Stuck In Between

Copyright © 2020 by Fallow Amber

All rights reserved. No part of this story may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

***

Hallie Andrews and Kyla McKenzie clicked right from the first day of high school. Hallie Andrews, being a timid and bookish person, never had friends all through her life except her parents and little brother, Devin, whom she loved a lot.

But when Kyla McKenzie walked into her life, everything changed for better or worse.

***

Walking through the school halls, Kyla McKenzie, the new gorgeous brunette student, was wowed by all the students as they plodded to their classrooms. 

She strode to the classroom that had been introduced to her by the Principal, Mr Chandler. Taking in a deep breath, she opened the door like a champ, flaunting her killer smile to everyone. 

'First day, successful', she thought to herself, remembering how she had tripped on the floor the moment she stepped foot at the first school she was supposed to attend; especially the laughter that erupted afterwards.

She hated the long stares she was beginning to receive. Heading to the back of the class, she saw a frailish girl occupying there alone. Deeming it fit to sit with her, she thought it best to acquaint herself with her, at least.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" Kyla asked the girl, Hallie, who sat behind the entire classroom.

Hallie, as surprised as she was, accepted that she could sit beside her.

"My name's Kyla Inigo McKenzie. I'm a new student here", she introduced, extending her hand for a shake.

Hallie wasn't her self anymore. Shock would be an understatement to describe how she felt. Taking the shake, she responded back with her name and a simple 'nice to meet you' smile.

Kyla understood immediately, as a Sociology aspirant she didn't push things further with Hallie as she noticed she was just too shy.

After that little pleasantry, Kyla didn't stop there. That day at lunch, she made sure to start up a conversation with her and soon enough they both became best friends; no one coming between them. They were inseparable, or so they thought.

***

The following week, Hallie stepped into the school, happy as always ever since Kyla came.

"Hey Kyla!" A cheery Hallie walked in on Kyla as she stuffed her locker with her science textbooks.

"Harriet! Ey up?" Kyla questioned, smiling into the mirror in her locker. 

"Harriet! Ey up?" Kyla questioned calling Hallie by her real name as she smiled into her locker's mirror.

"Nothing much, except the fact that I'd like to finally introduce you to my family as the girl who changed my life", Hallie spoke dreamily, hugging her books tightly with her eyes closed. Ever since that day when Kyla became her friend, she had wanted to tell Devin and her parents about it; she seemed to be happy about the whole idea of showing her first best friend to her parents and but she chose the best day for that to happen, her family restaurant anniversary, which was finally here.

Judging by the look on Kyla's face, she didn't seem to be as enthusiastic as her second. One would expect Kyla, the overly loquacious quean, to be the mastermind behind meeting Hallie's parents but it just wasn't the same old Kyla whenever it came to introductions and new relationships – peculiarly those she didn't have enough time to think about over and over again before going ahead with it.

"What? You can't be serious, right? I am not that great of a girl. For crying out loud, why'd you do that? I'd flop this meet cute, Hally. For one thing, I talk way too much, and, and… " Kyla pronounced nervy, as she listed possible things she thought they might judge her for.

"Take a chill pill, and calm down Kyla. Just as I care for you, I'm sure my parents would fancy you more; completely the way you are. So, today?" Hallie asked, grinning from ear to ear, hoping her little not so hot pep talk did the trick.

"Well. Now that you've hyped me, I guess I have no other choice than to be there", Kyla began, a little pout on her personable face. She and Hallie burst into a laughing fit before Kyla finally spoke, ecstatically.

"Who am I kidding? I'd be delighted to make it over to your house."

"Great then. I guess I'd see you in the evening, after school", spoke Hallie as she and Kyla walked to class for their first lesson, Geometry.

***

"Evil!" Hallie's dad, Peter Andrews, exclaimed, pointing at a couple that walked into their family restaurant – The Andrews's Kitchen.

They had been cleaning the restaurant after the day's bash and awaited the arrival of Hallie's friend only to be met face to face with their long-term enemy.

"What?" Hallie Andrews questioned immediately, a girl – her best friend, Kyla – walked in front of the couple, suddenly wondering what caused the whole awkwardness in the room. She had invited her parents as well for dinner at Hallie's so that they and their parents could get along.

"Honey, these are the McKenzies; Hayden McKenzie, Sheila McKenzie and their daughter, Kyla McKenzie", her mum, Courtney Andrews, explained, her hands tightening up on Hallie's shoulders. 

A wave of shock flashed through Hallie's face as she gasped; she wasn't expecting it and didn't want to believe it either.

"As in the McKenzies, the bad ones that you've hated since like forever?" Hallie questioned again just to be sure, her eyes not leaving a confused Kyla's.

"Yes, those ones, Hallie, those ones", her dad responded coldly, making Hallie swallow a bitter pill. 

The two parents kept glaring at eachother with the girls stuck in the middle, sending apologetic looks to one another, as there was really nothing they could do. 

'This must be a misunderstanding. My parents would kill me if they knew I was best friends with their archfoe's daughter', Hallie thought, her mind about to go haywire with how the situation was turning out. She wished she hadn't invited her over; maybe, just maybe, no parent would have known they lived in the same town. 

But it was too late.

***

'The deed is done', Kyla thought, as she and her family bade their home in Stockholm a cheerio.

It sincerely looked like the universe was never in support of their friendship.

The End!

Written by 💎 Fallow 💎