The Rumor Mill

Ch. 3

"How about explaining why you're here?" Yvette pushed. She's the type of person that doesn't like things being sugar-coated.

"I just wanted to see how you've been. I see you haven't changed at all," he suggested with a half smile while looking her up and down again.

"Please, Drew. Don't come here and try to pretend like everything's okay," Yvette suggested.

What in the world happened between you two? "I know. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry," he apologized. What are you apologizing for?

"Oh please," she muttered, a hint anger tone, "No matter how many times you say that it still won't change what happened."

"I know."

"Then why do you insist on saying?"

"Because it's still true. You know I never intended on hurting you like I did."

"Cut to the chase Drew, why are you here?"

"Because I still care about you," he explained to her. I could hear Yvette as she chuckle under her breathe. "I always have, and I always will," he continued.

"No," her voice picking up on volume. "If you cared so much then we wouldn't even be having this conversation, now would we?"

"Lower your voice or Tracey will hear you," he advised.

"GOOD!" her voice to the highest peak now. "SHE NEEDS TO KNOW JUST HOW LOYAL HER BESTFRIEND REALLY IS!" I took that as my cue, so I quickly but quietly stepped into the frontroom. They both were standing up now and Yvette had her arms crossed.

"What's going on?" I asked with confusion as I slowly walked towards the chair.

Andrew threw me an apologetic look as his eyes burned into mine. "Well, do you wanna tell her, or should I?" Yvette pressed. Andrew looked at Yvette with pleading eyes as I sat down in the chair.

"Trace," he began his story, "do remember a couple of years ago on Yvette's birthday, when I told you I was too sick to do anything?"

"Yeah," I remembered, "you said that you could barely get out of bed."

"About that," he confessed as he looked at Yvette, who was fighting back her words, "I lied. I wasn't sick at all."

"I'm not following," I asked with confusion. "He didn't even know it was my birthday," Yvette started since Andrew was hesitating.

"Yvette, please-" He implored, trying to get her to stop. I noticed his eyes were closed.

"No," Yvette started again. "She should know why you moved away and isolated yourself from everyone."

"Is somebody gonna tell me what's going on? Or do we have to play charades?" I pushed, trying to get someone talking. Yvette looked at Andrew, but he didn't seem like he was going to say anything, so she started.

"He forgot it was my birthday because he already made arrangements to go on a date with another female." I looked at Andrew, his eyes still closed.

"I didn't make arrangements, okay, it just happened," he explained.

"So, you lied to me?" It was my turn to get upset. Andrew was suppose to be my bestfriend, and now I find out that he's been lieing to me for years. This is something I was NOT expecting. I can't believe he could look me in the face this whole time, knowing what he knew.

And now I look like the fool that felt sorry for him. Andrew didn't respond to my question, infact, he didn't even look me in the eyes. But I knew he could tell that I was piercing him with mine. "See," Yvette started again. "A couple of my friends who really cared about me decided to take me out that night. We were coming out of a store when I..." she staggered over her word, "when I saw you with her." I could tell that she was fighting back her tears.