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HAYDEN
Zander and I had been best friends since we were eight years old. He came over my house when we were in fifth grade. The first time we hung out, playing video games. It was cool. The second time he came over, en route to my room he peeked in my sister’s room. She bit his head off. Surely, he’d steer clear after their first encounter.
Nope, I was wrong. She used him. Sent him running to the kitchen grabbing sodas, chips and shit. What the fuck? Then one day something changed between them. He no longer catered to her. What the fuck happened? Vicky sought Zander out. It was like she dug into his skin with a tiny knife. Purposely, trying to piss him off.
Zander and I were the best of friends. We did everything together. Whatever crush he had on my sister didn’t stop him from fucking mad chicks.
The night we celebrated his sixteenth birthday we were enjoying ourselves. The second my sister returned home Zander’s mood shifted.
Later that night, two girls sat on his lap begging for his attention. His gaze was fixated on the patio door. What the fuck was up?
Horsing around in the pool with Kylie, I didn’t see Zander walk into the house.
“Kylie, I’ll be right back.” Snatching a towel off the table, I dried my body.
“Don’t take forever,” she yelled.
I slipped into the house. There was whispering coming from the other side of the theater room door.
I couldn’t make out their entire conversation.
“After I graduate, say you’ll be my woman. No one has to know,” Zander said.
Vicky said something else I couldn’t hear.
The next words that fell out of her mouth made me want to rip my best friend's head off.
“Zander, go before my brother comes looking for you.”
What the fuck?
I ran back to the pool and entertained our guests. Zander drank heavily once he returned to the party. Later that night, it appeared he took his frustrations out on Riley. He never looked into her face once. Zander was somewhere else.
The next morning, Vicky watched the sex videos, of Zander and I fucking Kylie and Riley, on our phones. She appeared a little crushed. Deep inside I was happy she saw the video. End the stupid sick, fucking, crush shit between them, already.
Zander returned home for the first time in a while. He spent the night at our house here and there, but not like he did before my sister came between us.
We still hung out, but a part of our friendship died. Fucking Vicky.
Senior year, the old Zander returned. We had the best fucking time. The night of our epic graduation party, I watched my friend run after my sister. He resurfaced a half hour later snatching a chick by the hand, disappearing upstairs. A smile curled my lips. Vicky ripped his heart out of his chest again. Good.
Driving through the parking lot at Lake Lanier, I spotted my sisters car. After talking to Zander on his yacht, I thought everything was good. Later, that night, I realized my best friend stabbed me in the back. He was secretly seeing my sister. He kissed her, and she reciprocated.
I had to shut that shit down. Forbidding them to see each other, I thought would work. Fuck, it didn’t. Zander was determined to have her.
They disappeared for the remainder of the summer. He resurfaced before we went off to college. It was awkward chilling at Troy’s and we weren’t speaking. He sat on the couch gulping down a beer. His dark eyes stared through me. Pretty sure he thought about killing me.
Imagine my surprise when he called asking me to chill at his house for the Thanksgiving holiday. We were good I thought. I left a voicemail message, inviting him over for Christmas. He didn’t return my call. He was in the wind.
My sister moped around the house. They weren’t seeing each other, and they were miserable. I was to blame. Vicky stomped on my friendship like I said she would.
Vicky’s wide-eyed gaze met mine the day I arrived at the Harvard Frat party. Zander and Vicky’s energy was weird. Vicky pretended to be mean to Zander.
