Falling In Love With My Best Friend (Watty Award 2011)

Chapter 7

© Copyright Nicole Nelson, 2011

 

 

Brandon's POV-

I looked around to make sure no teachers saw me before I pushed open one of the side doors and stepped outside the building to the school and into the fresh fall breeze. I was supposed to be on my way to my math class but I just simply feel like going there today.

I cut through the grass on my way to a the parking lot near the baseball field where I parked, planning to either go to the convenient store to get some snacks or sit in my truck and listen to the radio for a while when I spotted Brooke, cigarette in one hand cell phone in the other, texting. She was fixated with her phone and hadn’t seen me yet. I could have easily slipped around the corner in the direction I had been heading and gone unseen. Who knows, maybe I should have. But something about her flipping her unnaturally curled hair to one side in the hot sun, licking her luscious rosy lips as she concentrated on her text message, and reaching down the front of her low cut shirt to adjust her bra in what she probably thought was a private moment made my blood rush south.

Realizing that I had just been standing in place staring at Brooke in enthrallment, I looked away and debated leaving for a fleeting moment. However, at this point my will power was shot and I couldn’t keep ignoring her. My legs, seeming to have a mind of their own, carried me in her direction across the dewy grass. She wasn’t any more my type than Amy, last weekend’s date, and I had no feelings for her whatsoever.

However, she was looking pretty good today and I knew she had a thing for me. I had decided a long time ago that my unrequited feelings for Gracie wouldn’t get in the way of me being with other girls. Gracie was just a friend. I still had to have a life. Despite this, and despite her permission, I couldn’t help but wonder if moving in on Brooke was crossing the line.

Consequently, I felt like a traitor when I walked up to her and asked her to go to the homecoming dance with me. My only feasible excuse being that my head was no longer in control of my choices; rather, another appendage was coaching me and it certainly wasn’t my arms or legs.

She was hot.

And, quite frankly, she was easy.

Those two things combined made up for a lot of other things she lacked. Brains and a decent personality for instance.

“Sure. I was starting to think you were never going to ask me out.” She purred.

Good observation. I wasn’t planning on it.

“I’ll pick you up at 7?” I decided to say instead.

“Perfect.” She whispered, even though we were alone, staring straight into my eyes with a smoldering gaze.

I nodded my head once in agreement before continuing on my path across the campus.

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Even though she said she didn’t mind if I asked Brooke out, I was still worried what Gracie would think about it now that it’s happened. Girls never meant it when they said that, right? I had been best friends with one long enough to have at least learned that.

It had occurred to me as I was doing it that it was likely a mistake in terms of betraying my best friend by fraternizing with her main enemy. We were sitting at her kitchen table after school finishing up our homework when I decided I should bring it up before she found out through the grapevine at school the next day.