Chapter One
"Is this like some kind of bribe? Because I can't believe you're letting me borrow these." I slide into Olivia's expensive new jeans that she hasn't even worn once. Turning, I eye my butt in the mirror. Nice! They fit perfectly. "You must want something from me." No one lends something like this without wanting something in return.
"Nope. That's just what best friends are for." She stops rifling through her closet twisting to give me an innocent smile over her shoulder. Her blonde shoulder length hair swings back in the air as she goes back searching through her mounds of amazing clothes. I'd kill for half the items in extensive wardrobe. "Here it is." She pulls out a red top. The one I had eyed jealously the first time I'd seen her in it.
"I love that shirt," I say to her as she hands it over to me.
"It's yours now."
"What?" I know I can't keep it but I fling my shirt off and toss the red one over my head just to see how it looks. I gaze over at my reflection. It looks fantastic.
"Look how good that looks on you," Olivia exclaims sweeping my brown hair up off my shoulders and twisting it into a sloppy pile on top of my head.
There's a soft knock on the door and then it opens. Olivia's older brother steps in. "Time for dinner," Brian says with his head hung down not making eye contact with either one of us.
"Okay," Olivia acknowledges her brother and the door shuts. She lets go of my hair and it flops back down.
"I'd better get going," I say looking to see where I threw my shirt so I can change back.
"I lied," Olivia breathes and then starts pacing her room nervously.
"Lied about what?"
"About wanting something. I'm giving you my shirt and my jeans because I need a favor from you." I knew it, but I keep my mouth shut and let her keep talking. She takes a deep breath and continues. "I want you to ask Brian to the Valentine's dance."
She wants me to ask her brother to the dance? Is she serious? I stick my finger in my mouth and start chomping on the nail. Last year Brian had been one of the most popular guys in school. He walked the halls turning the heads of every girl he passed. How could he not? He's tall, tan and lean with long lashes that sweep over amazing light brown eyes. Every girl wanted him. But he was taken. In love with the beautiful Shannon Rose, the striking red-head who clung to his arm and French kissed him by her locker in between classes. They were the perfect couple. Were.
Towards the end of the school year rumors had started to swirl that Shannon Rose had been cheating on Brian with a guy from a neighboring school that she met on Spring break. The rumors were detailed, dirty and worst of all - true, although, Brian refused to believe it.
He defended Shannon Rose, professed his love, stood by his girlfriend and ignored all the ugliness being spread about her. It was almost romantic. Then the cold hearted witch repaid him by standing him up for the Junior Prom. She showed up on the arm of Thomas, her new boyfriend, the guy from the rumors. The guy she'd been seeing practically the entire time behind Brian's back.
Because of my close friendship with Olivia I knew firsthand the effect the break-up and humiliation had on him. He stayed locked away in his room most of the summer. He lost contact with his crowd of friends that for unknown reasons seemed to choose sides and all chose Shannon over him.
Senior year started and the guy who once owned the halls had suddenly become an outcast. Girls who drooled over him the year before suddenly turned their nose up. No one crushed over the guy who had been dumped any more. One day he had been "in" and the next day he was "out". It was horrible, pathetic, juvenile...high school.
"Please Samantha," Olivia pleads, hands folded in desperation. "It's half way through his Senior year and the guy has no life whatsoever. I'm really worried about him. If you do this I'll give you the jeans, the shirt and," She scrambles through her purse, "And thirty seven dollars." She holds up the cash she collected from her designer bag.
When your best friend asks you do them a big favor, are you really ever allowed to say no? Of course you're not. I think it's rule number one or something, you must do big favors for said best friend. So, being I'm not one for breaking rules I say, "Yes. But I'm not taking your money or your clothes."
Okay, and I guess this is a good time to admit ... the guy I've had a crush on for years, it's Brian. Because isn't rule number two you must be secretly in love with your best friends older brother?
