Taylor P.O.V

It's just typical, isn't it? For the new girl to come to a new school, only to be sucked into the web of one of the most cruelest bitches of the entire year.

That bitch being, MacKenzie, of course.

I know why she hates me, and why she redeems me as a "freak". Believe it or not, but we were actually best friends when we were younger, me and her. Our parents were always the best of friends, always talking. That's how me and Mackenzie met.

Obviously, after my mom died when I was about 7 years old, our parents just sort of drifted apart. Especially seeing as how much her death broke my father in half when it happened.

We both knew she was sick, and we both knew it was inevitable that she was going to be taken from us one day. Yes, even I understood that, just being aged 6 - 7 at the time.

It took my father forever to build himself back up again. He had to take time off work, seeing as trying to deal with the grief and the stress of work at the same time, was just too much.

So, after my mother passed away, I didn't see Mackenzie much after that, until we discovered that we were going to the same highschool as each other. Despite my depression, I felt a little happy that there was going to be someone I knew there, someone I trusted. Someone I trusted a little too much.

I told Mackenzie a secret, that I'd never told anyone else. She promised to keep it to herself, to not laugh at me and to not abandon me because of it.

She lied.

Before I knew it, it was the 8th grade, and I noticed that Mackenzie was getting a little too friendly lately with some of the popular boys in our year. I noticed her flirting, curling her hair and giggling to them about stuff, that they didn't really seem interested in. But despite that, they were still drooling all over her.

After all, I won't deny that MacKenzie is pretty. Well, without the make-up anyway. So it didn't surprise me that these boys were clinging on her every word, despite having no interest whatsoever about whatever the hell she was talking about. But I decided to leave her to it.

It was probably a Friday, when I realized that my biggest secret (besides the depression) that I had told MacKenzie had gotten out. I was literally just walking down the hall that day, when I noticed people looking at me as I passed by.

There was a lot of noticeable whispering, and it was really starting to freak me out. As I was getting close to my Drama class, some girl I didn't even know came up to me.

"Hey, Taylor. I didn't know you swung that way." She sniggered.

Wait, what?

I stared at this girl, confused. What did she mean? I didn't swing that way? Did she... Did she know something?

And that's when it hit me. The one damn secret that I had told MacKenzie to keep her glossed lips shut about. It wasn't something I took too lightly, and it was yet another thing for me to be insecure about. To feel different, because of it.

Since that day, MacKenzie pretty much walked all over me whenever she saw me, insulting me over the most stupidest of things, for the stupidest of reasons.

This day hadn't long started, and it was already pretty awful. I just couldn't wait for the new girl to trample all over me, like her new found friends. As if my self esteem wasn't bad enough already.

Sitting alone at a lunch table in the cafeteria, as expected, I picked at my food. However, I wasn't really in the mood to eat and I let out an exhale of breath, slightly pushing the tray away and putting my head into my hands, holding onto clumps of my hair just feeling so fed up with everything. If everything was just so shitty for me, then why was I even here? Was I literally put on this planet just to be people's punching bag?

"Hey, if you don't eat your food, it's going to get cold." A familiar voice spoke. I widened my eyes a little, letting go of my hair and looking at the figure standing in front of my table.

It was Sam.

"Oh. You." I managed to say, an obvious tone in my voice, showing that she was the last person I wanted to see.

"Yeah... Listen..." Sam frowned, taking her shoulder bag off her shoulder and placing it beside the table, as she sat opposite me. "I'm sorry about what happened earlier. That was seriously mean what MacKenzie said about you."

"Huh...?"

"I mean, I kind of knew she was going to be that way when I ran into her in the hall earlier today." Sam admitted. She managed a small smile, before reaching a hand out across the table for me to shake it. I stared back at her in disbelief. "I'm Sam."

"Uh... I'm... I'm Taylor." I managed, deciding to shake her hand for a moment, before firmly pulling my hand away and keeping it on my lap.

"Taylor... That's a nice name." Sam said, complimenting me.

I was utterly speechless. Why was this girl being so nice to me, when I just didn't deserve it. There were so many more people she could befriend over than me. No, there were people she should befriend over me.

I didn't want to be her friend. The last thing I needed was having someone to get attached to, so I end up telling them things about me that they'd go and spread around. I had already had my trust taken away once, I didn't need it to happen again.

Not only that, but this girl didn't need me in her life either, bothering her with my own problems. That'd be selfish. And I don't need her getting attached to me - not that she would, because I don't even know if I'll still be around for the next week.

I don't even know if I'd still be around by tomorrow.

"But yeah... I'm really sorry... I don't even want to be friends with Mackenzie. She's a bitch." Sam sighed with a frown.

"Well, what else would she be known for?" I said, getting a small laugh from Sam in response. Her laugh was kind of... It was kind of cute, in a way.

"You're alright, Tay. I'd like it if we could be friends." Sam smiled.

"S-Sure... I'd like that." I heard myself say, without even thinking.

Me and my fucking big mouth...