"what are you getting?" i look at the menu. "definitely iced coffee... and maybe chocolate chip pancakes." mason puts his menu down. "that sounds so good, i'm copying you." i also put the menu down. "so original." he mocks. i mock him back. ugh, he's spending too much time with my brother.

my phone goes off and i grab it. parker texted me. i glance at mason. . i text back. he responds a second later. "who are you texting?" mason asks. "it's just parker." i put my phone away."you're so whipped." he says catching me off guard. "take that back right now! i am not." i cringe.

"no and yes you are. this whole just friends thing you have going on is bullshit and everyone knows." mason smirks like he's cracked the case. "whatever... it's complicated." i cross my arms and sit back in my chair smiling.

"anyways so what's going on in the life of bri?" he asks, i take a sip of my water and sigh. "everything seems to be normal again. i'm... just hurt that my parents are still getting divorced. i'm trying so hard to keep them back together." i rant until the waitress comes and takes our orders.

"i don't know what to do." i sit back in my seat thinking about how i've failed to keep my parents together. "look at it this way, bri. your parents split for a reason, you might not know or understand that reason but it happened. you don't want to force a relationship. if it's meant to be, it will come back to you. i think you're putting too much pressure on them." mason says.

hmm. i sit soaking in what he just said. i sit there realizing that my parents decision to stay together or stay divorced isn't up to me, it's up to them. i may have made things worse. maybe i'm the reason they haven't made peace with each other.

"thinking hard?" mason catches my attention. "kind of. you just gave me a wake up call." i stare at the table. "glad i could help." he says. i zone out again for a second.

"anyways so what's going on in the life of mason?" i smile totally forgetting about my problems. "my mom keeps having nightmares and breakdowns which is emotionally and physically draining because i have to lie to soph and tell her that mom is just sick or not feeling good." he says nonchalantly. my eyes widen as i process what he just said. "sorry mason i had no idea." i hold my hand out across the table.

"i don't broadcast my personal problems. there's no way you could've known. it's okay, i'm okay. i've dealt with this for two, almost three years now." mason holds my hand. "i understand. don't hesitate to reach out to me whenever you're going through these things. i don't want our relationship to just be about me ranting about the life of bri. i want to hear about the life of mason too. i'm here for you."

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