My Best Friend's Girlfriend.
Chapter 5
A week later and Rhea and Nathan were officially An Item. Cali didn’t think she would mind if it hadn’t automatically felt like her best friend was slipping away. Even when she was with him, he’d be on his mobile, texting Rhea.
“Will you just put your bloody phone down?” Cali finally snapped. Nathan looked up, hurt. They were sat in her living room as they always were on weekday afternoons. Luckily, Rhea had extra drama most days after college so at least then she was out of the way. It seemed, however, that the drama teacher was pretty lax on texting.
“What now? Jesus, you’ve been in a shitty mood all week. I only asked Rhea out yesterday, I’m allowed to text my new...girlfriend” He said the word with such fervour that Cali rolled her eyes in surrender.
“Whatever; just let me know when you’re done.” She turned back to the television screen where the movie I Want Candy was showing. Nathan spent almost all of his time at Cali’s, and had done since they’d been about ten years old. He only lived around the corner, but his relationship with his dad, with whom he lived, was so poor that he despised being there. It was fine with Cali; she had never been close with Georgie, who was always out with friends, and her parents seemed to work twenty-four/seven so it stopped her being lonely.
However, now, she would have given anything for Nathan to piss off and leave her to steam. And that was a pretty big thing; she’d never wished for that before.
“Okaaaay. I’m done.” Nathan threw his phone dramatically onto the floor in front of him, and gave her his most winning smile, one that she could rarely ignore.
“Oh, I’m sorry, do you actually want to talk to me now??” Cali cried sarcastically, giving such an overly shocked expression that she could have easily gotten into Rhea’s stupid drama group.
“Yes, surprisingly. And to make up for my awfully anti-social behaviour, I’ll go make us hot chocolate to make up for it.” He crossed his legs and let his wrist go limp in what he believed to be a camp way, but in reality, just made his seem a little slow.
“Yes, you do that.” She felt better already, now that he was being normal again. Plus, she adored hot chocolate, and she was pretty sure that they had mini-marshmallows to put on top. Another reason Nathan spent so much time round Cali’s – he went crazy for mini marshmallows.
“Oh, and, errr, Cali?” She followed him into the kitchen and hopped onto the kitchen counter to watch him boil the kettle. She needed to oversee such important procedures.
“Yep?”
“Would it be okay if Rhea came over after drama? We don’t really have anywhere to hang out – her family have friends over, and you know what my dad’s like.” Cali did know what his dad was like; the minute he saw her, he’d probably be hitting on her himself. She inwardly cringed, knowing that she had no choice. Rhea was nice enough, and Nathan was looking so desperate...
“Can’t really say no, can I!” Cali replied, as brightly as she could. “No funny business though – I swear I’ll vomm.”
“You’re the best. We’ll just hang and watch telly. Just want to spend time with her, you know?” He turned his back on her, to fill their mugs with hot water – they only had the instant stuff. “Oh, she’s on her way over now – should be here in a sec.” Cali blanched and checked her watch – sure enough drama would have finished a quarter of an hour ago.
“Dick, you could have asked me first – what if I’d said no?!” She shoved him slightly, not hard enough so that he’d spill their drinks. She saw he’d made an extra mug full without her noticing.
“I knew you’d say yes. It’s not a problem, right?”
“I guess not-” The doorbell went. Praying it was a door-to-door caller, Cali went to answer it whilst Nathan got the mini marshmallows out. Unconsciously, she ran a hand through her hair and straightened her navy vest top. She swung the door open, and there was Rhea smiling brilliantly, her cheeks flushed.
“Hi.” She breathed. “Thanks for letting me come over.” She stepped up and stood in too-close proximity to Cali, their feet almost toe-to-toe. Cali herself couldn’t seem to summon any air whatsoever into her lungs. In fact she was feeling kind of dizzy. Their eyes met, and for one crazy moment, Cali thought they were about to kiss. But then Rhea giggled a little, and backed away into the lounge to find Nathan. Her boyfriend. Cali’s best friend. Right.
“Will you just put your bloody phone down?” Cali finally snapped. Nathan looked up, hurt. They were sat in her living room as they always were on weekday afternoons. Luckily, Rhea had extra drama most days after college so at least then she was out of the way. It seemed, however, that the drama teacher was pretty lax on texting.
“What now? Jesus, you’ve been in a shitty mood all week. I only asked Rhea out yesterday, I’m allowed to text my new...girlfriend” He said the word with such fervour that Cali rolled her eyes in surrender.
“Whatever; just let me know when you’re done.” She turned back to the television screen where the movie I Want Candy was showing. Nathan spent almost all of his time at Cali’s, and had done since they’d been about ten years old. He only lived around the corner, but his relationship with his dad, with whom he lived, was so poor that he despised being there. It was fine with Cali; she had never been close with Georgie, who was always out with friends, and her parents seemed to work twenty-four/seven so it stopped her being lonely.
However, now, she would have given anything for Nathan to piss off and leave her to steam. And that was a pretty big thing; she’d never wished for that before.
“Okaaaay. I’m done.” Nathan threw his phone dramatically onto the floor in front of him, and gave her his most winning smile, one that she could rarely ignore.
“Oh, I’m sorry, do you actually want to talk to me now??” Cali cried sarcastically, giving such an overly shocked expression that she could have easily gotten into Rhea’s stupid drama group.
“Yes, surprisingly. And to make up for my awfully anti-social behaviour, I’ll go make us hot chocolate to make up for it.” He crossed his legs and let his wrist go limp in what he believed to be a camp way, but in reality, just made his seem a little slow.
“Yes, you do that.” She felt better already, now that he was being normal again. Plus, she adored hot chocolate, and she was pretty sure that they had mini-marshmallows to put on top. Another reason Nathan spent so much time round Cali’s – he went crazy for mini marshmallows.
“Oh, and, errr, Cali?” She followed him into the kitchen and hopped onto the kitchen counter to watch him boil the kettle. She needed to oversee such important procedures.
“Yep?”
“Would it be okay if Rhea came over after drama? We don’t really have anywhere to hang out – her family have friends over, and you know what my dad’s like.” Cali did know what his dad was like; the minute he saw her, he’d probably be hitting on her himself. She inwardly cringed, knowing that she had no choice. Rhea was nice enough, and Nathan was looking so desperate...
“Can’t really say no, can I!” Cali replied, as brightly as she could. “No funny business though – I swear I’ll vomm.”
“You’re the best. We’ll just hang and watch telly. Just want to spend time with her, you know?” He turned his back on her, to fill their mugs with hot water – they only had the instant stuff. “Oh, she’s on her way over now – should be here in a sec.” Cali blanched and checked her watch – sure enough drama would have finished a quarter of an hour ago.
“Dick, you could have asked me first – what if I’d said no?!” She shoved him slightly, not hard enough so that he’d spill their drinks. She saw he’d made an extra mug full without her noticing.
“I knew you’d say yes. It’s not a problem, right?”
“I guess not-” The doorbell went. Praying it was a door-to-door caller, Cali went to answer it whilst Nathan got the mini marshmallows out. Unconsciously, she ran a hand through her hair and straightened her navy vest top. She swung the door open, and there was Rhea smiling brilliantly, her cheeks flushed.
“Hi.” She breathed. “Thanks for letting me come over.” She stepped up and stood in too-close proximity to Cali, their feet almost toe-to-toe. Cali herself couldn’t seem to summon any air whatsoever into her lungs. In fact she was feeling kind of dizzy. Their eyes met, and for one crazy moment, Cali thought they were about to kiss. But then Rhea giggled a little, and backed away into the lounge to find Nathan. Her boyfriend. Cali’s best friend. Right.