Girlfriend's Best Friend

Chapter 26

           They sat there, in either shock or admiration—I couldn’t tell. They looked at each other and just started nervously laughing, trying to process it.

            “So then everything you’ve said to us about Kelli—everything you’ve said to Kelli herself—was just a lie?” Mattie asked.

            “No, that’s the thing. I love Kelli more than I’ve ever loved any girl. But then Brooke came along and now…”

            “Now you’re not so sure,” Mattie finished for me.

            “I guess—” I started to try to explain what I thought I’d been feeling right when Carter and Graham came back. We knew to just stop talking about it— a familiar raspy voice distraced all six of us and gave us the perfect excuse.

            “No! I already started walking away, this is over! Don’t talk to me!” Brooke stood out on the boardwalk.

            “Oh shit,” Carter laughed. “Brooke, calm down!”

            She turned to face us, the anger spilling out everywhere. “I should calm down?? I’m not the one who’s wrong here!” Next walked up Kelli, who looked in to see who Brooke was yelling to.

            “Babe, what are you doing here? You said you were busy,” she said, tears glossed her eyes.

            “This is why I was busy. The guys wanted to hang out,” I said.

            “You chose your friends over me?” she asked.

      “What kind of an asshole chooses their friends over the person they’re in a relationship with? Like, that’s the worst thing you can possibly do because it’s not like your friends are the ones who will always be there for you. Cody, like, I can’t even believe you’d hang out with your friends who you’ve known for years and have always been there for you over your girlfriend that you’ve known for a few months. Like, that’s just wrong, I can’t even,” Brooke said, her voice full of fake sincerity which made me think she was on Kelli’s side for a second until I really thought about what she said.

            “Brooke, I wouldn’t expect you to understand because you’ve never even had a boyfriend! But I don’t blame any of those guys- you’re a whore who seems fun at first until you get to know her- then they realize you’re crazy!” Kelli yelled back. My friends looked at me to do something, but is it possible for the person who’s the problem to be the solution?

           “You’ve had one boyfriend and he’s the only one you’ve ever hooked up with. But no you’re right, guys like you sooo much better. People like you so much better,” Brooke walked away, adding in, “Fucking bitch!”

           Kelli knew everyone liked Brooke better than her. Brooke knew everyone liked Brooke better than her. Everyone knew everyone liked Brooke better than her. But saying it out loud was another story.

           “You’re just going to let her say that to me, Cody?” Kelli started crying.

           “What?? I don’t have control over what Brooke says, Kel,” I said.

           “You didn’t even stick up for me!”

           “Because Brooke ran away right after she said that, do you want me to go after her to yell at her and keep this shit going?”

           “It’s me or her,” she yelled at me, and walked off in the opposite direction Brooke did.