Attention Runner-Up

Chapter 6

There are people in this world who are totally underrated and underappreciated. Mackenzie is one of those people. Sure she may not be super fancy or talented but she defiantly has her perks. For example, she's good at getting someone to laugh, she's also good at reading a situation and acting accordingly, something I'm still working on.

I felt like I could talk to her and that she would actually listen. She seemed really nice and like she actually cared about people. I'm surprised she doesn't have more friends, people like her are hard to come by.

We walked into the restaurant and I got us a table with a good view of the pond outside.

"Wow, this is, just wow. I've never been to a place like this before." She looked all around.

"Meh, the dinner service is not that great here, I like the lunch service better. And don't worry about paying for anything, I got it." I assured her.

"Thanks." She said shyly.

I smiled.

She's pretty. Her hair looks like it was freshly bleached, last I saw it she had brown roots growing in, now I couldn't tell that her hair wasn't always blond. Her blue eyes are very striking, they seem to pierce into anything they stare at. I would hate to see what those eyes look like when they are mad.

"So Darleen I know you for a fact did not come to my house to hang out with me, so why were you really there?" she asked.

"Honestly?"

"Try me."

"I think I came to punch Jade in the face, but I thought better of it."

"Too bad, I would have loved to see that fight," She sighed.

"You really don't like your cousin do you." I chuckled.

"Something like that. I guess you could say my feelings towards her are pretty deep-seated and not the best."

"I can understand that. She has a way of getting under people's skin." I glared at the menu.

"Tell me about it. At least you don't have to live with her."

"Emm, yeah that would be a nightmare." I nod.

"Darleen?" someone calls.

I tense up.

"Hey, Aphrodite right? I think I remember you." Mackenzie smiled at her as she walked over.

"Your Jade's cousin?"

"Mackenzie," I swear I saw Mackenzie's eye twitch.

"Right, Darleen what are you doing here? I thought you said you were out of town for the day." Aphrodite crossed her arms.

"Oops, busted." Mackenzie teased me.

I sighed.

"I just didn't feel like talking." I turned to Aphrodite.

"Are you sure?" she eyed Mackenzie.

"What are you doing here?" I turned the conversation to her.

"Going to eat lunch the same as you. Someone recommended me this place thought I'd try it out." She shrugged.

"Care to join us?" I asked.

"Thought you'd never ask." She said with a bite before pulling up a chair right next to me.

I sighed.

Aphrodite is not the easiest person to talk to. She doesn't understand me. Not like she used to. Talking to her is hard, I would much rather just talk to Mackenzie. Maybe because Mackenzie is a clean slate, she hardly knows anything about me or my history. Whereas Aphrodite knows me too well.