Freshman Year

Chapter Five

 "Happy two months," Dylan greeted me at my locker before Drama. I laughed and pecked him on the lips.

"We made it," I joked.

He grabbed my books from my hands. "I honestly don't know how." I pushed him, laughing. Over these past few months, Sam stayed away more and more. The smile on my face seemed like it was becoming a permanent fixture.

"Hey I'm holding your books. That means that you can't abuse me." He glanced down at my books. "Speaking of, why do you need all of this? We read from scripts all day."

"I like to be prepared."

Dylan raised his eyebrow. "Are you sure. I think you just like that you finally have somebody who will carry your books."

I smiled shyly. "Maybe..." I jumped as Sam suddenly came into my view.

"Hi can I please borrow my best friend?" she asked with mockery in her voice.

"I believe Lily's over there," Dylan said with an annoyed look on his face.

Sam folded her arms across her chest. "We both know that I'm not talking about Lily." Sam grabbed my right arm and dragged me away.

"What do you want?" I asked. I was exhausted from all of this fighting.

"You've had him for two months - it's my turn," she stated.

I turned my head and gawked at her. "Excuse me? He's not an object."

"Piper, I've let you be friends with Alana and Kim. Can't you just give him up?"

I just stared at her. How could she? I was finally happy and she was trying to ruin it for me. "You let me?"
"Yeah," she looked at me like I was stupid.

Kim walked up and placed her hand on my shoulder. "Congrats on two months," she said before brushing past her.

"I should be being told that, not you."

I rolled my eyes. The bell rang overhead and I said, "I'm sorry but my boyfriend is waiting."

I was a tiny bit late for drama but luckily my teacher was cool with it. "You're back," Dylan said as I sat down next to him.

"Yep."

"What'd she want?" I looked up at his blue eyes. Maybe it wasn't worth it. I really liked him but I didn't want to lose my best friend because of it. Friends are forever. Most boys are temporary.

"Where do you want to go to college?" I asked out of the blue.

"Somewhere in state. Why?"

I sighed. "Oh, nothing." Way to go. Start planning for the future. You really don't know guys, do you? I rolled my eyes at myself.

"So, you wanna hang out tonight?" Dylan asked, trying to break the silence.

I looked at the doorway, wishing I could go to talk to Sam now. "Um no. I have something I need to do."

***

"Pick up. Pick up. Pick up," I repeated into my phone. It was four o'clock and I had called Sam twice already trying to apologize.

"Don't you know that when somebody rejects your call that means that they don't want to talk to you," Sam's annoyed voice came through the phone.

"I'm sorry," I blurted.

"What?"

I laid down on my bed and stared at my fan. "I never should have chosen a boy over our friendship. I'm so sorry."

Sam was quiet for the longest time. I could hear my heart beating through the silence.

"So you'll break up with him?" she finally said. I let out the air I was holding in.

I sighed. "I really don't want to."

"Then we can't be friends."

I felt my nose flare and my eyes became blurry. "Fine," I whispered. "I'll break it off."
"Good. So Subway tomorrow after school?" I gave an airy laugh. We had a Subway down the street that lots of kids walked to after school. Sam and I had only walked there three or four times.

"Yes," I said as relief poured into my veins.

"Well, bye."

"Bye."

I hung up the phone and placed it on my stomach. I watched the fan for a good ten minutes trying to figure out how to break up with Dylan. I didn't want to see his face but doing it by text was a jerk move. It really was me and not him but telling him that would be too cliche.

I ended up deciding to call him. "Hey," his brilliant voice said.

"Hi," I pretended to be really happy, "so how are you?" I cringed at the question. Are you trying to make the more awkward than it already is?

"Great. My dad-"

"That's awesome."

"But I didn't even tell you the story." I could see his face in my mind. Eyebrows scrunched. Looking around, confused.

"Well, it's awesome anyways. Cause you're awesome. Yeah, we need to break up," I said super fast, hoping that he wouldn't catch it until I said goodbye.

"What?" he demanded.

"Well bye."

"Wait, Piper-"

I hung up the phone. I took as many deep breaths as I could. You're doing this for Sam, I repeated in my head. I didn't know why it hurt. It had only been two months. And Sam was more important.

***

"Piper," Dylan demanded as he walked up to my locker before first period.

I quickly closed it. "Sorry, I gotta go. Can't be late for French. Nice shirt by the way." I spun around and tried to leave but he grabbed my arm.

"You have fifteen minutes till the bell rings. Start talking."

I hugged my books to my chest and pushed my hair behind my ear. "Look, I promise it's nothing personal. I just don't think it's gonna work out and I'd like to avoid a broken heart."

Dylan gave me a cold stare. He looked at every inch of my face, probably trying to find any clues to see if I'm lying. I stared at him, stone-faced.

He shook his head at me before storming away and I collapsed at my locker.

"Are you alright?" Alana asked. She must have been on her way to French as well. She sat down next to me. "Is this about Dylan? I saw him leaving. I don't think I've ever seen him so mad."

I leaned my head on her shoulder. "I broke up with him. For Sam."

Alana looked at me. I saw raw pity in her eyes. "Well, has Sam apologized yet?"

"No. Why would she?"

"For choosing a boy over your friendship, forcing you to break up, and being an overall jerk."

"Alana we both know she's not gonna apologize."

Alana sat up. I moved my head off her shoulder. "Let me get this straight. You gave up a great boyfriend for her and she doesn't even have the guts to say that she might be wrong about something. You give so much to the friendship and she takes it for granted."

"There's more to it than that," I tried to explain.

"Like?"

"Well...no she doesn't do that. Maybe...Okay, maybe you're right."