© 2017 Shay Spencer. All rights reserved.
The Buddies Rule
Chapter 25
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Things always seem happen when you need them to. It's as if someone's watching over you, and making sure that each and every step you take is the right one, even if it doesn't seem like it at the time. Sometimes, even the worst situations can end up being the most enlightening.
I've always lived by the mantra that any life experience, is an experience worth having. But that's not to say that I don't dread certain experiences more than others.
I tried to keep my head down when English three came to a close on Friday, but inevitably, Alan had to walk by me. I was sitting right next to the freaking door, anyways.
He stopped, looking down at me expectantly. He had this patience about him that I could never really understand. He could wait me out easily enough, especially if that's what he wanted to do.
"You can't sit there forever," Alan prodded, tapping his left foot against the ground gently. "They've got to close up campus sometime."
"What about night classes?" I teased, looking back up at him as I did. "I could just say I'm auditing a class, or something."
"Ha, ha," Alan mocked before falling into one of the chairs in front of me. "For real, Bree. We can't keep avoiding each other. I don't even know what I did wrong."
"It should be pretty easy to figure out, then," I smiled snidely his way. "Does the name Shawn ring a bell? Or does it just give you insane flashbacks to you guys' kiss before the play like it does me?"
Alan's cheeks were burning a dark shade of red with my words, "what?"
"You know what," I hissed, leaning towards him. "A week ago? When you two kissed! You've been leading on one of your friends for months now, Alan! That's not okay."
"What the hell does that have to do with you?" He countered, narrowing his eyes on me.
"Well, when I see something I'm not supposed to-"
"Get real," Alan snapped. "What does it have to do with you?"
"At first glance, nothing," I agreed. "But when you add in the fact that you're supposedly in love with me, I'd start to think that I have everything to do with this."
"I'd beg to differ, Bree," Alan shook his head. "This concerns Shawn and I, not you. Get that through your head before you start butting yourself into situations like this."
"I saw him kiss you, Alan," I whispered. "So I'm already involved. I just want to know why he felt the need to. What did you do to make him fall for you?"
"That's obviously none of your business," Alan smirked. "If Shawn has inappropriate feelings for me, that's his problem, not mine; and it's certainly not your's."
"Bree?" Astrid called to me out of the blue. I took in a deep breath as I glanced around Alan's huge head. Astrid was waving me down towards the front of the lecture hall. "Could I see you for a sec?"
I nodded before shoving my things into my bag. Thank god for Astrid, I was more than done with Alan for the day.
"Hey," Alan hushed as he reached out to grab my wrist. "We're not done talking about this."
"Apparently, I don't have anything to do with it. So there really isn't anything to talk about, now is there," I said.
Alan reluctantly dropped his hold on my wrist, the man falling back into his chair once more. I rolled my eyes, leaving him behind and making my way down the isle towards the head of the classroom. I could vaguely hear the doors of the lecture hall open and close as I walked, and the only person that could have been, was Alan.
For once, I wasn't concerned with how the conversation ended between us. I had been filled with so much guilt lately over how I'd been treating my two best friends, or how they'd been treating me back. At least now I could walk away from a fight without regrets.
"What's up?" I started, stopping just in front of Astrid. She smiled my way before picking up a packet of paper from the large desk at her side.
"We wanted to talk to you about your short story," she led in.
"This can't be good," I muttered, half scared to hear what she had to say next.
"No," she laughed. "Your story was among the five best in the class! Aaron and I wanted to let you know that there's an amazing opportunity that comes along with that."
I frowned, not knowing exactly where she was going with this.
"What kind of opportunity?"
Astrid smiled once more, "a chance to intern at a publishing company."
"What?" I laughed.
"Yeah," she nodded. "A few of the other students are transferring up to the Los Angeles branch of the school, so they'll be working up there. But we made sure that you and one other student would have a place at the Berkeley company. This is an incredible opportunity, Bree."
I almost couldn't breath, I was more than surprised. "When does the internship start?"
"In January, and the packet explains everything," Astrid reassured. "If all goes well, you'll be offered a full position by the time you graduate."
"And I get all this because I wrote a good short story?" I teased, gaining a laugh from Astrid.
"You deserve this," she said. "I think it'll really help you find what is it you want to do with your life after college."
# # #
"Okay, I know we haven't talked a lot lately, but you won't believe-" I cut myself off as I glanced up from the door.
Chase gave me a weak smile, the man reaching out to close his laptop before handing Rebecca a notebook. "Won't believe what?"
I shook my head, "nothing. It can, it can wait." I said, closing the door behind me. I pressed my lips into a thin line as I began to make my way back towards my room.
Of all the people I'd expected to find at my apartment, Rebecca definitely wasn't on the list.
"No, wait," Rebecca stopped me. "Stay. I was just leaving." She quickly gathered up her things, pushing paper after paper into her already messy binder.
"You don't have to go," Chase shook his head.
"I actually have a few papers to fill out with my advisor," Rebecca relayed. "I just wanted to stop by and tell you."
Chase stood up after her, handing her a few pamphlets that had been tossed onto the table.
"We can talk tomorrow, then?" Chase asked, getting a quick nod back from her.
"Yeah. No problem," Rebecca smiled. "Nice seeing you, Bree."
The tone in her voice told me all that I needed to know. I had interrupted some moment between her and my best friend, one that she obviously didn't intend to cut short.
Rebecca hung her head as she scurried out of the room, almost dropping whatever was in her hands in the process. She closed the door after herself, leaving Chase and I alone.
"What won't I believe?" Chase tried a second time.
I turned around, looking back at him. He was standing in the middle of a huge mess of papers, a mess that I was sure Rebecca had made for him. Chase was neat if nothing else, and he surely wouldn't stand for this kind of mess.
"What's with all the papers?" I asked, waving my hand around the general area of the living room. This wasn't like Chase, and he knew it.
"Nothing," Chase said. "Lewis stopped by earlier to talk with you. He left in a hurry and said he'd come back for his stuff."
"So he just left all these papers on the floor?" I practically scoffed. Lewis was messy, but he barely carried this much paper with him. He worked strictly from his computer.
"Rebecca may have contributed to the mess," he confessed. "But I'll clean it up. It's not that big of a deal."
I shook my head, "yeah, it kind of is. I can't stand her Chase, and you inviting her over here is-"
"What?" He interrupted. "It annoys you? Because in all honesty, she stopped by without calling first. I didn't have any time to tell her not to come by in the first place."
"Well what could have been so important that it couldn't wait?"
"She's leaving, Bree," Chase sighed, running a hand through his hair. "She's taking a semester abroad. She wanted my opinion on this photography venture she's taking."
I stayed quiet with that.
Chase shoved his hands into his pockets awkwardly, all while he kept his eyes glued on me. I bit my lip, not knowing what to do or say next. I had accused him of inviting Rebecca over, and for a reason that even I still wasn't sure of. I got so jealous any time that he was around her that it inhibits me from thinking straight.
"I'm sorry," I mumbled. "But you know how I feel about you and her."
"And you know how I feel about you and Alan," Chase fought back. "Do you know how it feels to watch you run off to English every other day? Knowing that you two will be sitting right next to each other for three hours? It's stupid, I know. But it still gets to me."
"I haven't spoken to Alan in a week, Chase," I sighed. "There isn't a me and Alan. I haven't even sat with him in class. Whatever feelings I thought I had for him, they're not important anymore."
Chase nodded, letting his sight fall down to his feet. Both he and I were guilty of the same type of jealousy, there was no getting around it. But as luck would have it, it seemed like anyone who had a chance to interfere with our relationship, would be out of our lives fairly soon.
"What was your big news, then?" Chase spoke up. "You seemed pretty excited about it earlier."
"It's nothing," I said. "I just got a good grade on my short story. It was just good to hear, that's all."
"That's great, Bree," Chase reassured. "I'm really happy for-" Chase was cut off by my phone ringing.
I shook my head before digging my phone out of my pocket. The very person calling was the one who was meant to come and pick up his things shortly.
"What's up, Lewis?" I smiled.
"Are you alone?" He hushed.
I rolled my eyes, giving a knowing look to Chase as I turned and walked back towards my room.
I quietly closed the door, making sure to turn on my light when I did. "What's so important that I needed to be alone for it?"
"Look," Lewis whispered. "Alan finally came home today. He went off about your conversation with him. He won't tell me why you're so mad at him, but now he's mad at me for it."
"Why would he get mad at you for it? You don't have anything to do with it," I huffed.
"I don't know," Lewis brushed the topic aside. "But can we meet for coffee tomorrow morning? I know you hate coffee, but I have something I want to talk with you about."
"Okay," I agreed. "At least then I can tell you about how Rebecca stopped by."
"What?" Lewis practically gasped. "No, wait. Don't tell me. I'm sure it's just as scandalous as it sounds."
"Tomorrow, then," I laughed.
"I'll look forward to being the only one ordering coffee," Lewis finished. The line went dead, leaving me to lock my phone there after. I fell back on my bed, my head instantaneously filled with thoughts of Chase and Alan.
After everything that had happened today, I felt all the more certain about what I needed to do, and yet more confused than I had for a while. Chase liked Rebecca, I could tell that much; and judging from the looks of things, there was more to Alan and Shawn than even I knew.
I just hoped one of the two would still stick around when all of this came to a close.
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Not the HUGE cliff hanger I was going for, but it will do - how did everyone like it? I wonder what Lewis needs to tell Bree...
Thank you all for reading!! Another chapter will be up one week from today!
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