Status: Active.
This Is How It's Supposed to Be.
Three.
I’d come to the conclusion that for the first time since I’d moved, I’d be spending the first night of summer vacation alone. I was going to have a movie night in, all by myself, instead. I would go and take a shower, and read in my room until everyone went to bed. Then I’d creep upstairs and raid the cabinet for junk food and plant my butt on the couch and I’d watch some movies until I passed out. At this point I didn’t even consider going to the bonfire as an option, because 1) it was at Garrett’s house, 2)Lauren might be there, and I really didn’t want to deal with her, and 3) it was at Garrett’s house.
It wasn’t even him I was avoiding, but Lauren and the millions of questions I’d be asked about earlier. Garrett I could deal with. He’d probably give me the cold shoulder for a few days, but I knew I’d get desperate after a while and then I’d beg him to forgive me. Maybe he’d give me a chance to explain. Or maybe he wouldn’t, and he’d just take me back or cast me aside. But one way or another, things had the potential to go back to normal. And even if it didn’t, and Garrett decided to never talk to me again, I still had everyone else, and they’d stand up for me if it went that far.
When I got out of the shower, the only thing I was wearing was the only clean bra I had left, the bright pink one Caitlyn bought me for Christmas one year as a joke, and the matching underwear. I expected to be alone; after all, it was my room, and my grandfather was home, and the last time I’d checked, my bedroom door had been locked. Unsuspecting, I walked over to my dresser and pulled out a pair of sweatpants, ready to get comfortable for my movie night, only to be startled to the point of literally jumping around to face the direction of the voice.
“I said no, you know.” He said, legs crossed Indian-style as he leaned back against the wall next to my bed.
I clutched the sweatpants to my chest, despite the fact he’d not only seen it all before, but probably wasn’t even looking, because that would’ve been wrong and objectifying, and that’s just how he was. He didn’t believe in that, not with me.
“How in the hell did you get in here?”
“Caitlyn let me in,” He said, like it was obvious. “Are you…going to ask why?”
“Why you’re here?” I tugged a tank top over my head, “No.”
“No, ask why I said no.”
I sighed, “Garrett, it’s your house. You decide who to invite. Why should I care if you wanted her there?”
He stayed silent, his blue eyes searching my face. Eventually, “Because you’re my best friend.”
“She’s your girlfriend.”
“And? That doesn’t mean anything to me, Cay. You’ve been my best friend since you moved here. You and the guys always come first,” He told me. I pulled on a pair of jeans and waited, knowing he wasn’t done yet. “And with all of the arguing we’ve been doing, I’m really not about to take her side.”
He waited as I thought about what he’d said, occupying myself by doing anything I could to avoid looking at his face. I knew he was watching me; I could feel his stare as his eyes followed my every movement. I sighed and stopped, standing next to where he was sitting on my bed, rocking back and forth on the balls of my feet before falling backwards next to him. “…So…now what?”
“Now we are going to go to the bonfire and have a great time.”
The corners of my mouth turned up in a smile, and just like that, I wasn’t mad at Garrett anymore. Instead I was mad at myself, for thinking that he might actually choose Lauren instead of me. Instead of us. Instead of the guys and his brother and our tradition. I was mad that I’d even considered that he’d hold someone all of us hated closer, be more willing to please her than us . It amazed me how, hours after our first major falling out in all the years I’d known him, that I’d forgiven him already. I knew that he was stubborn –I was too– and that we were equally matched with willpower when it came to always having our way. I never thought that I’d give in that easily, that he could win me back, erase all traces of anger with just five words.
"Because you're my best friend."
It wasn’t even him I was avoiding, but Lauren and the millions of questions I’d be asked about earlier. Garrett I could deal with. He’d probably give me the cold shoulder for a few days, but I knew I’d get desperate after a while and then I’d beg him to forgive me. Maybe he’d give me a chance to explain. Or maybe he wouldn’t, and he’d just take me back or cast me aside. But one way or another, things had the potential to go back to normal. And even if it didn’t, and Garrett decided to never talk to me again, I still had everyone else, and they’d stand up for me if it went that far.
When I got out of the shower, the only thing I was wearing was the only clean bra I had left, the bright pink one Caitlyn bought me for Christmas one year as a joke, and the matching underwear. I expected to be alone; after all, it was my room, and my grandfather was home, and the last time I’d checked, my bedroom door had been locked. Unsuspecting, I walked over to my dresser and pulled out a pair of sweatpants, ready to get comfortable for my movie night, only to be startled to the point of literally jumping around to face the direction of the voice.
“I said no, you know.” He said, legs crossed Indian-style as he leaned back against the wall next to my bed.
I clutched the sweatpants to my chest, despite the fact he’d not only seen it all before, but probably wasn’t even looking, because that would’ve been wrong and objectifying, and that’s just how he was. He didn’t believe in that, not with me.
“How in the hell did you get in here?”
“Caitlyn let me in,” He said, like it was obvious. “Are you…going to ask why?”
“Why you’re here?” I tugged a tank top over my head, “No.”
“No, ask why I said no.”
I sighed, “Garrett, it’s your house. You decide who to invite. Why should I care if you wanted her there?”
He stayed silent, his blue eyes searching my face. Eventually, “Because you’re my best friend.”
“She’s your girlfriend.”
“And? That doesn’t mean anything to me, Cay. You’ve been my best friend since you moved here. You and the guys always come first,” He told me. I pulled on a pair of jeans and waited, knowing he wasn’t done yet. “And with all of the arguing we’ve been doing, I’m really not about to take her side.”
He waited as I thought about what he’d said, occupying myself by doing anything I could to avoid looking at his face. I knew he was watching me; I could feel his stare as his eyes followed my every movement. I sighed and stopped, standing next to where he was sitting on my bed, rocking back and forth on the balls of my feet before falling backwards next to him. “…So…now what?”
“Now we are going to go to the bonfire and have a great time.”
The corners of my mouth turned up in a smile, and just like that, I wasn’t mad at Garrett anymore. Instead I was mad at myself, for thinking that he might actually choose Lauren instead of me. Instead of us. Instead of the guys and his brother and our tradition. I was mad that I’d even considered that he’d hold someone all of us hated closer, be more willing to please her than us . It amazed me how, hours after our first major falling out in all the years I’d known him, that I’d forgiven him already. I knew that he was stubborn –I was too– and that we were equally matched with willpower when it came to always having our way. I never thought that I’d give in that easily, that he could win me back, erase all traces of anger with just five words.
"Because you're my best friend."
♠ ♠ ♠
Later than I wanted this to come out, but oh well.Working on the next update now, since I'm home because I did something to my back.
Love you guys for leaving me all those comments!
~Roxie