“You can’t be fucking serious. You’re still mad?” she whines.
As cool as a freaking cucumber, Xavier swivels around, looks her dead in the eyes, and says, “I’m not mad. We’re just over.”
The backyard is so quiet I can hear my own breathing.
“Daaamn, son!”Theo presses his fist to his mouth.
Remember when I said Theodore Cox wasn’t that stupid?
Never mind.
“I meant what I said last night, Brie. We’re done. You need to stop hanging around my friends.” Xavier finishes her.
Any normal person would be devastated in this situation, but the most prominent emotion on Brie’s face isn’t sadness. It’s rage. She looks like she’s wondering how to get away with cutting Xavier up into a million tiny pieces.
“Whatever. Not like I ever loved you anyway,” she spits, turning to leave. “Lace, you coming? We’re not welcome here.”
“Actually,” Finn chimes in. “Lacey came over because Dia invited her, unlike your stalker ass who decided to tag along and invite herself, so she can stay, and you can scram. How’s that?”
Brie’s bruised ego peeks through her poker face for a fraction of a second.
“Lacey?” she insists.
Lacey avoids Brie’s glare. “Actually, I… I think I’m going to stick around for a bit.”
I almost feel bad for Brie.
Almost.
Then I remember the time she superglued my chair in the third grade and I had to strip off my pants to get up.
Dia pads out of the house in her bikini just as Brie’s telling Xavier, “Just so you know, if anyone asks, you’ve got a micro dick.”
On that note, she flips him off and exits the Coxes’ property. Her car roars down the street seconds later.
“What the… What’d I miss?” Dia asks.
“Brie just got dumped. That’s what. Get your cute ass in that pool,” Finn commands, and Dia complies, joining her friend pronto. Finn draws her into his chest, scattering kisses all over her neck and cheek as she giggles.
Wow, I’m so single.
“Lace, come on!” Dia yells, and Lacey wastes no time diving into the pool. When did these two become friends? Right. What did I expect? Dia’s popular now. I’m convinced I couldn’t possibly feel more out of place than I do in this very moment.
Until heproves me wrong.
“What the fuck is she doing here?”
I don’t need to look at him to know he’s talking about me. My head whisks up, and I meet the most vibrant pair of aqua-blue eyes I’ve ever seen. I’ve been quiet, near invisible up until this point, but there’s no hiding now.
“I thought we said close friends only.” Xavier stares at me in sheer disgust.
“Don’t be a dick, man. She’s Dia’s best friend.” Finn comes to my rescue.
“So fucking what? She’s no friend of mine.”
“There’s the bully I remember.” The words fall out before I can stop them. Xavier’s eyebrows shoot upward at my response. I’m guessing he didn’t think I’d talk back since I never did before.
Well, we’re not eight anymore.