My Best Friend's Brother

Chapter Six

I managed to successfully ignore Dylan all weekend, which actually wasn’t the hardest thing to do.

I went bowling with dad and Sam on Saturday night after avoiding the talk of how was the party all day. Dad soon decided that I didn’t want to talk about it, and he left it at that. On Sunday, Sam and I had a lazy day. We watched films all day and ate popcorn and chocolate eggs Sam had been given for Easter from her college roommate.

It was fair to say I was dreading Monday.

“So, tell me why Dylan was asking about you all weekend,” Elle said, licking her spoon clean. I’d offered to walk with her to school and we’d stopped off at a cute café to get yogurt, trailing along slowly as we almost reached our school.

“I don’t know,” I told her. My heart was fluttering with the thought of that, but, no . . .

I couldn’t. I couldn’t think of him in that way. Besides, I’d known him for how long? I wouldn’t allow myself to fall for him. Not with Carrie around.

As I glanced at Elle, I wondered whether she’d mind. If I told her I liked him – even though I didn’t, honest – would she go crazy? Would she care?

She continued. “Well, he kept asking me about you. Saying things like, Ellie, phone Riley. Where’s Riley? Ellie, have you seen Riley? Ellie–”

“I get it,” I muttered under my breath. She nodded, finished her yogurt and then shrugged.

“Well it’s the most I’ve spoken to him in the last five years,” she told me as we turned into the school gate. I laughed and she grinned.

“It’s only the truth.”

We had assembly today. We got told about the prom which was in two months. And then it was summer . . .

I lay back in my chair, closing my eyes as the head teacher droned on, and imagined myself on a beach in Cali with my old friends. That was my plan, anyway, for summer. Spend it back home with my real friends.

I opened my eyes to look at Elle. She was sitting next to me, listening to every word the head was saying. I thought about it for a moment, but I came to the conclusion that Elle wouldn’t go to prom.

Neither would I.

I could almost feel Carrie’s eyes burning through me as I walked through to the lunch hall. This didn’t surprise me. She was angry, and I could tell. As I walked past her table – and past Dylan, Tyler and Chris – a few boys whistled while Carrie simply glared.

“Wow,” Elle said once I sat down. “I’ve never seen anybody have that effect on Carrie, and I’ve been going to school with her since kindergarten.”

I shrugged, not answering her as I looked down to my food. I’d ordered light, today, which I’d probably regret later since I told Elle I would go to her house that night.

But I had a feeling I would regret something else more than not eating when I was at Elle’s house tonight.

I snuck a peak at Dylan, who was sitting next to Tyler, Chris and a few other football players, and sighed deeply. He’d barely even glanced over at me, even when the boys were whistling before. I turned back, munching my lettuce slowly, waiting for Elle to finish her burger. When she was finished, I told her I needed to go the library, and I’d meet her after geography last lesson. She nodded, though she looked slightly confused on why I wanted to go the library.

I couldn’t tell her it was to stay away from Dylan, could I?

“J20 or water?” Elle asked me once we were in her room. “Sorry for the little variety, mom hasn’t stocked up on this weeks’ shopping yet.”