Best-Friends With Benefits (Under Reconstruction)

Chapter 7- Complications

"Done!" Lilly called, checking her watch. "Four and a half minutes, a new record!"

We plopped down in the pile of blankets and cushy pillows laid across the rug, facing each other. I sat hugging my knees to my chest, feeling myself growing nervous under my friends calculating expressions.

I guess it's a little too late to just now realize that my friends are all wierdos.

"Sooooo...." Lilly broke the silence.

She and Alex glanced at each other, before bursting into squeals. They were jumping and dancing around the fort, their squeals filling my living room. I just sat there, utterly lost in the commotion. Usually, I would have expected such erratic behavior from Alex, but I never expected Lilly to join. They were flinging their arms around wildly, and I had to duck multiple times to avoid being punched in the face.

 "Am I missing something?" I asked.

They stopped to look at me, before continuing to jump around like kindergartners in a bounce house.

"You're in love with Conner!"Alex rolled her eyes at me. "Duh!"

I studied my toes. "So?"

"Sooooo." Lilly chirped. "You guys were totally made for each other!"

I stayed silent. Even though I knew that it was only pretend, I still felt oddly uncomfortable talking about me and Conner as being more than friends.

"Yeah totally! I mean, Conner's been our friend for ages! For you, even longer!  We could all see this coming."

I gulped. They could?

"Yeah! I mean, everyone could tell you were in love with him except you!"

WHAT?!

 "I was never-" stopped my defense mid-sentence, remembering the plan.

Though my mouth stayed shut, my mind was whirling. Why would everyone think I was in love with my best-friend? I mean sure, we were alot closer than most friends, but in love?

I hugged my legs tighter to my body, once again trying to preoccupy myself by looking at my toes intently.

"Yeah! You two are going to get married, and have kids, and grow old-" Alex blurted.

I held up my hands to stop her. "Wow there! Let's stick with discussing the present, okay? I mean, he doesn't even like me-"

Alex gasped. "What are you talking about?! He's in lo-"

Lilly shushed her, putting a finger to her lips. I mouthed to her, asking her what was up, but she didn't even acknowledge me. She turned to us, pointing to her ears silently telling us to listen.

The room was deathly silent, and the only thing I could hear was the sound of the neighbors mowing the lawn across the street.

Then I heard the static.

It was the type of static from broken radios and tvs, a grainy and rough sound. It was so quiet, I could barely hear it, but I could tell it was nearby.

A walkie-talkie maybe?

We tip-toed out of the fort checking under pillows and blankets for the source. I had reached the back of the sofa by the time I had found it.

Right under the couch, was an active baby-monitor.

I recognized it immediately. On the back, it was labeled 'S&C'. Conner and I had bought it for a health project. We had taken home a battery operated baby doll, and had to take care of it for a month. I fell bad for any kids that we have, because a week before the assignment was due, the baby was in shreds.

Apparently, one month was a little early to start teaching chores. Especially chores involving lawn mowers.

I racked my brain, trying to remember what had happened to the monitor after the project. I didn't think I had thrown it out.  Had someone stolen it from me? No, I had given it to someone.... But who?

I gasped as I remembered who. The fact that they were eavesdropping on me and my female friends, was shocking. I had no idea how they could have gotten under the sofa with me noticing.

Conner was listening in on us.

As if he had heard us, the monitor immediately clicked off, and the static noise died.

Why would he need to listen in anyway? We were best friends! We told each other everything! Did he think I was lying to him about something? And most importantly, how long had it been there?

He could have been listening to us every day I had hosted a sleepover, including today.

Which meant, that he had heard our entire conversation. Including how everyone had thought I was in love with him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I didn't tell them that I knew who had put the monitor there. I told them I had accidentally lost it while it was on, and due to my scatterbrained reputation, they believed me.

So there we were, back in the fort. Alex was snoring next to me, spread across the entire ground. Her left leg was draped over my stomach, while her right elbow was close to choking Lilly, who was silently dozing next to her.

I stared at the ceiling, trying to organize my thoughts before my head exploded.

Things on my mind:

1. Conner

2. What Alex was going to say about Conner

3. How to confront Conner

4. Conner

5. Conner

6. Conner

Beside me, I heard my phone buzz. As I reached for it, I looked at the screen, and realized that I didn't recognize the number.

Who would call me, that I don't know, in the middle of the night?

 "Hello?" I whispered, trying not to wake the others.

"Hey." A male voice spoke on the other end.

"Conner?" I asked, nervous since he had been caught eavesdropping on us.

The voice chuckled on the other line. "Close."

"Travis." I blushed involuntarily.

"What's up?"

"Ummmm Travis?" I glance at the clock. "Why, exactly, are you calling me at two in the freaking morning?"

"To ask you out of course." I could practically feel him smirking. "Now here's the plan....."