Between Love and Friendship (Completed)

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Annabelle was Mystery Girl? No way!

 “For real?” I asked, trying to hide my astonishment.

“Yeah,” Her smile widened. “I hardly can believe it myself.”

“When?”

“Yesterday, right after school.” She looked down at her nails, guiltily. “I didn’t want to tell you at first because I thought you’d be mad…”

“Why would I be mad? You’re allowed to go with whoever you want,” I said. If she wanted to go with Gabriel and he wanted to go with her, there was nothing stopping them. I’d have no right to be upset.

“So you don’t like him?”

“Who said that I did?”

“Um, only everyone! I mean, you spend every living minute with him. You guys are, like, inseparable. No girl spends that much time with a guy she couldn’t care less about.” She said, matter-of-factly.

“Well, I care about him. But more like a brother than a boyfriend.”

Sure I spent time with him (maybe more than necessary), but he was fun to be around. Guys are just like that: all fun and no drama. Plus we both liked basketball. Most of the time we were together, I was just helping him practice.

“So you aren’t crushing on him? Not even a little bit?”

“Nope,” I said, popping the ‘p’.

“Wow,” Annabelle said shaking her head. “Just wow.”

I gave her a questioning look.

“It’s just that…I’ve liked him since last year. I never told anyone because I always thought he liked you, and you liked him back. It really did seem that way. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who thought you guys were secretly together…”

“We’re not, and we never have been. Trust me; you have nothing to worry about. And if we were, it wouldn’t have been a secret. ”

This conversation is getting more awkward by the minute. I thought to myself.

I didn’t like talking about crushes. It was so girly.

“Thanks,” Annabelle said smiling slightly. “So you think he might actually like me back?”

“Yeah. I mean, he did ask you to the dance.”

She nodded, “True. But what if-”

“Stop questioning it!” I said, cutting her off. “You have to ask him how he really feels. Asking me is just as good as pulling petals off daisies.”

That got her to shut up about Gabriel for the rest of the bus ride.

* * *

When the bus finally pulled up in front of the mall, I noticed that the entrance way was crowded with tons of people; mostly other teenage girls. Annabelle and I stepped out of the bus, and pushed our way through the mob. What on earth was going on?

That’s when I heard it. Music. Loud music.

Performance music. And guess who was performing?

“Oh my god! It's One Direction!” Annabelle shrieked. I rolled my eyes. Not this again.

Annabelle was a die-hard One Direction fan. I usually had to sit through her rants about Zack, Harold and Louis being the “most beautiful people alive” (those are their names, right?). Oh, and how ‘sexy’ their British accents were.