𝑼𝑵𝑬𝑿𝑷𝑬𝑪𝑻𝑬𝑫 | 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑑𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡

𝐴𝑅𝑇 𝐶𝑅𝐼𝑆𝐼𝑆

─────⊰ ✦.*🥀*.✦ ⊱─────

　　 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈 𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃 the boys without a second thought. They barely noticed. The three of them were locked into their video game, eyes glazed, hunched forward like they were defending some sacred battlefield. Honestly, they probably wouldn't have looked up if the house was on fire.

Upstairs, Bree's room feels like a different world—warmer, softer. A vanilla-scented candle flickers on her desk, throwing little shadows on the walls. A pile of glossy nail polish bottles lay scattered across the carpet between us, like a treasure chest spilled open. I pick up a bottle of deep, elegant red—bold but not reckless—and begin carefully brushing it onto my nails. Bree, of course, reaches for a bottle of dark green that looked almost black when the light didn't hit it. It suits her: sharp, dramatic, and just a little mysterious.

I lean back against her bed and blow gently across my wet nails. 'So,' I start, my voice settling into that familiar rhythm we always fall into when it's just us, 'how are things with Owen?'

Her whole face softens instantly. 'It's going really well,' she admits, almost shy despite the sparkle in her eyes. 'Honestly, he's been the best boyfriend.'

There's something in the way she said it—steady, certain—that made me believe her. She really likes him. And even though all of us secretly agreed Owen was a little strange—too intense, too moody—none of us doubted her feelings. And that was enough to keep us on her side.

I try focusing on my nails again but botch one, smudging the edge. Muttering under my breath, I grab a tissue to clean it up. Painting your nails, I decide, is less a hobby and more an act of survival.

Bree tilts her head, eyes narrowing with a little grin. 'I still can't believe you and Chase have been together for over a year already. Feels like you just showed up yesterday, and now...'

'And now I'm stuck with you as my bestie,' I tease, giving her a mock sigh.

She laughs and smacks my arm, smearing a bit of polish on her own nail in the process. 'Hey!'

I can't help but grin at the sight of her pouting. For all her sharp edges, Bree has a softness she tries to hide.

She picks up another bottle and studies it before setting it down again. 'Did you hear the new Taylor Swift song?'

I shake my head. 'What's it about?'

She rolls her eyes dramatically. 'A boy broke her heart. Again. Shocking, right? But it's still really good. Kind of makes you want to scream into a pillow and dance at the same time.'

'So... a typical Taylor track,' I smirk and she nods.

There was a pause, comfortable, like we were both savoring the calm. Then I lean closer, lowering my voice like we're plotting a crime. 'By the way, I heard the best gossip about Stephanie...'

Her eyes light up instantly. 'Don't hold out on me—spill.'

I smirk. 'Apparently, she's been trying to flirt with one of the seniors. But get this—the guy thought she was just asking for tutoring help, and now she's trapped in three different study sessions a week.'

Bree claps a hand over her mouth, laughing. 'That's too good. She probably spends the whole time twirling her hair and pretending she knows algebra.'

'Exactly.' I laugh with her, the two of us feeding off each other's amusement until tears prickle the corners of my eyes.

We catch our breath eventually, Bree still shaking her head. 'I swear, people are ridiculous.'

'Agreed. And yet,' I say, blowing across my half-dry nails, 'it makes life interesting.'