Suddenly Popular

Chapter 18

    A couple of days had passed since Brianna and Rowland broke up. They had gone their separate ways even though Rowland tried multiple times to rekindle a strong friendship but Brianna could not help but remember Cassandra's words about Terry.

"You're right but you'll see. Eventually."

Every time she talked to him, she felt like she was making a mistake. She had only been a week without Rowland, what would people think if she suddenly dated Terrence? Would they accuse her of cheating?

Cassandra attempted to apologize to her but Brianna considered that she had taken it too far. Obviously, she was not the only one responsible for her short-termed romance with Rowland but as a friend, she simply lost any trust that she had in her.

Rick had finally come out when playing "Never Have I Ever" and Kaiden and he were in a happy relationship. Jasmine loved spying on their dates and Lei and she managed to organize a date with Brianna and Terry.

She was mortified at the idea of changing the current status of "friendship" to something more. It was true that there had always been an ambiguity between the two of them but she had kept her boundaries for Rowland. What if she ruined everything?

No matter how hard she tried to think about her needs and not others, she always considered their opinions of her. She realized how from dating Rowland and hanging out with many of what would be considered the popular boys and girls, she had lost a considerable amount of "friends".

It did not bother her much though because she got to spend her days with Maverick, Lei, Jasmine and Terrence. She also managed to have a normal, friendly conversation with Rowland and Cassandra and she had made peace, although their friendship would never go back to what it was.

As she looked at herself in the mirror, she noticed the unproportionate curves on her hips and what she considered not-skinny-enough thighs. When she heard footsteps approach her, she quickly pulled away.

"You're not criticizing yourself, right?" Lei asked.

"Of course not," Brianna laughed.

Lei's brown eyes stared at Brianna as she looked away, blushing. The two of them had become closer over the past few weeks and she discovered that Lei had battled an eating disorder. It did not just strengthen her confidence but she also got to help other teenagers suffering from similar disorders to love themselves and their bodies before helping them.

Unlike Jasmine who was very outspoken and curious, Lei always made sure that everyone fit in and felt comfortable. Brianna appreciated how different each of her friends were and how they all clicked and matched like puzzle pieces fitting perfectly.

Lei raised an eyebrow, not believing a single word that came out of Brianna's mouth. Brianna shrugged, raising her shoulders.

"Fine, I was but it's not a big deal," she said.

"It is a big deal! You cannot stay by yourself and criticize the magnificent body and person as a whole that I am seeing right now. You are incredibly beautiful, inside and outside, and nobody and nothing should make you feel otherwise. I'm very serious, Bri," Lei explained.

"Why do you make it sound so easy though?"

"Trust me, it's really not. I just learnt to appreciate the body I was given because no matter what, I cannot become someone else. So why not give your body a shot? You'll learn to appreciate aspects of it."

"Thanks."

The familiar scent of perfume filled the room and Brianna sighed, while Lei looked away. She did not particularly enjoy having such a reaction but she could not allow herself to forgive someone who had made broken promises. She had fallen for it once but she was intelligent enough to not repeat it a second time.