Hello, Brennen Taylor.

I Thought She Was Prettier

A few days went by without a word from Brennen. Katie never worried much about it and assumed the tension she felt that night wasn't mutual. On several occasions, Sara had brought up the fact that she didn't recall seeing Katie much at the party that night. Katie countered this by telling her she was shit-faced drunk, which wasn't a total lie because when she and Brennen showed up at the party later that night, Sara was throwing up in the bathroom with a guy that Katie didn't know holding her hair back.
Katie was sitting comfortably on the living room couch in a simple pair of jeans and a tank top watching The Little Mermaid when Sara came bounding in, screaming at the top of her lungs. "Katie!"
"Sara!" Katie mimicked in the same tone of voice.
"You are such a liar! You and Brennen?" Sara jumped over the arm of the couch and landed on top of Katie, shoving her phone screen in her face. A picture of her staring out into the city on a familiar roof top was displayed onto an Instagram post. The caption read "She thought the sight was pretty, I thought she was prettier." I don't even remember him taking this picture.
"I don't know what this is." Katie lied.
"Don't bullshit your best friend. This was the night of the party wasn't it? Did you guys kiss? Was it good? Oh my god!" She paused "Did you guys have sex? I'll kill him, I swear to god."
"We didn't kiss. And we definitely did not have sex. Still a virgin. We just went for a drive and talked."
"Boring. But, oh my god, he called you beautiful, he totally likes you!" Sara squealed, shaking both of Katie's hands violently.
"No, definitely not. It was one night. A few hours at most. And plus, even if he did like me, I'm still in love with Tony. It's gonna take me a while to get over someone that was part of my life for so long."
"You're still hung up on that guy? Move on, already! Let's get out and have a good time during our last summer before college!"
"You're right," Katie pondered, "we should go camping!" Sara's smile faded.
"Camping?"
"Yeah! We can put up tents and grill and roast marshmallows. The whole nine yards! We can invite some friends and we can make it a week-long thing! It would be so much fun."
"I'm not sure if I enjoy the idea if sleeping with insects." Sara tried.
"Please?" Katie implored, "It'll be so much fun, I promise. It can be my coming home gift? Plus, I didn't get to go real camping in Hawaii. Pretty please? I'll love you forever!"
"Okay, okay stop the guilt trip. I'll do it. I'll invite Gianna, Zanden, Nick and Brennen." She elongated Brennen's name mockingly. Katie rolled her eyes and mouthed a 'whatever' at Sara before running upstairs for a shower. This could be fun, she thought. First camping trip without my dad. I can do this. I am independent.