Frenemies ✔

Chapter 10

"It's nice that your parents lent you their car for the day," I said as I stuck my head out the window.

The forceful gust of wind blew my hair back. It felt so good. I felt like I could breathe. Rocky smiled at us boastfully.

"Yup. I just got my license a few days ago, so I might as well take it for a test drive."

"All the way to Wesley Heights?" Tori teased.

"Duh! Of course all the way out there! When I said 'test drive', it's another way of saying 'let's get out of town for a few hours."

Rocky had informed Tori and I that she got her license, like she said, a few days ago and wanted to know if we wanted to spend this afternoon hiking up in Wesley Heights. Of course, we agreed to it. It was little ways from home, but the drive is really worth it. Once you take Exit 82, off of Wesley Heights, it's completely breathtaking. Wesley Mountain is in front of you when you first stop at a traffic light. It's so beautiful. Various hiking trails lead to creeks, rivers, or the top of the Wesley Mountain, so that's why we come here whenever it's a nice day out. Like today. I didn't mind hiking today at all. I needed to clear my mind of Robbie.

Rocky merged onto the exit for Wesley Mountain and made a complete stop at the traffic light ahead.

"So, how's your play going?" she asked.

I shrugged. "Fine. The recital is scheduled for the 21st, which is on a Thursday."

"Are you nervous?" Tori leaned over. She was sitting in the backseat.

"Yeah, a little bit," I replied. "But, I know I'll get over it. I always do when I'm upstage."

"I know you will. You'll be awesome," Rocky complemented.

"Thanks."

She turned the car onto Wesley Street and pushed the gas pedal down hard. The Corvette responded with a loud roar.

"You know," I started. "I've been thinking. About the way I acted with Robbie a week ago."

"Oh. Girl, you're not gonna run that by me again, are you? You and I already had a little talk about this," she said.

I told both of them about the fight I had with him. Tori told me not to feel bad, that it wasn't my fault. Rocky said the same thing, but sometimes she can be super blunt.

Maybe I should've kept my mouth shut, I thought.

Now I was gonna hear another decade-long lecture from her.

"I already told you. Don't feel guilty. You weren't the one who threw the dummy over. You weren't the one who killed a family on the highway. And you most certainly weren't the one laughing like an idiot who thought it was a joke, okay? My friends are not sociopaths so I completely disown Robbie now. You should, too, Ava. He's just no good."

I nodded in response. "I know, I know. I don't mean to bother you with my thinking."

"You're not bothering me, honey. I'm just trying to set you on the right track."

I smiled.

Tori sighed. "Okay, subject change. Today's really beautiful out, isn't it? You chose a perfect day to go hiking, Rocky."

"Of course I did. Am I the bestest friend in the whole wide freaking world or what? I couldn't let you girls vegetate in front of the TV all day and eat potato chips."

We all laughed.

"Well, we all know who to thank for that," I said.

Tori leaned over into the front.