Fell In Love With My Best Friend

Chapter 9

AJ and Taylor were sitting in the ice cream shop, and they decided to talk about Adam. They're sitting in a booth, towards the front of the place. The ice cream shop was decorated with red and blue tables with modern murals plastered on the walls. It was almost as big as McDonald's but wider with a black and white tiled floor which was so shiny you could see your reflection. At first, the talk was just normal, calm talk, but then it started to get a little....exciting.
"So, you really like him, huh?"
"Yes. Unfortunately. I don't know what's going on."
"I mean, at least you admit it now."
"You guys knew secretly and didn't tell me?"
"Um? I thought you knew too," Taylor said, laughing a little. She sighed.
"What?"
"I didn't want to tell you this, but they're planning to invite Adam."
"What?"
"I'm sorry, but this needs to happen," Taylor said, patting her shoulder from across the table.
"Is Erica really planning to set us up?"
"Please. We're only in the 8th grade, or going to be. You shouldn't make it sound like we're in high school."
"Taylor."
"I wouldn't say 'set up.' She just wants to get you guys talking again, that is all she intends to do."
"I'm not sure if I'm ready for that."
"You are, but you don't know it."
"Is he coming here?"
"He should, but he's not coming until 4:30, and it's only 2:05. You're good for a couple hours if you want to take an hour to relax..."
"No, I'm fine. I can do it."
"Exactly what I wanted to hear."
"Am I supposed to feel butterflies in my stomach?"
"That's called nervousness."
"God, I hate puberty."
"Puberty?"
"Yes. It's where you start liking boys and experiencing new things."
"I know that, but I'm asking why you hate it."
"If I was still in 4th grade, I wouldn't be going through this nervousness."
"True...I think."
"It is true."
"Okay. Do you want to call Erica to see what she's doing?"
"Not yet, I just want another ice cream."
"Okay. My mom left me a few more dollars, so that's enough."
"Thanks," AJ said as she grabbed the dollars Taylor handed to her. I'm not ready.

******

Erica and Liam were sitting in her living room watching the Spice Girls' music video. During it, Liam had this disgusted look on his face.
"What's wrong with you?" Erica asked, giggling.
"I don't like them."
"I like their music. You don't have to like someone, you just have to like their music."
"I don't like their music either."
"Why not? They're in the same country that you were born in."
"What does that have to do with anything?" he questioned, crossing his arms.
"All British people like each other."
"That's like saying all Americans like Football or Hamburgers."
"Well, a lot of us do."
"But, not all?"
"Got me."
Liam chuckled and stretched as he got up to get some popcorn. "Why are you going to eat again? You just ate an hour ago."
"Which was an hour ago. I'm hungry."
Erica rolled her eyes and looked at her phone to see that there were two messages, and they were from Taylor and Adam.
Taylor: Hey, are you still coming to the Ice Cream Shop? After Erica responded Yes to the message, she checked the text from Adam.
AJ doesn't know I'll be there, right? Erica rolled her eyes and responded: Yes, it's safe.
"What's up?" Liam asked as he plopped down next to Erica again.
"Nothing much. Adam and Taylor just texted me to see if we're still coming to the ice cream shop later."
"Interesting."
"That's all you have to say?"
"Is there something I'm supposed to say?"
"Not really."
"Alright then," Liam said, laughing.
"You are so weird. I feel bad for your girlfriend."
"You feel bad for yourself?"
"Oh. I forgot I was your girlfriend, I just agreed to go out with Adam."
"You're funny," Liam said, kissing Erica's cheek.
"Oh. Now I remember you," she said, smiling.
"Of course you do."
"Want to take a trip to the ice cream shop?" Erica asked, standing up.
"You're going there dressed like that?" Liam asked, looking at her weird. Erica looked down on herself, and she saw that she was wearing a tank-top, sweat pants, flip flops and she had her hair wrapped up in a towel.
"Maybe I should change first", Erica said, smiling before bolting up the stairs. Liam just shook his head and waited downstairs for her.

*******

A half an hour later, Erica and Liam were walking through the ice cream shop's door as they approached Taylor and AJ. They were all sitting down in the booth towards the front of the room, so if Adam did show up, AJ would be close to the door if she felt like she needed to bolt.
"Are you okay?" Erica asked AJ since she was looking as nervous as a pig waiting for its turn to be butchered into bacon.
"Y...Yeah. I. I. I'm fine," she stuttered as she shook.
"What's the matter?" Erica asked her.
"It's 4:28. Adam will be here any second."
"How do you know that?"
"I thought he would show up since you planned this."
"How do you know I planned this?"
"Taylor told me?"
Right at that moment, Erica turned to Taylor who was pretending to read the menu. "Wow. The chocolate ice cream looks really good."
"Taylor. Why did you tell AJ that Adam was coming?"
"That's what we planned last night."
"You weren't supposed to tell her." Before anyone else could say anything else, Adam came strolling in from the front door, and he looked right at AJ. He smiled, and when he reached their table, he pulled up a chair and sat by Taylor.
"What are you guys doing here today? In the mood for ice cream?"
"Something like that," Taylor said, shrugging.
AJ noticed that every time he talked, he would look at her, but she tried not to freak out too much. "Hey AJ." AJ's head shot up and looked at Adam as he ran his hand over his short brown hair.
"Yeah?"
"Can we talk outside?"
AJ hesitated, but she slowly stood up and went straight outside because she didn't want to risk him holding the door for her. Once they were outside, AJ felt a lot of nerves rise in her, but she tried to be as calm as possible as she looked Adam over. He was 5'8, had shiny hazel eyes, wasn't in any sports but was still skinny and muscular, and he was wearing dark jeans, a polo shirt and basketball shoes.
"I'm sorry," was Adam's first words. AJ was shocked at first, but she managed to reply.
"For what?"
"For everything. For dating your sister, being mad at you for nothing...Just everything."
"It's okay. Really, it's not that big of a deal."
"It is if you punched your sister over me."
"H..How?"
"She texted me, but I didn't reply back to her. I deleted her off my phone a while ago, but when I saw that message, I knew it was her."
"She had it coming," AJ said, looking down at the ground while running her fingers through her long black hair.
Adam took a step closer. "AJ. I'm really sorry. I should've never dated her. I should've dated you, instead."
Her head shot up. "What?"
"I should've dated you, instead."
"But, you don't like me..."
"If I didn't, I wouldn't have said that."
Her heart was racing. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that I want you to forgive me and I want us to be friends...For now," he said, adding a sweet smile at the end.
She smiled and shrugged. "I guess I forgive you, but you have to prove to me that you are really done with my sister. Never mention her name."
"That should easy as long as you don't."
"Trust me, that will be no problem at all."
Adam nodded. "Are we cool?"
AJ hesitated but nodded. "We're cool."
Adam smiled as he led her back into the ice cream shop. He held the door open for her, and as she was walking in, he asked, "So, how hard of a shot was it?"
AJ turned around, smiling. "Either it was a good shot or she was just weak. She fell to the ground."
"That's awesome. I thought about punching her a few times. I would never hit a woman, though."
AJ shrugged as they both sat down. "She had it coming. I feel a little bad, but I remember all the other times she was mean to me. In my mind, we're close to being even."
"What are you guys talking about?" Erica asked. "I don't feel the awkward tension. It's not as high as before."
Both Adam and AJ looked at her. "She was telling me how she punched her sister this morning─"
"You did what?" Erica exclaimed. "Why on earth would you do that? I get she's a pain but..."
"She was rubbing it in her face that I chose her over AJ," Adam answered for AJ. "She knew it would get under her skin. She just kept on pushing and pushing. It was bound to happen."
Erica looked at Adam, then at AJ. "Are you okay? Will you get in trouble with your parents for doing it? She's probably going to tell."
AJ shrugged. "Who knows? Even if I do, who cares? It's not the first time we've run into a problem like this."
"I don't know about everyone else but I want ice cream and to move on to a different topic," Liam interjected.
AJ laughed. "Agreed. I could go for another. Didn't exactly get breakfast."
AJ smiled as she and Adam joined the group in line for ice cream.