no strings attached :: a.i.

12 : the truth

Well this is just great.

"Does he not know?" Thomas asked, looking back and forth between the two of us. I shook my head and his eyes grew larger. "Hey, who wants to get ice cream?"

I nodded and turned, heading for Kyle's car. Kyle didn't push it but instead followed me. We followed Thomas to the ice cream parlor, sitting in silence the whole way.

When we arrived at Bell's Ice Cream Parlor, a familiar car was already waiting outside. As we walked towards the door of the shop, Tony stepped out of the car.

I gave him a questioning look, "Kyle texted me to meet him here."

I turned to Kyle, he looked me in the eyes and talked for the first time since the Spencer's house, "You are either going to tell him, or I am."

"Tell me what?"

My eyes darted to Tony and then back to Kyle, he was being serious. I looked to Thomas for help.

"Who's this guy?" Thomas questioned, pointing to Tony.

I sighed and grabbed my phone, "His name is Tony, he's a friend."

"And I'm guessing he doesn't know either?" I nodded in response to Thomas's question.

"Don't know what?" Tony waved his hands in the air for emphasis.

"When did you have time to text Tony?" I quickly typed, directing the question at Kyle.

"When we were standing in Thomas's living room."

Pushing past Tony and Kyle, I grabbed Thomas's arm, pulling him behind me. Dragging him behind his truck, I opened my mouth. I willed the words to come out of my mouth, and this time it worked.

"I can't tell them, no one was ever supposed to know." Thomas just looked at me, a smile slowly stretching across his face.

"Well it's too late now, I'm sorry about my mom but there is no going back. You can do it, Bree, I'm so proud that you finally talked." He pulled me into a tight hug.

After reluctantly letting go, we walked back to where the two boys were standing. Tony crossed his arms over his chest. Kyle eyes moved from my face to Thomas's and then back to mine. "Well?" Kyle whispered.

I tried to back away but Thomas placed his hand on the small of my back, stopping me from retreating. Sighing, I took a step forward, stretched out my hand, and I gave my phone to Kyle. He took it, raising his eyebrows in confusion. Before finally confronting the guys in front of me, I went over what I was about to say in my head.

I looked over my shoulder at Thomas, he nodded at me in reassurance. Turning back to Tony and Kyle, I took a deep breath and began, "When I was ten, my dad went to jail for killing my mom. I was moved out here to live with my grandparents. A while after that my grandfather died and just recently my grandmother went AWOL, leaving me by myself. But before that happened, when I moved here, I didn't have any friends. That was, until a new family moved in across the street. There was a boy my age," my voice faltered, Luke's piercing blue eyes filled my mind, I coughed and then continued, "He didn't seem to care about what my father had done or really about anything at all. We became best friends and then we met Thomas. Not long after that, my grandmother left. I didn't mind really because at least I still had my two best friends. One night they were out doing God-knows-what and got in a car accident that killed the boy across the street." Luke's single dimple that accompanied his award-winning smile clouded my thoughts. I shook my head and thought of what to say next, "So I stopped talking." Kyle's eyes were like ice, rock hard as if they had frozen over. "That was my way of coping.

"But then I was convinced into joining group therapy where I met you two. Tony made me smile for the first time in forever and Kyle managed to make me happy again. The day we came here, right after meeting, I ran into Thomas again. Everything felt like it was falling apart, and I had you to blame. But it wasn't falling apart, everything was finally fitting back together." I stopped there, taking a moment to catch my breath. I hadn't talked this much in months.

"Paris I-" Kyle started. Tears had begun to form in his eyes while I was talking. A pained look played across his face.

"I want to say thank you. I want to actually say it because you and Thomas and Tony have done so much without even knowing it. I owe you everything and I didn't want you to hear that from my phone or read it off of a piece of paper. So here I am. Talking. Thank you so much." I finished speaking and the scene suddenly grew very quiet.

Kyle opened his mouth to respond but soon closed it again. He stood stock still, staring at me. His face showed no emotion and I chewed on my lip. After a minute he opened his mouth again to say something, but once again he closed it quickly. Instead he took a step towards me. Without thinking, I turned on my heel and ran, but this time, he chased me.

~~

ugghhhh this is so short uuuugggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh

funny story I wrote the last part over a text when my friend asked me how I was gonna end it

I'm not friends with her anymore tho. she's a slut.