Friends Forever, huh?

Chapter 9 | kisses and kumbayas?

Books always romanticize unrequited love. They make it look like something lovely--stolen looks across crowded rooms, hidden blushes, and occasional casual conversations that make you feel like a horde of butterflies have taken flight in your stomach. However, these examples are quite wrong. So called 'unrequited love' is catching eyes with a certain brown eyed boy only to have him glance away a moment later, unwilling to acknowledge your existence. It's quite irritating especially when he decides to be idiotic and leave you in the dark about his reoccurring silence.

Reality calls when Cole has a real conversation with me and then decides to ignore me for over a week. To put it mildly, he's been avoiding me. Actually, he seems to find a sudden excuse to leave the room. He's doing anything--and I mean anything--to avoid conversing with me.

"Cole!" Unfortunately I'm not exactly in shape and dodging people running through the hallway is not my game.

In spite of these things, he slows down, stopping in front of his locker with his back still to me. I'm about to congratulate myself on getting him to stop but then I realize I wasn't the one to stop him.

Shelby's leaning against a locker casually, catching his arm as he walks by. He pauses, giving her the opportunity to loop her arms around his neck and pull him close.

I draw in a sharp breath. Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it...

She does it.

I stop trying to catch Cole's attention and try a different tactic--his tactic. I avoid looking at both of them and walk away.

"It's so unfortunate when someone else gets the boy you want," Shelby drawls, crossing her arms with a look of mild satisfaction. She's made her way over to my lunch table--where I'm sitting alone today. Yes, it's due partially to my antisocial tendencies, but honestly, I simply want to be alone. I don't want the latest gossip. I just want to sit alone and enjoy my food.

Suddenly I realize what Shelby just said. She's trying to get back at me, isn't she? Oh that little...

"I do not want Cole!" I wince, after my outburst. I responded too quickly--and judging by her raised eyebrow, she can tell my words are a lie.

She rolls her eyes, "Whatever you say Ashley. I know you, remember?"

"Knew."

Shelby waves a hand dismissively, "either way, it's ending different this time. You don't get the boy this time. He likes me instead."

"Let it go, Shelby! I said no to him!"

I sigh deeply, suddenly annoyed with the pettiness of our fights. Yes, we've nearly been enemies (frenemies? Do people really use that term?) for a year...but does that mean that we have to continue in mutual dislike? Despite our fights and her snarky comments, I liked the Shelby I used to be friends with. She may have been frustratingly stubborn, but she was loyal. Loyalty is in short supply around this school.

Still, she's insulted me endlessly throughout the last year. She's made me dread coming to school...

Should I forgive her? Is it worth it?

"Why don't we stop?" The words come spilling out of my mouth before I can stop them, "these fights are pointless."

Shoot. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to say that or not.

"You're kidding," Shelby laughs, but she sounds mildly intrigued--confused even.

"We used to be friends," I shrug, rolling with my words since I'm unable to take them back now, "we stopped being friends over a stupid boy?"

"He wasn't stupid," she protests weakly.

"He was a jerk, Shel." She opens her mouth and then closes it again, reluctance showing in her expression. I offer a hesitant smile.

"You want to be friends?"

Do I want to be friends? Do I want to risk her betraying my trust again? I bite my lip, weighing my options.

What if she says no to my proposal of friendship? Maybe she truly hasn't missed me at all. Maybe I'm simply opening myself to more heartbreak by trusting someone who hasn't proven to be completely trustworthy.

"Yes."

She weighs my response, narrowing her eyes as if to check its authenticity. In all honesty, I don't blame her. We haven't exactly been joining hands and singing kumbaya for the last year or so. Besides, I'm not even entirely sure that she still cares about me. It's possible that she'll blow this whole thing off, insult me and leave me standing alone in the bathroom.

"It's your last year of high school! Try to form some real relationships." That was the advice my mother gave me at the beginning of the year. It's a bit terrifying to someone who prefers running to relationships. Still, I'm not sure that I want to graduate with a bunch of strangers.

"Come here, loser," Shelby rolls her eyes, but a hint of fondness shows in her smile. That smile gives me my answer: she's willing to give this friendship a second chance. She wraps an arm around my waist, giving me a quick side hug.

"Don't think this means I still won't fight with you," she warns, "and I actually do really like Cole. It bugging you was just a plus."

My heart sinks a little at her proclamation, but I quickly cover the emotion in my eyes and give her a smirk, "Oh no, I plan on returning the favor and infuriating you for as long as possible." 

Shelby gives a light laugh at this, pausing as we exit the cafeteria, perhaps realizing what effect socializing on me will have on her popularity. She glances back at me and shrugs nonchalantly, "Oh what the heck, screw popularity. We're seniors anyway."

***

This is probably the latest I've finished a chapter so far. But wheeeew it's done! I was gone this morning and my day was actually quite busy so I didn't get a chance to write until now. It's a little shorter than usual but I'll make up for it in tomorrows :)

Thoughts on this chapter? I wanted to have Shelby and Ashley become friends again because honestly, the rivalry was just poisoning both of their high school experiences. So, yeah. That's that.

Read, rate, comment?

-J