Best Friends Forever (27 page)

Three

“Why does that sound familiar to me?” I ask Claire.

“Probably because his older brother is Roman Callahan.”

“Holy sweet hell! How many Callahan brothers are there?” I shriek.

“Five.”

This new piece of information is staggering. Cheyanne never mentioned Roman has four brothers. Interesting…

“Wow.”

She sighs again. “Tell me about it. And it wouldn’t matter if Ryan went to Coastal or if he was there tonight. He wouldn’t give me the time of day.”

“Oh, you are soo going to the bonfire tonight. You need to get out, get away, and just cut loose. Come on, let’s pick you out something to wear,” I say, walking over to her dresser to pick something out for her.

Her clothes are hardly those of a party girl. In fact, she’s pretty modest, so I decide to let her borrow my favorite dress. It’s bright read and will go well with her platinum blonde hair and green eyes. She’s short then I am, so the hem won’t be too revealing, either. After a debate about the lack of modesty, as well as the possibility that it’s going to be cold, we agree on her wearing a pair of black leggings underneath the dress.

“What if I’m cold?” she asks, tugging on the thin straps over her shoulders.

“Just stay near the fire. I promise, you’ll be fine,” I say, turning my attention to her hair. She normally flat irons it, but I convince her to let me curl it and even apply some makeup.

When I finish my little makeover, Claire looks less innocent and far too grown up. Thinking about her situation, and the fact that she’s been putting up with me and my drama this past week, I wonder if there’s something I can do for her. When she excuses herself to the bathroom, I pull out my phone and send a text to Roman.

Invite Ryan to the bonfire.

After a minute, he replies.

I already did. He’s on his way to MB as we speak. Guess he’s got a crush on someone here at school. A girl named Claire…? IDK who she is.

I laugh aloud. The two of them like each other and they don’t even know it. I send a final message to Rome.

I’ll take care of it.

I set my phone on my desk and then go about getting myself ready. I choose a pair of black leggings and a too-long gray sweater. I pull on my favorite black boots and then pull my hair into a messy bun. I’m not trying to impress anyone tonight – I just want to have a good time and hopefully, for one night, at least, forget about all the problems I’ve been having. I just want to have fun.

Claire returns and together we make our way to Cheyanne and Lexi’s dorm. Lexi has a luxury SUV and has agreed to stay sober so that the rest of us can drink. It’s a nice gesture, and we all pile into her vehicle.

“Claire, you look great,” Cheyanne says. “I wish I could get away with wearing red.”

Lexi rolls her eyes. “You can. Don’t let your hair determine your life, Red.”

Claire and I laugh in the back seat. “You would probably look good in any color,” Claire pipes up.

“Aww,” Cheyanne coos. “That’s so sweet. I feel like you’re my little sister, Claire. You are just too adorable.”

“Yeah, way to make me feel like I’m ten.”

Lexi puts the SUV in drive. “Welcome to the club. Red makes everyone feel like they’re ten. It’s that whole motherhood thing.”

“I guess that’s kind of true,” Cheyanne admits.

“Are we all set for the plan tonight?” I ask.

“You bet your sweet ass we are,” Lexi cheers.

“It’s all set,” Cheyanne confirms. “Are you nervous?”

“A little bit,” I admit. “I just want them to suffer as much as I have, you know?”

“No one knows more than us,” Cheyanne says.

She’s right, of course. Cheyanne hates Hazel more than anyone here at Coastal. She’s convinced that Hazel is the one behind the rumors that get spread via text, even though she can’t prove it. She confided in me just the other day that she’s bound and determined to show the world exactly who Hazel is.

Lexi seems okay to me. She’s Hazel’s almost stepsister, which might worry some people, but the way that girl talks about Hazel is proof enough she’s not best friends with Hazel. Lexi is also outspoken, loud, and doesn’t take shit from anyone. I like her.

“Do I have to kiss Derp?” Lexi asks as she pulls out onto Route 501.

“Derp?” Claire asks, confused.

“Yeah, it’s what we’ve started calling Nolan. Lexi called him ‘Derp’ one time and it just kind of stuck,” I explain.

“Oh. Is he ugly, then?”

Cheyanne chuckles. “He’s not ugly, per se. He’s mostly a butter face.”

“I see,” Claire says. “So, is Lexi going to have to kiss him?”

“Yeah, I don’t really see a way around it, Lexi,” Cheyanne says. “We need Hazel to catch him in the middle of something, not on the verge of something. If he hasn’t done anything wrong yet, he’ll be able to talk himself out of the situation. Hazel is infatuated with him enough to listen to him, too.”

“That’s true,” Lexi concedes. She lets out an exasperated sigh. “I’ll take one for the team, then.”

“Just pretend it’s Connor.” As soon as she says it, Cheyanne covers her mouth. “Shit. I’m sorry, Lex.”

Lexi glares at her.

“Who’s Connor?” I ask.

“No one,” Lexi mutters.

“Oh, come on. I think we’ve established that everyone in this damn truck is trustworthy,” I mutter, even though I don’t believe my own words.

“He’s just a guy in one of my classes,” Lexi admits.

“Okay, fine. I’ll let it go,” I say.

I’m not willing to get into it with Lexi. I mean, I’d love some details, especially since my own love life is in shambles, but oh well. I’ll ask Cheyanne about it later.

“Where the fuck is this place, anyway?” Lexi asks, changing the subject.

Cheyanne directs her, and in minutes, we’re at the beach.

Four

We’re early, of course, which is fine with me. The sinking sun is just above the horizon, casting shadows over the beach. The bonfire is already at least six feet high. Tonight, someone brought a grill and there are hot dogs and burgers being cooked up. The smell is divine.

Lexi leads us into the fray, ducking and weaving between our co-eds until she scores us a spot near the fire. It’s warm, but not too hot, which is perfect. The four of us stand there, chatting until Roman and Miranda join us.

“Hello, ladies. So good to see you,” Roman drawls. He’s cute. In a Zac Efron sort of way. His attention lingers on Lexi for half a second longer than the rest of us, and then he turns to Claire. “Do we know each other?” His brows furrow together.

“Yeah, kind of. But not really. I went to summer camp with your brother, Ryan. You were a counselor there one summer, I think,” Claire says.

So that’s how she knows Ryan. I wondered if she went to school with him.

Roman gets the same look of understanding and winks at me. “That’s right. He’s talked about you a few times, too.”

“He has?” Claire asks. I wonder if she’s going to die of shock.

“Indeed. He might even show up tonight. I’ll make sure to send him your way. This is Miranda, by the way,” he introduces his girlfriend.

As the two girls greet each other, I have to admit Rome and Miranda are kind of perfect for each other. Roman’s gotten a lot of crap this year, and I get it, but I think, deep down, he’s a good guy. And it’s nice that he and Cheyanne can stand to be around one another now. During our first semester, I thought they would kill each other. Whatever issue they had has been resolved, it looks like.

“Ladies, make sure you grab something to eat. Burgers and dogs are compliments of Nolan’s frat, so make sure you chow down!” With that, he leads Miranda away from our little cluster.

I turn to Cheyanne. “I thought Roman was a part of the frat?”

“Oh, no! He thought about it, but with his football schedule and then trying to get back to Columbia on the weekends to see Deacon, it just wasn’t in the cards,” she explains.

“Oh, okay. That makes a little more sense, then,” I comment.

“I need a drink,” Lexi declares. We all turn to stare at her. “I’m just kidding.” She laughs and leads us over to the keg.

True to her word, she hands each of us a red solo cup and then grabs a bottle of water out of a nearby cooler. I sip my beer, more than a little nervous about the events of tonight. I hate myself for thinking revenge is the way to go, but it was Cheyanne and Lexi who convinced me. I’d much rather just sweep the whole problem under the rug and forget about it forever, but with their insistence on me needing closure, I agreed, albeit half-heartedly.

The truth is, I do need the closure. The two people I trusted the most when I arrived here at Coastal are the ones who betrayed me. How am I ever supposed to be able to trust anyone again? It’s not fair. I just want to disappear into this large crowd, lose myself in the rhythm of the beat and forget about Nolan completely.

Of course, even I realize how dumb that is. Seeing his demise could be good for me.

“We’ve got company,” Cheyanne whispers to me, her eyes on the other side of the bonfire.

I glance in that direction and spot Hazel and Nolan holding hands and heading this way. I swallow the sudden lump in my throat but manage to keep my cool as they approach.

“Hey, girls,” Hazel greets us, her high-pitched voice like nails on a chalkboard. How could I have once thought this girl and I could be friends?

“We were just leaving,” Lexi announces, turning away from her step-sister and my ex.

I turn with her, but a hand on my arm stops me. Nolan, looking hot in his jeans and polo shirt, is staring at me. “Can we talk for a minute?”

I pull my arm away. “I don’t think so.”

I’m proud of myself. It takes a lot of willpower for me to resist him. He had such a deep hold on me for so long…

“At least talk to me, then,” Hazel pleads.

Knowing that separating her from Nolan is the original plan, I nod my head and then take my beer toward the ocean, glancing back at Lexi and Cheyanne to give them a nod. They will go forward with our plan while I keep Hazel distracted.

At the water’s edge, we can no longer see Nolan, Cheyanne, Claire, or Lexi, just the blaze of the roaring fire. It’s colder here and I hug myself for warmth.

“What do you want?” I ask Hazel.

“I know the past few months have been difficult for you,” she starts.

“Difficult? You think it’s been difficult for me to be betrayed by my best friend and my boyfriend? To wonder, every single day, what the hell was so wrong with me that he had to go running into the arms of a slutbag like you?” It’s harsh, I know, but what I say is also the truth. Hazel has proven her reputation.

“You’re right. And I am so sorry for the way it went down. If I could have changed it,” she begins again.

“You could have changed it,” I say, my voice threatening to close. “You chose to sleep with my boyfriend. Let me ask you something, Hazel – how long were you sleeping with him? How many nights did I leave his room and then you crawled into bed after me? You were never my friend, in any sense of the word. Falling in love with my boyfriend doesn’t necessarily make you a bad person, but acting on those feelings without, at the very least, having a conversation with me, was a bad move. If you think for a single second, that my goal here at Coastal is anything but trying to ruin your life, you’re wrong. Getting a dose of your own medicine seems like the perfect punishment for you.”

“Nolan loves me. He would never do to me what he did to you,” she defends him.

I smile as Cheyanne’s bright red hair comes into view. She’s motioning toward me, letting me know they’re ready for the main event.

“We’ll see about that,” I mutter and then leave Hazel on the beach, willing her to follow me.

I hear her humph behind me and then she’s just a few steps behind. I don’t stop at the bonfire, choosing instead to lead Hazel to exactly where I know Nolan and Lexi are. The tiny alcove is barely visible to those who don’t know it’s there, but Cheyanne pointed this spot out to me, claiming it would be perfect.

I stop when I hear them, not sure if I want to see Nolan messing around with yet another girl.

“What the hell?” Hazel asks, coming up behind me. She hears the moans, too and then takes a step forward, her face contorted in fear. She knows, on some level, what she’s about to find.

She pulls back a few branches, taking in the scene in the alcove. I step forward to see it, too.

Nolan already has his pants off and he’s got a hand up Lexi’s skirt. Her breasts are bared to the slight wind, nipples hardened in the cold. They’re lips are locked, tongues dueling. Lexi slides her leg over Nolan, straddling him. Her skirt covers most of what’s happening beneath it, but just as Nolan pulls his hand away, presumably to try to fuck Lexi, Hazel gasps.

Nolan’s eyes fly to Hazel, then to me. Realization dawns. I give him a little smile and then turn to Hazel. “Once a cheater, always a cheater, Hazel.”

I turn away, letting them sort out the chaos among themselves. Now I need to forget. I need to get the hell away from these people. They drag me down, and now it feels like I’ve turned into one of them. I can’t be that person anymore. I meander down the beach, drinking my beer.

“Des, you okay?” Andre asks, finding me alone near the water.

“Yeah, I’m great,” I lie. I can’t tell him the truth.

“Liar. What’s wrong?”

“It doesn’t matter now. I just need a hug,” I tell him.

He wraps his arms around me, comforting me. “Whatever it is, I’m your friend first, Des. No matter how frustrated I get because you aren’t ready for a relationship, I don’t want you to ever feel like I’m pressuring you, okay? I care about you,” he explains.

His words are my breaking point, pushing me over the edge. I turn my face up to his and shift my hand to the back of his neck. I pull him toward me, my lips ready for his. The kiss is forced, but I can’t care. I just need to forget about Nolan.

Andre pulls away. “What the hell?”

“I want you, Andre. Just for tonight,” I mutter.

He steps back, dropping his hands. “No, Des. I won’t be the one you lose yourself in when you’ve had a bad day. I want you all the time, not just when you can’t handle your own life.”

His words strike a chord, causing me to down the remains of my beer and then look him in the eye.

“If you can’t handle me now, when I’m more broken than I’ve ever been, why in the hell should I let you have me when I’m happy?” I spin around and head back to the bonfire without looking back.

He doesn’t follow me, which is good. The beer is already starting to make me feel better. I’m such a lightweight; I never drink at all, so this swirly sensation is comforting, making all my problems go away.

I get another beer and see Nolan chasing after Hazel in the parking lot. Good. They ruined my life, I’m glad I could return the favor.

I run into a guy on my way back to the beach, spilling my beer all over him and me.

“Shit! I’m sorry,” I murmur, taking in his presence. He’s tall, with brown eyes and hair. He’s attractive, but more importantly, he’s right here.

“It’s okay,” he says. “Want to come smoke with me?”

I’ve never smoked pot, but I’m up for anything tonight. I let him know I’m in with a nod and he takes my hand, leading me far down the beach. I can barely see the bonfire, we’re so far away, but then it doesn’t matter as he’s lighting up, passing it to me.

After several hits, I feel amazing, my body like liquid. I get up and dance to music no one else can hear, my feet digging into the sand. I lost my shoes somewhere during the night. The guy, whose name I don’t remember, gets up to dance with me. His warm body against mine feels so good, so right. We sway in the moonlight.