Better than Friends

Chapter 17: Let's Drink

Imma just say this—this is a more mature chapter and to those audiences who have strong religious beliefs and are abstaining from this type of media, skip this chapter please 🙏. This is a disclaimer so you understand that the writing and dialogue will get a bit more vulgar and heavier with innuendos.

• • •

"And in this world,
She is my world."

- Pierre Jeanty

• • •

• {Dawson Ledger} •

"No, that was Cassidy," I lied through my teeth.

Ethan looked at me with confusion on his face. "But last time-"

"You're misremembering you demented fucktard."

Those harsh words seemed to have forced Ethan into a tormented silence, glaring at me.

I clenched my jaw and crossed my arms over my chest as I looked over at Marcus who looked deep in thought from the exchange between Ethan and I. I couldn't have him realizing the truth of the situation.

A memory of three years ago flashed in my head, it happened the day after New Years.

Mom stumbled into the kitchen with a yawn.

"What time is it?" She asked me as she opened the refrigerator door, frowning cause she realized we had ran out of her favorite cereal.

"It's the afternoon already," I answered as I scrolled through my phone. I was seated on the kitchen island, having just woken up myself with the last bowl of mom's favorite cereal in front of me.

She pouted when she realized I had been the breakfast victor and let out an exaggerated sigh. "What would Atria say if she saw you treating me this way?"

I raised my eyebrow at her and shrugged my shoulders. "I guess she'd be sad?"

She looked at me weirdly before rolling her eyes. "I don't get how she puts up with you—actually, I don't get how I didn't realize it sooner."

"Realize what?" I asked her, brushing off her other comment about how Atria puts up with me.

Atria and I barely talked and if we did it was mostly to avoid one another in each other's houses. She'd come over sometimes to do something for mom and I'd go over to give something to her mom. It was an avoidant kind of relationship cause we honestly didn't know anything about each other.

But there were those other times . . . when I'd see her in the halls at school. She wasn't attractive in my eyes, not really, but she had a body that not most girls had . . . and she always pouted her plump lips when she was stuck on a question . . . and the way she'd bend down to pick up-

I cleared my throat as my mom responded.

"That you like her."

I choked.

"LIKE HER?" I shrieked, dropping my phone from shock and then scrambling to check if I cracked the screen. I groaned as a hot blush clouded my cheeks.