Ariana Grande, the pop queen of our generation, had just finished filming the highly anticipated "Wicked" and released her latest hit song, "The Boy Is Mine." In need of a brief break, she decided to spend a weekend with her best friend, Courtney Ch...
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(Ari's outfit for the night)
"How have you never been to a basketball game, let alone a women's game?" Courtney asked from across the Rover as we headed to the arena. I giggled in response. "I have no idea," I admitted to her.
"I can't wait," Ethan chimed in, squeezing my hand. I smiled at him and kissed his cheek, catching Courtney rolling her eyes in the rearview mirror. My best friend didn't seem to approve of Ethan much, despite my happiness. I thought she would, but she can't get past the fact that he just divorced his wife and has a baby. She keeps saying she gets bad vibes from him.
I value Courtney's opinion, she's my best friend after all, and I want to believe her. But I am genuinely happy with Ethan. I know the media had a field day when they found out about us, and I see all the comments from people making fun of his looks, even calling him 'ugly SpongeBob'—something Courtney and Vic find amusing, since they jokingly call him SpongeBob behind my back. He might not be the most conventionally attractive guy I've been with, but as I've said before, he makes me happy.
"Have you seen some of these girls?" Courtney's boyfriend commented. Ethan chuckled along, "Some of them look like dudes."
"What's wrong with that, Ethan?" Courtney interjected sharply, making Ethan visibly gulp. He always seemed a bit intimidated by Courtney, likely just trying to fit in with her boyfriend.
"Um, nothing is wrong with it," Ethan replied nervously.
"Yeah, exactly. There's nothing wrong with how they look. They're beautiful and badass," Courtney affirmed, shooting Ethan a pointed look.
"Okay, okay, let's not dwell on that, guys. Let's just have a great time tonight. Is Vic meeting us there?" I chimed in, eager to shift the focus.
Courtney's face lit up. "EEKK, yes! I can't wait to see her," she exclaimed.
I smiled, glad to steer the conversation toward something positive. "I know, me too."
**Music playing in the arena** Play The Seed 2.0 [Ft. Cody Chestnutt] by, The Roots
As we're escorted inside, my security team guides us towards our seats where we spot Vic and a few other friends. Vic's face lights up as she sees us, and she greets us with a warm hug. "I'm so happy to see you both," she says enthusiastically. Ethan joins the guys while I find myself seated between Vic and Courtney, a familiar setup wherever we go. "I want to say sorry for what happened earlier," Courtney tells me. "Sorry, what happened earlier?" Vic asks. Courtney explains the situation, and then adds, "I know you're happy with him, and we'll try to understand better." I thank her and smile, "Thank you, and yes, I'm really happy with him. But what he said wasn't right. I'll talk to him later."
