Kill Me With Words

"Promise me you won't find a new best friend while you're away at school, okay?" Beth laughed and held her best friend's hand.

Heidi laughed along with her. "I told you, I promise. I don't think it's possible to find someone as great of a friend as you."

Beth grimaced as she tried to hold tears back. It was the first time in her life that she was going to be away from her friends, her dad and her home town for longer than a week's vacation. College was starting and Heidi and Beth were going to go their separate ways, whether they were ready or not.

Heidi looked at her best friend for a long while one last time before pulling her into a long embrace. "I'm going to miss you." She mumbled into Beth's shoulder while tears began to stain Beth's t-shirt.

Beth sniffled and wiped a tear from her left eye. "Don't cry, you're making me cry." She laughed through her tears and pulled away to look at Heidi one last time before she left. "Promise you'll text me as soon as you're settled into your dorm!" She called after her friend who was getting into her car.

Heidi waved one last time before backing out of Beth's driveway, and driving away from her house forever.

"Em, you're never going to believe what happened with Andy and me the other night." Beth gushed as she pulled Emily down onto the couch with her.

"You guys were really drunk, weren't you?" Emily wondered. "I remember going to bed with Marcus and passing out as soon as my head hit the pillow but I had a feeling you and Andy were up pretty late."

Beth blushed and smiled as she reminisced that night's events. She sighed audibly. "I think Andy might actually like me!" She squealed but Emily didn't react as she thought she would.

She furrowed her eyebrows and sat back against the couch with her arms folded over her chest. "Are you sure this isn't just another one of Heidi's games? And besides, what about Spence? You know he's been head over heels in love with you ever since the beginning of time."

Beth felt conflicted. She knew that Andy's sudden interest in her could be related to Heidi's malicious games she liked to play. And she knew that dating Andy would crush Spencer to the point that Beth was unsure if he'd even want to be friends with her anymore. But she just couldn't imagine being anything more with Spencer than they already were.

Beth shrugged. "I don't know if Spence and I could ever be more than just friends." She admitted. "I mean, we've been friends for such a long time that I feel like I don't know how to see him any other way."

Emily nodded in acknowledgement. "I understand that. But what about the whole thing with Andy?"

Beth pursed her lips. "I don't know, Em. He seemed pretty genuine that night. He refused to do anything with me because we were too drunk and he felt as though he would be taking advantage of me if we did anything. And then he saw my tattoo and asked me about it's meaning. You and Spencer are the only two people who know what it means. Not even Marcus or my dad know about it. Now that I think of it, I don't think either of them know I have it at all." She giggled and Emily smiled with her.

On that note, Heidi walked onto the bus and saw Emily and Beth huddled on the couch giggling about something and Heidi's paranoia sky rocketed. Her eyes grew wide and she dashed to the bunk hallway and slammed the door shut behind her.

Emily and Beth looked at each other. "What was that all about?" Emily wondered aloud.

Beth inhaled deeply and exhaled audibly. "Let me see if I can find out what's wrong." Beth stood up and walked over to the door to the bunk hallway. She knocked twice. "Heidi? Can I come in?"

The doorknob turned and the door creaked open slowly. Beth pushed her way through the mall opening and shut the door behind her. "Heidi? What's going on?"

Heidi flipped the light on from her bunk and opened the curtain. She sat there looking at Beth for a moment before she spoke. "Why do you all of a sudden care?" She said in a harsh tone.

Beth began to catch on to what Heidi was hinting at. "Would you just let Emily be? She never did anything to anyone. She's the sweetest girl I've ever met and you need to just back off."

"Why should I?" Heidi stood abruptly. "She's the reason this is happening. Don't you see?"

Beth shook her head slightly. "What the fuck are you saying?"

Heidi shrugged her shoulders dramatically. "She doesn't belong in this band."

"And you do?" Beth said incredulously "I wanted you to be in this band because it was something we had talked about ever since we were little girls, don't you remember?"

"Yes, Beth, I do remember. She was never part of our plans." Heidi pointed at the closed door indicating the curious and slightly frightened Emily who sat just outside in the lounge.

Beth crossed her arms over her chest. "I invited you into this band because you're my friend--"

"I was your best friend," Heidi interrupted. "You and Spencer decided we needed another guitarist. I thought we were doing perfectly fine with the four of us. But did you guys ever think to ask me what I thought?"

"We," She motioned between the two of them. " Would not be here on Warped if it wasn't for Emily."

Heidi took a threatening step towards Beth. "So you're defending her now?"

Beth backed up against the bunks. "Heidi, she's my friend!"

"No," Heidi corrected. "She's your best friend."