For Better or For Worse (Book 2)

The End

This is the end, beautiful friend. But it's just the beginning.
—The Doors

"Oh my god. You're in love with him."

Leah practically squeals it, her fingers working their quick and precise magic through my hair.

I grin, closing my eyes and picturing his face in my mind. When I don't respond, Leah takes that as a yes.

"This is amazing!" She's almost finished, her hands deftly tucking in the last of the stray hairs. She's doing a magnificent side French braid that wraps around my head and flows over my shoulder.

I'm enjoying listening to her revel in my love life, her realizations getting better and better as the afternoon goes on.

Leah and Sierra have been at my house for six hours already, and the three of us have spent some much needed girl time together. We talked about boys, played a very aggressive game of Mario Kart that ended in a full on brawl, had showered to wash off the sweat from our massive fight, and were now sitting quietly in my room, resting from our long morning.

"So what's it like?" Sierra asks absently, flipping the pages of People magazine as she swings her legs in the air.

She lies on her stomach on the carpet, her brown hair tied into one of Leah's awesome fishtail braids.

She looks disinterested in the magazine, so she tosses it aside and scoots closer to me, her face brightening. "Tel us!"

I laugh, but I'm not uncomfortable. It's hard to ever be awkward around them.

"Well, it's...terrible." I say honestly.

Leah yanks my hair, purposely playing with me. "Hey!"

"It is NOT terrible," Sierra says, grinning at Leah's antics.

"It is!" I protest. "You're stomach twists in a knot, your heart clenches, your hands get all clammy, your whole body starts sweating and trembling, you can't think straight, and then you get so dizzy you swear you're about to pass out on the spot."

They're quiet for a second, letting that sink in.

"But," I continue, "it's also wonderful. The butterflies in your tummy, the way you feel when you see him down the hall in school and you just have to be with him as soon as you can, the feeling you get when he kisses you. It's...quiet and experience."

Leah blushes furiously, taking a Bobby pin from her mouth and sticking it somewhere in my braid.

It doesn't slip passed Sierra. "Leah!"

"What?"

"Don't try to hide it!" I say. "We both see you turning bright red."

"Yeah, so spill, girl."

"Done."

We both raise our eyebrows and Sierra sighs. "Alright. Fine." Then she smiles shyly. "I—I like Tyler."

"Ah! I knew it!" I say at the same time Sierra shrieks, "Told you so, Skylar!"

We all start laughing and Sierra cracks a joke that makes Leah turn as red as a Crisp apple.

"What about you, Sierra?"

"Yeah, who's the guy?" I question, playing along with Leah.

Sierra shrugs nonchalantly, and if I didn't know any better, it would've looked genuine.

"Oh come on," Leah urges, tapping Sierra's knee. "Tell us."

She looks up, her eyes bright and her ears red. "Have you met Taylor Caniff? He's in Maher's English class..."