#18 in TeenFic
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❝Don't,❞ he pleaded softly, offering her a tiny smile, ❝please don't make me a promise you will never be able to keep.❞ He released a quiet but deep breath, leaning forward even more, tilting his body towards her, until thei...
BREE was a mixture of so many feelings, she couldn't catch her breath to distinguish one from the other.
She turned her angry eyes to Claire's, not bothering to mask her distaste for what just happened. Hell, she had no clue what just happened, but Claire was going to tell her. One way or another.
Bree was probably going to miss her elective class, but she didn't quite care.
"Explain." Bree said, her voice neither too low nor too loud. It was even, and deliberate, and she knew it told Claire that this was serious.
Claire suddenly looked hesitant, and she shifted on her feet. "Look, let it go okay. It was a slip of the ton--"
Bree's disapproving gaze turned into a glare, "You're lying!" she accused, shocked at her best friend. "Claire, you know that wasn't a slip of the tongue! I know you, and I know you wanted to have the last word." Regardless of how it effected the other person, Bree added in her head but didn't say out loud.
Claire frowned, obviously not liking where Bree was going. "Why do you even care? Last time I checked, we weren't even friends with this guy and if you're planning on becoming one, forget about it."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Bree stared at her.
Claire let out an aggravated breath. "Well, think about it Bree! You're always trying to befriend every Tom, Dick and Harry! Always choosing to see the good in them--"
"That's not fair!" Bree cut her off, hurt leaking into her tone. "That is not fair and you know it! Do you think I try looking for the good in someone like Chase? Or Alec? You don't think I'd know where to draw the line? I'm not a child, Claire! Stop trying to patronise me all the time and instead of trying to pin this whole thing on me, answer my question. What on earth just happened?"
"I'm not trying to pin this whole thing on you," she sighed, her voice quiet.
"What just happened?" Bree repeated.
"This is his fault, you know," Claire muttered, "he's driving a wedge between us."
Bree let out a disbelieving laugh, clenching her fists by her sides. "He isn't doing anything," she gritted her teeth, trying to keep herself in check. She forced herself to hold onto any shred of patience she had left. Breathe in, out, in, out, in, out...
Much calmer now, and her anger in control, she exhaled heavily.
"Claire, I'm not taking sides here and he isn't driving a wedge between us, and you know that," she told her friend patiently, even going as far as offering a reassuring smile. "Okay? Just tell me why that comment made him so mad?" to the point that he basically told me we couldn't be acquaintances anymore, she wanted to add but didn't, because she thought it sounded selfish. And this wasn't about her -- Bree genuinely wanted to know why he'd become so upset.
"Because that's who he is," Claire shrugged, seeming somewhat relieved Bree wasn't displaying anger anymore. "He has a temper, even the slightest thing ticks him off. Don't tell me you didn't notice."
"So that's it?" Bree questioned, finding it hard to believe. "He reacted like that just because he has a temper?"
Claire shrugged again. "Yeah... Or maybe he was still mad regarding that Calvin and Gabe thing he came to talk to you about, you know. Though I really don't know why Chase would suddenly unleash his puppets on Nick."
Something that felt like guilt began brewing in Bree's stomach. "But Nick said they were trying to befriend him..." Bree trailed off, feeling guiltier by the second.
"Chase isn't going to get his hands dirty is he? Plus, there must be some ulterior motive there; he can't really want to get to know Nick just 'cause -- you know what? I don't care. You shouldn't care. It's not our problem, and Nick's the last person we'd want to worry about anyway." She added the latter half of it in a more nonchalant, careless manner and it ate at Bree.
Of course she had to worry. Bree was the reason Chase had his eyes set on Nick, right? She didn't know why or how, but she just knew she was the reason.
Claire groaned loudly, pulling Bree from her reverie. "Those wheels in your head are turning, aren't they?" she accused knowingly.
"It is my fault," Bree mumbled slowly, "the past few months Nick has been left to himself just the way he wanted, and now, because of me, he's getting unwanted attention. And that too, from Chase."
Claire's face softened and she laid a hand on Bree's shoulder, "it'll be fine. Nick just said that he didn't want any part in this and that meant you not being in his life, not that I'm complaining or anything -- good riddance to bad rubbish, yeah?" Bree felt inclined to defend him but Claire continued, "so if you interacting with him is what grabbed Chase's attention, there's nothing to worry about now. Chase will eventually call off his attack dogs, right?"
Claire had a valid point, Bree knew that, and it did raise her hopes. Since Nick obviously wanted her to stay away from him and she was going to do so, Chase would see that Nick and her weren't associating themselves with each other anymore -- and hopefully, he'd drop whatever it was that he was plotting.
Bree couldn't understand why, especially considering there were other guys she mingled with too, but she was too tired to over-think it now.
She also didn't know if Claire had told her the whole truth but Bree chose to believe her for now. She was her best friend, after all, and she deserved the benefit of the doubt.
Bree also didn't know why, but the fact that her chance at befriending Nick had backfired somewhat saddened her. Maybe she should have paid more heed to Dale's words at the bleachers that day. He'd told her to not try getting close and that was exactly what she'd done.
But was it that wrong, really? That she couldn't bear to watch him walk around with an ever-present frown day after day?
Bree really began to wonder if her compassion was a gift or a curse. Her mum always told her it made a difference and made her strong, but what if it was also going to one day be her downfall?
