Below the Surface

Chapter Six: Nicknames Cut Deep

Dedicated to AubreyEatsHearts because I love her stories! In fact, I recommend all of them. They're so great and heartfelt. She's so talented and I miss her back on Wattpad.

Chapter Six: Nicknames Cut Deep

They all burst out laughing and I take a sip from my beer. Out of everyone, it's Bella that is dying of laughter.

"Pink underwear?" Bella cries out wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes. "I can't believe you guys didn't tell me that part of your first meeting." Probably because Liam promised to never mention it ever again.

"It was pretty bright. But I guess that's why you don't wear anything white when you go swimming." Liam chuckles and Bella starts to crack up again.

"Ha-ha. So funny." I say monotonously. In that same moment when I glance at Liam, he does the same thing and I dart my eyes away.

"So, then Gaby introduced Bella and I, and well we sort of became best friends throughout middle school and high school."

"Actually," I spoke up, "Once junior year ended, we kinda started to drift for some reason, I don't know." I shrug casually. I see Bella widening her eyes at meand then Liam starts to stare at me. Jay...looks intrigued. "It was probably all the college stuff and...stuff."

"Yeah, you know," Liam adds on and I clench my jaw tightly. "High school was coming to an end and we were all changing and going our separate ways." My eye twitches double time, he knows. He still remembers, and he has hinted it out loud. It's silent, "Luckily when we went off to college Bella and I kept in contact." My eyes dart towards Bella who grins at Liam trying very hard to avoid eye contact with me.

"And Gaby?" Jay asks and I sit up ready to beat Liam to the answer.

"Oh, you know how I am with school." I throw my hand out there like it's not a big deal.

Jay chuckles, "Yeah, I think we all know."

"What?" Liam asks so innocently that only I notice.

"I don't know if she was like this is in high school, but every single year in college she cuts people off, she stops partying, hanging out with friends, basically she never leaves the house. The only time everyone ever sees her is in the summer." Jay informs every detail about my main life that I bore my eyes into his skull hoping that if looks could kill, I would be able to shut him up for good.

"Yeah... Gaby was something of that sort back in high school." Liam says hinting more words that I casually turn my gaze over to him to glare at him.

"So, wow. It's been over three years since you've seen each other's." Jay states out loud, Bella and Liam agreeing.

I chuckle and they all turn to me, "It's been four. Remember? The drifting during the middle of senior year and all." I add casually that Jay seems to buy it easily, but Bella starts to play with her fingers and I notice Liam nodding his head staring at the ground. Then I see it, a smirk starts to grow on my face, it's his tightly clenched jaw, and I know I struck a nerve.

"And you guys haven't seen each other since?" Jay adds astonished at our lack of communication over the years.

"No -" Liam and I speak at the same time and immediately shut up when we hear our voices together.

"Wow! But, I mean when Bella talks about your friendship back then it seemed like you guys were pretty close. What the hell happened?" Jay is smiling widely but I notice Bella's smile begin to falter. This is exactly what I wanted to avoid. I steal a peek to Liam to see he is also affected by Jay's question.