Best Friends Forever (19 page)

Six

The library is full of horror flicks, but most of them are old VHS tapes. Roman manages to find a newer DVD, but it’s the newest version of The Omen, not exactly what we were looking for.

“I saw this in like ninth grade,” Roman explains. “It’s not bad.”

None of the rest of us have seen it, so we agree and then head back to the dorms. Destiny’s room feels crowded with just four of us, but I don’t mind. Miranda and Roman are cuddled up on one side of Destiny’s bed, leaving us plenty of room, but I want to be closer to her.

I scoot back to lean against the wall, my feet dangling over the edge of her bed. To my surprise, Des moves to sit next to me instead of nearer to the edge of the bed like I expected. She smiles up at me when I give her a questioning look.

“You’re in the middle, which is the best seat for watching,” she whispers, lifting the remote to press play.

Ten minutes into the movie, Miranda and Roman are making out, which is pretty awkward. Des doesn’t seem to notice, so I play it off like I don’t, either. Even though their mouth-slurping sounds are driving me crazy, and not in any kind of sexual way. I just want to reach over and slap the two of them upside the head. They are disgustingly annoying.

Yet again, Destiny seems oblivious, which is almost surprising, considering her own new relationship status. She’s probably used to that kind of thing. So she surprises me when she tosses the remote on my lap and bolts from the room.

A quick glance at Roman and Miranda proves what I already knew: they haven’t noticed Destiny’s disappearing act. With a heavy sigh, I get off the bed to go after her. Something has ticked her off, and as one of her best friends, I guess I need to figure out what it is.

I find her in the stairwell of her building, sobbing. My heart goes out to her, even not yet knowing what’s wrong. I sit beside her on the second step and put an arm around her. She leans into me, seeking solace.

“What’s wrong with me?” she asks between gasps for air and gulps.

“What are you talking about? There’s nothing wrong with you!” I tell her.

“No, you don’t understand.” She starts to push away but I tighten my grasp.

“Explain it to me.”

She sighs. “Nolan isn’t the first guy to dick around on me, Andre. I’m sure he won’t be the last, either.”

I just look at her blankly, waiting for her to continue.

“In high school, do you remember my boyfriend Frank?”

How could I forget? That guy hated me. I nod.

“Well, he always expected me to sleep with him, and when I wouldn’t, he started sleeping with as many girls as he could. But he always apologized in between, and I was so naïve. I believed that he was truly sorry and that he would stop sleeping around. But he never did. Then he broke up with me at prom. I was devastated. But everything he did only furthered my resolve not to sleep with a guy too fast.

“Now I’ve slept with Nolan and he’s doing the same thing Frank did! Why do I always pick the losers?” She breaks out into sobs again, turning her face into my shoulder.

I was wondering the same thing. “You can’t help who you love.” I mean it in so many ways.

“That’s the problem. I don’t think I’m actually in love with Nolan. I think I was so caught up in the idea of him that I overlooked all the facts about him. I mean, he was a total player before he met me. And now he’s fooling around with someone else,” she whimpers.

“You don’t know that for sure,” I tell her, even though I know better.

“Oh, don’t lie! You and I both know he’s fucking someone else. I hate him!” The look in her eyes is almost terrifying, she’s so angry.

“Why not give him a taste of his own medicine?” I regret it the moment the words leave my mouth. “That’s not what I meant…”

“No, wait,” she pulls away, putting a hand on my chest. “Are you saying I should make him jealous? That’s actually kind of brilliant.”

“It’s not brilliant. It’s a dumb idea. If you can’t trust him, you should just dump him before he breaks your heart, which we both know he’s already done.”

“Andre, I want you to help me.” Her voice has turned low, almost husky. I sit up a little straighter, suddenly more afraid of this side of her than the angry side. She trails a finger down my chest. “You’re perfect to help me with this. You aren’t the kind of guy Nolan would be worried about stealing his girl.” Did she just insult me? “Which makes you so perfect for the job. Nolan won’t know what hit him.”

“Des, stop,” I grab her hand and wait for her to look me in the eyes. “This isn’t going to happen.”

She pulls her hand away. “Fine. I’ll just find someone else who wants to help me.” No!

“Wait,” I say as she stands. When she looks back at me with a smug smile on her face, I know this is what she expected. “Fine, I’ll do it.” It may kill me, but at least I’ll die knowing what her lips taste like.

“I was hoping you’d say that,” she purrs, grabbing my hand to help me stand in front of her. She hops onto the first step of the staircase so we’re close in height. She wraps her pretty little hands around my shoulders and pulls me in for a hug.

My hands go to her waist and I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this is a bad idea.

Seven

Instead of the hug I was expecting, Destiny plants her lips on mine, forcing me into the kiss. She’s more experienced than I imagined, and deftly moves my hands to cup her ass as she tries to deepen the kiss.

But the sweet, intoxicating taste of her has my mind going a little crazy, desperate for more. Without thinking, I thrust my tongue into her mouth and slide my hands lower to spread her legs to go up around me. She giggles as I press her against the wall and then she’s breathing hard when I trail my hands up to her stomach. I lift her T-shirt a little, revealing her perfect skin, and when I touch her, she sucks in a breath.

I pull away from her lips to nibble at her neck, moving my hands to her back underneath her shirt.

“Andre,” she moans, and the sound is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard. I’ve waited years to hear my name on her lips. Even knowing that it’s for the wrong reasons doesn’t quell my desire.

When I finally let her down on her own feet, my ego is fed as she stumbles a bit and I have to hold her up for a second.

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” she breathes, leaning against the wall. She eyes me. “When the hell did you turn into a kissing sex god?” Immediately after she says it, she turns bright red and covers her mouth with her hands.

I just laugh. “While you were out looking for losers, I was out growing up.”

She visibly relaxes. “You’re an asshole.”

I wink at her. “Thanks, baby.”

“Seriously, though, when do you learn those moves? I felt like there was real passion between us.”

I gulp. There was passion, from me, at least. “I’m just that good,” I say with a smirk. If only she knew I’ve never been like that with any other girl…

“Well, at least you’ll be convincing.” She grins. “So should I break up with him and pretend to be with you now?”

I wish. “That sounds okay. I’m sure that will make him jealous. But you guys are already going to the Halloween party together.”

“Oh yeah. Well maybe I can pick a fight at the party and break up with him and then leave with you? Would that work?”

Works for me. “Yeah, Then you’ll be able to enjoy most of the party. Doing it in front of all his frat guys will be a huge blow to his ego, too.”

“That’s perfect! You’re a genius!” She puts her arms around my waist to actually hug me this time, instead of giving me a mind-blowing kiss. I return the hug, afraid to make any movement that she might construe the wrong way. I only want to be her friend, if that’s all she’s going to give me.

“Okay, so let’s go back to watching a movie,” she suggests, wiping a stray tear from her left eye and then smiling brightly at me.

I follow her back to her room and the door is closed. I don’t remember closing it, but I ignore the notion until Des steps into her room, gasps, and jumps back into the hallway. She’s hunched over and gasping for air. I’m worried until I realize she’s laughing.

“What is it?” I ask.

But she just points toward her room. I nudge the door and peek around it to find Roman getting a blowjob from Miranda. She’s sitting on Destiny’s bed and Roman is standing in front of her. I shrink back into the hall, gently closing the door. I hold my laughter in as long as I can, but I can’t hold it for long.

“Did that just happen?” Des asks, still reeling.

“Definitely wash your sheets tonight,” I suggest.

“Very funny. I don’t know if I should be mad? I mean, we were only gone for a few minutes!”

“Yeah, but they are still in that new relationship status. You know how it is,” I say.

Des looks sad for a moment, like she doesn’t truly know what that time of the relationship is supposed to be like. Nolan has completely ruined her perception of a normal relationship and I want to kill him for it. Making out with his girlfriend at this Halloween party will be repayment enough, though. I can’t wait.

Eight

The next day, I meet with Roman to get the money and he hands me an envelope. I trust all the money is there because I don’t want to count it out in the open, but I head to the bank first, promising Roman I’ll catch up with Nolan before his first class at eleven. Since the kid was out last night until after midnight, I know he’ll sleep in.

After the movie, Roman dropped Miranda off at her door and met up with me to talk about our situation. We watched together as the lights in Nolan’s dorm came on and there was definitely a shadow in there with him, a female shadow.

So this morning we agree that I will start following him after I run errands. On my way to the bank, I think about Destiny, how much I enjoyed kissing her last night. She’s sweet and innocent, despite what Nolan’s done to her, and I wish she could have stayed a virgin instead of sleeping with that douche. Oh well. Can’t change the past, but I plan to change her future.

Starting at this Halloween party, I plan to become a permanent part of Destiny’s life, romantically. And whether she admits it or not, I know she’s got feelings for me, feelings that go deeper than just friendship. Her response to my kiss was overwhelming – she felt the passion I had for her and she returned it. Now I just have to convince her of that truth.

The bank has a line, so I pull out my cell while I wait and text Des.

So are all the girls in that sorority dressing with Pink Lady jackets?

She replies,
Yeah, why?

I smile as I type out a response. I had an idea that would piss off Nolan and get her point across. When she replies back, I can tell she approves. I offer to dress to match her and she thinks that it’s a great idea, so I know I need to hit up the thrift store after the bank.

Once my money is deposited, I call my mom.

“Andre! It’s great to hear from you, baby,” she gushes. “It’s been too long, you know.”

Mom is the epitome of a southern woman. She has a severe twang in her accent and she likes to pretend that it’s 1950 instead of 2013. But I love her.

“I know, Ma. Classes have been keeping me busy,” I say, excusing myself. It’s true, but there is always more than classes to distract the students at Coastal.

“Well, as long as your grades are good, I guess I can deal with that,” she says, fishing.

“My grades aren’t posted yet. Midterms aren’t for another couple of weeks, so I won’t really know until then. But don’t worry, as soon as I get my grades, you’ll be the first to know.” I smile as I pull my car out of the bank parking lot.

“Are you driving and talking on your cell phone? Young man, I ought to slap you,” she threatens.

I hold in a laugh. “It’s fine, Mom. Listen, I put money in our account, so I want you to take what you need. Pay November’s rent with it, okay?”

“Where did you get the money to pay an entire month’s rent? Are you selling drugs?”

“Mom! No, I’m not selling drugs,” I tell her.

“Well, you never know. So where did you get the money?”

“My tuition came through.” Truth. Kind of.

“That’s great! But don’t you need it for yourself?”

“Not really. I kept some out for myself, so don’t worry. I have everything I need and you need to pay bills. Doesn’t Brandon have a sports thing coming up, too?”

“Yes, he does. I was actually just thinking about telling him he can’t play basketball this year. The prices of those damn shoes have gone up so much over the years,” Mom complains.

“Well, like I said, take what you need. I am all set, and I will be getting another tuition check in a few weeks,” I promise.

“Alright. I’ve got to go pick up Brandon for a physical, Andre. I love you and please call again soon!”

I click off after a quick goodbye, making a mental note to call later this week and talk to my younger brothers. They are usually more honest on how the home front is truly doing, whereas my mom likes to feed my happiness on a stick. Brandon usually complains, but Cameron and Dominic are usually more realistic. They’re too young to lie about that stuff yet, and not old enough to sugarcoat it.

At the thrift store, I find the perfect outfit for Halloween, one I know will make Nolan green with envy. I also happen to find the perfect pair of pants for Des, and they are in her size. Score! I shoot her a quick text to let her know.

That’s great. Miranda and I went shopping and found the perfect top, too. Drop those pants off at my dorm after class, k? Gotta go.

I smile as I read her message. She’s so damn cute. I type out a noncommittal reply, knowing that I will be knocking on her door as soon as my final class of the day is done. As I weave in and out of traffic to get back to school, I think about who I can trust to help me with Roman. It has to be someone who has a schedule similar to Nolan’s, but also someone who has an opposite schedule of me.

There’s really only one person who comes to mind.

Nine

After my classes, I meet up with Audric, who has reluctantly agreed to follow Nolan when I’m in class. I didn’t tell him about Roman; instead, I gave him the story of Destiny, and how she wants to know if her boyfriend is cheating on her. He’s sympathetic, so he agrees.

I grab his hand and give him what I call a man-hug as I meet him outside the dorms. “Hey, man, how’s it going?”

“I have some bad news,” he admits.

I suck in a breath. “What is it?”

“Nolan’s cheating all right,” he says.

“With who?” I ask, curious.

“I’m not sure you’re going to want to know,” he says. “For that matter, I doubt Des will want to know, either.”

“Just tell me,” I say, knowing I’ll sleep better at night knowing the truth.

“It’s Hazel.”

Hazel? “But she’s Destiny’s best friend,” I voice my thoughts aloud.

“I told you, you wouldn’t want to know. I followed them to the beach, which was mostly empty. I stayed far enough behind them that they didn’t notice me and then they laid on the beach. After a few minutes, they were going at it full force. There was no mistaking Hazel, either. She had a wig on, but it fell off while they were rolling around in the sand and there’s no way anyone could confuse Hazel’s black hair with anyone else’s,” Audric explains.

“Well, that changes things,” I mutter. I don’t want to tell Des that the girl her boyfriend is cheating on her with is her best friend.

“Am I done spying on them for you?” Audric asks, impatient.

“Yeah,” I say, pulling out my wallet to pay him for his time. “Here’s your money. Do you know where they are now?”

Audric pockets his cash. “Yeah, they were heading back to the school and with Hazel in the blonde wig, they went into Nolan’s dorm room. They haven’t come out since. I’ve got to go to class, Andre. I’ll catch up with you later, okay?”

“Sure thing,” I mumble, still lost in thought as Audric walks away.

Hazel and Nolan. In a weird way, it makes sense. They’re both so damaged, they’re perfect for each other. Of course, that doesn’t mean Des will understand. She’s going to be bitter about this. And with Audric figuring out the truth so quickly, I have to wonder if Roman is going to pay me the full amount.

After a day of Nolan being followed, his secret is found out, so Roman might feel that the job isn’t worth any more than what he’s already dished out. With that thought in my head, I make the decision to not tell anyone the full truth until later in the week, maybe after the Halloween party. I need the one-on-one time with Des, if I’m ever going to make her fall in love with me. It’s a purely selfish decision, but it’s one I’m not changing my mind about.

* * * * *

When I get to Destiny’s dorm room, she and Miranda are chatting, clad in their Halloween costumes. Although Des has just a pair of shorts on instead of her full costume, since I’m the one bringing her pants.

She all but rips them out of my hand when she opens the door and then slams it in my face to change. When she opens the door a second time, she yanks my arm to pull me inside. She closes the door and then turns to me.

“Well? What do you think?” she asks.

I’m impressed. “You look fantastic.”

“Do you think Nolan will flip?” she asks, hopeful.

“He’s going to go out of his mind!” Miranda squeaks.

“Yeah, he is. He’s going to wish he hadn’t played around on you,” I say.

“So have you figured out who it is yet?” Miranda asks.

“Not yet,” I lie.

“When you do, I say we kill the bitch. Everyone on campus knows you and Nolan are an item.”

Des laughs. “I know it’s crazy, but I almost hope it’s someone I know so I can punch the girl without feeling guilty because I don’t know her.”

I sigh. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. Des, we’re going for pizza tonight. Miranda, do you want in?”

“No thanks. Rome is taking me somewhere special,” she says with a glazed-over look.

I smile at her. “Alright then. I’ll pick you up in an hour, Des.”

I leave her room knowing that if I’m going to make this work, I’m going to have to spend as much time with her as I possibly can. And that means occupying all her time.

Now that I know about Nolan, I don’t really have to follow him as much for Roman. I still want to see the evidence for myself, but I don’t want to keep tabs on the kid every second of every day.