The Ugly Friend?

Day 1 - Awkward

"I'm going to miss you sooo much, Mark!" Brooke exclaimed as she watched Mark take his bags out of the car.

"Don't worry, Brooke. I'm only going to be in California for a week. Then, after I come back, we can have a long conversation about how you shouldn't have forced me to do this in the first place," Mark joked.

"Don't make me change my mind about missing you, Mr. Moody" Brooke warned. Mark let out a small chuckle. "Now, you are going to go there, and you are going to thank me when you get back," Brooke said smiling from ear to ear.

"I never knew you could be so... aggressive. I don't think I like this side of you very much. It kind of scares me," Mark said with a smirk.

"Good! I don't want you to get too comfortable with me," Brooke said. "I also don't want you to miss your flight, so you should move your ass.

" Okay okay!" Mark said feeling a bit melancholy.

"Oh stop your crying, you big baby," Brooke said as she helped him get his last bag out of the car. "You can handle those bags, right? Do you need any help?" Brooke asked feeling a bit rude for just dumping his bags in front of him and leaving.

"Brooke, it's only 3 bags. I think I can manage," Mark said as he picked the bags up and started walking toward the airport door.

' Excuse me for being concerned for a friend,' Brooke thought to herself. "Okay! I'm going to miss you! Tell your mom I said hi! Even though she doesn't know me!" Brooke said as she hopped into the car.

Mark turned around and gave Brooke a look, one that said 'STFU!'. Brooke just made a 'lock my mouth closed' gesture and 'threw away the key'. She gave Mark a thumbs up with a smile, and he turned back around and kept walking toward the double doors. Brooke waited until the large airport consumed Mark's body and she could no longer see him to go home.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Are you sure that he feels the same way?" Brooke asked Ambria as they sat on the couch together.

"It's like we both know, but it's also like an unspoken desire, you know? He knows and I know, so it's like we're already dating... we just don't have the title right now, you know? OMG! Did he say something to you? I think he just needs some time to clear his head," Ambria said very quickly.

"Okay, calm down," Brooke said. "He didn't say anything. Mark could very well be falling for you,'' Brooke had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing.

"Hey! Stop joking around, Brooke. These are my feelings we're talking about right now," Ambria said with a pouty face.

"Right! I'm sorry... Just give me a moment," Brooke said as she tried to calm her giggles.'Get it together, Brooke,' she told herself. She eventually found the strength in her to battle her horrible case of the giggles. "Okay, I'm good... I think."

"Like I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," Ambria said.

"I didn't interrupt-" Ambria cut Brooke off.

"You see right there! You're doing it! You have a problem," Ambria went on and on.

"What?! Problem?! Me?!" They began to bicker back and forth. Then a ring came out of nowhere. They both stopped and looked around, and Brooke faced palmed herself when she figured out what it was. "Oh! That's my phone. One sec," Brooke said holding up her pointing finger to Ambria. She read the screen: NEW MESSAGE!!!

Sun. 6/14 2:47 p.m.

From: Benjamin Smith

To: Brooke Summner