Faking It with the Frenemy

Wow. Now I feel gullible. I should’ve confronted Kim back then. Instead I just—

“So that’s why you dumped me and started dating Geneva?”

Dancing naked on national TV would be easier than this. “Yeah. She was there, and I just…didn’t know what to say to you. I was too young to…” I rub my forehead. “You were my first, Kim. And I thought I was half in love with you at the time. When I got that text…it just wrecked me. I typed out a hundred responses, but deleted them all because I thought they made me look stupid.”

Kim says nothing.

Every inch of my skin prickles. I shift in my seat, trying to get more comfortable, but it isn’t working.

“I had no idea,” she says. “Did anyone else know about the herpes thing?”

“No. Never told a soul.” The words tumble out fast. I don’t want her to believe I spread any rumors.

“I just wondered. Everyone was so mean to me after…you know.”

Jesus, that makes me feel even worse. I knew Geneva and she had some kind of falling out, and wondered if it was because of me. But Geneva swore it had nothing to do with me. Just “Kim being a bitch.” I didn’t realize other people were nasty to her as well. Maybe Geneva was right when she told me at the beginning of our relationship that I could be a little oblivious.

“I thought you dumped me just because…well, because you wanted a more popular girl. Geneva was certainly the queen bee in our class.” She sighs. “No matter how angry and hurt I was, I didn’t know how to confront you about it and protect my ego at the same time. I didn’t have anybody to talk to, either, since you were with Geneva, who I always thought was my best friend. I couldn’t figure it out, so I just decided not to say anything. The only person who was sort of friendly was Louis. But I wonder…”

She trails off. After a few moments, I say, “What did he do?” I’m getting a bad feeling about all this. Louis is a dick.

“I wonder now if he was in on it with Geneva. He told me you were the one who put the vibrator in my backpack that time.”

“What?” I remember that incident. I thought it sucked for her, even though I looked the other way because my youthful pride decided whatever happened to her wasn’t my problem anymore. “It was not me,” I say, wanting to make that extra clear.

“I don’t doubt you, now that I think about it. He also told me it was you who put dead bugs in front of my lockers and on my desk.”

What a fucking traitor! That weasel acted like he was my best friend until I caught him treating Vi like trash behind my back and almost knocked his teeth out for it. “That’s why you thought I had Princess leave you bugs in front of your apartment.”

She nods. “I figured you were just continuing the tradition.”

“It wasn’t me.” I muster all the sincerity I can, praying she doesn’t really think I’m that much of a dick. “Kim, I swear. I can’t get that damn cat to sit on my lap.”

She shifts until she’s facing me fully. “I believe you.”

A knot eases in my chest. What Kim thinks of me matters a lot, even though I don’t want to probe the reason too closely at the moment. “No wonder you hated my guts. I’m sorry.” Even if there was a misunderstanding between us, I should’ve been more mature about it. And I hurt Kim by not being honest with her from the beginning. If I’d just asked her about the text, all this could’ve been avoided. So much time and energy wasted.

“I’m sorry, too. I was…well, petty when you needed my help. I set you up with unsuitable women on purpose, just to make you suffer. And…um…I thought you deserved to be stuck with one of them.”

I shrug. “Probably would’ve done the same if the situation was reversed. But you came through when it counted, and you were kind to Vi when you didn’t have to be. You could’ve taken things out on her just because she’s Geneva’s child. Plenty of people might’ve done just that.”

“I would never—”

“I know.” I give her a small smile. “That’s why—” I stop, swallowing the rest. Was I just about to say that’s why I still…adore her? Whoa. That’s… No. Way too fast, too early and too weird. We just cleared up a years-long misunderstanding. No way we’re moving to the adore phase this quickly.

“That’s why what?” she asks.

“That’s why I think you’re a great person.”

The rest of the ride back passes quickly as we talk about old friends and high school events. When I shut the engine off in the parking lot, I discover that I don’t want the evening to end. I don’t want her to go when we just cleared up the ugly misunderstanding from our past. “Hey, you want to have a drink? I got a really nice bottle of scotch. Also have wine…”

She smiles. “I love scotch.”

Chapter Thirty-Five

Kim

I probably shouldn’t have said yes to the offer of scotch. My new roommate and Champ are waiting for me at home, although that’s a flimsy reason, since Yuna texted me earlier.