How to Fall Apart

Chapter Sixteen

"I'm so stuffed I feel bad for the button on my jeans," I told Carly, trudging slowly up the stairs behind her. I was wishing I'd worn leggings instead of the cute jeans Alissa had bought for me. Or at least that I had some to change into, but I didn't. Carly found me some sweats to throw on and mercifully let me change out of the ugly sweater. I sat on her floor, leaning up against her bed while she sprawled across it. Her room was totally Carly. It was tomboy meets girly girl with flower decals on one wall and a framed basketball jersey on another. Her comforter was a plain dark gray and her sheets were bright pink. A pair of heels lay on the floor next to a well loved basketball. I smiled, taking it all in.

"If you're interested in Nathan don't let me get in the way." Carly smiled at me, upside down. Her curls hung down the side of her bed next to where I sat.

"What? No!" I tried to control the heat I felt rising to my cheeks. "I'm not- I already kind of sort of have something going on with someone else," I stuttered. Carly rolled her eyes.

"Who? Kenny Kirby? He is pretty hot," she conceded. "But clearly not hot enough to have your full attention. And he's not exactly boyfriend material." She wasn't wrong on either point so I didn't argue. Not that it mattered because it wasn't like Nate was into me anyway.

"It doesn't matter. The whole dating thing is too complicated for me." I blew a loose strand of hair out of my face.

"Not when it's right, it isn't," Carly said.

"Well according to my mom high school isn't the right time to find love. 'In high school you should find your bridesmaids, not your groom' she always says." Mom still talked on the phone to her best friend from high school, Leah, almost daily. I was pretty sure had she ever actually married my dad, Leah would have been her maid of honor.

"Well, I'd be honored. Just as long as you don't pick out hideous dresses," Carly teased. "But my parents met in high school and Emily and Jared have been together pretty much since kindergarten. When it's right it's right, no matter when it happens. And when it's wrong, nothing you can do will make it right."

"Did you learn all this from obsessing over Channing Tatum?" I tried to joke but I knew she was mostly right. We were talking about the guy she liked, and Kenny, and even Nate when we heard the front door open and shut and open and slam followed by laughter and happy shouting. Carly crept over to her closed door but before she got to it, the door flew open. Jillian ran in shrieking, followed by a big fat snowball. Jillian dove for the bed and the snowball missed her, hitting me squarely in the chest. It was loosely packed fluffy snow and it didn't hurt but I cried out in surprise. Nate stood guiltily in the doorway, dimple playing peekaboo on his cheek, rosy from the cold. A puddle was forming where he stood in the hallway with his slush covered shoes. It was as though he was unsure if he should apologize or laugh. Jillian and Carly decided for him, bursting out into breathless laughter.

"Nathan James!" I scolded, imitating their mother.

"Yes..?" He grinned, wisely backing away from the door.

"You," I stood, brushing the already melting snow from my shirt, "should probably run." Just like that he took off down the stairs and out the front door, Jillian, Carly and I fast on his heels. Jillian, who I'd assumed was the instigator of this impromptu snowball fight, was already in her coat and boots and Carly and I took the time to pull on our coats, gloves, and boots before going out. As soon as we were outside snowballs started whizzing past us and splattering up against the door. We squealed and ducked for cover behind Emily and Jared's SUV in the driveway, but not before a snowball caught Carly right in the butt.

"We need a plan of attack." Carly whispered. We began packing snow into snowballs and launching them over the car but we weren't even sure where they were hiding so we were throwing in vain.