THE FLASHBACK

CHAPTER 6 : Part 2

Then suddenly he stopped singing, he looked into my eyes and he got closer. I could tell, he was going to kiss me. He leaned in and so did I.

“Justin!” I heard someone say, and instead of crashing my lips into Justin’s, I kissed thin air.

That high-pitched voice had to have belonged to Andrea. And I was right. I saw her stand here as she towered over both of us.

She said she needed to have a word with Justin alone. So Justin got up and followed her. Till today I don’t know what she told him, but I know that it was the reason we ever drifted apart.

Justin and me were best friends. We use to hangout with each other all the time, share secrets, and do all the normal stuff best friends did. Whenever I needed something he was always there for me. We were perfect together.

But after that little talk that Andrea had had with him, he had started ignoring me. I felt so bad, so angry. After not talking to him for weeks, I decided it was time we cleared things out. I climbed up the rope to the tree house. I remember, it was a pretty little thing, that tree house. Justin and me had built it 2 years ago. His father had helped us.  When I couldn’t find Justin anywhere I was positive to find him up there.

When I reached the top, tears threatened to spill from my eyes as I saw Andrea and Justin sit in our tree house. It was ours, how could he get her up here?

I decided it was best if I went back but stopped when I realized that the topic of discussion was me. I remember Justin saying that he refused to believe that I would do such a horrid thing and I remember Andrea telling him that though it was hurtful, but it was the truth. I sighed as tears slipped down my cheeks and I walked back home.

All I could think of was what had I done, that had offended Justin? I was his best friend. I loved him. I would never do anything nasty to him. What had Andrea told him? Andrea was a girl I particularly disliked.

The next day, I walked into school and decided that I would confront Justin. I saw him taking books out of this locker. Both of us avoided eye contact and exchanged very blunt greetings. I was just about to ask him, when both of us were very rudely interrupted by Andrea. We didn’t get a chance to talk and I had to keep my eyes open for the next opportunity to talk to him.

Sophia was my best girl friend back then. Being my best friend, she was the gossip queen of school and happened to know everything about everyone’s life. She asked me how I was holding up and I assumed that the news of Justin’s and my fight was all over school.

Sophia took me in the corner and I remember that she told me that I deserved to know the truth. I guess having the gossip queen as your best friend had its advantages.

Some seniors who had got hold of a very embarrassing video of him were bullying Justin. Andrea and I recorded video and I remember that day we swore that this video was not meant for anyone else to watch. But somehow it had leaked. When Justin questioned Andrea, she blamed it on me.

When Justin refused to believe her, she told Justin that I was going to prom with Jason, who was a senior. I continued backing up her false story by saying that Jason and I were going out and I didn’t care about Justin. She lied about me having said that, Justin was good for nothing, was a dork and his face was like a beaver’s.

After hearing this story, I felt disgusted. I was totally innocent and was being framed by Andrea. I always knew she was the kind of girl who loved to play mind games. Sophia knew that it was notl true and she suggested that I should call Justin and clear the air."