Happily (N)Ever After?

The Dream

“Ohmigod.” Rachel exclaimed as she awoke from her deep sleep. She felt hot and flushed and sick to her stomach. She called Valerie right away; This was not Julia’s issue to handle.

“Rach?” Val asked as she picked up the phone. It was almost 3am.

“Val...I know it’s late. But I just had the most terrifying dream.”

“Well what was it? I told you not to watch “Black Swan” before bed.” Val replied.

“You have to promise not to tell Julia.”

“Why would I do that? We all tell each other everything.”

“We can’t. Come on, Val, I’ve got to tell someone.”

“Rach-”

“Val, please?”

“Fine.” She mumbled. “What?”

“I maybe...sort of...kind of..had a dream about...Adam.”

“And why can’t we tell Jules?” Val asked, confused.

“Because. In the dream. We...”

“Spit it out!” Val said frustratedly.

“We had sex! In the dream, we had sex!”

“WHAT?” Val sat up quickly in her bed in shock.

“I know!”

“But you hate eachother!”

“I know!”

“How’d this happen?”

“I don’t know!” Rachel declared. “But...I think I liked it.”

“You liked it?!”

“It was HOT!”

“Rach!” Val exclaimed.

“I’m sorry! But it was!”

“None of this makes any sense at all. You guys have a serious mutual hate/hate relationship.” Val replied, trying to find the logic in all of this.

“Well apparently our mutual hate/hate relationship needed some fantastic hate sex...”

“Rachel! I can’t believe you!”

“Hey, I can’t control what I dream, okay?” She defended.

“...You like him, don’t you?”

“No!”

“You do!” Val exclaimed.

“Well is kind of is really hot...”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“Val, it’s not my fault.”

“You know that Julia is in love with him!”

“I know...I know.”

“Do you know how hurt she’s going to be when she finds out?”

“She’s not going to find out, Val.” Rachel replied quickly.

“We have to tell her, Rach. That’s just not fair. Besides, we stopped keeping secrets in like, the 6th grade.”

“This is just a secret we shouldn’t tell. I mean, I’m sure Julia’s kept things from you before.” Rachel said manipulatively. She knew it was wrong to take advantage of Valerie’s naive nature, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

“Seriously Rachel? Do you even know who you’re talking to? I’m Val, Julia’s best friend, by the way. And last time I checked I wasn’t a backstabbing whore.”

“Wow. You really just went there. Just because you’ve never been kissed does not mean I’m a whore.”

“I am not having this fight with you at 3:07am. If Julia asks, I’m telling her.”

    “But Val!”

    “Call me back when you decide to be a decent friend.” Valerie hung up.

    She was so conflicted. Rachel was her friend and always had been, but so was Julia. How was she supposed to choose between the two of them? Bar none, she had decided at this point, that she was significantly more upset with Rachel. Val recognized that she wasn’t a perfect friend; there were times she gossiped or let a secret slip, but Adam? Adam was off limits. She knew that you couldn't control love, or like for that matter, but Julia had been in love with Adam since they were fourteen, and you weren't supposed to screw with that, especially as her best friend. Julia would’ve never done something like that to her. She was tired of Rachel competing over everything, too, and for never letting the Virgin thing go. Val knew she was considered the one with the moral compass, the good girl; But never been kissed? That just sucked, and she was mad at Rachel for throwing it in her face like that. But she figured 3am was not a time to make any rational decision, and definitely not the time for over-thinking her entire life, so she popped in her headphones, and drifted back to sleep.