Highest rank on the hot list over the last two weeks - #256 in Chick Lit
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© 2016 Shay Spencer. All rights reserved.
The Buddies Rule
Chapter 7
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One thing happened this weekend that I could have never imagined. Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever pegged Lewis as a softie, or as someone as understanding as he had been. But, as rare as this was, Lewis managed to prove me wrong.
Not only did the two of us watch as many Disney Channel movies as we could find on Netflix, but we actually bonded. We bonded in a way that the two of us had never bonded before. Lewis and I had one heart to heart after another, each sharing something we had never told anyone before. Some of the things that I told Lewis over the weekend, Chase didn't even know; and that scared me a little.
"Okay." Lewis began as he clapped his hands together. "I'd like to start off by saying, yes, this meeting was planned." I rolled my eyes at him before shifting over another inch on the couch. Chase and I had somehow ended up next to one another in Alan and Lewis' apartment for this so called, 'group meeting'. Alan, on the other hand, was sitting on one of the bar stools near the kitchen. He still didn't want anything to do with me after I had ditched him for Zac on Friday night.
"Why are we here?" Chase sighed before falling back against his end of the couch. It was Monday, meaning Chase and I hadn't spoken for a whole week. Even during bowling class this morning, he had brushed past me without a word. Lewis had actually been the one to drive me to school today, and that was one of Chase and I's most treasured traditions.
"For many reasons." Lewis shrugged off without another glance over at me. Lewis turned his attention to Chase before continuing. "Now Chase, we all know how jealous you are of Zac, so we won't be bringing that up in this discussion. But it is thoroughly noted." Chase's mouth began to move as he tried to come up with a retort, only for Lewis to waved off Chase's silent protests. I bit my lip to keep back from laughing at the two. I had missed moments like this. "Also, Alan? Bree and I were actually in the apartment when you decided to bang-"
"Stop it," I warned, holding up a finger to Lewis.
"Fine. We were here when you ever so respectfully decided to bed Zac's little sister. Happy, Bree?" Lewis smirked as Alan's face turned bright red. The embarrassment was written all across Alan's face in the moment. How could he have thought that he had gotten away with that little discretion?
"You slept with Zac's little sister?" Chase asked incredulously as he sat back up on the couch.
Alan nodded shamefully, allowing for his sight to drop down to his feet. "We might have done a few things."
"I hope it was consensual." Lewis nodded, forcing me to throw a balled up piece of paper from the coffee table at him.
"Anyways." I huffed, giving Lewis a knowing glare. "Get back to the point, Lewis."
The man in question nodded without any further protest. "We've all been fighting, a lot, over the last week. Some of us haven't even spoken since last Monday." Lewis recalled smartly as he tossed a quick glance Chase's way. "And after some careful Internet research this weekend, I can confirm that this nonsense fighting comes down to one thing," Lewis paused as he pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket. "Sexual tension. Meaning we all want to bed one another-"
"Shut up, Lewis." I hissed with the feeling that I was wanted to strangle him. Lewis and I had planned out this meeting together. We'd practically written out a script for each one of us to follow, and Lewis wasn't following what we'd practiced at all.
"Now, this sexual tension, I know, can be felt between all four of us." Lewis teased without skipping a beat. "But luckily, I, Lewis, being the smartest and most logical member of the group, have come up with a solution." Lewis finally said, getting back to the script we had rehearsed. Sort of.
"What is it?" Chase asked glumly before falling back against the couch a second time.
"The buddies rule," Lewis announced with a proud and winning smile. "This rule prevents any and all relationships above our current friendships." He explained before gaining a confused look from Alan. "Although I know how badly Alan wants to date me, this new group rule makes it impossible for Alan to ask me out on a date, or for me to say yes to his constant advances." I bit my tongue to keep from laughing at his sarcasm before I slipped my hand under the pillow at my side.
My hand had just grasped the hidden contract when Chase chimed in again. "What kind of punishment have you come up with, Lewis? You know, to prevent these advances." Chase asked snidely. Chase liked to consider himself the smartest of the group, and although in terms of grades that was true, Lewis did have a good idea here. It completely solved our Alan problem, and in return, it further prevented me from even thinking of Chase in that way.
"Bree?" Lewis called as he waved me forward. I nodded and slipped the contract out from under the pillow. Having an environmental/technology-patent lawyer as a father paid off in times like these. We told him the parameters of this agreement over the phone, and he had emailed us a copy of the contract he had drawn up.
Lewis took a step forward and pulled the contract into his hands. "As the contract states-"
"You have a contract?" Chase asked in a defeated tone before he hopped up off the couch. Chase ripped the contract out of Lewis' hands and looked over it himself. "And you signed it?" Chase questioned again as he spun around to look down at me. I held up my hands in defense. Chase's eyes were practically burning holes into my head with the look he was giving me.
"It's a good idea Chase." I shrugged, resting my hands in my lap. "I just want things to go back to normal. I don't like any of us fighting. Especially when it's you and me."
"And you chalk the fighting up to sexual tension between the two of us?" Chase asked calmly as he motioned between he and I. I shook my head quickly while my own face grew red. "That makes a whole lot of sense." He scoffed before I stood up from the couch.
"No." I shook my head. "I just think this protects any of us from having that kind of conversation. What if Lewis suddenly found out he had feelings for me-"
"Or for Chase," Lewis added in with a seductive smile aimed at Chase. "It always starts with a hand on the shoulder." Lewis reminded as he placed his right hand on Chase's shoulder.
"If any one of us develops feelings for one another, then we are going to have to deal with it, by ourselves. If we don't, then it instantly tampers with our friendships." I spoke soundly, feeling my chest heaving with the heaviness of my words.
"So the solution is for us to keep our feelings bottled up inside if they even come up at all." Chase scoffed. He swiftly slapped Lewis' hand away before he gave Lewis a silent warning to back off.
"What was that punishment, again?" Alan asked, finally adding to the conversation. He took it upon himself to step forward, joining in on yet another fight between Chase and I. Just when I thought we could start getting back to normal.
"The punishment," Chase muttered quietly before flipping through the packet. His eyes moved quickly, the man scanning until he found the exact section of the document he had been looking for. "Upon going against this signed agreement, the pact breaker will be forced into temporary exile- did your dad write this?" Chase stopped himself as he looked up at me. I could catch a glimpse of a smile on his face in the moment.
"Yes," I whispered before I gave Chase a weak smile myself.
"Thought so." He sighed before continuing. "The pact breaker will be forced into temporary exile from the group. When the time comes for the pact-breaker to go to trial for his or her treason, a secret meeting will be held between the current group members to decide whether it is truly time to welcome this member back into the group. His or her feelings must be dealt with between both parties before the trial." Chase rolled his eyes before dropping the contract onto the table. "How did your dad pass the bar exam?"
"Those were actually my terms and conditions." Lewis nodded, a sly grin covering his face as he spoke. "Pretty lawyer-y, huh?"
"Not one bit." Chase shook his head as he crossed his arms over his chest. The four of us stood in silence for the first time since the group had formed last year. Not one of us dared to look up at one another for fear of awkward eye contact. I caught myself from speaking as Chase leaned down and picked up a pen off the coffee table. "I just sign next to my name?" He asked coldly, gripping the black pen tightly in his hand.
"Also, add the date," Lewis said. Our friend knelt down next to Chase and pointed out the two different spots where Chase would need to sign.
Alan shook his head and turned around, heading back to his room. A frown took form on my face before he strolled back into the living room. The man now held a single blue pen. "This one's my favorite." He relayed with a small smile. "Can't be the only one not signing this thing." Alan sighed before taking a seat on the floor.
I stood motionlessly, watching my three best friends as they either signed the contract or watched another sign it. Within less than a minute, everyone had stepped away from the contract, leaving it back with Lewis. "I'll forward a copy of this to my lawyer for review-"
"Give it a rest." I groaned before I reached down and picked up the so-called contract for myself. "I'll keep this in my room. And if anyone wants a copy, they can ask. Otherwise," I paused before allowing my gaze to meet Chase's, "can we please stop the fighting?" I whined.
"Yep." Chase nodded, not sparing me another word before he stalked out of the apartment.
"The contract also states that we must eat pizza together twice a week," Lewis called after Chase. "Does tonight work..." He trailed off. I shook my head as I picked up my phone off the table. Of all the things that I had wanted to happen today, it was the most important for Chase to forgive me. I wanted us to finally put the fighting to rest, even more so since we weren't actually fighting about anything.
"I'll be there, Lewis," I mumbled as I took in a deep breath. "And I'll try to get Chase to show up, too." Lewis' eyes looked as though they were tearing up at my stupid gesture. He quickly waved me off, silently telling me that it was okay to go after Chase.
As I walked out into the hallway, Alan shut the door behind me. I was alone in a hallway for the campus apartments that I didn't even live in. I glanced from side to side, not seeing Chase anywhere on the second floor. Keeping in mind how he had been acting over the last week, he had probably gone home without me again. Maybe it would do me some good just to move in with Alan and Lewis. If Chase was going to keep acting this way.
"Looking for me?" Chase called as he made his way out of the stairwell. I could feel my eyebrows knitting together in confusion as I walked over, trying to judge what kind of mood he was in from where I was standing.
I stopped when I was right in front of him, Chase still standing two steps below me on the stairs. "Can I please, please, ask that you give this up?" I tried again, making sure to keep my words firm. "I'm sick and tired of walking around the house and having it be dead silent. I can't even tell if your home when I walk in just because you won't talk with me." I rambled aimlessly. "If all of this is just because I went out with Zac, then-"
"Then what, Bree? You'll break up with him?" Chase cut in smartly as he leaned back against the wall. "Because I honestly can't see that happening."
"What is so bad about Zac!" I yelled down at him. "I've been friends with him since middle school. You've been friends with him since middle school!" I pointed out, pushing my right hand down against his shoulder.
"Yeah, and you've been friends with me since elementary. What's your point?" Chase countered.
"My point is, I want you to drop the stupid silent treatment." I huffed, feeling more annoyed than I ever had with him before. Chase had always been stubborn, but he had never been this bad. "I am just dating him, we haven't even done anything. You have nothing, to worry about."
Chase stood silently, letting my words sink in for a single second before he nodded suddenly. "Okay, Bree. I'll drop it." Chase finally caved.
"Thank you, Chase-"
"But, if you thought for one second that the sexual tension between the two of us was bad before, bad enough for you to write out a contract to prevent it," Chase paused as he took a single step towards me, "then you don't know what's coming." Chase forced himself away from me, his breathing heavy before he stormed down the stairs.
I was left alone yet again, in the apartment building that I didn't even live in. Though, after what Chase had said, I was really starting to consider picking up an application to make things official. Living with Chase was going to be hell. I could just feel it.
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So, it's officially confirmed, Alan did sleep with Zoey. And Chase is definitely still upset with Bree about Zac...
How did everyone like it? This chapter was one of my fav's, personally. You all got a good dose of Lewis 😜
And The Buddies Rule has been put into action!
Next chapter should be amazing!!! I think chapter 8 is actually the best 😜
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The next update should be on...
August 25th!
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