Huge thanks to BillyXXUnger for the character Astrid Free!
Highest rank on the hot list over the last two weeks - #355 in Chick Lit
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© 2016 Shay Spencer. All rights reserved.
The Buddies Rule
Chapter 5
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For the first time in years, my best friend didn't talk to me for four days straight. The school days had come and gone, along with the classes Chase and I actually had together, and he still didn't say a word. It was Friday now, and I had my date with Zac later; The date that had officially driven Chase and me apart. Whatever had transpired between the two of us over the last few weeks, had really set Chase off. Enough to the point where he could barely look at me, let alone talk with me.
With every day, came something new that I wished I could share with Chase. One of the weirdest things I was longing to tell him, was about Alan's feelings for me. That little piece of knowledge was one of the biggest things to ever happen within our group, and I couldn't even tell Chase about it.
Despite being able to discuss these problems with Lewis, it just wasn't the same. The friendship that Chase and I have stretched out much longer than any other friendship I had ever had before. Lewis was more of my second best friend, the friend I went to when things weren't that important. The friend I would go to when I needed a laugh was Lewis. But the friend I go to when I need to talk is Chase. We had always been there for one another, and I hated that things were changing in this way.
"Shakespeare." The professor droned on as the teaching assistant handed out the worksheets for the weekend. English three was exclusively for college juniors who had chosen to major in English. Of course, there was always a few seniors enrolled that had failed the year before. But never in my wildest dreams would I have pictured taking this class with Alan sitting right beside me.
"This lesson sucks," Alan muttered, gaining the attention of the teaching assistant as she handed the worksheets to us. I gave her a gentle smile. I hated offending people like her. I think her name was Ashley or something to that effect.
"You would know." She shot back sarcastically, looking almost shocked at her own response. I could feel my own eyes widening. For as long as I had known the girl, and I hadn't known her long, she had always been very reserved. I knew she probably had a personality hidden in there somewhere, but I had never imagined that I would see it.
"I'm sorry." I shook my head. "My friend is incredibly rude, to say the least. By all means, put him in his place." I said, making sure to keep my voice low as the professor was still ranting on about Shakespeare. I glanced up to watch a small smile grow on her lips.
"I didn't mean to put him in his place." She shook her head, glancing down at Alan. The man in question was currently avoiding her gaze. "It's just we had this class together last year." She went on, attempting to get his attention as she set the papers down on his desk.
"I figured." I sighed, looking the girl up and down quickly. I needed to find one recognizable feature about her, one that would trigger her name for me. I would hate to call her by the wrong name. We had only talked once while in journalism last year, and that had merely been about the font to use for the article of that week. But her name wasn't coming to me.
On her right shoulder, she had a name tag, one that Alan had caught onto long before I had. "Astrid Free, is it?" Alan began before clasping his hands together in his lap. "I'm sorry for offending you, or for having to retake this class, but my friend and I would like to get back to the lesson, now." He quickly brushed the girl off before looking back down at his notes.
A frown took form on my face. Alan never, and I mean never, dismissed the opportunity to flirt with a girl. No matter what level of hatred she may have harbored for him. Though it had seemed like she had wanted to further the conversation. She was acting like she wanted to talk with him.
Astrid was completely his type, too. Tall, short blonde hair, blue eyes, sassy; I could go on and on. He and she seemed like they would fit perfectly together.
Again I say: everyone is still acting weird.
"Sure. I know how much you love Shakespeare, Alan." She dismissed with a short glare before turning on her heel and stalking off towards the front of the room. I could feel my fist moving towards Alan's arm before I even had time to think about it. Within seconds, my balled up hand had left a large red mark on Alan's upper right arm.
"Owe!" He hissed quietly, his own hand flying up to cover the area where I had smacked him. "Why?"
"What was that?" I said along with the ringing of the bell. I had known we only had another few minutes left in class, but the conversation with Astrid had made the time pass quickly.
"What was what?" Alan asked, his eyes wide with concern as to why I had hit him.
"You know what." I sneered before pulling my books into my arms. I quickly shoved the worksheets into the middle of my English textbook, not worrying for the moment about the large amounts of homework I had to do over the weekend. "Mister, can we get back to the lesson?" I mocked, getting an equal slap on my arm back from Alan.
"Stop." He threw his head back in distress. "I want to learn! Why else would I have gotten into college!"
I rolled my eyes at the mere sight of him. He was practically throwing a fit. "If you wanted to learn, you would have passed English three last year along with Astrid. Isn't she supposed to be in my graduating class, anyways? I think she doubled up her classes last year-"
"Quit bragging about the girl, already!" Alan cut me off as he came flying up from his chair. I'd struck a nerve, I knew that much.
"I was just saying," I mumbled. "But why are you so defensive about it?" Alan had been acting so weird around her. Not to say that he hadn't been acting weird all week, but it had gotten worse when she had come around. It felt almost as though there was a sort of history there that I didn't know about.
"No reason." He said sternly before waving off towards the door. "Let's just get out of here and go get some pizza or something. We're done with classes for the day." Alan took in a deep breath, the man taking slow steps around his desk as he waited for me to follow.
I pursed my lips together, allowing myself to look over my shoulder at the girl Alan had tossed aside. Alan ignored me and made his way towards the back of the classroom. Knowing him, he and Astrid had probably hooked up sometime last year and he never called her back. That had to have been why he had seemed so cool towards her.
I shook my head, silently deciding to chase after him.
Alan was far enough ahead of me that even speed-walking wasn't enough for me to catch up. When I finally did reach him, we were at the doors of the lecture hall that led out to the quad. "I'm not getting pizza with you," I said simply, my head held low as we walked out. The sun was still up, though it was dropping in the sky. It was after four now with our hour and a half long English class just ending.
"And why not?" Alan mused, seeming to be in a better mood already. "It can't be because I'm not telling you about Astrid."
"No, it's not that." I shook my head. "I have a date with Zac. I think Lewis was going to help me pick out an outfit for the date, but he hasn't texted me back since lunch."
"What about Chase?" Alan quipped, the concern returning to his voice. "Can't your best friend help you pick out an outfit?" I could feel my own happiness tapering off at the mention of my supposed best friend. I actually hadn't talked with Alan about this problem yet. Namely, because he could be a part of the reason for the problem in the first place.
"Chase and I aren't talking," I said, not daring to look up at Alan after I spoke. I could feel his eyes suddenly glued to me, the curiosity obviously getting the best of him at the moment.
"You and Chase still aren't talking?" Alan laughed as he slowly nodded. "Fascinating." My frown returned, my eyes darting up to look him over. He looked almost happy that Chase and I hadn't spoken.
"Lewis told you that we weren't speaking." I huffed, shaking my head at him. Lewis told him, I didn't even need confirmation. Those two were barely talking themselves, but even if they were in a tiff, they always found time to gossip.
"Yeah, Lewis told me." He nodded before running a hand through his gelled back hair. "I'm sorry, about you and Chase. Lewis didn't say what you guys got into it about, though." Alan quickly patted my shoulder as we walked on down the path.
"It's not important," I muttered, keeping my head down once again. Of all people, I especially didn't want to spill my guts to Alan. Even if he didn't have feelings for me, Alan and I just didn't have that type of friendship, and I was starting to think we never would considering the new circumstances.
"Well, it's got to be important." Alan sighed, taking a step ahead of me. He stopped before turning to face me, forcing me to stop and look up at him. "You can tell me when there's something going on between you two." He went on, the care evident in his eyes.
"Okay." I nodded. "I'll start doing that when you finally tell me why you and Lewis have been fighting." I shot back snidely, my eyes narrowing up at him before I stepped around him.
"Bree!" He groaned as he trailed after me.
"I have to go. It's about a ten-minute walk back to the apartment, and Zac moved up the date to six." I rambled before attempting to walk further away from Alan.
"I can drive you! I'd love to catch up with Chase. We don't have any classes together, anyways. I haven't really seen him!" Alan called after me. I didn't bother to turn around. I simply looked back at him over my shoulder.
"You don't have to. I need the time to think." I finished before practically bolting towards the parking lot. I could hear Alan give up back to the dining hall. Keeping in mind that it was Friday, Alan would try and pick up a girl to go to dinner with off campus. Especially since he and Lewis weren't talking much.
The two would have to cancel their date night during this fight.
My phone began to buzz in my pocket, the object being annoying enough to drive me to pull it out of my pocket. I turned the screen up to see Lewis's contact displayed in bright colors. "Hey! I forgot that I needed to come by your place-"
"You don't have to." I cut him off, shaking my head as I continued to make my way to the apartment. "But I do need you to do one thing while I'm out on my date." I let out a deep breath with my words. This Alan thing was really getting to me. Never once in my entire life had I felt so torn between two people. Chase was my best friend, but Alan was one of my closest friends, too. I hated feeling as though I had to choose between them just to keep either friendship.
"Anything." Lewis relayed. "I'm bored and up for a scheme." I laughed gently at him. This, this was why I talked with Lewis. He made me laugh at even the most serious of situations.
"I need you to get Alan off my back. He's getting really-"
"Creepy." Lewis finished for me. I could practically hear the smirk in his voice.
"My words exactly." I nodded. "Do you have this girl's number? Astrid Free? I think she and Alan have something going on, and it might distract him from me for a little while." I explained.
"I don't, but I'll see what I can do," Lewis said. I could hear him set down the phone, his breathing becoming the only thing I could hear as he pulled out his laptop. The kid never did homework, anyways. It was good I gave him something to do for the night. "Can you drop by after your date?" Lewis asked, catching my attention once more.
"I'll have Zac drop me off at your place on our way back." I agreed, already feeling a weight being lifted off my shoulders. "Thank you, Lewis. Now all I have to worry about is Zac," I sighed.
I could hear Lewis chuckling on the other side of the phone. "You should definitely worry about Zac. I think that guy has been wanting to get inside your pants for-"
"Shut up and get rid of Alan." I interrupted before hanging up the phone.
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Astrid and Alan...? What happened there...
And how will Bree's date go with Zac???
Again, I would like to thank BillyXXUnger for the character! Astrid fit in absolutely perfectly with the plot!
Thank you all for voting/reading/commenting! It is making my day! And hopefully this story will win something in The Wattys :D
The next update should be on...
July 28th!
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