The Good Enough Friend (YA)

Chapter Thirty Three - November 26, 2019 [✍🏾]

Karolina and Nolan were Wyatt's friends. I told myself that the first time we hung out. I wasn't particularly close to Nolan but Karolina and I bonded. We went shopping for homecoming dresses and everything.

It remained true they weren't my friends when Wyatt pretended I was a fly. When I needed support, she said nothing. Being a bystander meant one knew what was happening was wrong but they chose not to get involved. Somehow, that was worse than Nolan joining in on the bullying.

She bought a teddy bear. When I pressed on its paw, it said, 'I sowwy,'. Her efforts changed my mind about ignoring her text messages. I opened our text chain.

Karolina

10/25/19 7:53 AM

Karolina: I thought he was joking

Karolina: I'm sorry I didn't defend you

10/26/19 2:08 AM

Karolina: don't ice me out

Karolina: please 😢

It was my fourth period—study hall. I was leaving the bathroom when my curiosity peaked at the sound of a howl. I glanced inside of the auditorium and I spotted Karolina crawling across the stage and barking.

What the?

11/26/19 10:55 AM

Me: i'm outside of the auditorium

It was the perfect time to talk. Karolina exited the auditorium with her phone in hand and moved into the hallway. She looked left and right like she was crossing the street.

I waved.

"Zaydence! I'm so so so sorry," she whispered, her eyes growing wider by the second, "I thought...was a joke and I, I," her sincere apology showed me how ashamed she was.

"I forgive you,"

"Thank you," she sighed, " I. I. I really need this."

Karolina continued, "What I'm trying to say is, I don't have a lotta girl friends. They think I'll catch feelings or are jealous of my looks. But I don't think you care about any of that."

In the back of my mind, I remembered how great she looked in her homecoming dress and how I compared myself to a 12 year old boy in her presence. As long as I kept that to myself, there was no need for us to discuss it. On the other hand, she couldn't help that she was curvy. Genetics were genetics.

"I'm kind of dating someone so that won't be a problem,"

"SPILL!!!"

"Not here,"

We were in the hallway during passing period. Too many eyes and ears.

Was it too early to call it dating? He texted me throughout the day. Sure, it was memes and a selfie with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. But, it was cute. Everything he did was cute.

I smiled to myself.

Karolina said, "Ahh." She pushed past the herds of students leaving class. We made a sharp left and landed in the art room.

The art room was a large room with a soft, gray carpet covering the floor. It had white walls and large windows that let in the sunshine. We moved into a smaller room with materials haphazardly placed on a rack.

"Now, spill the beans!!" she jostled me.

I showed her the selfie Milo took of us on my phone. I was laughing as his hair tickled my face and then the camera shuttered. He went as far to put a heart emoji on it.

"I didn't know it was a date at first. I thought he only wanted to hang out. We went to this skatepark and I had a lot of fun. In the middle, he kissed me," I said way too fast.

"Did you want to kiss?"

"Yeah?"

"Good, do what you're comfortable with, don't let him pressure you."

"I won't."

"Boys like that can be pretty persuasive. Keep your eyes open," she looked away, "Think they can treat you however they want because at any moment, another girl can replace you. Not all guys do that, obviously, but you never know until you know. You know?"

I shook my head, assuming that she spoke from personal experience. This was sisterly advice that I'd never received. I couldn't remember if Zeriah ever even brought a boy home. Her dating life was a mystery.

"That was heavy," she twirled her hair around her finger, "I didn't mean to make things so serious."

"It's okay," I leaned back and knocked over a ball of yarn. It unraveled within seconds. "Oh no."

We spent a few minutes rolling it to perfection as I pushed down down the urge to panic about my future with him. I didn't worry that he would break my heart. Yes, he was first boyfriend, but he was also the first boy that I truly liked. He was kind and thoughtful and sweet.

Out of all of his fans who would faint if he spoke to them, he asked me out. Maybe, he knew I wouldn't obsess over him. He knew I saw him as a person and not an idol to worship. Whatever, it was, I'm glad he asked me out.