＊ 𝐏𝐀𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 ——
❪ chapter ten ❫           !

"Wow, this is more people than expected." Mackenzie looked around the crowded house.

"Belly, Mackenzie, you came!" Nicole walked up to Belly. "Hey, Nicole. You look so pretty." Belly hugged Nicole.

"I'm glad you came." Nicole hugged Mackenzie, smiling as she let go.

Nicole then hugged Taylor.

"You girls look gorgeous." She smiled.

Nicole then grabbed both Mackenzie and Belly's hands taking them into a room full of cake and other sweets.

"You guys, look who's here." Nicole notified the girls.

"Happy birthday." All the girls in that room hugged Mackenzie and Belly.

Nicole then began to light a candle that said the number sixteen. "Is this for us?" Mackenzie asked. "Who else would it be for?" Nicole replied. Both Belly and Mackenzie smiled.

"These cakes are amazing, Nicole," Belly spoke.

"I never miss a chance to have a Sofia Coppola moment. Okay, well, Belly, Mackenzie, make a wish."

Both Mackenzie and Belly looked at each other as they closed their eyes. Mackenzie didn't think of anything she just waited until Belly blew out the candle.

The girls cheered as soon as Belly blew the candles out.

While the girls talked Mackenzie noticed Conrad in the other room. He looked at her before he walked away, going into another room. Mackenzie excused herself from the conversation to go find Conrad. She wanted to talk about what was on her mind; him
not getting Belly a present and the kiss— she mainly wanted to talk about the kiss.

As she walked through the hallway, trying to push herself through the tons of people blocking her way, she bumped into someone.

"Mackenzie?" The voice spoke. Mackenzie looked to see who it was, Milo. "Milo?! What are you doing here?" She asked. The boy laughed, "I can never miss a good party, and happy birthday even though it isn't exactly your birthday." Mackenzie smiled, "Thank you."

"Who are you looking for?" He asked, seeing Mackenzie trying to scan the room. "Um, someone." She tried to rush the conversation, she just wanted to find Conrad. When she spotted him she rushed over there, "We'll talk later."

"Conrad." Mackenzie let out. He looked at her trying to walk away from her. The only thing he did was walk them into an empty room.

"Can we just talk?"

"Okay, talk." He said, waiting for the blonde to speak.

"How do you just go around, giving me a present and not my sister? What about our kiss? You just left the room and didn't say anything after. Why?" The blonde let out, looking at the boy standing in front of her.

"Like I said, I can't bring you down with me, Mackenzie. I want to talk to you about things but I can't put you through pain." He paused, "Can we just forget the kiss happened?"

Mackenzie froze, she felt her heart drop. She wasn't sure why, but it happened. "You know what, fuck you, i've tried so hard pretending to be mad at you but you just gave me a perfect reason to." She left the room. This time she was the one leaving Conrad looking at the door where she once stood.

Milo was standing outside the door, watching Mackenzie. "What happened in there?"

"I don't wanna talk about it."

Milo followed Mackenzie as she grabbed three beers from the cooler and walked outside with them. "Hey, what are you doing?" Milo tried catching Mackenzie's attention.

"He's so confusing." She cried out, as she stopped walking.

Milo took the beers out of her hand, hugging her. He didn't know the full story but he knew she needed a hug. The blonde began to let out a flood of tears. "It's okay." Milo rubbed her back.

"I don't even know why I'm crying over him." She let out deep breaths. She knew exactly why she was crying over him, he was so confusing.

Conrad walked out of the house. Mackenzie saw him as he looked at her, but she simply looked away from him. " Maybe I'm being too dramatic," Mackenzie told Milo, letting go of the hug as she wiped the tears off her face.

"No. Don't say that. You're allowed to react this way. Don't invalidate your feelings." Milo paused, "Do you want me to take you home?" Mackenzie nodded her head.

Conrad's POV !
— in 1st person —

     The only thing that has been on my mind is the kiss. I was so stupid doing that, I knew I would go cold as soon as I did it. Even when I try to not bring other people down with me, I still manage to do it somehow.

     I noticed Mackenzie in the other room, she so beautiful. And I can't help but notice that she's wearing the necklace I gave her, I hope she remembered why I got her a dove. Truth is I really do care for her a lot, but my emotions are too scattered that I'll mess everything up more than I already have.

     I left the room, but I notice her following me. I tried to lose her but I managed to bring us into an empty room.

"Can we just talk?" She asked me.

"Okay, talk."

"How do you just go around, giving me a present and not my sister? What about our kiss? You just left the room and didn't say anything after. Why?" She let out.

I stood there, looking at her "Like I said, I can't bring you down with me, Mackenzie. I want to talk to you about things but I can't put you through pain." I paused, and my chest began to feel tight. "Can we just forget the kiss happened?" My voice cracked, I really didn't want to say that.

"You know what, fuck you, i've tried so hard pretending to be mad at you but you just gave me a perfect reason to." She left the room.

     I was now there all alone, left with my thoughts. I hated myself for putting her through this. But it was for the better, I'd rather her not know what I'm going through than let her go through it with me.

     The room began to feel like it was closing on me, so I made my way outside. I saw her hugging Milo.

     I just wish I could be there for her.

𓆉

     Mackenzie held the necklace in her hand, she looked at the dove. "Why?" A lump formed in her throat. A tear rolled down her face, all her emotions came out.

     There was a knock at her door, she knew exactly who it was. "Go away." She sighed. "Can we just talk?" Conrad spoke from the other side of the door.

     "No. just forget everything happened, just like our kiss."

     The blonde laid in her bed, letting her pillows soak up the tears. Every sweet moment she had with Conrad felt like a fever dream. But even then she held onto the necklace he gave him, sleeping with it in her hand.

     The next day when Conrad came back from helping Cleveland, Mackenzie didn't dare to say a word to him. Let alone look at him. She was tired of his bullshit, and she was tired of life in general.

     AUTHORS NOTE ! [ 1.3k words ]
—— vote and comment ❪ don't be a ghost reader ❫
EERM OKAY CONRAD... anyways 🙄
i know this chapter was also short but it was the last
few minutes of the episode so....

ANWYAS i wanna bring milo more into this
and stuff but i'm still trying to figure out how.

ALSO the only reason this is somewhat "sad" is
because i'm listening to sad music — just bc — and
i was feeling like putting my oc's through pain ☺️☺️

—— ignore any grammar mistakes they will be fixed !
feedback on this chapter would be amazing <3