Status: On hold , help me?
Smile for Me
45
I rolled my eyes and looked at Emma, who was slowly making her way over. She was glaring at Jen’s back before she looked warily at me and I could tell she was trying so hard to keep her mouth shut and hold herself back from bitching at Jen.
“What do you want, Jen?” I asked, feeling resigned to the whole thing.
“I want you to talk to me about this.”
I huffed angrily. “What part of ‘I don’t want to talk about it’ do you not understand?”
I watched as Johnny brought the stick to his lips and held it there, shoving his hands in his pockets. I reached over and pulled the cigarette from his mouth to bring it to mine, inhaling deeply before handing it back, holding my breath before letting it out slowly. He took it with a shocked face and I smiled my thanks at him.
“So you regret forgiving me for what I did?” She demanded.
I puffed out the rest of the smoke and turned to look pointedly at her. “Keep talking about it and I might.”
She stared at me. “This isn’t a joke, Katelyn.”
“No, it’s not a joke. I actually never found the entire situation funny, Jen.”
“So you’re still holding it against me, then.” She assumed, taking a step away.
I scoffed. “Oh, please.”
“Of course she’s still holding it against you.” Emma said, standing beside me. “I would, too.”
“Stay out of this, Emma.” Jen warned.
“Why should I?”
“Because it has nothing to do with you.”
“Just because you never fucked my boyfriend doesn’t mean it has nothing to do with me. Katie is my best friend, so – “
“I’m supposed to be your best friend, too.” Jen sounded like she was going to cry.
Emma shrugged. “You were.”
I put a hand on Emma’s shoulder, trying to get her to stop. “Emma, let’s not – “
“Let’s not do this?” Jen finished for me, her voice getting louder with every word she spoke, drawing the attention of the other people standing outside. “Is that what you were going to say? Because you two brought this whole thing up so I think we should do this – right now.”
“Then let’s do it.” Emma spat, taking a step forward but I grabbed her arm.
“What the hell are you doing?” I was incredulous as I looked at Emma. “You’re going to fight with her over this?”
“Why not?” Emma was uncaring and tugged her arm away. “She’s been bitching at us for the past few weeks now. Why not get it out of the way?”
“Because I don’t want to fight about this – not now.”
My heart was pounding in my chest, the thought of watching my two best friends fight was making me feel sick. I knew they wouldn’t just bitch at each other, although there would be a lot of that going on. But both Emma and Jen were fighters – they knew how to throw a punch, whereas I didn’t. I wasn’t a fighter. I was used to having a fist thrown in my direction, but I never fought back.
The guys were muttering behind us, but I didn’t turn to look at them. I was keeping my eyes on Emma, who seemed to be trembling with anger on my behalf.
“Emma, it’s not worth it.” I murmured to her. “Let’s just go.”
“Emily can handle herself.” Jen assured me sarcastically, obviously hearing what I had said.
I glared and pointed a finger at her. “You shut the fuck up.”
Jen looked shocked for a second, but then she looked pissed. “I can’t believe this. I just found my boyfriend making out with someone else and you two, my best friends, are fucking attacking me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, please. That’s nothing.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Just what I said. You saw your boyfriend making out with some random chick, but I walked in on my boyfriend having sex with my best friend. There’s a difference.”
“No – “
“You two weren’t just fooling around, Jen. You were fucking each other. I may be innocent and naïve, but I’m not stupid. And for the record,” I continued before she could say anything. “I did forgive you because like I said, I had been friends with you for years and you two,” I pointed to her and Emma. “Were always more important to me than anything and anyone else. That’s why I forgave you and put it behind me – or tried to.”
“Does that mean you regret forgiving me?”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “I think I’m starting to.”
“Well, I haven’t forgiven you.” Emma announced. “You broke her heart, Jen. After she found you two, I honestly thought Katie was going to kill herself and I’ll never forgive you for doing that to her.”
“So what?” Jen shrugged hugely, her eyes shifting between the two of us. “You two just decided to stop going to the parties, and don’t want to be my friend anymore because of one fucking mistake?”
“We don’t want to do the parties anymore, Jen, because they got old.” Emma explained tiredly. “We’re sick of the drugs and the guys thinking they can get whatever they want. They just weren’t fun anymore.”
“Right.” Jen scoffed. “They weren’t fun because you have new friends now, and new boyfriends.”
“Jen, you leave them – “
“You’re just fucking jealous.” Emma accused with a small laugh. “You’re jealous because you know that whatever happens, Katie and I will always stick up for each other, and that we’ll always stick up for the guys but no one will ever stick up for you. No on will have your back like they have ours.”
Jen shook her head and laughed awkwardly, but I could see the recognition in her eyes before it was replaced with mocking and anger. “Go fuck yourself, Emma.”
“Sorry.” Emma said sweetly. “Don’t need to.”
“That’s enough.” I put a stop to their bickering and waved my hand at Jen. “I don’t want to fight anymore.”
“Yeah, so just go inside and have a few more drinks.” Emma suggested. “I’m sure you can pick up some guy to make you feel better.”
Jen narrowed her eyes and was about to say something back before she clenched her jaw and spun on her heel to walk away, her heels clicking on the cement. Bobby tried to take her arm when she walked past but she shoved him off and he looked questioningly at me.
I smiled tightly at him before turning my eyes on Emma.
She caught me staring and shrugged. “What?”
“Were you really going to fight her?” I couldn’t believe it, and knew that the others were feeling much the same way.
Emma shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe. Oh, come on.” She rolled her eyes when I continued to stare at her. “She’s been a bitch to us for the past few weeks, she had it coming.”
“She’s a fucking bitch.” Brian spat and I looked at him with shock. He shrugged and repositioned himself against the wall. “Even I’ve noticed the way she’s been treating you two girls lately, and wanted to say something. It’s about time you did.”
“Yeah. And watching you fight was actually pretty…” Jimmy cleared his throat. “Hot.”
Emma and I looked at him, then a nodding Brian and Zacky, then each other and laughed.
“You guys are ridiculous.” Emma said, leaning into Zacky. Then she turned and touched my shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, Katiekins. We’ll see her Monday morning and get it all straightened out.”
I nodded and sighed before slipping between the others to take my pace in front of Brian. I slid my arms underneath his jacket and wrapped them around his torso, leaning into him and resting the side of my face against his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and started rubbing my back, soothing my nerves.
“Are you tired?” He murmured, pressing his lips to the top of my head.
I nodded and sighed, closing my eyes.
“You want to go home?”
I lifted my head to look into his eyes. “I thought I was going back with you to your house.”
He smiled. “That’s what I meant. If you do, there’s a cab we can catch right there.”
I nodded and pecked his lips before pulling away and hugging the girls.
“Don’t let it bother you.” Val ordered. “It’ll work out in the end.”
I nodded and followed Brian to the cab, where he held the back door open for me. I slid in and told the driver the address to take us to, smiling when Brian settled himself beside me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side.
“What do you want, Jen?” I asked, feeling resigned to the whole thing.
“I want you to talk to me about this.”
I huffed angrily. “What part of ‘I don’t want to talk about it’ do you not understand?”
I watched as Johnny brought the stick to his lips and held it there, shoving his hands in his pockets. I reached over and pulled the cigarette from his mouth to bring it to mine, inhaling deeply before handing it back, holding my breath before letting it out slowly. He took it with a shocked face and I smiled my thanks at him.
“So you regret forgiving me for what I did?” She demanded.
I puffed out the rest of the smoke and turned to look pointedly at her. “Keep talking about it and I might.”
She stared at me. “This isn’t a joke, Katelyn.”
“No, it’s not a joke. I actually never found the entire situation funny, Jen.”
“So you’re still holding it against me, then.” She assumed, taking a step away.
I scoffed. “Oh, please.”
“Of course she’s still holding it against you.” Emma said, standing beside me. “I would, too.”
“Stay out of this, Emma.” Jen warned.
“Why should I?”
“Because it has nothing to do with you.”
“Just because you never fucked my boyfriend doesn’t mean it has nothing to do with me. Katie is my best friend, so – “
“I’m supposed to be your best friend, too.” Jen sounded like she was going to cry.
Emma shrugged. “You were.”
I put a hand on Emma’s shoulder, trying to get her to stop. “Emma, let’s not – “
“Let’s not do this?” Jen finished for me, her voice getting louder with every word she spoke, drawing the attention of the other people standing outside. “Is that what you were going to say? Because you two brought this whole thing up so I think we should do this – right now.”
“Then let’s do it.” Emma spat, taking a step forward but I grabbed her arm.
“What the hell are you doing?” I was incredulous as I looked at Emma. “You’re going to fight with her over this?”
“Why not?” Emma was uncaring and tugged her arm away. “She’s been bitching at us for the past few weeks now. Why not get it out of the way?”
“Because I don’t want to fight about this – not now.”
My heart was pounding in my chest, the thought of watching my two best friends fight was making me feel sick. I knew they wouldn’t just bitch at each other, although there would be a lot of that going on. But both Emma and Jen were fighters – they knew how to throw a punch, whereas I didn’t. I wasn’t a fighter. I was used to having a fist thrown in my direction, but I never fought back.
The guys were muttering behind us, but I didn’t turn to look at them. I was keeping my eyes on Emma, who seemed to be trembling with anger on my behalf.
“Emma, it’s not worth it.” I murmured to her. “Let’s just go.”
“Emily can handle herself.” Jen assured me sarcastically, obviously hearing what I had said.
I glared and pointed a finger at her. “You shut the fuck up.”
Jen looked shocked for a second, but then she looked pissed. “I can’t believe this. I just found my boyfriend making out with someone else and you two, my best friends, are fucking attacking me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, please. That’s nothing.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Just what I said. You saw your boyfriend making out with some random chick, but I walked in on my boyfriend having sex with my best friend. There’s a difference.”
“No – “
“You two weren’t just fooling around, Jen. You were fucking each other. I may be innocent and naïve, but I’m not stupid. And for the record,” I continued before she could say anything. “I did forgive you because like I said, I had been friends with you for years and you two,” I pointed to her and Emma. “Were always more important to me than anything and anyone else. That’s why I forgave you and put it behind me – or tried to.”
“Does that mean you regret forgiving me?”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “I think I’m starting to.”
“Well, I haven’t forgiven you.” Emma announced. “You broke her heart, Jen. After she found you two, I honestly thought Katie was going to kill herself and I’ll never forgive you for doing that to her.”
“So what?” Jen shrugged hugely, her eyes shifting between the two of us. “You two just decided to stop going to the parties, and don’t want to be my friend anymore because of one fucking mistake?”
“We don’t want to do the parties anymore, Jen, because they got old.” Emma explained tiredly. “We’re sick of the drugs and the guys thinking they can get whatever they want. They just weren’t fun anymore.”
“Right.” Jen scoffed. “They weren’t fun because you have new friends now, and new boyfriends.”
“Jen, you leave them – “
“You’re just fucking jealous.” Emma accused with a small laugh. “You’re jealous because you know that whatever happens, Katie and I will always stick up for each other, and that we’ll always stick up for the guys but no one will ever stick up for you. No on will have your back like they have ours.”
Jen shook her head and laughed awkwardly, but I could see the recognition in her eyes before it was replaced with mocking and anger. “Go fuck yourself, Emma.”
“Sorry.” Emma said sweetly. “Don’t need to.”
“That’s enough.” I put a stop to their bickering and waved my hand at Jen. “I don’t want to fight anymore.”
“Yeah, so just go inside and have a few more drinks.” Emma suggested. “I’m sure you can pick up some guy to make you feel better.”
Jen narrowed her eyes and was about to say something back before she clenched her jaw and spun on her heel to walk away, her heels clicking on the cement. Bobby tried to take her arm when she walked past but she shoved him off and he looked questioningly at me.
I smiled tightly at him before turning my eyes on Emma.
She caught me staring and shrugged. “What?”
“Were you really going to fight her?” I couldn’t believe it, and knew that the others were feeling much the same way.
Emma shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe. Oh, come on.” She rolled her eyes when I continued to stare at her. “She’s been a bitch to us for the past few weeks, she had it coming.”
“She’s a fucking bitch.” Brian spat and I looked at him with shock. He shrugged and repositioned himself against the wall. “Even I’ve noticed the way she’s been treating you two girls lately, and wanted to say something. It’s about time you did.”
“Yeah. And watching you fight was actually pretty…” Jimmy cleared his throat. “Hot.”
Emma and I looked at him, then a nodding Brian and Zacky, then each other and laughed.
“You guys are ridiculous.” Emma said, leaning into Zacky. Then she turned and touched my shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, Katiekins. We’ll see her Monday morning and get it all straightened out.”
I nodded and sighed before slipping between the others to take my pace in front of Brian. I slid my arms underneath his jacket and wrapped them around his torso, leaning into him and resting the side of my face against his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and started rubbing my back, soothing my nerves.
“Are you tired?” He murmured, pressing his lips to the top of my head.
I nodded and sighed, closing my eyes.
“You want to go home?”
I lifted my head to look into his eyes. “I thought I was going back with you to your house.”
He smiled. “That’s what I meant. If you do, there’s a cab we can catch right there.”
I nodded and pecked his lips before pulling away and hugging the girls.
“Don’t let it bother you.” Val ordered. “It’ll work out in the end.”
I nodded and followed Brian to the cab, where he held the back door open for me. I slid in and told the driver the address to take us to, smiling when Brian settled himself beside me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side.