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“You have a girlfriend,” I protest.
“And yet, here I am.” He brushes his nose against mine.
And yet, here you are. Why? Before I can ask the question, he lightly pushes me out of the way, stalking out of our clubhouse, as I’m left wondering what just happened.
* * *
I sit at the mirror, looking over my uniform. My last first day of school. It’s bittersweet. I’m almost eighteen. Almost a legal adult. I straightened my hair today. It isn’t slick, more a little wild. I put very little makeup on: BB cream, bronzer, mascara, and a swipe of gloss. I also did my eyebrows because that is a must. Always do your eyebrows. I look down to the leather best friend bracelet I got for Nix and me…
“Momma, Momma!” I run down the stairs with my laptop. I saw an ad for friendship bracelets. They are leather and you could put words on them. I knew as soon as I’d seen them that Nix and I needed them.
“What is it, sweetheart?” My mom smiles down at me as I point to the screen on my laptop.
“I want to get one for Nix and me. Can I, pleaseeeeee?” She smiles, shaking her head, filling out the online order form.
The top says ‘best friends’, and on the inside it says ‘us over everyone’. Mom had them sent overnight. When I wake up, I run to the mailbox, grabbing the package and racing over to the Mastersons’ house. “Hello, Mr. Masterson. May I see Nix, please?”
Mr. Masterson is alwayssuper nice. He has pretty blond hair like Nix and blue eyes like Everett. “Sure, but I don’t think he’s up yet.” He crouches down so we are eye level. “Do me a favor and wake him up?” I couldn’t fight the smile on my face as I race up the stairs and barge into Nix’s room.
He is sleeping so I jump on his bed. “Nix, wake up. Wake up!” His eyes open, alarmed, and then he relaxes when he sees it’s me, giving me one of those smiles that makes my stomach flip. It was strange.
“Ma fille, what are you doing?” he asks. His hair is crazy. He rubs his eyes.
Reaching in the package, I grab the leather bracelets. “I got us friendship bracelets! Look.” I show him the side that says ‘best friends’ with our initials underneath and then our saying engraved on the back. He smiles, kissing my cheek. My face heats as he slips it on. Then he wraps mine around my wrist with gentle fingers.
“Us over everyone.”
“Us over everyone,” I repeat as we smile at each other.
I fight the sadness that overcomes me, deciding it would feel weird not to have it on. I slip the cool leather on my wrist. He has still been wearing his. And even if we’re not friends anymore, it was still a nice bracelet. A piece of me I couldn’t part with yet.
When I get to school, I’m met with front-row seats of Nixon and Holly’s make-out session on the school steps. Gross. I tell myself it doesn’t hurt, that I have Drake now. Slipping out of my car with two coffees, I drop the one I got out of habit for Nixon by his feet. It spills, slipping over Holly’s and his shoes. “What the hell?” she shrieks.
I fight a smile. “Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry. I didn’t even see you guys there.” I fake innocence. Nixon shakes his head in a disappointed manner while Holly glares.
Flipping my hair over one shoulder, I walk up the steps, taking in my school. New year, new me. Leslie slides up beside me and smiles. I smile back. Did I mention how thankful I was for her now that we weren’t fighting over Nix’s attention? “So, there’s a back-to-school party this weekend. Let’s go together. It’s after the football game,” she says as we make our way to our lockers.
“I think that sounds fantastic.” I loop our arms together, laying my head on her shoulder as she does the same.
A real friendship. Finally.
