Chapter 17
Monica
“So … tell me all about your new school. What’s it like being the new girl?” Sam asks me while sliding a cold spoon of ice cream into her mouth. “And this Melanie girl, is she a good friend?”
“Definitely,” I reply. “She’s saved me from bad situations multiple times.”
“Bad situations?” She leans in. “Tell me more.”
“Oh, you know … boys.” I take a spoonful of ice cream and shove it in my mouth.
“Boys?” Her eyes widen. “Shut up. You’re not already dating, are you?” She laughs when I shrug. “Oh my God, Mo. Really?”
“I’m not … I just have boy trouble,” I reply. “You know how it goes.”
“I thought you’d sworn off all boys,” she says, taking another bite.
“I did, and I still do.” I shove my spoon back into my giant ice cream cup. “But this one just can’t stop annoying me.”
“Annoying?” She narrows her eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re being bullied. Is this the same guy you talked about on the phone?”
I nod and rub my lips together. “He just can’t seem to get enough.”
“Fuck that shit.” She slams her spoon down. “What’s his name? I’m gonna go look him up on Facebook.”
“Fuck no,” I say, my cheeks turning redder by the second. “I’d rather die.”
She frowns at me. “C’mon.”
“I mean, no offense, I love you, but I’m too ashamed to show you the truth.”
She makes a face, and a grin creeps up on her face. “Now, I really need to know.”
“What? He’s a nobody,” I say.
It’s a lie, but I can’t tell her the truth … That a fucking famous singer in a rock band has his sights set on me, and not in a good way.
“A nobody, huh? A bully that can’t stop chasing you?” She wiggles her brows. “Yeah, I don’t buy it. This guy’s getting to you, and you’re not giving me the juice.”
Her eyes travel off to my phone, which lies in front of me on the table. We both lunge at it, but she manages to snatch it up before I do.
“Ha!” she squeals.
“Sam, fuck off, give it back!” I yell at her while she pushes me away and searches through my contacts and Facebook friends.
“Where is he? I need to see him. Do you have his number?” she asks.
“No!” I try to snatch it back, but she keeps avoiding me with that nimble body of hers. “You don’t wanna mess with this dude, trust me.”
“That only makes me more intrigued,” she replies. “C’mon, show him to me.”
“Why? He’s an asshole,” I retort.
“Maybe I’m gonna give him an earful,” she says, folding her arms while hiding the phone underneath.
I hold up my hand. “Please don’t. I don’t want to be more embarrassed than I already am.”
“I won’t embarrass you, promise.”
“Sam …” I sigh. “This is my new school. I’m still the new girl. I can’t be making enemies right now.”
The look on her face softens. “I just wanna help …” She sighs and then hands the phone back to me. “I don’t like to see you get hurt.”
“I know.” I smile. “You’re the best bestie a girl can wish for.” I beckon her to come to me, and we hug each other tight. “But I need to deal with this on my own.”
“You sure you’re ready? After everything that happened,” she mutters.
I suck in a breath but choke on it a little. “Yeah,” I reply even though I’m not at all certain of myself. “I have to move on, right?”
“Well, you don’t have to if you don’t want to.” She cocks her head. “I mean, no one’s forcing you.”
I roll my eyes. “Could you sound anything more like my therapist?”
She laughs and punches my shoulder in a playful manner. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah …” I lower my head. “I know. I’ve been burned one too many times.”
She places a hand on my shoulder. “You know best what you need. And you’ll figure this out. And if you need me, I’m always there. You know that.”
“I know,” I say.
“And if you need Nate and me to punch someone, we’ll be there too,” she adds. Making a fist, she slams it against her other hand, making me laugh. “Oh! Fuck!” She points at the ice cream. “It’s melting!”
“Shit,” I hiss, and we both sit down to gobble it down before it’s ruined, and we look ridiculous doing it. So ridiculous, we both burst out into laughter with full mouths and full hearts.
Later that week
“Are you sure you wanna go?” my mom asks. “Last chance.”
I roll my eyes. She’s asked me so many times my ears are starting to bleed. “Yes, Mom, I wanna go on this school trip.”
“Promise me you’ll stay away from the boys' rooms,” she says, tapping my chest. “They’re liars and cheaters and—”
“Mom!” I say with widened eyes. “Please.”
“I know, but I’m scared …” She grabs my shoulders and sighs. “I don’t want you to get hurt. It feels so … soon.”