You Belong With Me

Kristen's POV:

Nat stormed off, leaving be behind, bag in on hand, confused expression on my face.

Okay...what just happened?

I think I just hurt my best friend...bad.

Oh crap, oh crap, what did I just do? My heart started racing. How would I fix this now? I told her she was jealous...and she told me...she told me Nick didn't...he didn't...but he did like me...right? Was I hallucinating? It had to be real...but the chance that he would...oh man...I was daydreaming...I had to be. Nat was right. He still loved Lola, and I was still just the 'friend.'

Tears came to my eyes as I reminisced the fight Nat and I just had. I had lost my best friend because of a hallucination. I couldn't figure out which pained me more - knowing Nick saying he loved me was a hallucination, or having my best friend become an enemy. I had already suspected Nick telling me was a daydream, so I supposed losing Nat was worse. Who was I kidding? Of course it was worse! I would never get a friend like her in a billion trillion gazillion years! If that was a number...oh who cares if it's a number? It still means something.

And now I knew Nick didn't love me. It was a hallucination. A daydream. He didn't really talk to me. It was my mind playing tricks. I only saw what I wanted to see. I'm so stupid.

Nick was actually telling me he loved Lola. Not me. Lola. He was telling me he knew I liked him, and we should just stay friends for the better. That's what he really said. It was coming back to me now.

Stupid stupid stupid, I thought. Stupid. Just stupid.

Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Kristen," a sad voice sang in my ear. I turned around to stare into the eyes of my heart-breaker.

I let the tears stream down my face, not showing any expression.

"Kristen, if what I said before hurt you, or caught you off-guard, I'm sorry," Nick explained, noticing my sorrow. "I just thought I'd let you know what I feel is true."

I bit my lip, and nodded, looking away towards the floor. The pain would never go away. His love for Lola was true.

I had to stop thinking about him. He was out of my life now. Now I had a bigger problem to fix. Nat. My best friend. I pulled away from Nick's grasp, which I only just noticed around my waist, and hurried out of the school to find Joe.

It took me a while to find him, my vision blurred and everything, but I finally found him. He was sitting on the steps, ignoring everyone who came to talk, looking sad.

I walked over to him, and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. "Joe, Joe, I'm sorry for everything! Now that's Nat's gone, I've realized you were always there for me, and you're the greatest friend in the world! If only Nat were still here, I'd have the best life anyone could ask for!" I wept, letting the tears slip down my cheeks.

He looked up at me confused, "What's wrong?"

"Everything, but the only thing I want back right now is Nat! And I need your help!"

"Please don't talk to me about her..."

"Joe, you don't understand! She likes you! No, she loves you! A lot! You have to realize that! And you love her too! Just look deep down inside, you can't deny it!"

He hesitated to answer, avoiding my gaze. But finally, he nodded and spoke. "I do. I have. I have loved her for as long as I can remember. And today something weird happened, and I don't know why, but she hates me."

"She doesn't hate you, she hates Lily. She hates you being with Lily! Please understand!"

He thought for a moment, but I didn't have the time or patience for him to puzzle this together. "Joe, just do something for me! Please! Dump Lily, and ask Nat out! You know you don't love Lily! Admit it!"

"Actually, I was just using Lily to make Nat jealous..."

"Well it worked! And look what you did! Look what I did! Please, ask her out!"

"Does she really like me?" He looked at me with expectant eyes.

I nodded, letting another tear slip down my face.

A smile slowly appeared on his face. His eyes seemed to sparkle in the afternoon sun. He was beaming. "Go ask her out," I commanded, wiping a tear away. "She'll at least be happy."

His face beamed brighter, but then suddenly the smile disappeared. "What do you mean at least?"

I pursed my lips together, and shrugged. "I thought Nick liked me," I sighed. "But turns out it was only a hallucination."

His eyebrows furrowed, and he looked at me confused. "What? The only thing Nick talks about is --"

"Joe!" Lily called, interrupting him. He sighed, and put his face in his hands.

"Why?" he moaned.

"Joe, where have you -- oh, hey Kristen." Lily sneered. Suddenly, her eyebrows raised, and she eyed Joe's neck, where my arms were comfortably wrapped.

I let go of Joe, and he grabbed my hand, telling me to stay. I nodded, and sat next to him on the step. "What do you want, Lily?"

"I was just wondering where you were," she said, still narrowing her eyes at me. I narrowed mine back. Nat and I had enough of this girl's crap.

"When aren't you?" Joe retaliated. "You're always following me around. Quit it, okay?"

Taken aback, Lily stared at Joe in shock. "What?" she snapped.

"You know what?" Joe continued. I had a feeling I should leave, but I was fully entertained. "I'm sick of you following me around like a dog. Sick of you being all over me like a teddy bear. Sick of you in general."

I let a giggle slip out my throat. Joe smirked, and raised one eyebrow. I knew he liked it that I was so amused.

Lily just stared at him. Finally, something occurred in that small head of hers, and she talked back. "Well I'm sick of your cheating on me with other girls!" she cried. My jaw dropped to the floor. What the heck?!

"I'm so sick of you kissing me, then flirting with Nat in class, then I catch this girl," she pointed at me furiously, "wrapped around you. What the hell is that?!"

Joe suddenly laughed aloud. "You think I'm cheating on you?! No one in their right mind would ever hurt a girl like that!"

"Explains why you did it," she sneered.

Joe laughed again. "You know what? Think whatever you want to think! We're done."

Rage glimmered in Lily's eyes and they narrowed at Joe smirking, then turned to me, about to burst in laughter.

She stormed off, kids laughing at her from behind us.

Joe turned to look at me. "Phase one complete," he smiled, holding out his fist. I touched my knuckle to his, and he put his arm around my shoulder. I finally had the old Joe back. Nat finally had the old Joe back. I smiled to myself.