Girlfriend's Best Friend
CHAPTER 40
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They sat there, in either shock or
admiration—I couldn’t tell. They looked at each
other and just started nervously laughing, trying to process
it.
“So then everything you’ve said to us about
Kelli—everything you’ve said to Kelli
herself—was just a lie?” Mattie asked.
“No, that’s the thing. I love Kelli more than
I’ve ever loved any girl. But then Brooke came along and
now…”
“Now you’re not so sure,” Mattie finished for
me.
“I guess—” I started to try to explain what I
thought I’d been feeling right when Carter and Graham
came back. We knew to just stop talking about it— a
familiar raspy voice distraced all six of us and gave us the
perfect excuse.
“No! I already started walking away, this is over!
Don’t talk to me!” Brooke stood out on the
boardwalk.
“Oh sh.i.t,” Carter laughed. “Brooke, calm
down!”
She turned to face us, the anger spilling out everywhere.
“I should calm down?? I’m not the one
who’s wrong here!” Next walked up Kelli, who looked
in to see who Brooke was yelling to.
“Babe, what are you doing here? You said you were
busy,” she said, tears glossed her eyes.
“This is why I was busy. The guys wanted to hang
out,” I said.
“You chose your friends over me?” she asked.
“What kind of an a.sshole chooses their friends over the
person they’re in a relationship with? Like, that’s
the worst thing you can possibly do because it’s not like
your friends are the ones who will always be there for you.
Cody, like, I can’t even believe you’d hang out
with your friends who you’ve known for years and have
always been there for you over your girlfriend that
you’ve known for a few months. Like, that’s just
wrong, I can’t even,” Brooke said, her voice full
of fake sincerity which made me think she was on Kelli’s
side for a second until I really thought about what she
said.
“Brooke, I wouldn’t expect you to understand
because you’ve never even had a boyfriend! But I
don’t blame any of those guys- you’re a wh.ore who
seems fun at first until you get to know her- then they realize
you’re crazy!” Kelli yelled back. My friends looked
at me to do something, but is it possible for the person
who’s the problem to be the solution?
“You’ve had one boyfriend and he’s
the only one you’ve ever hooked up with. But no
you’re right, guys like you sooo much better.
People like you so much better,” Brooke walked
away, adding in, “F.ucking b.itch!”
Kelli knew everyone liked Brooke better than her. Brooke knew
everyone liked Brooke better than her. Everyone knew
everyone liked Brooke better than her. But saying it out loud
was another story.
“You’re just going to let her say that to me,
Cody?” Kelli started crying.
“What?? I don’t have control over what Brooke says,
Kel,” I said.
“You didn’t even stick up for me!”
“Because Brooke ran away right after she said that, do
you want me to go after her to yell at her and keep this sh.i.t
going?”
“It’s me or her,” she yelled at me, and
walked off in the opposite direction Brooke did.
I hesitated to move.
