AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Out of my peripherals, I saw herjaw drop. I scrunched my face together as I knew what was comingnext. “Are you kidding me?” she asked as she grabbed my arm andforced me to look at her. “It was a fucking Chili’s, Lindsey,” shescreeched.
That time others around us startedto shush us. I smothered my grin as Anna turned her scowl towardthem. She promptly flipped them the finger and told them to fuckoff.
Anna reminded me so much of Jillsometimes, it was a little unnerving. I was a lot like my mom inthe way that we were both reserved. So, if Anna was my Jill and Iwas her Kate, why in the world were we friends? I mean, my mom andJill had grown up together and been lifetime friends. Anna and Ionly met freshman year when we were paired as random roommates.Even though I felt we had hit it off, I truly hadn’t expected herto request me as her roommate again the next year.
I loved Anna for her spunkinessand blatant honesty, but I still couldn’t figure out why she put upwith someone like me. I was honest with myself, I was a boringperson. I was the type of girl to always do my homeworkandthe extra credit. I never ditched class in favor of something morefun. I didn’t like to go out with a bunch of people, I hatedcrowds. Even when I did go out, I always ended up being the“mother” of the party everywhere we went.
I mean, sure, I was older thanmost of my classmates, but only by a year or so. Most peoplestarted college when they were freshly eighteen, I had turnednineteen right after high school graduation. But my age neverplayed a hand in our friendship. If I ever assumed she was myfriend so I could buy her alcohol, the thought quickly vanished.That girl had a fake ID and knew how to use it.
Anna turned back my way and forcedme to look at her again. I tried as hard as I could to keep thesmile from my lips as she pushed her palms together as if she weregoing to beg. “Please, please, please.” She pouted.
I rolled my eyes and studied mybest friend. “What would we even do?” I asked.
She kept her hands together butarched one brow before answering. “It’s almost spring break, I’msure we could think of something,” she said and then continued tobeg. “Please, I will pay for everything,” she tried.
“You will do no such thing. I canpay for myself,” I scoffed as I crossed my arms over my chest. ThenI realized my mistake.
A wide grin split Anna’s lipsbefore she gripped my shoulders. “So that’s a yes?” She beamed.
I couldn’t stop the giggle thatbubbled up as I watched excitement cloud her features. “Yes,” Imurmured.
I cringed as Anna squealed andstomped her feet between us. This was her happy dance and everyonein the library was getting to see the show. “I can’t wait!” shescreeched. More shushes followed but that didn’t tramp down herexcitement. Soon I found myself smiling with her.
I heard the scratching of a chairbeing pulled out and I glanced toward it just to have the smilewiped from my face. Melonie K. Turner sat down in front of me as Iturned back toward my textbook. The smirk on her face was enough tomake me want to run and hide.Some bullies you could never runaway from.
When I left for college, I toldmyself it would be different. I said I would make new friends hereand never think about those mean girls from my past again. Youcould imagine my shock when I saw Melonie walking with my roommatea mere two weeks into freshman year. It was bad enough that she wasat the same college as me, but she had also befriended my bestfriend and roommate.
I didn’t blame Anna. Melonie wasgood at hiding her nasty side. It was only when Anna left the roomthat her true colors showed through. She had dropped my oldnickname but that didn’t stop her from poking fun every chance shegot.
“Can’t wait for what?” Melonie’sperfect teeth made an appearance as she slapped on a sugary-sweetsmile for Anna. I tried not to scoff at the fakeness that wasMelonie Turner. Everything from her perfect teeth to that godawfulbleach-blonde hair was fake. Sure, she was what most would considerbeautiful, but if those people only knew who she actually was onthe inside, they would call her ugly.
She had that perfectly shaped noseshe probably had picked out in a catalog, her eyes were crystalblue, makeup was always done on point, and she was rail thin butwith large perky breasts and an ass you could bounce a quarter off.She was what I would call a real-life blow-up doll. In other words,she was everything I wasn’t, including nice.
“Spring break, baby!” Anna wasstill celebrating when she turned toward Melonie. “Lindsey’sbirthday was a couple of days ago so we are gonna celebrate big,”she said as she smiled up at Malibu Barbie.
Melonie glanced toward me beforereturning to Anna as if she was going to ignore the part about itbeing my birthday. “Oh, where are we thinking? Mexico? Oh, oh, whatabout the Bahamas?” she said as she bounced in her chair withexcitement. Obviously, she wanted to go somewhere she could wear asfew clothes as she wanted.
Wait, did she just inviteherself?I sealed my lips shut, I was going to let Anna handlethis one.
“I think we need to keep itStateside, I don’t feel like messing with passports,” Anna said. Ifrowned to myself.Was she really going to let Melonie inviteherself?As if I had said it out loud, Anna turned to me, worrymarring her brow. Just like I knew that she didn’t like Ben, sheknew I didn’t care for Melonie. She didn’t know specifics aboutmine and Melonie’s past dealings, I had just told her I thought shewas fake. I wasn’t the type of person to deter someone from beingfriends with a person I didn’t like. I would let them make theirown decisions.
“Is it okay if Mel comes along?”Anna asked me. I didn’t have to look at Melonie to know that shewas scowling in my direction. If I were a different person, maybethe person I wished I was, I could have said “fuck no” and goneback to my book. I could have told Anna all about the type ofpersonMelreally was. Make her see that she wasn’t who shethought she was.
But in the end, I wasn’t thatperson. I was just me. I couldn’t ruin Anna’s friendship with hereven if she was an awful human being. “Sure,” I said softly. “But Idon’t really feel like going to a beach.” I returned to my book,smiling to myself when I heard Barbie scoff. If I was going to haveto deal with this bitch for a week on vacation, then I was going tomake sure she had to keep her damn clothes on.
“Who doesn’t like the beach?”Melonie whined at Anna before looking at me. I glanced up and madeeye contact before she squinted at me.
I nearly jumped out of my skin asAnna slapped the table and stood. “I got it!” She smiled down atus. “My dad owns a cabin in Colorado. We can go there and cut downon costs. We’ll have full access to the ski resort next door.” Shegrinned down at me. I flashed her what I hoped was an encouragingsmile.
I was less than graceful atanything related to sports. I just knew I would biff it big timethe moment I got on the slopes. I was suddenly rethinking myrequest for no beaches.
But as I looked up at my bestfriend, I realized I couldn’t burst her bubble. Maybe if Meloniedid go with us, Anna wouldn’t be so bummed out when I decided tostay in the cabin for a day or two. “Yeah, that sounds great,babe.” I nodded.
Anna did another happy dance as Ifelt Melonie’s laser focus burn a hole into the side of my skull.“I’m gonna go call my dad and make sure it’s okay to use thecabin.” She beamed as she practically ran out of the library.
I swallowed thickly as I returnedmy focus to the book in front of me. Or, at least I tried to. Icould still feel Melonie’s heated gaze on me. When I couldn’t takeit anymore, I glanced up at her and immediately regretted it.
She had a nasty smirk on her lipsas she crossed her arms in front of her perfect breasts and leanedback in her chair. I knew what was coming next as she opened hermouth.
