Those Girls Can Rock

ONE

"Get over it, Miranda," sighed Chloe. "He's just not that into you."

"That's easy for you to say, Chloe! You've got Brenden wrapped around your little finger," snapped Miranda, tossing a lock of dark hair out of her face.

"Why don't you both just try my method?" asked Kell.

"But I don't like your method!" cried Chloe.

"Your method, Kell, leaves me all alone and the school weirdo who only has meaningful relationships with her music," said Miranda.

Kell pursed her lips.

"Look, Kell! I didn't mean it the way it came out!" Miranda tried to repair the damage.

"Whatever, it's fine," said Kell. But by her face, the girls knew it wasn't fine at all.

There was a knock on the door.

"Yeah, come in!" Chloe shouted.

Her seventeen-year-old brother, Garth, peaked his head inside. "Mom wanted to know if Miranda and Kell are staying for dinner."

Chloe looked at her friends.

Miranda shrugged. "Why not? I'll avoid a fight between my parents that way."

Shaking her head, Chloe turned to Kell. "How about you?"

"No, I really can't. I've got to babysit Lenny and Jace tonight," said Kell.

Chloe nodded. "Tell Mom just Miranda."

Garth nodded and shut the door behind him.

"Oh Garth is such a babe!" cried Miranda.

His sister hucked a pillow at her best friend. "Ewww! That's my baby brother you're talking about!"

"He isn't your baby brother!" Miranda cried. "He's legal! So I can like him if I want."

"You can like him all you want, Miranda, but my mother would have both your hides if you tried anything," laughed Chloe.

Miranda's eyes widened. The last thing in the world she wanted was the wrath of Mrs. Carley. Her fits of temper were legendary.

"I think I'm going to go now," said Kell.

"No, please don't," Chloe begged. "It's so much less fun without you!"

"I really have to go," Kell shrugged.

"Okay, bye!" said Miranda hurridly.

Chloe gave her an awkward look and got up to tell Kell good-bye. When Kell was out of the room, Chloe turned to her friend. "What was that all about?"

Miranda flopped down on Chloe's bed and picked up a magazine. "Come on! Like you didn't want her gone as much as I did? She's a spoil-sport! A buzz-kill...A dud! Kaput! Boring! Blah..."

"I think I get the idea, Mir, unless you have some other colorful adjectives you want to express," Chloe sat at the foot of her bed.

"Dull, drab, uninteresting...I could go on, you know," Miranda said.

"Yes, I know. I'm in awe of your stupendously extravagent vocabulary," laughed Chloe. "But seriously, why did you rush her out of here?"

"Because now it's just you and me, like old times, before Kell was even in the picture," said Miranda.

"So you mean like third grade," asked Chloe.

"Yeah, I guess. When it was just you and me against the world. Besties forever, right?" Miranda asked, putting the magazine aside.

"We are besties, Miranda. Nothing could ever change that. I just wish you could accept that I have other friends," Chloe stood up and walked over to her dresser.

"I know you have other friends, and I'm not saying you can't, but--"

"But what? What, Miranda? You don't want me to get as close to them as I am to you? You don't want to have to share me?" Chloe was a bit mad.

"I don't know, I guess," Miranda took her friend's hand. "I just don't want to lose you. You're all I've got, Chloe."

Chloe smiled and pulled the girl into a hug. "You're such a freak, you know that?"

"Yes, I know," said Miranda.

"Good. Now if you'd just let me be friends with her, I promise, you'll never lose me," smiled Chloe.

"You swear?"

"Yep."

"Good."

"Then she can be my friend."

"Fine. Just don't hang out with her."

"Miranda..."

"Sorry. Hang out with her if you want. Better?"

"Yep. Thanks."