CHAPTER 25

'Hey.' Lily and Liz say as I walk into the kitchen to get a glass of water in my pyjamas. They're sitting with Rosabella at the dining table.

'Hey,' I reply sitting next to Liz. 'Where the hell have you been? I haven't seen you in for ever.' I ask looking at Liz curiously.

'I've been around.' she replies and I roll my eyes.

'I made you breakfast,' states Lily as she puts a plate of scrambled eggs in front of me. If this was a week ago, I would happily eat it but I can't help but stare at the plate in disgust but plaster a smile on my face.

'Thanks.'

'You're welcome.' Lily smiles as she walks out of the room and Liz follows her. I take my plate and walk over to the table beside the sink and open the tap, pretending to get a glass of water. I open the bin quietly and remove half of the eggs in my plate.  I cover it with papers and tissues. I pretend to eat it by pretending to rattle my cutlery and begin washing my plate pretending that I have finished. I sit opposite Rosabella who says 'You didn't eat your food.'

'Yes, I did. How would you know? You weren’t even facing me,' I reply defensively.

'If you have eaten it then why are you getting so defensive?'

'I don't like people making lies about me.' 

'Kiera-'

'Just shut up!' I reply annoyed.

'Why aren't you eating?'

'I am,' she raises her eyebrows and I sigh in defeat. 'I'm just sick of it.'

'Are you sure you're not just saying that and you're trying to lose wright?' She asks curiously.

 'Are you suggesting that I should lose weight?' I ask.

 'What?' No, stop putting words into my mouth.'

'I didn't exactly put them into your mouth because they did come out of yours.' I reply trying to avoid the current conversation.

'I know exactly what you're doing, I used to do the same thing,' my eyes widen and she sighs. 'I used to be anorexic too.'

‘I'm not anorexic.'

'Kiera, you show all the signs for it.'

'Not eating one breakfast doesn’t mean I'm anorexic,' she sighs.

'But it isn't just one breakfast though is it?' My silence just shows how right she is.

'I don't care, I'm not doing this to my body deliberately.' She sighs as she runs her hand through her hair and Lily and Liz walk back into the room.

 'Did you finish it already?' Lily asks.

'Yeah, I guess I was that hungry.'

'I just wasn’t expecting that,' she replies and Rosabella loudly sighs as we briefly make eye contact.

'Are you ready for tennis in half an hour?' Liz asks as she sits beside me.

'I'm more than ready, are you?'

'Not really,' she replies and I smirk. I notice they are all dressed so I excuse myself as I go to my room quickly getting dressed in jeans and a top but putting shorts and a t-shirt in a bag. I clip my fringe to the side and pull my hair into a ponytail. I put my phone in my back pocket as I walk downstairs.

Rosabella, Lily and Liz are now in the living room. 'Are you guys ready?' I ask and they stand up nodding their heads. They grab their stuff as we walk out of the house.

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We walk into the building and we're the first ones there. We go to the main large room and we sit on the long bench. 'You guys all used to go here?'

'Not all of us, just me, Kiera, Lucy, Katie, Joe, James and Chris,' Lily explains.

 'When did you meet Max and Tom then?'

'We met in secondary school.' Lily replies, tying her shoe laces.

'What about Liz?' Rosabella asks curiously.

'I started hanging around with Lucy in secondary school and I started hanging around with Lily in sixth form. I became friends with Kiera a while later.'

'How come you guys weren't friends first away?' Rosabella points to Liz and I with her index finger. I shrug my shoulders and Liz says 'I'm not sure, we only became close because we were step sisters.'

'Seriously?' Rosabella asks.

'Aren't we still step sisters since our parents are still legally married?' I ask curiously, wondering why Liz used past tense.

'Yeah I guess so,' she responds as he laughs nervously and rubs the back of her ear, which is her nervous habit.

'What are you hiding Liz?' 

'Nothing,' she replies a little too quickly.

'Liz.'

'They're getting a divorce, I thought your dad told you.'

'You thought wrong,' I reply.

Katie walks into the hall with Max and Tom by her side. 'Kiera!' Tom shrieks as he gives me a hug. I smile as I return the embrace but can’t help but feel awkward seen as Max is here. He sits beside Lily and Katie gives me a quick hug before sitting on the floor opposite us.

'Katie sit on the bench,' Lily states.

'No, we always used to sit on the floor besides it’s more comfortable.' Max walks over to her and sits next to her.

'It is more comfortable,' he agrees and I can't help but roll my eyes. 

I open my phone and begin checking my twitter account when James and Joe walk through the door. James sits next to Max and Joe sits on the floor in front of us. Lily, Rosabella, Liz and Tom all decide to sit on the floor leaving me on the bench alone. I roll my eyes as I lay down on the bench with my phone in front of my face. 

Five minutes later, Lucy, Kara and Chris walk into the hall. Chris greets me as he joins me on the bench and Lucy and Kara sit beside Katie. 

 I look up from my phone as Chris nudges me. 'What?' I ask.

'You're the only one who isn't dressed,' he replies and I realise everyone has changed their outfits.

 'I don't feel like playing.'

'You are joking right?' Joe asks.

'Should I be?'

'Kiera, you're the one who rented this place out, you have to play.' Joe replies and I sigh at his reply.

'I have a headache,' I say truthfully.

'Are you okay? Shall I get you aspirin?' He asks, his voice full of concern and his eyes wide with worry.

'Don't look at me like that.'

'What?'

'That look you have, I don't want your sympathy Joe.' I reply angrily.

'Kiera, it’s not sympathy, I'm just worried, and we all are-'

'I don't need you to be,' I reply stubbornly.

'Shall we start?' Asks Lily standing up and grabbing a tennis racket.

'What are the teams?' Kara asks.

 'You lot against us lot,' replies Rosabella referring to our seating arrangements.

'We only have five people whereas you have six,' states Max.

'And?'

'And Lily, someone needs to join our team.'

'If someone did join your team, then they would have five,' I shrug my shoulders replying and Max clenches his jaw.

'If you played, then we wouldn't even have this problem,’ he replies rudely and I scoff loudly.

'Even if I did play, I would never join your team.'

'Kiera,' Lily stares at me silently telling me to shut up. I sigh in defeat as I fold my arms becoming oblivious to my surroundings.

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'Hey,' Lucy says as she sits next to me on the bench after a while of throwing a ball in the air.

'Hi.'

'You seem pretty close with Rosabella,' she states, watching Rosabella movements.

'Why? Should I not be?' 

'I didn't say that.'

'You didn't have to,' I mutter loud enough for her to hear me. She sighs loudly as she runs her hands through her hair. 'Are you jealous or something?' I ask as I notice her silence. She doesn't reply as she avoids my gaze. 'Why are you jealous?'

'You spend all your time with Lily, Liz and Rosabella, there is practically no room for no-one else.'

'I'm not going to spend time with you when you're with James or Kara, you should know that.' I reply, stating the obvious.

'So are you willing to throw our friendship away just because you had an argument with my friends?'

'No, I'm not,' I gasp.

'Are you sure? Because it really does seem like you do,' she replies, raising her eyebrows. I sigh and rest my head on her shoulder.

'I don't want to argue with you, my head hurts,’ I mumble quietly, not being able to deal with her when my headaches keep getting worse. She strokes my hair and asks 'Kiera do you want any aspirin?'

'Don't look at me like that.' I reply as I lock eyes with her.

'Like what?'

'Like you feel sorry for me, I don’t want anyone's sympathy.' She wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me into a hug.

 'Kiera aren't I your best friend?'

'I couldn't care less, I still don’t want your sympathy.' I stubbornly say and she chuckles lightly.

 'I think your best friend should be an exception, don't you think?'

'Lucy.'

'I'm just worried, your surgery is tomorrow,' she quietly says as she intertwines our hands.

'I know but you will be there right?' She closes her eyes for a few seconds before opening then again.

'I can't.'

'Okay,' I reply too quickly.

 'Kiera, I'm sorry.'

'Its fine, it’s obviously not as important as you make it out to be. It isn’t a big deal, Lily, Liz and Rosabella will be there.'

'That's not fair Kiera.'

'And what would you know about fairness?' I retort. She scoffs and I pull away from her and walk over to Lily.

'Are you okay?'

'My surgery is tomorrow, you know that right?' I ask Lily, not getting my hopes up.

'Of course I do, what do you take me for?' I smile and ask 'Lily you will be there won’t you?'

'I wouldn’t miss it for the world and Rosabella and Liz will be coming as well.'

'Thanks.'

'Don't thank me Kiera,' she replies as she wraps her arm over my shoulder and I lean in to her touch. 

I close my eyes, knowing that in twenty four hours, my life really will be different.