Better Off Friends

“Listen, nothing will change with us. I promise you right here, right now, that I’ll be there for you through good times, bad times, friend issues, boy issues, teacher issues, whatever issues. And you’ll always have a date to any social event that requires a male companion. I hear I clean up nicely.”


“I wouldn’t trust your sources.” A smile was now on her lips. “And what makes you think I couldn’t get my own date?”

I shook my head at her. “For the record, I don’t think you’d have a problem finding a date. I just imagine every guy will pale in comparison to me and never live up to your clearly heightened expectations.”

She looked at me flatly. “The only thing heightened around here is your ego.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll go stag, then.” I dropped my head.

“Okay, fine. If neither of us has a date, we should do things like homecoming together. Why not? Everybody thinks we’re a couple

anyway.”

“Why not? I guess I’ll take that as a yes. Sound good?” I held out my hand.

She shook it. “Sounds perfect.”

106

I was kinda perfect. And you didn’t seem that horrified when I took you to homecoming freshman year.

That was fun. Freshman year was really great, actually.

Pretty easy transition. We both made some new friends. No

emotional trauma that wasn’t solved with a Buggy and Floyd marathon.

And then you had to get a boyfriend.

It was only a matter of time before I was snatched up,

especially when you can bake a brownie like I do.

Oh, is that what the kids are cal ing it these days? Baking brownies?

Gross. But don’t forget that you got a girlfriend at the start of sophomore year.

Yes, I did.

But did the questions stop about whether or not we were a

couple?

No, they did not.





C H A P T E R N I N E


If I could’ve talked to my eighth-grade self, I would’ve told

her she had nothing to worry about. Freshman year was

easy. Admittedly, having a boyfriend who’d already spent a

year there helped a lot.

“Are you cold?” Ian put his arm around me.

“Why do I have a feeling that was just an excuse to get

closer to me?” I leaned into him.

He gave me a little squeeze as we sat in the bleachers during the JV football game at the beginning of sophomore year.

Of course, Ian had assumed Levi and I were dating when

high school first started. I couldn’t really blame him. Not

only did Levi and I go to and leave school together (unless he

had practice), we sat together at lunch, went to homecoming

together, and did pretty much everything together.

I got it. I really did. But that still didn’t mean I was going

to stop spending time with my best friend.

I guess Ian figured it out because he asked me on a date

the Saturday after Thanksgiving. By the time the JV game

came along, we’d been together for ten months, and not once

109

had he ever complained about Levi to me. Sure, he’d tease

me, but I knew I deserved most of it.

“Have I ever told you that you’re too good a friend?” Ian

laughed.

“There’s always a chance that he’ll get in.” I hoped the uni—

verse heard me on that one.

We were at the football game to support Levi, even though

he’d never made it to the field. Ever. Not as a freshman, not

during the first two games of sophomore year. It wasn’t the

running he struggled with; the coach repeatedly told him he

was the fastest on the team. It was catching the ball that was

the issue.

So Levi sat on the bench. But he was a part of a team.

And Levi was a part of my life, which is why I was also sitting on a bench.

“Do I need to remind you that I come to all your track

meets in the spring?” I nudged Ian.

“Do I need to remind you that Levi’s also competing? So let’s not pretend you’re there just for me.”

I opened my mouth in shock. “Exactly what are you

implying?”

He shook his head. “Nothing. I’m certainly not questioning

your allegiances. I know I’d lose that battle. Plus, you know I like him . . . except for the fact that he’s getting close to beat-ing my times.”

I hid my face. I was grateful that the only time my boyfriend and best friend got competitive was during track. The

varsity track coach, Mr. Scharfenberg, had already told Levi

110

he was pretty much a shoo-in to be on the varsity team

this year.

Ian and I sat through the entire game. I tried to pretend to

be interested in what was going on, but honestly, if Levi

wasn’t playing or the players weren’t wearing green and gold,

I couldn’t have cared less.

I did spend a significant amount of time avoiding eye contact with the cheerleaders. Emily performed like she didn’t

have a care in the world, and she probably didn’t. She’d dated

Troy for a bit, followed by Keith, then James, then Mark,

then Dave. Despite all her concerns, she never struggled to

fit in. She had an even bigger circle of friends now.

Danielle had gone with me “in the divorce,” which was

good, because I’d really needed her dry sense of humor to help

me after the breakup. Whenever Emily and I had class