Rule 25: Do not ever think that you will never meet or love a guy the way you liked or loved The Ex, because you will—just give yourself the chance by letting The Ex go.
“So we’re all in agreement,” Alexia said, “that we are done with The Breakup Code? And that it’s time to lay it to rest?”
Raven stopped scrolling through her iPod, wound the earbuds up, and slipped it inside her bag. “I’m in agreement. I hope I never need The Code again.”
“So you and Horace are doing good?” Sydney asked, before chomping on a few pretzel sticks.
Raven waited to answer while Alexia’s mom set a tray down on the coffee table with four glasses filled with soda. “There you go, girls,” she said. “If you need anything else, let me know.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Alexia took a glass for herself.
After Dr. Bass’s footsteps disappeared into the kitchen Raven said, “Yeah, we’re doing more than good. It’s a little scary, actually. But, hey, it’s only been two weeks.”
Kelly grabbed a handful of pretzels from the bag on Sydney’s lap. “Why is it scary?”
“Because,” Raven shrugged, “I really, really like him and I don’t want to screw it up. You guys know how I am.”
“But you can change,” Alexia said. “Besides, Horace is actually a good guy.”
“Okay. Okay,” Raven said. “Enough of me. How are you and Ben?”
Alexia’s face lit up and she looked away. “We’re fine.”
“Ohhh!” Kelly widened her eyes. “By the look on your face, you’re more than fine!”
“Our Alexia is finally in love,” Sydney said.
“Stop, you guys!” Alexia thumped Kelly with a throw pillow. “I’m not in love just yet, so calm down.”
Sydney laughed, drawing their attention.
“And what about you? How are you and Drew?”
With a demure expression she said, “We are so good that I’m in agreement that I’m through with The Breakup Code. I don’t think I’ll need it anytime soon. Drew and I are better than we’ve ever been.”
“She’s definitely in love,” Raven said. “Look at how googly-eyed she is.”
“Shut up!”
“Kelly?” Alexia said. “Are you in agreement? Should we lay The Code to rest?”
Kelly slipped her worn four-leaf-clover rubber band off her wrist and set it in the shoe box they’d deemed The Code Casket. “I may be the only one of us still single, but I’m in full agreement that we put The Code away for safekeeping. I’m never going back to Will Daniels. I will never, ever sacrifice myself to please a guy. That’s definitely the number one thing The Code taught me.”
Sydney threw her clover rubber band in The Code Casket. Raven threw hers in, too. Alexia put a copy of The Code inside the box and shut the lid. “Ready then?” she asked, glancing from one girl to the next. Sydney and Raven both nodded.
Kelly hesitated. She was over Will. She was excited about being single, but that didn’t stop her from worrying that she’d never find someone new. That she would never love someone as much as she’d loved Will.
Still…The Breakup Code had worked. She wouldn’t need to use it anymore.
“Kelly?” Alexia said.
“I’m ready.”
“Wait, wait,” Sydney said. “Let me set up the camera. This is an important snapshot. A picture to remind us of the day we were no longer heartbroken. Don’t you think?”
They all nodded.
“You three crowd around The Code Casket,” Sydney instructed as she jumped up with the camera. She hit a few buttons, checked the angle in the camera’s screen, then set it on the coffee table. She ran over and got in next to Kelly. “Three seconds.”
“All together,” Alexia said.
“As Women of The Code,” they said in unison, “we hereby lay The Breakup Code to rest.”
The camera flashed.