Fuck Up The Friendship | Tom Blyth

2

"Thanks. For getting me home" Bella said to Tom when the cab arrived at her and Rachel's apartment.

"Always" Tom smiled, looking into Bella's eyes. And for a split second, Bella felt an urge to kiss him. She shook her head, the alcohol must be clouding her judgement. Badly. She let out a breath as she got out of the cab.

"Bella! Focus!" Bella heard her trainer yell at her as she took deep breaths.

"I'm trying" she mumbled, gritting her teeth as she tried to catch her breath. She felt like she was letting the rest of the team down. Bella was a professional cheerleader for the Giants, which was harder than it sounded. It took hours and hours of practice, and took a lot out of her physically and mentally.

Another hour of brutal practice later, Bella was trying to catch her breath as she downed water from her bottle, sitting down in the dressing room.

"You okay, Bella?" her teammate Laura asked. Bella loved her, she was a great friend.

"Yeah, just a bit hungover I guess" Bella mumbled, getting up and pulling on a sweater on top of her sports bra. Truth be told, Tom had lingered in her thoughts after last night more than she'd like. She wanted to get him out of her head.

"You wanna go out tonight?" she asked Laura.

"You know it" she answered as Bella shut her locker.

The two made their way to Bella and Rachel's apartment. The sounds of a horror movie played in the apartment as they stepped in. They walked into the living room and saw Rachel, Josh and Tom, sitting on the couch and laughing at Saw.

"Oh, you guys are sick" Bella mumbled as she made her way towards her bedroom.

"What, you don't like horror movies?" she heard Tom ask. She didn't answer, getting into her room with Laura right behind her.

"Who was that?" Tom asked Rachel as soon as Bella had closed her bedroom door. He was jealous, though he'd never admit it.

"That's Bella's teammate, Laura" Rachel answered, eyeing Tom worriedly.

"Oh" he breathed out and tried to focus on the movie again. He wasn't able to laugh anymore, though, despite Rachel and Josh joking around. A certain girl with black hair was occupying his thoughts. He felt himself suck in a deep breath when Bella stepped out of the bedroom, wearing high waisted leather pants and a top that showed off her cleavage.

"Where are you guys going?" he heard Rachel ask Bella.

"Out" Tom heard Bella mumble as she walked out with Laura right behind her.

After she left, Tom couldn't focus on the movie at all anymore, his mind playing out all kinds of scenarios on what she would do while she was "out".

Bella was on the dance floor with Laura, 8 drinks in. She was definitely not thinking about Tom anymore as she danced with a guy, whose name she did not remember. Before she even realized, they were kissing.

"Come on, let's go back to my place" Bella heard herself say to him, dragging him outside the club with her.

Bella and the guy, whose name she still did not remember, stumbled inside Bella's apartment, giggling as they almost fell. He pulled her in for another kiss as they stumbled their way towards her bedroom. Before they could, the lights in the living room went on, making them freeze as they pulled apart. Bella sighed as she saw Tom standing in her living room.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, hostility in her voice. It was bad enough he was tainting her thoughts, now he was actually in her apartment in the middle of the night.

"Movie night ran long. Decided to stay the night" Tom mumbled, his eyes frozen on the guy, who Bella had started calling Brad in her mind. He looked like a Brad.

"Hey, man" 'Brad' awkwardly said to Tom. Tom did not greet him, his eyes moving to Bella.

"Him? Really?" Tom just asked as if 'Brad' wasn't even there.

"My choices in one night stands aren't really any of your business" she snarled at Tom.

"Come on, let's go" she said as she pulled 'Brad' in her room after her, slamming the door shut behind them. Tom was left in the living room, alone. He laid back down on the couch as tears of anger, jealousy and sadness escaped his eyes.