‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚.

𝗧𝗘𝗫𝗧 𝗠𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗔𝗚𝗘𝗦

𝗷𝗮𝗿𝗰𝘂𝘀'𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗲𝘀 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒

𝗷𝗮𝘀𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲 - 𝗺𝘂𝗺
𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗰𝘂𝘀 - 𝗱𝗮𝗱
𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗮 - 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
𝗴𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮 - 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲
𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹 - 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲
𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗿𝗮 - 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗯𝘆
𝗿𝗶𝗮 - 𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
𝗼𝗮𝗸𝗹𝗲𝘆 - 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗻
𝗱𝗮𝘃𝗲 - 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮 - 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱

𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
guysssss
guess what guess what?!!!!

𝗱𝗮𝗱
what ria?!
it's almost midnight

𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
ria this better be important
i was about to fucking sleep

𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
ok sorry (!)
so you know how we joked about
'operation damara'
it might actually be happening!!!!!!

𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗯𝘆
ha!
fat chance of that!

𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
yeah sure and i'm white

𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲
fatima pleaseeee 💀

𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
no seriously they were talking today
like acc talking and they were smiling and shit
it was kinda cute to watch

𝗺𝘂𝗺
ohhh yeah mars told me
that dave apologised to her
about the shit that happened at the bar

𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗻
oh shit really

𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗯𝘆
he apologised????!!!
omg nvm you were right
damara nation is up!

𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
yo what the fuck is going on????

𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
why is dave on this?

𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗻
riri?
you do realise that this is the gc with them in it
like this ain't the operation damara group chat

𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
oh shit

𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
you bitches have a group chat for that shit?!!!!

𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
shittttttt
riri you're such an idiot
you didn't think this through at all 😭😭😭

𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
i'm sorry i was just excited 😔

𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
why the fuck would you be excited about that
it's not even like me and amara are cool like that

𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
tf is that supposed to mean

𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗻
here we go....

𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
ok first off oakley the fuck do you mean?
second off david answer my fucking question

𝗱𝗮𝗱
oh wow!

𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗻
reply to problem child: ok first off oakley the fuck do you mean?
no comment....

𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗯𝘆
LMAOOOO CENCH 😭😭😭😭

𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
bro you guys were getting on just fine today
what's going on istg you were fine just a second ago
like you were making progress

𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
reply to middle child: like you were making progress
bro you lot call a normal fucking conversation progress?
i apologised to her
but you would've thought i asked her out
with the way you're reacting

𝗱𝗮𝗱
only cause you two are so petty
that this is a big step for youse
that's all

𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
david can you please answer my question
tf did you mean by that little comment?

𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
i just meant like we're not friends or anything
like we're calm but like it's nothing special

𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
oh right
yeah same i get you

𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
cool
don't know why you was being aggressive and shit

𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
i wasn't?

𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
you were
like very obviously were
but if you think you weren't
you can believe what you want to believe

𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
why are you being so weird?
i wasn't being aggressive
i asked you a fucking question
and you didn't answer me till the third time
i was just frustrated

𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
if that's what you think happened then cool

𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲
oh that's not.....

𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗯𝘆
HELP GIGI 😭😭

𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
reply to quiet child: if that's what you think happens then cool
omfg david you're actually pissing me off

𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
how?
im literally ending the convo
you believe that happened i don't
it's all cool
don't make it into a bigger thing than it is

𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
could you guys do this in your own time....?

𝗺𝘂𝗺
shush no this is entertaining

𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
i'm not making it bigger than it is
you keep making these snide little comments
and expect me not to react
and it's pissing me off

𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
guys i swear they were cool this morning

𝗺𝘂𝗺
clearly not anymore

𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
amara i've dropped it
just drop it
you're dragging it now

𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
omfg you're actually so annoying
you know what cool
dropped it
you can fuck right off david
you're such a dickhead

𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
ok whatever amara

𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲
𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲

𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
did that just happen?

𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗯𝘆
that was so shit but it was so entertaining

𝗺𝘂𝗺
what the fuck was that 😭

𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱
it's literally one step forward
three steps back with those two

𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗻
again guys they can see these messages

𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲
wait what's going on

𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲
omg michael i've been telling you
to read your fucking messages

‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚.

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘

location: amara and jasmine's flat, london

to say amara was pissed off was an understatement. she had spent the whole evening thinking about the way dave looked at her when they were talking earlier that day. how she wished he looked at her like that more because it made her feel...special. how he was actually nice to her for once. and how she enjoyed it. yet here he was, embarrassing her in front of her friends, making her look crazy as he made sly comments. she just didn't understand how someone could switch up so quickly. how could he be making her laugh and actually be nice to her on one day, and embarrass her in front of her friends the same day? he truly did perplex her at every stage and she absolutely hated it.

so, after thinking about how much she 'hated' dave, and reposting cryptic and shady tiktoks, she decided that she needed to rant about it to her roommates - against their will, mind you. and that's what she did. and for the better part of an hour, jasmine and aaliyah had to endure her long rant patiently, or at least their closest approximation of that.

"we get it mars, you hate him. we done now?" a tired aaliyah asked, rubbing her eyes as she looked up to the pacing amara.

"nah, hate doesn't even begin to describe how i feel about him!" amara ranted, with aaliyah and jasmine giving each other knowing looks.

"oh right my bad. you're in love with him. my mistake." aaliyah teased, smirking at amara's annoyed expression.

"in love?!! have you lost your mind?!! that would never happen. the day that happens is the day...." amara trailed off, trying to think of an impossible scenario, "the day you admit you're wrong for the first time. both impossible scenarios." she said smugly, not noticing aaliyah's unimpressed expression.

"ok mars. whatever you believe. can i go to bed now? it's like 10:30 and i've got dance practice tomorrow." aaliyah stated.

"oh right, yeah! my bad. sorry for keeping you up." amara apologised sheepishly, with jasmine kissing her sisters forehead before she heads to her room. "ok now i feel bad."

"you should've felt bed when you ranted to me about what dave did, as if I WASNT FUCKING THERE!!!" jasmine shouted jokingly, causing amara to bow her head down in embarrassment.

"oh, yeah. i forgot about that." she laughed slightly, finally sitting down on the sofa, sitting across from jasmine. "it's just david. he just-ugh he knows exactly how to piss me off and he takes every opportunity to do it. i don't even know how he manages it. i mean how is he always rude to me?" she asked, not realising she was ranting again about the dark-skinned boy that, unfortunately, lived rent free in her mind.

"maybe cause you're rude back?" jasmine thought aloud, only realising that she actually said it to amara when she noted her friend's frown. "what i mean is, you always go from zero to a hundred when you're around him. so maybe he takes that as a reason to act like that?" she attempted to explain her previous statement, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears.

"but it's only cause he's so rude to me that i feel like i have to go from zero to a hundred. only he pisses me off like that, and it's just cause he's inconsiderate. i mean he had no business making me look stupid and crazy just then."

"ok to be fair, you have a point there. that was a bit of a dickhead move, but you've just got to not let him get to you. he does it cause he wants to get a reaction and you give him one every time." jasmine advised, wrapping her arm around amara.

"ok fine but i shouldn't have to. if he'd just grow up and be nice to me then i wouldn't have to police myself and my reactions." she pouted, annoyed that yet again, dave had managed to annoy her to the point where he was all she could think about. he always caused her to act impulsively and then later regret her actions. although she was just earlier standing behind her actions, she couldn't help but think that maybe she was making an argument out of nothing. that dave was right and she was dragging their spat out longer than it needed to go on for.

"i know mara." jasmine mumbled, rubbing amara's arms.

"...do you think i looked crazy? i mean is he right? was i actually dragging it? i- just- i don't know....." amara worried out loud, she truly didn't know what to think, david had truly confused her.

"what?! no! he kinda did have it coming and he was being really dismissive. you had every right to push him for an answer and apology. could you have been nicer about it? sure. but considering how you guys are anyways, this was warranted." jasmine reassured, tightening her hold on amara. although she was friends with dave, she hated how much he made amara second guess herself. she knew that amara was constantly overthinking and dave's ability to stress her out certainly didn't help. jasmine just didn't want amara to end up in that rut she usually fell into whenever she enters that cycle of overthinking and anxiety. "as i said earlier, stop letting him get to you. you shouldn't be overthinking your reasonable reaction to what just happened, ok?" she comforted with amara laying on her shoulder.

"alright jas." amara smiled softly in response, trying to hide how she was still thinking about david and how frustrated she was that he wouldn't leave her mind. it was as if it was impossible for her not to think about him and she had know idea why ( girl... ).

"i'm being serious, stop letting him get to you. it's not worth it." jasmine smiled at her best friend, pulling her in for a tighter hug.

"ok ok jas i get it." amara giggled in response, with jasmine smiling, glad that amara was finally smiling and laughing.

"good."

‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚.

location: dave's house, london

"so....it just sounds like she got mad cause you were gaslighting her." kiara, dave's childhood best friend, stated apathetically as she scrolled through the group chat and amara and dave's argument. she had spent the past half an hour listening to dave rant about amara when all she wanted to do was catch up with him. so to try to end the discussion, she asked to see what actually happened as she knew dave had a tendency to over exaggerate. and having seen what had actually occurred, she quickly realised that her assumption that dave overreacted was correct.

"kie! you're supposed to be on my side!" dave whined, sliding down the sofa in frustration.

"well i'm sorry you did kinda start it. you literally said she was being aggressive for no reason which is a straight up lie. then you basically gaslit her by saying 'if that's what you think happened...' when that's literally what happened." she scolded, looking at dave pointedly.

"...but she was being aggressive though..." dave mumbled, trailing off when noticing kiara's glare.

"and i wonder why she was (!)" she stated, gasping sarcastically, with dave pouting in response.

"kie, you're my best friend. why are you taking her side?" he groaned, with kiara laughing at how ridiculous he was being. although she often sided with dave by default because she was his best friend, she couldn't deny how ludicrous this whole situation was. she couldn't help but find how dave and amara constantly got into arguments slightly ridiculous. and despite having never met her, kiara knew there was more to the arguments than what dave was letting on, but knowing dave, he would have to come to her in his own time to tell her.

"because you're being ridiculous. you can't just start arguments just cause you feel like it." she scolded, and just before dave could rebut her, she added, "and i don't care if she's so annoying that you have to respond...you don't. plus this whole 'her side - my side' thing is so primary school. how about you grow up and let this whole thing go?"

"hey can't she grow up and let it go? why does it have to be me?" he complained, with kiara raising her eyebrow at him.

"do you realise how childish you sound right now? you are almost 25 year old and you're still acting like you're five. whatever happened to you guys to make you both not like each other needs to be let go. that doesn't mean you have to like her but it does mean you have to stop actively disliking her." she ranted, hoping that this conversation would soon be over. "and if not for your sake then for mine so i don't have to hear about it. or hear ria complain about having you guys argue every time you lot go out as a group." she joked, laughing when she saw dave's pout.

"fine. whatever." he mumbled, folding his arms and looking away from kiara. to him, it was annoying that somehow nearly everyone had sided with amara. he did feel vindicated that they all did think she was being argumentative with him but their support for him seemed to stop there. that he was at fault for winding her up and so her reaction was on him. that's what he hated most about her; how she didn't even have to try to piss him off because her mere reaction to anything he did was enough for her to garner everyone's sympathy.

"ok, thank god that's over!" she exclaimed, holding her hands up as if in prayer. "so, as i was trying to tell you, this dickhead comes in, doesn't have a reservation and demands to be seated as if we didn't tell him we were booked out. then he tells me he doesn't want to hear what i have to say cause i clearly don't know much? i mean the nerve!" kiara ranted, her arms moving about erratically as she spoke. however, she wasn't to know that dave had slowly started to zone out as her rant continued.

instead his mind kept going back to amara. their argument, their reconciliation earlier that day, how guilty he the night at the bar. it was all far too much for him, too confusing, too complex. he couldn't handle how much she confused him, how unpredictable she was, how she had the ability to annoy him instantly. he didn't understand how one person could make him feel so much by barely saying anything. he didn't like that. he didn't like that someone he despises had so much control over him and he didn't like that he had no idea why.

in fact, she consumed his thoughts so much that he actually started to feel guilty about their spat. he felt bad that he had riled her up as he knew that he secretly liked seeing her get so annoyed. and he felt even worse that he denied that he ever did that, effectively embarrassing her in front of their friends. he couldn't believe that amara had managed to consume his thoughts once again and cause him to feel guilty for how he treated her. throughout the duration of their petty feud, neither party ever feel remorse for what they did...until this moment. and although dave didn't know exactly what to make from that, but even he knew that this meant something. that it meant they reached a turning point of some sort.

‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚.

a message from becca

hey....hey....how are youse doing.

so...may have not updated in a while....and this chapter may be shit but at least it's an update. anyways how are you all doing. i missed you guys so so much.

i love you alll my bbies take careee 🫶🏽🫶🏽