Double Differences

Chapter Eight

At school the next day, I walked up to Brooke's locker to wait for her and Maple. "Hey guys!" I waved as the approached. "Who's your boyfriend?" Asked Maple with a questioning look on her face. "Ricky, you guys know that." I said confused. "No your boyfriend in Longoak." explained Brooke. "I don't have a boyfriend in Longoak." I told them, sincere about it. "Oh suuuuuure ya don't. Then why don't ya ever have time to call or text us back?" Asked Maple, getting snotty. "Well, I do have three friends up there in Longoak. Am I not allowed to?" I asked as I was starting to get pissed with them. "Who are they? Do you like them more then us? How long have you known them? What are their names? What do you do with them?" Brooke asked talking faster and faster with each question. "I will tell you everything I promise. You wanna spend the night so I can tell you everything?" I asked them "Yea. We'll be over at five." Called Maple as she ran off to her English class. "Alright, I'll see you later." waved Brooke as she went to her gym class. "Yea." I whispered to mysellf as I walked to my yearbook room.

"I don't want to tell them about Andrew, Josh, and Emmy yet. I want them to be my secret. The only one I keep from them. Maple and Brooke are my best friends, at least I think they are. If they can'tt handle the fact that I have other friends, then I don't think we can be friends anymore." I thought to myself as I took my seat in the yearbook room. "Well I guess I have to now." I frowned at myself. "I'm so stupid! I could have talked longer, and actually replied to them, I could have done better! I didn't though, and now that's why i'm in this mess." I slouched deeper into my chair.

The bell rang and I went to my locker, it was the end of the day. "Already?" I thought to myself. "I really don't want to tell them about my wonderful life in Longoak. I want it to be mine, and mine alone. Well exept for I want Em, Josh, and Andrew in it too." I thought with a small smile.

"Hey! I hope you're ready to spill your guts later!" I heard Brooke cry as she raqn down the hall to meet me. "Ugh." I thought as I closed my locker. Just as I turned around to meet her there was Ricky standing there waiting. "What did she mean about spilling your guts?" He asked with a smirk. "I hope you aren't cooking again." He smiled even bigger at me. "I would like to tell you that I am an amazing cook." I looked at my phone hoping that Andrew would call me so he could support me. I needed my crutches, my best friends. "Ok, Tulip, whatever you say." He rolled his eyes at me. "My name is Lilly. Not Tulip." I snarled at him. "Woah... Ok Lilly. I won't give you a nickname ever again i guess." He said a little sad. "I don't need you to give me a nickname." I glared at him. Before he could respond my phone rang. "Hello?" I answered "Hey Snowflake!" The familiar voice on replied on the other side of the line. "Oh hey! I was just hoping you would call! When you go back up to Longoak, do me a favor." I ased Andrew. "Yea Sugarplum?" (He was always calling me crazy nicknames, that's why I didn't want Ricky giving me anothe name.) "Take me with you. I hate it here. I don't want to stay. Please?" I begged. "Sure thing, I will pick you up tonight at eight. Does that work?" I could tell he was smiling. "Yes that works perfectly. I'll be ready." I hung up. "Who was that? Where are you going? Why are you going?" Asked Ricky glaring at me. "That was Andrew. I'm going to Longoak. I'm going to live with my three best friends." I answered all of his questions. "What? Why? Who are they? Your three best friends aren't Maple, Brooke, and I?" He whispered sadly. "I'm going to Longoak to live with them because I love them and they're my best friends, their names are Andrew, Josh, and Emmy." I said very simply. "but..." He pulled me into a hug and held me there for a moment. My phone rang again. "What?" I asked a little to bratty "Give the phone to him." I heard Josh growl. I handed the phone to Ricky. "It's for you." I said and smiled. I could here Josh yelling at Ricky. "Alright, that's enough." I said to Josh as I took my phone back from Ricky. "Ok, I will see you soon." I told Josh and hung up.

I walked home alone in the rain. When I got home I put the few belongings I couldn't live without in a bag and went down stairs. I called my mom to tell her that Brooke and Maple were coming over to spend the night. She said it was fine, but that she wouldn't be home until the next day.

Maple and Brooke came over a few hours later. We unpacked their sleeping bags like it was going to be a normal night. That's when Andrew showed up in his truck.