Render Me Worthy

“And why wouldn’t my best friend tell me the truth?” I demanded, glaring at him. I pulled out of the parking lot while he shook his head in what looked like disappointment. Kaelyn wouldn’t lie to me. Best friends don’t lie. Besides, why would she lie to me anyways? It’s not like she has anything to hide.

“Maybe because she doesn’t want you to think she’s a bad person. Maybe she’s just saving face. Or maybe it’s because she’s a fake and likes to play the poor little perfect victim when really she’s the one to blame.” He was frowning intensely. I rolled my eyes, and I swear his veins popped out of his head.

“Or maybe that’s you. In case you don’t remember, you broke up with her. Not the other way around. And you were a total ass about it. Don’t go around calling my best friend a fake. Besides, right now it seems like YOU’RE the one trying to play the victim card.” I was getting upset. I remember the way her body shook with sobs the day he broke her heart. I remember the lingering scent of chocolate ice cream mixed with the scent of tears in her room. She was devastated. She really was the victim.

“How was I an ass about it?! I told her straight up that it was a bad thing to do and that if she did it I would break up with her! She’s the one that did it in spite of me!” He was yelling at me.

“What? What did she do?!” I was so confused.

We had reached his house. I was surprised I still remembered where it was considering I’ve only been here twice, one time to pick up Kaelyn and the other to drop off a drunk John for Kaelyn.

“Look, if you don’t believe me then fine! But don’t expect any sympathy from me when she screws you over too! Sorry if I thought you deserved the truth!” He angrily got out of the car and stomped to his front door, opening it and slamming the door shut.

I sat in my truck for a minute, confused as fuck. What the hell just happened? I slowly drove home, trying to figure out what exactly John was babbling about. When I got home, my family was back.

“Hola, mi familia. Que tal?” I shot my mom a grin as I passed her and my dad in the kitchen. They just smiled back and continued doing whatever. My parents and I were so not close, and that was just fine with me. I totally don’t need snoopy parental units all up in my business. As long as I got good grades, everything was good.

I climbed up the stairs and walked to my room, embracing the familiar surroundings mentally. I fell onto my plush comforter and let out a huge sigh. I flipped over on my back and reached into my pocket for my phone. Dialing Charlotte’s number, knowing she would have my back, or at least be semi-normal for me.

“Hey, loser. What’s up?” She greeted me on the fourth ring.

“So, um, guess what just happened to me?” Please provide some insight on the craziness of the one they call John for me, I silently prayed to the heavens.

“Did you buy those Miss Mes I wanted? Because I swear, if you did, I will find a way to gut you and not be condemned to hell.”

“No, but I saw Kristy wearing them the other day.” Insert some strange gasping sound from Charlotte. “ Anyways, I actually went to In-N-Out with John today and he totally flipped out on me about Kaelyn.”

“What?!” I told her everything; him calling me a muffin, me conquering a double-double, and finally his strange behavior describing Kaelyn’s strange behavior.

“What the fuck?” Charlotte said after I finished.

“Yeah, that was my reaction.”

“So what do you think she did?”

“How the hell am I supposed to know? Supposedly she’s been lying to me this whole time.”

“You should ask John then. You know, since you guys are all buddy-buddy now.” I could hear her smirking.

“We are so NOT buddy-buddy and you know it.”

“Oh come on, that little outing was practically a date. Someone should tell Kaelyn!”

“Whatever. She would probably have an aneurism if she ever found out.”

“Okay, so it’s settled. You’re gonna ask John tomorrow in Spanish.” And suddenly, I had a secret from my best friend. And a mission.

That mission, however, totally failed, because the next day in school, Kaelyn was sitting in my Spanish class in my seat, right next to John. And they were holding hands.