My Best Friend's Brother

Chapter 9

I tried on so many outfits, I can't even move. I'm exhausted from this.

"Natalie I'm not going. Everything I wear makes me look dead!"

"Well, we can keep trying-" She stopped talking and she had on her thinking face.

"What?" I was getting nervous. She never goes this long without speaking.

"Instead of trying to make yourself look good, we are going to show off your body." I was horrified. Why would we do that? Is she insane?

"What? No!"

"Elena of everyone sees what Sam has done to you, he'll be hated by everyone."

"I feel bad if we do that."

"Don't you dare feel bad for that son of a bitch. Look at what he did to you. He made you look like this," She turned my full length mirror towards me. "He made you feel so low, that you destroyed your body. He did this. Not you."

"I don't want people thinking that I'm trying to bring him down and make them think I'm a bitch."

"What happened to my beautiful, confident best friend? You used to not care what people thought about you. You used to do whatever you wanted and not give a flying fuck. Where is that Elena? All I see is a skeleton of your past self. Pun intended." She's right. I let him get to me. And that's not ok.

"You're right. I shouldn't care at all."

"Yes, I'm always right. Now, let's make you look amazing and get to this party."

It took about 2 hours for both of us to get ready. I found an old pair of white shorts and a blue and white floral crop top. I curled my hair and put on my white converse.

"Ok, are we ready to go?"

"Um, Natalie it's only 6. I guess we didn't look at a clock the entire day, huh?"

"We're not good at timing, are we?"

"No I guess we're not." We sat on the beach behind my house until about 8:30.

"Ok, so who's driving?"

"I guess I will. I probably won't have a drink, given what happened last time." Natalie is a bit of a sloppy drunk. She hooked up with all 5 members of the chess club last time. She's pretty ashamed.

"That's a good idea. I might only have one or two. My tolerance has gone way down."

"Elena, I don't want to push, but do you want anything to eat before we go? Even like a slice of bread or a cookie? I soak up the alcohol?" I thought for a minute. I really don't want to eat, but it does sound like a good idea.

"Um, I guess? But nothing big. Just a piece of something." Her face lit up and she ran to my kitchen.

I heard her running back into the room.

"Ok, I found a slice of bread, a chips ahoy, and half a baguette from Panera."

"I'll have some baguette. I haven't had it in a while."

"Ok, well I'll bring the whole thing in the car, I'll have what you don't finish."

"Sounds good." We went out to her car and started the short journey to the beach. Nate always threw the party at the same place every year. It's a secluded beach with a bunch of huge rocks that hide us from the outside. Is really cool.

I started to pick off tiny pieces of bread and it was so good. Really soft, creamy even. I only had a few pieces, though.

"Here, you can have the rest." She took the baguette and bit off a piece like an animal.