Friends Don't Kiss, Do They?

Chapter 18

I was surprised to have returned home without any lights on. Mom's car wasn't in the driveway. I was about to message her, asking where she and my brothers were, when I remembered she had told me she was taking them out for ice cream when Matt and I left the house. Luckily I had a spare key. I unlocked the front door. Without turning on any of the lights, I ran up the stairs, which I tripped on in the dark. I didn't worry about the sharp pain in my knee. I stand up and limp the rest of the way to my room.

Once in my room, I threw myself onto the bed and cried. I made sure my phone was off, knowing my friends and Matt will try to contact me. Right now I just wanted to be alone.

Oh god, why was I such a fool to believe Matt actually cared about me? We are just friends. We will never be anything more than that? We kissed, we made love, but were we really meant to be together? Or was this just Samantha's way of getting back at me, making sure my life was miserable? She knew how much Matt meant to me, and yet she made sure he took advantage of my feelings.

Oh who am I kidding? Falling in love with one of your friends will never work out. Maybe for some people, but maybe being friends were all Matt and I could be. But how could we remain as friends after all we have been through? If we aren't more than just friends, what are we? Friends with benefits? But the number one rule about being in that kind of relationship is that neither or you can't fall for the other. I just can't be in a friends with benefit relationship with Matt. It will never work out. I mean, friends don't kiss, do they?

And even if we were to date, how would I know he will stay faithful and not run off with another girl?

I eventually cry myself to sleep. In the morning I took a shower to freshen up and to hopefully make myself descent looking so Mom wouldn't notice something was wrong. Rather than standing up, I sat on the title floor as the warm water cascaded over me. I sit there until the water gets cold.

As soon as I get to school I notice people staring at me, whispering, and I knew everyone would have heard what happened at the party. But turns out I'm not the only gossip this morning. After I left the party, more drama happened. Abby's ex-boyfriend Nick was at the party. He had caught Abby and Anna in one of the guest rooms of Tayvon's house, making out. Later, Emma arrived, apologising for kissing Tayvon the other day. Bailey overheard and the two of them broke up. Coach Parker then came home, sending everyone home, furious with Tayvon for throwing a party without his consent.

Abby was the first person out of my friends that I see walking across the lawn. She sees me, and waves, keeping her head down as other students whisper or yell out nasty comments to her about being a lesbian.

"Hey," Abby greets me in a soft voice.

"Hey."

We stand there in an awkward silence.

"I heard about you and Anna," I tell her. "I didn't know you were gay."

"That's because I wasn't until I met Anna. There was something about her that attracted me to her."

"Why didn't you tell any of us that you were seeing her?"

Abby shrugs. "I thought you guys would judge me. I mean, I'm Christian, and I shouldn't even be thinking about liking girls, but it just happened."

I give her a warm smile. "Abby, you're my friend. I wouldn't judge you."

She returns the smile. "Thanks Hailey."

She gives me a hug. And that's when I see the devil. I pull away from Abby, and watch Samantha stroll across the grass with Chantelle and Kelsey. A purple bruise is on Samantha's jaw near her mouth. I turn my back so she couldn't see me.

"I'm sorry about Matt," Abby says.

I nod rather than answering. There isn't really anything for us to say.

Bailey soon arrives, and as soon as she sees us, she bursts into tears. Abby and I hugged her tightly.

The boys soon arrived together, but neither of us wanted to talk to Matt or Tayvon. Thankfully we didn't have to speak them as the bell rings. We hurried inside the building to get away from them.

My head began to spin again as we hurried down the corridor to our homeroom. We had lost the guys. Bailey tells us she will see us later as she heads off to her homeroom. Abby and I walk into ours.

The dizziness gets worse. The classroom spins, and I felt suddenly light headed. Before I could sit down, I collapsed in the middle of the aisle.