Rule 41: Do not crush on a boy who has a girlfriend!
Alexia sat on the edge of her bed. Raven sat next to her. They’d left Kelly’s birthday party thirty minutes ago. After that fight with Sydney and Kelly, Alexia didn’t feel much like partying.
Raven dialed Sydney’s cell again and must have gotten the voice mail. “Sydney,” she said, “we’re at Alexia’s. If you need us, come over here, please.”
“If she’s not at home,” Alexia muttered, “where did she go?”
“Somewhere to cool off, I’m sure.” Raven tossed her cell on the bed, where it bounced once and lay at rest.
“Kelly said she saw Sydney with a guy the other day at Bershetti’s,” Alexia said.
“Really?”
Alexia nodded.
“She hasn’t said anything to me about a new guy.”
“Yeah, me neither.”
The door opened in the front of the house and slammed shut a second later.
“Is that your parents?” Raven said.
Her parents were supposed to be out to dinner with some friends of theirs and usually they were out late, but maybe they’d come home early?
“Hello?” someone called.
Alexia shot upright when she recognized Sydney’s voice.
“We’re in the bedroom,” Raven yelled.
Sydney poked her head in a second later. Her eyes were bloodshot, her hair twisted up into a messy ponytail. Mascara was smudged in the corners of her eyes.
Alexia rarely saw her friend in such a bedraggled state. Raven got off the bed and went over to Sydney, wrapping her arms around her. As soon as Sydney lay her head against Raven’s shoulders, she started bawling. Alexia joined the girls in a group hug. They remained there for several long minutes, letting Sydney get it all out.
When she pulled away, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands, she took in a long breath and then laughed.
“I must look like hell.”
“You’ve had a rough day,” Alexia said. But so had Kelly. Alexia was trying not to side with anyone, but the things Sydney had said to Kelly’s face…poor Kelly. She’d left her own birthday party bawling. Everyone was talking about it.
At least she’d left with Drew. As soon as he found out what had happened, he came to her side and never left her.
Alexia had to admit, Drew seemed to love Kelly, but she’d never tell Sydney that.
Of course, maybe Sydney already knew.
“So,” Alexia said, “how are you doing?”
Sydney leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, rubbing at the bridge of her nose. “I don’t know what I am, to be honest.”
“It was wrong what she did,” Raven said. “I totally agree with that, but do you really hate her?”
Sydney shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Come on, Syd,” Alexia said, “that’s not true. Kelly and Drew, they’ve been friends longer than they’ve known us and…”
“So that makes it okay?” Sydney interrupted. “I’m just supposed to forgive them because they’ve known each other longer than they’ve known me?”
“Well, no.”
“I just can’t believe they’d do that to me. I mean, seriously. Hooking up behind my back? How would you feel, Raven, if you and Horace broke up and I hooked up with him?”
Raven licked her lips. “I’d probably be pretty pissed.”
“Exactly. And with everything else going on with my parents…” She shook her head. “I just don’t want to deal. It’s so screwed up that thinking about it gives me a headache.”
“Just consider forgiving her,” Alexia said. “Please? For all of us?”
Sydney bit her lip, but didn’t say anything.
Their group was broken right now, and Alexia wasn’t sure how to get them back together. The Breakup Code had brought them together at the beginning of this year and The Crush Code was supposed to give them something else to bind them, but it’d torn them apart.
Alexia suspected Kelly had been using the Crush Code on Drew. Maybe Alexia should have paid more attention to the rule about boyfriends.
Rule 41: Do not crush on a boy who has a girlfriend!