-the-scenes of Talks and Texts and Chits and Chats so yay!

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