Never Have I Ever

Chapter 12

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

that is all.

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Anna bit her lip. She was being surprisingly calm, but confused.

            “Why would he kiss you?” I hated the hurt in her voice. Me. I’d caused it. Scott had caused it! After he had kissed me, I pushed him once more in the chest, yelling some colorful words at him. I was confused, too. Why? Why would he kiss me, and so randomly?

            I shook my head, sighing, “I don’t know,” I murmured quietly.

I was trying to be honest with Anna. Completely. She was my best friend, and she deserved to at least have the truth. Right after the kiss happened, I called her to pick me up. She cried for a half hour, while I felt like a complete asshole.

            “I’m sure Eli didn’t call Nash, I mean… it’s not any of his business,” she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.

I had also filled her in about Nash, though leaving out the part of his nightmares, and the secrets I hadn’t yet found out. I wanted to keep that all for myself. We stayed up all night talking, and I finally felt like we were the same best friends we were in eighth grade, who told each other everything. I hadn’t spilled about my Mom. Too much for one night, I decided. Or was I just scared to open myself up that much? I didn’t want to dwell on it too much, so I focused on Anna again. She was twirling a piece of her red hair around her finger, looking completely hurt. When she realized I was watching her, she pursed her lips to try and hide her expression.

            “Anna,” I scolded, “I told you everything. Don’t hide things from me now.”

            “I know, it’s just he told me he loves me,” tears brimmed at the bottom of her eyes and she blinked rapidly, “I was just scared, that doesn’t mean that he has to kiss someone else to prove something,” she whispered.

            “Hey,” I pulled her in for a hug, she sniffled loudly.

            “I’m sorry,” she muttered, wiping the tears from under her eyes. She put on a determined face. “I will not mope around like some lovesick girl,” she pinched her lips together, “I’ll show that boy,” she muttered almost to herself, already picking through clothes in her closet. I leaned back on my bed. I was worried. Not about Nash, but for Chris. He’d been staying with Lucy these past few nights, because I hadn’t been able to scrape up enough money to pay the heat bill. My mother was…forgetful. Bills weren’t her first concern, neither were her children. I cleared my throat, trying to swallow the lump that had formed. Anna walked out of her closet, dressed as fashionably as I knew she would. With tight dark jeans that fit her like a second skin, and a loose white shirt that was off the shoulder, she made it seem more elegant than it actually was.

I felt impossibly plain next to her, my sweatshirt and leggings I had thrown on the night before looking rumpled from sleep. She smiled brightly at me, and I felt myself sigh in relief. Though Scott was being a douche bag at the moment, I knew the Scott we were both best friends with was in there somewhere.

            “Alright,” she clapped her hands together, “Time to go stalk him!” She gathered her things. I looked out her window, the streetlamp shining out onto the street. The moon was already out. “Are you coming to Ras’s party?” she raised her eyebrows at me.

Ras was in our grade, a senior, who seemed to have parents that were never there. He threw parties that even college kids went to. Too crazy for me, too much drinking. I shook my head once, and Anna pouted for only a moment, before hitching her purse up farther up her shoulder. I stood up, brushing off my legging-clad legs.