~Althia~

I was getting ready for my day out with Jeff when my phone started to blow up

Althia:

The door is open, come in

I heard the front door open and close

"Thia!" Jeff called out for me

"I'm in my room" I called back

Soon Jeff came into view and he sat on my bed

"You're not ready yet?" He let out a groan as he saw me going back in my bathroom

"No, you're like an hour early" I popped my head out to look at him

Jeff rolled his eyes and I went back in my bathroom to finish my hair

"What are we even doing today?" I asked

"I'm actually not sure" He answered "I lowkey forgot we were doing something so I don't have anything planned" He added

I let out a laugh

"Jeff, you are the only person I know that would make such a big deal about not doing anything with me and then forget that we planned to do something" I told him

"And that's why you love me" He replied

"Sure, we'll go with that" I teased him as I came out of the bathroom to grab my outfit

"You're so mean to me" Jeff pouted

"And that's why you love me" I repeated what he had said and walked back in the bathroom to change

"You are so basic" Jeff commented as I came out wearing jean shorts and a white cropped blouse

"And you are so ugly" I said

Jeff mimicked me and I playfully kicked

"Oh, so now you wanna fight?" He got up and walked up to me, puffing up his chest

"I could so take you, Atkins" I told him as I pushed him back and laughed

"In your fucking dreams, Knight" He argued

I crossed my arms and looked at him

"Nope, I refuse to agree with you" Jeff shook his head "Grab a bathing suit and let's get the fuck outta here" He suddenly said

I looked at him confused but went to my closet to grab a bathing suit anyway

We walked downstairs and then to Jeff's car

"I'm taking your ass for ice cream and then we can drive around for a bit before going to my house to swim in the pool" Jeff announced as he started driving

"You had me at ice cream" I told him "Also why have you never mentioned you having a pool before?" I asked him

"Because you never asked" He responded in a duh voice

"God, you are so annoying" I rolled my eyes

"God, you are so cranky" He replied as he playfully pushed my head which caused me to smack his hand away

The car ride to the ice cream parlour was filled with our small bickers and me not trying to slap Jeff.

Once we got our ice cream, we walked around for a bit

"You know, I've been thinking..." Jeff started

"Oh no, that's never good" I joked

Jeff stopped on his tracks and looked at me which caused me to stop and look at him

"That was not necessary, now I won't tell you what I was about to say" Jeff told me

"Aww, no! I want to know!" I said

"Too bad" Jeff replied and took a bite of his ice cream cone

"Pleeease" I begged

"Nope" He said

I pouted as I looked at him

"Ugh, fine" He rolled his eyes

"Yay" I cheered

We started walking again

"I was going to say that it's actually fun to have Montgomery around" Jeff told me

I smiled widely at him

"I told you soooo" I singsonged

"It's like I have the old Monty back" He continued

"What do you mean 'the old Monty back'?" I questioned him

"Monty and I were really close at some point, we were actually best friends, but then he started hanging out with Bryce and acting like a dick so I dropped him" Jeff answered "But now, it's like he never left and I have my friend back" He admitted

"Why didn't anybody tell me that you guys were best friends?" I asked

"It wasn't important at the time" He answered "I'm sure Zach is happy too" He added

"Don't tell me Zach was best friends with Monty too..." I trailed

"No, he and Justin were super close" Jeff told me

I gasped

"There's no way" I said

"Oh but there is a way" He replied

"What happened? Why did they stop being friends?" I asked

"That's not my story to tell, mama" Jeff answered

I nodded and we dropped the subject but a million of questions were floating through my head

Jeff and I continued walking around until we were both done our ice creams and then we decided to skip the driving around and go straight to Jeff's house to swim since we needed to cool down.

//

"Jeffery, sweetheart, I'll be in front working on the garden if you and your lady friend need anything" Jeff's mom told him as we were walking down his stairs after changing into our bathing suits

"Mom, please stop calling Thia my lady friend" Jeff told her

"I'm sorry! Does it bother you, dear?" His mom asked me

"Not at all, you can call me his lady friend all you want" I reassured her, smiling

"Aw, Jeff. Why don't you be more like Althia, she's so nice and polite" His mom told him before disappearing further into the house

"Yeah papa, why don't you be more like me?" I teased him

"That's it, I've had enough of your attitude" Jeff said

Before I could process what was happening, Jeff picked me up and started running through his house until we were outside

"Jeff, I swear if you-" I started but couldn't finish since I was being thrown into the pool

Once I reached back the surface, I looked for Jeff and saw that he was getting in

"I hope you drown" I splashed him with water

"I know you don't mean that" He taunted as he splashed me back

I splashed him again and that's how we started a huge splashing fight

Jeff did a huge wave and I decided to mess with him some more

I started coughing violently as Jeff continued to splash water on me

"Oh shit" He said once he realized that I was coughing as he stopped splashing

I continued fake coughing

"Thia!" He swam to me "Are you okay?" He hit my back trying to help me

I continued coughing until I saw panic appear on Jeff's face

Before he could do anything else, I jumped on him and dunked his head underwater

"You are the meanest person ever" Jeff said to me once I let him reach back the surface

I made a face at him and he made one back

We kept going back and forth until we had enough and decided to just swim and enjoy ourselves

//

"Hey, Jeff" I spoke as I turned on my side to look at him

Jeff and I had gotten out of the pool a while ago but we were both too lazy to walk back inside his house so we laid down in the grass and decided to cloud watch

"Mmh" Jeff responded his eyes still gazing at the clouds

"You, uh, never really told me why you, um, stopped talking to me and why you showed up at my house that one day ready to fight Justin" I told him "So why did you do those things?" I asked him

Jeff sighed and closed his eyes, as I kept my eyes on him

"It doesn't matter anymore" He finally replied

"But-" I started but then stopped as Jeff suddenly sat up

"Thia, please" He pleaded

I sighed and sat up as well

A silence grew between us

"Will you ever tell me?" I mumbled, half hoping that he would hear me, half hoping that he wouldn't

"If the right time comes" Jeff replied

More silence joined us

I mentally cursed myself for making things awkward and weird

"Are you hungry?" Jeff asked me, getting up before holding out his hand to help me up

I took his hand and got up but before I could even respond to Jeff's question, he started shouting for his mom

"Jeff!" I smacked him on the arm to get him to shut up

"Stop hitting me" He pouted

I flicked his arm

"Althia. Stop. Hitting. Me. That. Is. Best. Friend. Abuse." He smacked me after each word

"Jeff Atkins, you better have a good reason as to why you shouted for me the way you did" Jeff's mom said, coming in view "And a good explanation for why I just found you slapping Althia" She crossed her arms

Jeff looked at his mom and then at me as I bit my lip to stop from laughing

"Mom-I-. Alth-Ma." Jeff stuttered

His mom kept glaring

"Mrs.Atkins, Jeff called you because he was hungry and he was smacking me because I did it first" I told her when Jeff still didn't answer

"Thank you, Althia" She smiled at me "And please call me Julie" She added

I looked at Jeff and he has me a thankful look

"Let me go fix you kids something to eat" Julie said and turned around to head back inside

"Let me help you" I told her as I quickly grabbed my towel and followed her inside as Jeff trailed behind me

"I'm just going to go change, I'll be right back" I told Jeff's mom

"Sure thing, sweetie" She responded

Jeff and I went upstairs to his room

"Ugh. I don't want to change back into my shirt, there are too many buttons" I whined as I went through my bag

"Then don't change?" Jeff suggested as he grabbed himself a hoodie and shorts

I whined again and Jeff let out an exaggerated sigh

"You know how much more easier it would have been if you just said something like 'Hey Jeffy, I want your hoodie' instead of whining and getting on my nerves" He told

"Hey Jeffy, I want your hoodie" I cheesed

Jeff laughed but still threw me the hoodie he had in hands

"That wasn't necessary" I told him as I picked up the hoodie from the floor since I didn't catch it

"Why do we fight like an old married couple" Jeff remarked as he got himself a new sweater

I shrugged

Jeff gave me this look and before he could even move, I raced to his bathroom across the hall

"Awww, Thiaaaa!"Jeff hit the door as I closed it behind me

"Sucks to suck, eh papa?" I replied

I couldn't see Jeff but I know he rolled his eyes

I quickly changed and unlocked the door to let Jeff in

"Would you be a dear and put this in my bag when you're done?" I asked him as I held out my bathing suit

"Yes but only because you're going to make me food" Jeff grabbed it

I made my way back downstairs and went into the kitchen where Jeff's mom was stirring something on the stove

"What can I do to help?" I asked her

"Could you keep stirring please?" She said and I nodded

I took the spoon from her hand and did as she told me

Julie added cooked chicken and some vegetables into the pot as I kept stirring

We made small talk until the rice was almost done

"I can take over from here, Althia" She told as she grabbed some plates "Thanks for the help, dear" She smiled at me

"Jeff!" I called out for him

"I'm in the living room" He responded

I followed his voice and soon found myself in his living room

I jumped on the couch beside him and Jeff laid his head on my lap

"You wanna check our phones?" He asked me as he held them out

I grabbed my phone and opened to see that I had a couple of messages

"Wow, I love having so many friends who text me" Jeff said

I looked at his screen and saw that he had no notifications

"Aw, Jeffy! Of course, you don't have any texts, I'm here with you" I pinched his cheeks

Jeff rolled his eyes

"How about you?" He questioned

"My mom and Zach texted me" I answered

"Are you and your mom still fighting?" Jeff asked as I opened her messages

"Mmh" I responded

"How long do these fights usually last?" He questioned

"Usually until my dad makes us talk" I told him

Jeff chuckled and let me answer my mom

Althia:

Yes. I am with Jeff.

Althia:

I told dad

Althia:

Didn't think I'd have to tell you too

Althia:

Soon.

Althia:

I'm not sure. I'll text you when I'm in the car.

"And now, I'm reading Zach's messages out loud" Jeff announced after I told him I answered my mom

Before I could refuse, my phone was in his hands and he opened the messages

"Wait, wait, wait" Jeff said

"Yes?" I asked him

"Does Zach call you baby like for real now?" He questioned "I thought it was just for the Instagram caption and a song reference from Baby Driver" He continued

"I thought so too since we listened to the soundtrack in the car and that's why I commented the next line in the song" I told him "But he has been calling me baby over texts now and sometimes on facetime" I responded

"So just no face to face yet?" Jeff asked as he scrolled through Zach's and I's text messages

"Stop looking at our messages" I told him and he stopped "But yeah, no face to face yet" I told him

"We are going to facetime your precious Zachy right now" Jeff said and clicked the facetime button

Zach answered and Jeff angled the camera so it was on my face

"Zachyyy" I cheesed as his face popped up on the screen

"Ayy baby" He greeted me

"Ew, nope. That is not allowed" Jeff spoke and put the camera on his face

"Hey Jeff" Zach rolled his eyes playfully

"Hi baby" Jeff teased him

"Who are you talking to?" Jeff's mom came into the living room with plates filled with food

"Is that Momma Atkins" Zach beamed

I flipped the camera so Zach could see her

"Ma, it's Zach. Say hi" Jeff told her

Mrs.Atkins waved to the camera as she set the plates on the table and then she walked behind the couch so she could Zach

Jeff flipped back the camera on us

"How are you, dear?" Julie asked Zach

"I'm good, you?" He asked her back

"Great, thanks" She smiled "I didn't know that you knew Althia as well" She said

"Oh yeah, Zach and Thia know each other preeetttyyy well" Jeff smirked

"Oh?" She paused questioning

"Ah Jeff, shush it" I smacked his forehead

Jeff's jaw dropped and lifted himself off of my lap

"You better not be thinking about slapping her back" His mom glared at him

Jeff sighed and looked at me as I made a face at him

We talked to Zach for a bit as we ate before Jeff drove me home

"Thank you for the fun day" I told Jeff as he parked in my driveway

"Thank you as well, mama" Jeff smiled as me

"I'll see you tomorrow at school, papa" I said

"Are we calling each mama and papa now?" Jeff asked me

"I think so" I answered him

We said our goodbyes again and I went inside my house where I announced I was home before I went up to my room.