“You’ve got it bad for him,” Jane said.
“I do. You’re not pu
lling my leg on this, are you?”
“I’m not. But I’m worried about you getting your heart broken. You know your parents won’t ever allow it.”
“So? You’re about to sneak out of the house and go on your first date. Why couldn't I hide something like this from my parents?”
“For one, you both live here,” she said.
“We could work around that, you know. Staying behind sick on family movie nights. Staying up late and talking downstairs. Sitting on the porch. Riding around together in the car.”
“Wow. You’ve really thought this through.”
“I have,” I said with a grin.
“Hollis would have a fit,” she said.
“We could double-date. You know, if things don’t work out with Chance.”
I watched Jane’s cheeks tint with red as she shook her head.
“Oh, come on, Jane. I know you think my brother is hot.”
“I don’t have a crush on your brother,” she said. “And even if I did, he’s off-limits.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because he’s your brother, Theresa!”
“I’d let you date him! Even though the idea of you guys kissing is awful.”
I gagged playfully, and Jane pushed my shoulder.
“You’re so gross.”
“It’s why you love me,” I said with a grin. “Hollis is a pain in the butt, but I know you like him. You look at him with those googly eyes and blush every time he smiles at you. It’s textbook.”
I always enjoyed those innocent parleys with my best friend. Little did I know that night would change my life forever. Jane and I sat on my bed, giggling about kissing boys and planning who we would lose our virginity to.
I wouldn’t find out until later that my mother was listening in on the conversation.
She’d been standing right there in the doorway of her own bedroom as Jane, and I giggled during our sleepover. Jane and I spent the night listening to music and watching movies and eating junk she bought at the gas station before passing out on my bed.
And when I woke up, my mother was knocking on the door.
“Jane, I’m ready to take you home whenever you’re up,” my mother said.
“Okay, Mrs. Peterson,” she said.
“Five more minutes, Mom,” I said.
“Don’t take too much time. I have some errands to run soon.”
I sighed and rolled my eyes as Jane, and I fumbled out of bed. She pulled her clothes on as I shoved all the empty candy wrappers into the trash can. I looked at my best friend as she ran her fingers through her tangled hair and I envied her. I envied how thin her body was and how every single piece of clothing she wore seemed to fit her perfectly. I was a little on the thicker side, with boobs that hadn’t quite grown along with the rest of me. My hair was wild and curly, and my glasses were thick. Jane’s hair was straight and shiny, and her vision was perfect. She’d been my best friend since we’d been little kids, and I had it in my head that because we were so close, we would turn out the same.
But Jane was pretty in a way I didn’t think I’d ever be, so there was no reason to think Grant would ever like me.