Girlfriend's Best Friend

Chapter 7

          I felt bad for thinking that because it wasn’t completely true. I did like Kelli, and I did want her. But I still felt like I kind of wanted Brooke. Does that count? I don’t know.

            “Do you think I’m a bitch?” Kelli asked me.

            “You always ask me these crazy questions out of nowhere,” I laughed. “Of course I don’t, why would you think that?”

            “Because I called Brooke out on a lot of things that she was doing that were pissing me off. I see the looks that the other guys give you. They think I’m a bitch because of course they’re going to defend Brooke—they love her. I just wanted to make sure you didn’t think I was a bitch,” she said.

            “You’re so worried about whatever Brooke is doing—just worry about yourself. Trust me, you’ll be so much happier. I don’t think you’re a bitch at all. You think everyone likes Brooke so much better than you. That’s not true. You don’t see how great you are too, but I see it. It’s all I can see. I actually really like you, Kelli,” I said to her, trying not to sound so nervous.

            Her eyes lit up the way they always did when she was happy and I leaned in to kiss her, gently directing her face towards mine with my index and middle finger. And this time, she didn’t turn away. She leaned in and kissed me too.

            “I was wondering if uh, you wanted to…be my girlfriend,” I probably sounded so stupid. She smiled brightly and nodded yes.

            I kissed her one more time, so happy that I could finally call her mine. When we pulled up we both noticed Brooke and Mattie in the cart behind us making out, but I just assured her, “Don’t worry about Brooke. You’ve got me, and she doesn’t.”

            I wasn’t sure if I was trying to convince Kelli or myself.

            We got out of our cart and Brooke and Mattie’s cart pulled up next. Neither realized the ride stopped because they were still making out. The guys and I laughed and joking clapped and cheered for Mattie, and while Kelli didn’t join in, she didn’t roll her eyes or make a rude comment. Maybe she was taking my advice.

            She took my hand and started leading me off when Graham asked us, “So, are you guys like, dating now?”

            “Yeah,” I half smiled, glad that I could brag to my friends about my girlfriend now.

            “Gay,” Graham said. Brooke hit his arm and yelled at him. I knew he was kidding, but I also knew Kelli wouldn’t find that funny, and he knew that. That’s why I was annoyed but he tried to defend himself by saying, “Now you can’t hook up with Brooke, Cody.”

            I stopped walking for a second, shocked by the fact he would actually say that in front of my girlfriend. I expected someone like Carter to say that, but not Graham. I picked up again as if I never even stopped.

            “Alright, I don’t care,” I tried to laugh believably. “I have Kel, that’s all I want.”

           Kelli still looked a little hurt, because Brooke was in the spot light again. I gave her a kiss to reassure her which was interrupted when Graham said, “I’m sure you don’t care.”

            “He doesn’t,” Kelli said seriously.

            “At least I could get with her if I wanted to,” I laughed and all my friends joined in. “Do you even have a chance?”

            “Stop, that’s so mean! Graham’s a cutie, leave him alone,” Brooke said.

            “Sorry, cutie, I didn’t mean it,” I joked. Carter and Mattie started bagging on him because they got with Brooke and he didn’t. She kissed Graham just to prove them wrong, and Kelli gave me a look as if to say, ‘see? I told you.’ To get her to stop worrying about them I just kissed her. She really needed someone to keep her in check and make her stop comparing herself with Brooke.

            We ignored everyone else the rest of the night basically, just focusing on the two of us and that’s how I liked it. I only focused on her, she only focused on me, and we were happy with that. She didn’t focus on Brooke at all—only herself. She was happier that way, and happier because of me. I loved that I was the reason for her happiness.

            Kelli and I had hung out alone that whole week. Well, emotionally at least. Brooke and the guys were with us too but we barely paid any attention to them. It was exactly a week into our relationship when I invited everyone back over to my house to hang out. Mattie couldn’t make it because of his little cousin’s birthday party, and we expected Brooke to be sad about that because they’d been hooking up. But she adjusted just well, hooking up with Jace instead.

            We knew Mattie wouldn’t be happy, but none of us said anything. Eventually all my friends left and it was just Kelli and I. I took her up to my room to “watch some TV”.

            Mattie, Jace, Graham and Carter all said Brooke was a good kisser, and not going to lie, it bothered me that I would never be able to experience it. Kelli wasn’t a bad kisser, but I wouldn’t say she was good either. It was fine though— I could teach her.

            We laid down on my bed, I put my arm around her and she cuddled up next to me. She looked up at me to say something but I honestly didn’t care what she had to say, I just wanted to kiss her. So I did. I wasn’t sure how far Kelli had ever gone before, so I hoped taking her shirt off wasn’t a big deal. She let me take the shirt off, but the bra wasn’t going anywhere.

            “Shit! Your mom’s coming!” Kelli pulled up after a while, searching for the shirt I’d thrown on that ground that got lost on my messy floor. I quickly shot up to my dresser, grabbing a blue t-shirt out of it for her to wear. She put it on just as my mom tried for the doorknob and yelled at me to unlock it. I did, and she didn’t notice anything suspicious. She just told me that Kelli could stay for dinner if she wanted.

            As soon as she left, my shirt came right back off of Kelli.