Maybe Something More

02 | little, stolen things

JULIETTE
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I COULDN'T BELIEVE that I'd let him see through me; let my emotions cloud my judgment. It was stupid, so very stupid, of me to even let him know.

Of course Ayden could see right through my lie. I certainly didn't hate him, even if I was mad and so unbelievably angry at him.

"Wait, wait, wait! I don't get it!" my friend Sophia said as she waved around her spoonful of coffee ice cream. "So if you don't hate Ayden then why'd you say that?"

"Because," I began as I started taking some of her coffee ice cream. "Because... I just let my emotions take the better of me, I guess. And lying to him is better than admitting that I actually have feelings for that stupid idiot."

"Aw, but, Jules!" Soph swatted me on the forearm repeatedly. "It's cute. And I've talked to Jackson before and he says that all Ayden ever talks about in the locker room is you!"

Jackson Canterbury was Sophia's older brother, who was also in Ayden's inner circle of popular friends, who were on good terms with me since Ayden didn't tolerate anyone who wasn't okay with me.

I scoffed. "As if. He probably just says it 'cause he knows that I'm practically the only girl in school who hasn't thrown themselves at him during some point in their school year," I said as I took in another spoonful of ice cream. "Why can't they see that he's just another idiot fuckboy?"

Sophia patted me on the shoulder. "Oh, hon," she said sympathetically. "You're one of the many girls who's fallen for this fuckboy, too, remember?"

I heaved a sigh of defeat and leaned my head on her shoulder. "I know," I admitted. "I just wish I didn't fall for him! I mean, throughout all these years we've been best friends, the nicest thing he's managed was drive me to school one time in eighth grade because my parents had to go to work early."

"Well, think harder," Sophia said as she plucked the pint of ice cream out of my hands, "because I'm vaguely sure that Mr. Perfect has done loads of things for you, too, Jules. I mean, if that many girls like him, he can't be that much of a selfish ass, can he?"

I frowned, partially because Soph was half-right and also because she took away my ice cream. "I guess," I amended as I got up and grabbed my bag from the bench by the living room door.

"Good." Sophia opened the door for me and gave me a little push outside. "Now, don't you have some kinda birthday that you have to attend and have been blabbing about it all week?"

"Aubrey's!" I gasped, remembering my cousin. "Oh my God, it's in three hours! Um, I'll text you later, Soph!"

She waved at me as I got in the car and pulled out of her driveway. "Good luck, Jules!" she called as she gave me a not-so-subtle wink. "You'll need it!"

With my Ayden problem, I agreed that I would definitely need it.

* * *

I GOT READY for my cousin Aubrey's birthday party by taking a quick shower and just barely grazing my face with makeup. I touched my lips up with some gloss and putting on a little bit of blush on and eye liner. Then, I put half my wavy black-brown hair up into a quick twist and let the rest curl around my shoulders.

Afterwards, I grabbed a soft, pale pink dress out of my messy walk-in closet and found myself flinching back in surprise when I realized that I hung it up next to the lacy red dress I'd worn to the dance with Ayden two years back.

The dress came along with a memory branded permanently on the inside of my brain, a cruel reminder of how I'd fallen for my idiotic best friend.

* * *