“Oh, I’m so stupid!”

Mack stared, forlornly, at the crutch that lay on the ground beneath her feet. She tried to slide off the island that was in the middle of the kitchen to get it with her foot somehow but she was a little too short. She cursed herself—and God a little bit—for being so short. She just wanted to snack on something while waiting for her parents to get home and now she was stuck. If she jumped down she was sure to fall to the ground and injure her other knee or re-injure the one that was already busted.

This is what I get for being so damn stubborn, she thought as she pushed her hair out of her face. After the thought crossed her mind she made a face, realizing it was the first time in her life that she was actually aware that she was stubborn. She sat back and thought who she could call for help.

She didn’t want to call over to Justin’s house for she knew that, for the most part, the place would be empty. If not empty then they were still asleep. It’s as if they’ve been sleeping for the past three days straight, she hardly saw them. Which she was happy with at the moment, she didn’t know what to say to Justin. After he had kissed her she felt weird even thinking about him. It was why she stayed away from that territory for years, she knew it would screw up their friendship and look where she’s at now: stuck between a rock and a hard place, the “rock” and the “hard place” being her two best friends.

Mack let out a sigh and tried to think of another way to get down when she heard the doorknob to the back door moving. “Help!” She called out to whoever it was that was coming in. “Help!”

Her shoulders tensed and she was suddenly afraid. Who could it be? Her parents were out at work; Lynn was visiting friends for the day. Cassidy and Abigail were at work as well. By now Trace would’ve been at the school with Brett and Rachel, most likely, would be with Cal at the barn. Now she really wished she had her crutch.

“Do you need some help?” JC asked with a light laugh.

“I’m stranded,” Mack replied, pointing at her crutch with her left foot.

“Like a beached whale,” JC said with a smile so wide that his eyes squinted so much she was surprised he could see. He walked over to her and picked up her fallen crutch. “What were you doing, anyway?” He asked, spinning it between his hands instead of giving it back to her.

“I was trying to make dinner,” she replied. “Doctor says I have to stay off my leg so this dum-dum,” she jerked her thumb at herself, “thought it’d be a good idea to eat on the island. Now I can’t get down—stop laughing at me!” She slapped at JC’s arm.

“Sorry, it’s just…this predicament is so you,” he replied, holding out her crutch. Grumbling, she shifted it so it rested underneath her left armpit and pressed her weight on the hand grip. JC grasped her elbow and helped her down from the island, carefully, all the while trying not to laugh at her expense.

“Where are the others? Still sleeping?” Mack asked as she moved over to the sink and put her plate into it. She then swung around and went in the direction of the living room to sit down.

“Dozing on and off all day,” JC replied while following her. “I think they’ll sleep for a week if they can.”

“Aw, they don’t want to do that,” Mack replied, swimming her injured leg up onto the couch and popped a pillow underneath it. “Rachel and I were planning on taking y’all up to Millington to pick strawberries. They’re finally in season and they’re the best around, I think.”

“Don’t you think you’re doing a little much? The doctor said to stay off it,” JC pointed out.

“As long as it’s elevated when I’m not up and about, it should be fine,” Mack replied with a little roll of her eyes. She appreciated that JC was being protective, as usual, but she wondered how long it’d take for him to realize that she could take care of herself. It was as if he refused to believe or see that she has grown up and has responsibilities of her own that she had to deal with.

“So, talk to me,” JC said as he got comfortable in a chair. “What’s going on in that mind of yours,” he urged her while rocking in the chair. When her eyebrows crinkled together he cleared his throat. “You know what I’m talking about. So, what’s going on? I feel like there’s a lot of tension going on between you guys and I feel like it’s going to come to a head sometime soon.”

Mack shrugged and bit her thumbnail. No matter how late she stayed up thinking about everything she couldn’t come up with any conclusion to fix anything. Mainly she’s been wondering if she brought it upon herself in some way, shape, or form. She wasn’t oblivious, she always knew there was a sort of silent competition between Trace and Justin but why did it have to spill over now? And why did she have to be in the middle of it and not Rachel?

“It’s just…messed up,” she finally replied, running her fingers through her hair and let it fall on the other side of her neck. “Extremely messed up. I mean, as soon as you guys got back Justin and I started talking and I thought everything was cleared up and then, out of nowhere, he kisses me.”

JC’s eyebrows lifted. “Wait, what? He kissed you?” When she nodded he let out a low whistle. “He didn’t say anything to us.”

“What’d you guys talk about?”

JC ran his fingers through his curly hair and let out a breath, “Britney and Wade,” he replied. “He’s still hurting. It didn’t help that we kind of tore him to shreds. He’s a mess right now, a ball of emotions so it doesn’t really surprise me that you two…got close,” he said, avoiding a few terms he could’ve chosen.

“Mmm, because me being drop dead gorgeous has nothing to do with it,” she teased.

“Well, I wouldn’t go that far—mmf!” JC cried out when she flung a couch pillow at his face. He moved it down and began to laugh. “All I’m saying is be careful around him. He’s in a fragile state and I don’t want him to take advantage of you, well, more than he already has. He doesn’t know what he wants or what he’s doing.”

“I think being back will help him find himself again,” Mack said with a little sigh. “It’s like…after Pearlman stealing money from you guys he’s had this massive wall up. Y’know? I don’t…I just think the whole thing messed with his head and it’s good that you guys are giving him time to heal, so to speak.”

“It’ll give you guys time to mend your friendship too,” JC pointed out.

“I know. I never thought there was anything wrong with it until now. We’re just…it’s weird. The atmosphere is so strange even though we’re doing the same things we always do and such. I even feel it between Rachael and I and I don’t get why. It’s like we’re all divided.”

“Just sit down and talk to ‘em and try to work everything out. You’re not going on in each other’s heads until someone say something.” JC paused and twisted his mouth to the side. “Well, first you all have to admit you have issues with each other. I’ve watched you all from afar whenever we came home and the longer the years went it on it seemed more like you’re a group of individuals instead of a group of friends.”

“I know, that’s the part that’s worrying me about the whole thing,” Mack sighed. “Especially with Justin working on his solo stuff. I don’t want to be selfish but…I’m scared of what will happen.”

Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, as if on cue, the front door to her home swung open and hit the opposite wall. The sound was loud enough to cause both of them to jump and clutch at their hearts out of fear.

“What the hell? I know you guys have keys but you don’t need to scare me half to death!” Mack called out before turning her head to see Justin and Cal dragging Trace into the house, Rachel following close behind them.

“Whoa, what’s going on?” JC asked, getting to his feet and moving towards Cal and Justin.

“Trace is drunk,” Rachel replied. “Where’s your coffee?”

“Same place it always is,” Mack replied with a wave of her hand, turning her attention to Trace who started to slump in Justin’s and Cal’s arms as if he were melting. “Get him on the couch,” she ordered, pointing at the loveseat behind her. She shifted on the couch the best she could see watch as they set Trace down. “No, on his side!” She barked when Trace started to roll so his front was facing the back of the couch. “How’d this happen?”

“How do you think?” Justin asked, brushing the back of his hand over his forehead.

“Don’t get snarky with me. Where’s Brett? Wasn’t he supposed to be with Trace?”

“Brett bailed, apparently,” Cal replied, making a face as he pulled off his boots. Trace groaned and brought his hands to his nose at the strong smell of vomit.

“Basket! Basket! Basket! For the love of God, get him a basket!” Mack shrieked, watching Trace start to make coughing sounds. “Mom would kill me if he puked on the carpet!”

“I’ll get it,” JC said and left the room.

“Trace. Trace. Do you know where you are?” Justin said loudly while shaking his friend’s shoulder.

“…home,” Trace replied.

“Close enough,” Justin sighed, running his hand over the top of his buzzed head. “You’re going to be alright, buddy.”

“No ‘m nah,” Trace replied, shaking his head from side to side. The movement was slow, as if he were underwater. “No’hings goin’ righ’, nah in my li’e. Imma…failure.”

“You’re not a failure, T,” Mack said quietly.

“Yeh I am. My dah hates me. My mohm’s scared of my dah. My grandfa’her’s in the ho’pital. And I’m…I’m…stuh ‘ere…” Trace mumbled, his eyes rolling to and fro in his head.  As soon as JC returned with the basket Trace promptly stuck his head in it and threw up, his body convulsing with every clench of his stomach muscles. They all made a face at the splashing sound which was quickly taken over by the sound of Rachel’s frantic footsteps moving back into the living room, a steaming mug of coffee was in his hands.

“Trace, try to drink this,” Rachel told him, holding the mug out.

“Rach, that’s not going to help,” Mack told her. “If anything it’ll only make him dehydrated. It’s best to let him sleep it off.”

“Well you know all about what’s best for people, don’t you?” Rachel muttered bitterly before setting the mug down. She stood to her ful height and pushed her hair out of her face, the clenched muscle in her jaw was twitching slightly.

“Excuse you?” Mack asked, lifting her eyebrows. She reached out for her crutches and managed to get herself to her feet after a little bit of struggle. Then she closed the space between herself and Rachel. “What’s your problem?” She demanded. If she didn’t need the crutches to stay up she would’ve hit her friend for her attitude.

“My problem?” Rachel repeated with a little bit of an incredulous laugh.

“Darlin’, maybe—“ Cal started.

“Don’t ‘darlin’ me, Cal,” Rachel stopped him, not taking her eyes off of the shorter girl. “My problem is you.”

“Tell me how you really feel,” Mack said sarcastically.

“Okay, my problem is that you’re back here,” Rachel told her, not trying to hide any of the malice that was in her voice and sat upon her words. “Ever since you got back everything’s been so screwed up and, like always, everything is about you. I’m the one getting married soon, I’m the one who’s planning their wedding but, of course, no one cares because they all care about you. Do you know how fucking annoying it is to finally have one thing about me and have it all taken away? The one time I get attention you have to come back and steal it all. You won’t even let me have this one thing.” She threw her arms into the air in frustration. “And don’t even get me started with him,” she added, pointing at Trace who was now on the floor and curled up around the trashcan. “If you hadn’t come back none of this would’ve happened.”

“Wait, you’re blaming me for something stupid Trace did?” Mack asked, her tone carrying incredulous words. Her fingers clenched onto the handgrips of the crutches. She couldn’t take the stares from the others but she didn’t know where else to look. She suddenly felt the feeling that she was beginning a free fall.

“Yes, I’m blaming you because you have him wrapped around your finger and you treat him like a fucking yo-yo when it’s convenient for you!” Rachel replied. “I don’t know if that’s what they do in the rest of the world but it’s not what we do here especially not to our friends. Why don’t you just…go home? Back to Orlando. You can mess things up there, I don’t care. Stop screwing with our lives just because you’re a fucking coward and always run away. So keep running, run until your legs fall off. You won’t be missed. Not by me.”

She turned and marched her way to the front door. Cal muttered an apology and moved past Justin and JC who watched with mouths partially open. Rachel had her hand on the door and it was halfway open when Mack finally found some words to utter after a brief struggle to breathe. “So…what, you don’t want to be my friend anymore?”

Rachel paused where she was and took a deep breath. Looking down at her feet she choked out, “I honestly don’t think there ever was a time I could call you my friend.” She pushed open the screen door and her footsteps faded as she moved past the porch. Cal gave an apologetic look over his shoulder before closing the door behind him.