The Girlfriend: Fake It Till You Make It

Chapter 23 Final Confrontations

The countdown to the final day of high school was almost over, and it seemed like everything was coming to a head. The tension that had been simmering beneath the surface all year was about to boil over, and I could feel it in the air as we walked through the courtyard. Emily was next to me, her face calm, but I knew her well enough to notice the way her hands fidgeted with the hem of her shirt—a telltale sign of her nerves.

"Can you believe we're almost done with high school?" Emily asked, her voice soft as we found our usual spot by the tree.

I smiled at her, reaching out to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. "Feels like we've been fighting to get here forever."

Her lips curled into a small smile, but her gaze shifted, drawn to the other side of the courtyard. I followed her eyes, spotting Brittany with her group of friends. She looked just as she always did—poised, guarded, and angry. But there was something different in her gaze today. It wasn't just malice; there was something deeper, something harder to place.

Emily's voice brought me back. "Do you think she's finally going to let it go?"

I frowned. "I wouldn't count on it."

We had been dealing with Brittany's bitterness for so long now that it had become part of the routine. The snide remarks, the cold glares, the whispers behind our backs. It wasn't new, but today, something felt off, like we were on the edge of a cliff, and one wrong step could send everything crashing down.

Just as we stood to head back inside, Brittany and Ryan approached. Emily tensed beside me, and I instinctively stepped closer, ready for whatever was coming. Brittany's eyes flicked between us, her jaw set tight. Ryan was just as smug as ever, standing behind her with his arms crossed like he had some right to be involved in this.

"Got a second?" Brittany asked, her voice sharp.

Emily glanced at me before nodding. "What do you want, Brittany?"

Brittany's eyes settled on Emily, and for the first time in a while, there was something vulnerable in her expression. "I need to talk to you," she said, her voice softer than usual. "Alone."

Emily's brow furrowed, clearly taken aback. She turned to me, and I could see the uncertainty in her eyes. I gave her a small nod, stepping aside but staying close enough to intervene if I needed to. I didn't trust Brittany as far as I could throw her, but if Emily wanted to hear her out, I wasn't going to stop her.

Ryan stayed behind as Brittany led Emily a few feet away, just out of earshot. I could still see them, though, and that was enough to keep me from stepping in.

Brittany stood in front of Emily, her hands balled into fists at her sides. She looked like she was battling something internally, like there was a war going on inside her head that she didn't know how to win. Her usual cold, cutting demeanor was gone, replaced by something rawer. Something real.

For a long moment, Brittany didn't say anything. Emily stood there, patient but cautious, waiting for whatever was coming.

Finally, Brittany spoke. "Do you even know what you're doing?" she asked, her voice shaky.

Emily frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Brittany swallowed hard, her eyes flickering with something close to desperation. "You're just... throwing everything away. For her. For Jordan."

Emily's face softened, but there was a firmness in her voice when she responded. "I'm not throwing anything away. I'm choosing what makes me happy."

Brittany's mouth opened like she wanted to say something, but no words came out. Her hands trembled at her sides, and I could see her eyes fill with frustration—no, not just frustration. Fear. There was fear in Brittany's eyes, and it caught me off guard.

"You don't understand," Brittany finally whispered, her voice cracking.

Emily took a step closer, her tone gentle but firm. "Then help me understand."

Brittany's breath hitched, and for a moment, I thought she was going to break down. But instead, she clenched her fists tighter, her whole body tense as she fought against whatever was boiling inside her.

"You..." Brittany started, her voice barely above a whisper. "I thought it was about Ryan. I thought I was mad at you for taking him from me, but it's not that. It's..."

Emily took another step forward, her brows knitting together in confusion. "What is it, Brittany?"

And then, it happened. The words came tumbling out of Brittany's mouth, as if she hadn't even meant to say them, as if they shocked her just as much as they shocked everyone else.

"It's you!" Brittany blurted out, her eyes wide with panic. "I'm mad because it's always been about you, Emily! Not Ryan. Not Jordan. You."

Emily's mouth dropped open in surprise, her face a mix of shock and confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Brittany's chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath, her eyes darting around like she couldn't believe she had just said that out loud. "I don't know!" she exclaimed, her voice rising in frustration. "I don't know what this is! But I can't stop thinking about you, and it makes me so angry, and I don't understand why!"

The courtyard was dead silent. I stood frozen, barely able to process what I had just heard. Brittany... liked Emily? Even she seemed confused by her own confession, her face twisted with emotions she clearly didn't know how to deal with.

Emily took a step back, her hand coming up to her chest as if she needed to steady herself. "Brittany, I... I don't know what to say."

Brittany let out a bitter laugh, her eyes welling with unshed tears. "Neither do I! I don't understand it, Emily. All I know is that when I see you with Jordan, it makes me feel something I don't know how to deal with. And I hate it."

Emily shook her head, her voice soft but steady. "Brittany, I... I care about you. But not like that. I'm with Jordan."

"I know that!" Brittany snapped, her voice laced with frustration. "But it doesn't change how I feel."

There was a long, painful pause. Brittany stood there, raw and exposed, while Emily tried to make sense of everything. I didn't know what to do, how to step in, how to fix any of this.

Finally, Emily spoke again, her voice gentle. "Brittany, I don't think you hate me. I think you're just scared. Scared of what these feelings mean. And that's okay. But you can't keep taking it out on me."

Brittany wiped at her eyes, her body shaking with emotion. "I don't know how to deal with this, Emily. I don't know how to deal with any of it."

Emily stepped forward, her hand reaching out to touch Brittany's arm lightly. "You don't have to deal with it alone. But you do need to stop hurting people because of it."

Brittany stared at her, wide-eyed, before nodding slowly. The fight seemed to drain out of her, leaving behind someone who was just as lost and scared as the rest of us.

Emily turned back to me, her face pale but calm. I stepped forward, wrapping my arm around her waist protectively. Brittany didn't say anything else, just turned and walked away, her head bowed, leaving us standing in the middle of the courtyard, stunned by the confession none of us had expected.