% CHAPTER 31 %

What a jackass! He's playing with fire. I can't believe I actually believed in him. I guess it was all a fake. I must have seemed so desperate by the way I told him so fast how to get rid of that pain in my ass girlfriend of his. Obviously it was in vain. He's sticking to her now.

Something was off, though. His smiles seemed a bit forced around her and every time I looked into his eyes, they looked back into mine as if pleading for something. Maybe, just maybe. I shake the thought from my head. Bret's a jerk. I've known that since the beginning. Then how did he even remember everything I said that first day we met? I snort unintentionally. Probably because I was a big pain in his side back then too. He was right. I did come around eventually. I did fall into his trap eventually. This was all some sort of scheme, like a scene in a movie. Or an act in a play.

Whatever. It was bound to happen. I kissed a taken man. I mean, we kissed all the time, but that was meaningless because it was on the set. The other time though, I willingly put myself in that situation. It's my fault and I didn't realize I had fallen for him until it was too late. What am I supposed to do now?

I dial the numbers that are practically burned into my brain forever. That's what I do. This is what best friends are for, this and so much more.

"Baylor Bear!" comes the ecstatic voice of Whitney.

"Whipped Cream!" I say just as enthusiastic.

"What up, what up?!" I laugh. It's kind of weird how she's a lot like Luca. He's always saying what up.

I sigh. "Well the guy I told you about cancelled on us. He has a date with his girlfriend."

I can just hear the pout in Whit's tone. "Aw that sucks. Well who needs a sexy guy with penis abs anyway?"

I almost choke on my spit. Oh, ew that's gross. Don't choke on spit Taylor. Who chokes on spit? You do, Internal-me says. Oh shut up. I snap out of my internal debate and spin back into reality. Did Whitney just refer to Bret as a guy with penis abs?! "What did you say?!"

"I just made it up. Its like he has so many abs, he has them on his dick... Imagine tapping that Taylor! It's like caramel on a-"

"Gross Whit! No further info on that..."

She lets out a sad "aw." "But think about it! I'm assuming he has abs or else you wouldn't have been so excited about him coming...you've never been one to fall for the nerdy guys."

"I guess he does have abs...and he's actually pretty well built..."

"There ya go! My fiery little Taylor, on the path of danger and excitement!"

"Did I mention he has a girlfriend?"

"Hmm I think you said that, yes. Oh well! She'll move on. Jeez..." She let's out a little laugh.

"Oh god you and him would definitely get along," I grumble.

"Was it something I did?"

"Well no duh Whit."

"...oh! I knew that! I'm not stupid..." She feigns stupidity, as in she pretends she didn't know but she really did? Yeah, that's not too hard to get.

I laugh. "We both know your hair is blond for a reason."

"Yeah cuz its sexy! Have you seen those brunettes?! Totally unattractive. So what's his name again?"

"Bret," I say, biting my lower lip. She let's out another laugh. "What?"

"Girl you got it baaaad!"

I'm initially shocked by her reply. I've got it bad?! I so don't have it baaad. Tch whatever! "What?"

"You're even nervous to say his name! So cute! He must definitely be attractive then. You have great taste in guys Tay. Except for that one creep..." She's referring to a guy long ago that I had a major crush on in eighth grade. Leave it to the best friend to bring up embarrassing crushes.

"It was one day!" I try clarifying, but as my best friend, Whit will not have it.

She clicks her tongue at me. "It still counts Baylor Bear! Well at least to him it does... He was probably all like, ohmigooshhh she's finally noticed meeee. Those many years of looking through her window really did count for something!"

I roll my eyes and walk out of the house, waiting outside at the front door before peeking around the corner to make sure no one's watching. "Whitney this isn't funny. He was not that bad anyways. So he stared at me for like the entire relationship and insisted on staying by my side for the entire time, but it was his way of showing he cared..."

"Oh you bet it was... The way he stared at you was 1st degree Class A creeper. Admit it. All he did was stare. He didn't even stare at your boobs or ass like normal boys do during that age. He just stared at your face and drooled. What did you see in him? How did you even come around to dating him?"

I give an impatient sigh. "I totally don't have time for this right now."

"Whatever. You just don't want to speak. That's fine. I'll uncover it one day," she says goofily.

I guffaw and just try to ignore the last part. If I dwell on that too much, I'll crack. Whitney goes deep when she wants to find something out. She will go deep. I won't be surprised if she starts hunting down the creeper dude. "Well I'm about to take off. See you there Whipped Cream!"

We're planning on going to the movies to watch Skyfall. Gosh I can't wait. James Bond has always been such an amazing role model! In total stealth mode, I walk quickly toward the car that Bret and I share. I have to borrow it to go see Whit. Not that I know how to drive, but Derek said he had things covered! I'm putting my trust in the director. I chuckle to myself as I get to the driver door. I open it and twirl the car keys around my fingers. Right when I'm about to catch them and put them into the ignition, they fall onto the car floor.

"Oh great," I mutter and immediately dive down in search for them.

"Taylor," I hear someone's voice rising.

I frantically continue looking for the keys. Where the freak are they?! What in freaks name...?! Wait, freak isn't a person. Freak is just a substitute word for Fuck which is... a very bad word! Bad Taylor! Now where are those keys?!

"What are you doing Taylor?" He's way closer now.

"Oh god!" I manage to say and then suddenly spot the keys right in front of me. I clumsily lift them and crawl into the car, slamming the door shut. What is this madness?! I roll up the window frantically and jam the keys into the ignition, willing the car to start up fast. "Okay so how does this work? Turn? Do I turn the key or leave it? God I'm such an idiot," I say to myself.

"I believe you turn the keys," Bret smirks. He's been watching me and my internal battle this whole time?! I almost have a heart attack! Of course!! This car has no frickin hood! He can practically hear everything I'm saying!

"Umm," I say, fumbling around with all the notches on the car.

Bret sighs. "Want me to help you?"

I ignore him and turn the key. The car starts. I squeal. See! I can do things without him! Even though he was the one who told me what to do...same difference. I was the one who actually did the work. Once I put the car in drive, I press the gas and next thing I know I'm racing down the street. Oh god I hope the cops aren't seeing this. I'd be a goner for sure.

My mind wanders back to Bret, who is probably still standing at the end of the driveway, watching me steal the car. Okay, do I'm not exactly stealing it. It's my car as well, but now he has no way to get to Amanda. A bubbly feeling passes through me at the thought. I'm tempted to look into the rearview mirror, but stop myself and turn onto another street. No. There's no turning back now.

I arrive at the movie theater in the neighboring town about five minutes too late. Great. I hate being late. You know those questions where people ask if you'd rather be 4 hours early or 20 minutes late? I would definitely choose 4 hours early. That's who I am. I can't be late. I can't be late. Oh jeez I am so late!

"Baylor Bear!" I hear someone scream.

Heads turn. That's who Whit is. The girl easily stands out from everyone else the way she is frantically waving her hands in the air, her long legs tanned to a sunkissed perfection. I almost pout. No fair. She gets California Fever while I get Antarctica Wake Up Call. A porcelain skinned girl like me immediately feels shunned when a babe like this shows up. Of course all the boys are staring. Then again, Whit is the kind of girl who all the boys are chasing.

Her beach blonde hair is cascading in waves at her shoulders and she's wearing a whitewash jean miniskirt with a silver belt and a light purple tank top. My eyes almost pop out of my skull. It's January. Isn't she freezing?! Nonetheless the anxiety of finally seeing my best friend after so long takes over and I'm rushing into her arms in seconds.

"Whipped Cream!" I can't help but notice she's really tall. Well taller than usual. I look at her feet and roll my eyes. "I can't believe you're wearing high heels right now."

"Well I'm naturally tall you know. Or have you forgotten? Six feet remember?" She pinches my cheek playfully.

"You are so exaggerating! You're 5'7", don't lie. I'm your best friend. I know these things. "I laugh and swat away her arm. "Oh god Whitney, you're making us look like lesbians."

"Well then at least the guys will know I'm not for sale! You know I can never deal with that kind of attention. And I am too six feet! Well in these heels I am..."

Heels are frickin killers! I don't know how Whitney hasn't died of High Heel Symptoms yet, but I swear they exist. No joke. I wore some once to my eighth grade graduation dance because Whit convinced me that I would look absolutely breathtaking in them. Then I learned the truth. No one looks at people's feet so it would not make me look breathtaking. Just like I have a freaking mental problem with my heavy breathing and praying for God to spare me the pain. My graduation pictures did not come out well that year. I wanted to move over a few towns to start over new. My parents said that was ridiculous and I was sent into high school with the same people. Thank god school dances weren't a major thing in middle school.

"Oh shut up that is not true!"

"Whatever. Well we're like seven minutes late for the movie now because of you- which is surprising- so we better hurry and get inside fast." Whit loops her arm through mine.

I follow her inside, voluntarily I guess. I suddenly wonder what Bret is doing right now. Did he catch a ride to Amanda's? Was he making out with her on a table? Okay that last thought was bizarre. I scold myself for even trying to imagine that. It's going to be hard getting rid of the glamour he surrounded himself with, making it look like he was innocent.

"Two tickets to Skyfall please!" Whitney says, leaning against the counter by the guy behind the register.

He gulps and takes a glance down. I roll my eyes. Why are boys such perverts? We hear something printing and then he hands us the tickets. I can't help but think how opposite of Bret he is. I mean they may both be perverts, but Bret definitely acts like an ass. I can just imagine his brown hair covering his deep brown eyes and a big smirk on his face.

"There you go," the guy says.

"Thanks," Whit winks at him and then we're off, laughing at the way the boy almost messes up the little printing machine that prints out the tickets. "So what's bothering you?" she asks after she hands off the tickets to the other people guarding the theater entrance.

I shake my head, totally confused. "What?"

"Come on Baylor Bear. You're never late to a date with me. There's something bothering your pretty little head."

I roll my eyes. "If you've turned curvy on me-"

Whit interrupts my speech with a laugh. "Tay there are too many sexy guys out there for me to quit on my straightness. Why I'm as straight as the straightest pencil! Besides, I haven't tapped those penis abs yet." She wiggles her eyebrows dramatically.

"Oh god," I gag. "Let's hope that never happens!"

"Oh please Taylor I'm sure you've caught me doing worse."

I gulp. "We are at a movie theater to watch movies, not talk about disgusting phases in our lives."

"Like your face during puberty?" Whit retorts.

I scowl. "No. Not like my face during puberty."

"Well then this discussion must not be that bad."

I groan. "Come on Whipped Cream! People could be listening! People I know!"

My best friend stays silent for a moment before smirking. "Wow Taylor there's going to be a lot of writings in the school bathroom stalls about you this year."

I roll my eyes. "Let's get to the theater. I've been wanting to see this movie for some time now."

$_$_$_$

The movie is amazing. It was very sad and emotional but had a lot of action in it as well. I love the way it ended. The directors really did a good job on this one.

After that we go to Chili's and eat some steak there. Whit of course orders dessert for us.

"So tell me about Bret," Whit says as she finishes off the last of her ice cream.

I dive my spoon into the chocolate molten cake and scoop some ice cream with it as well. "Bret is..." I slow my movements.

Who is Bret? Bret's an asshole, a very sexy asshole. No that's not it. He is very sexy, but me of all people should know there's more to him. I can't say I don't know anything about him. That would be a lie because I do know. He's told me. His family isn't all there; he went through a lot of hardships. He is just discovering about some unknown siblings. Maybe I should start with the basics for Whit.

"He has tan skin and gorgeous brown eyes, a lean body, shiny brown hair and the smile he has is so perfect!" I rave.

"Why it sounds like you're in love," Whit says playfully.

I nod. "If only he didn't make it so hard."

"What do you mean?"

"What I'm trying to say is...he's an ass. That's the way he presents himself, as a rotten, spoiled player. I know now its not too simple for him because of the state he's in with his family. He has no parent figure to look up to..." I continue on, explaining everything to Whitney who listens intently. When I'm finished, she's beaming.

"He sounds great! If he opened up to you so much, why do you hate him now?"

I sigh. "Because...well there's this girl, his girlfriend to be exact. I'm not jealous or anything, but I know he doesn't like her."

"How do you know?"

I look down at the remaining crumbs of the chocolate cake and fudge. "He cheated on her...with me."

Whit laughs. "Oh you naughty naughty girl Baylor Bear! Then get with him!"

"It's not that simple Whitney! I don't even like the guy like that and besides, he told me he would break up with her. He was supposed to do that today, but he didn't. Instead, he totally changed his attitude," I explain in remembrance. I still don't understand it! He went from excited about dumping her to ecstatic about going on a date with the chick.

"What happened?"

I go ahead and explain that too. Whitney needs to know why I can't stand him, why I run from him. Once I'm done, she stays silent for a little.

"You're crushing big time," she whispers quietly. I know its aimed toward me, but I don't think I was supposed to hear it so I keep silent. "He's an actor Taylor!" She then exclaims. "Don't actors act?! Can't you tell?! Or has growing out of puberty left you blind? Something's up. I've dealt with these situations many times before. I'm pretty sure-"

"Whipped Cream I don't want to hear it. I'm satisfied with the answer I have now," I cut her off. The last thing I need is for Whit to give me some after thought on this. "I'm very excited for school next week. You'll mix great with all of my friends. Just don't mention anything about my career okay?"

She sighs. "I guess we'll be seeing each other then. Don't worry about paying for the food. I'll handle it. Just leave the tip."

I nod and get out 4 one dollar bills before placing them under a dish on the table. "Bye Whit."

"Bye."

We hug and then I'm out of there, walking back to the movie theater parking lot, which is not too far away. I turn on the car and drive back home, blasting latest hits through the radio.