Never Love Your Best Friend

ONE

"Sweetheart, what happened?" mom asked as she helped me to stand up. She looked at me with her eyes were filled with worries.

Chad was about to tickle me so I ran down the second floor hallway. Then when I turned to see if he caught up with me, I stumbled down the stairs. There had a bruise on my knee and my back hurt. I was in pain and in tears because of Chad. Stupid boy! He was laughing upstairs. What a rude boy. It didn't even bother him that I fell and got a bruise. He's so immature.

"Chad!" I shouted, glaring at him. But he didn't stop laughing. His laughter got louder and louder by the second. But before I could notice, he's with me at the last step of the stairs... crying!

Ha-ha. He fell down the stairs too. Leave it to Chad to not notice the toy car on the way as he went downstairs. It's my turn to laugh at his face now. His face was all red... like a tomato! Oh my gosh! It's priceless. I wanted to take a picture of it and put it on my nightstand.

"Stop laughing at me!" he yelled. The corner of his lips was curving down. That made me laugh more. He's such a cry baby, and to think that he was older than me.

He broke out of tears again. His mouth was wide open, letting out a shrill of cry. His cheeks were painted red. I frowned, walked to him and wiped his tears with my thumb. "Stop crying now, Chad. I should be the one who's crying that way," I told him, frowning a little.

He stopped before saying, "But it hurts!" He sniffed, his lips still curving down. He's cute looking that way. Even though he's five months older than me, I was tougher than him, manlier than him even though I was a girl. I was the one who's protecting him. On the other hand, he's the cry baby, clumsier than me and always bullied. I guess that's what you get when you're always around a girl.

"Okay, you two. Come with me in the kitchen. I've baked you chocolate chip cookies." That made us smile. I held on to my mom's hand and Chad tugged to her skirt as we made our way to the kitchen.

We sat on the stool by the countertop. Chad, who was not thinking grabbed two cookies and started munching on it. I rolled my eyes at him. Why was I best friend with him again? I asked myself. I didn't know either.

I was too focused staring at my best friend that I hadn't noticed the cookies. My eyes widened when I saw that there's only two cookies left on the plate. Was he a cookie monster? Definitely he was. I scowled. This guy was so going down one of these days.

I reached for the last cookie on the plate, but before I could touch it, Chad hastily got it and shoved it inside his mouth. I grimaced. Why did he have to be so arrogant in front of me? "Mom, Chad ate all the cookies." I pouted, whining at my mom who was making a chocolate drink for us. "Mom! Chad ate all—"

"Whiner baby, I didn't eat it all," he cut me off, sliding a plate in front of me with three cookies. I thought to myself, that was so sweet. I didn't know Chad had it in him. But wait! Did he just call me a whiner baby?

I turned my gaze at Chad, furrowing my brows as I stared at him angrily. I was not a whiner baby. He's the one. He's weak and fragile like a girl. But me? I was tougher and stronger like a man. So there's no way I was going to let him call me that way again.

"I'm not a whiner baby!" I yelled, placing my hand to my hips.

"Yes, you are," he grunted, sticking out his tongue at me.

"Is not!" I stood up from where I was sitting and stomped my feet. Then I made my way out of the kitchen. He's only six and he's so much annoying now, what more if he grew up? He'd be the lamest bully in the world. Since he hadn't bullied anyone yet... well, beside me. He's really lame, weak, a wimpy kid.

I sat on the couch, grabbed the remote and started flipping on the channels. I placed my feet on top of the coffee table in front of me. But before I could sit back and relax, "June Isabella Peyton! Put down your feet from the table," mom ordered. I did as I was told. I didn't want to argue with her. All I wanted was how to make Chad pay for making my life miserable. He peeked at me from the kitchen, snickering then he stopped to gulp his chocolate drink. I scowled, sticking my tongue out at him before running away. I went straight to my room, shutting the door. That guy had some serious issue.

I looked at the clock to see it was already 5:30 pm. Why Chad's mom hadn't arrived yet to pick him up? I wanted him out of this house now. He caused me so much trouble for today. Couldn't I get a normal day without him? Obviously I couldn't. Even though he's real annoying, a day without him was just going to be ten times more miserable. I didn't know why but I could tell that as long as we're best friends, we had to stick with each other.

* * *

"Sweetie? Hey baby... wakey wakey." I heard my mom said. Her voice was as soft as an angel. Not that I'd heard an angel talk, but you know what I exactly meant. Angels were angels. They were so sweet, kind, lovely, adorable, kind-hearted, and humble and all the positive things on Earth. That's how I envisioned angels and I could tell that mom was one of them.

I yawned and rubbed my eyes, slowly opening it to adjust from the light. I managed to give her a smile. "Let's have dinner. I don't want you to be starving before going to sleep," mom said, helping me to sit up to my bed. Dinner? It's still night?

She stood up and walked to the door. But before she could step out, I called on to her, "Mom, what time Chad went home?" I asked while looking at the clock on my night stand table.

Her brows furrowed then her lips curved upward. "Chad is still here. He said he won't go home, not unless the two of you make up. His mom's downstairs too. I invited them to stay for dinner." I nodded as she explained. So Chad was still here, huh. Well, I sort of felt that he would not go home not unless he could say his sorry to me and give him my forgiveness. I didn't know that he could think that way, but still I was thankful.

I sat up and held on to my mom's hand before leaving my room. I could smell roasted chicken from the dining table. I was starving to death. Good thing that mom woke me up to have dinner. I didn't want to wake up in the middle of the night looking for some food to eat in the fridge. When we got to the dining area, everything was on the place. They're just waiting for us.

"Bella, hello." Aunt Carly, Chad's mom, said. She had a dirty blonde, wavy hair, blue eyes and a little shorter than mom. She's the same age as mom, which was twenty eight. They were classmates during high school. Best friends, I might add. They're so close to each other that they even teased Chad to me. Ew! That's disgusting. I would never, ever in my life fall for him.

I smiled to Aunt Carly while taking a seat next to Chad. I didn't glance at him and never in a million years I would talk to him without him saying sorry. And I meant a sincere one. He nudged me to the side. I could see in the corner of my eyes that he's pouting. He nudged me again.

I rolled my eyes as I faced him. A wide grin immediately plastered on his face. He stood up from his seat then knelt to the floor. My eyes snapped wide open. "What are you doing?" I asked him, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Mom said that this is the most effective way on saying sorry to the person you really care about. So, I'm doing it." I heard mom and Aunt Carly chuckled, but they both bit on their lower lip when my gaze turn to them. I could see that they wanted to laugh out loud. They're playing on us.

Great!

Not!

I rubbed my forehead, turning my gaze to the side. Oh please! Could I have a dinner now? I asked myself. I had to get over with this now if I wanted to eat already. "Okay, you are forgiven. Let's eat. I'm starving." I gave Chad a light pat on the head before turning to face the food.

Oh heaven! Mom's cooking was the best. Just by smelling these foods made me want to eat already.

"Easy tiger," Chad muttered. I grimaced.

Foods were my life and my loves, and I was going to enjoy every piece of it.