Page 41 of Before We're More Than Friends
“Nearly killed me.” I tried to laugh it off, but my heart banged against my ribs.
“I told you not to scare Raina like that,” Sienna scolded, her eyebrows furrowing at her cousin.
Emma stuck her lip out. “Sorry. I hope I didn’t make your anxiety bad, Raina.”
I forced a smile. “You didn’t.”
Emma whispered something to Sienna, and the only thing I could make out was “she” and “her.” Sienna whispered back, and Emma waved at me before going over to the food area.
“Sorry about her.” Sienna sighed. “Kids have a one-track mind.”
“Just like boys.” I rested my chin on my hands as we caught up for a few minutes. It put me at ease knowing there was no judgment with her. Of all my friends, she understood me the most.
After we talked for a while, Emma came up to Sienna, covered in paint as she put a stuffed polar bear into her purse. “I want to go to the park.”
“After doing all of that?” Sienna asked. “I haven’t even done anything.”
“You haven’t even spent time with me here.” Emma made a heart with her hands and broke it. “Not a very good babysitter.”
Sienna sighed and faced me. “Want to join?”
I got up from the table and strung my purse over me. “Yes, please.” Arielle could say whatever she wanted—I’d had enough of this humiliating event.
We made our way into the park across from the school. It wasn’t the dog park, the one I used to visit with Isabelle—gosh, whatever she was doing, I bet she was having a way better nightthan I was—and Penrose, but it was still better than staying at the chaotic event.
I sat on the swings next to Sienna and Emma, closing my eyes and letting my feet swing in the air. I sighed as the air blew past me.
“You needed this, huh?” Sienna asked.
I opened my eyes and grinned. “This is way better than some stupid Saturn Frenzy.”
“No puke, no food spilling, no crowds.” Sienna watched Emma fly super high. “Just hoping that Emma doesn’t fall off the swings.”
“Stop being worried!” Emma said as she swung.
A new fear popped into my mind. What if she did fall off? Did Sienna have first aid in her purse? What if we had to walk all the way back to school while she was bleeding and beg for help? The school nurse didn’t work during events.
I closed my eyes again.Stop.
Sienna scoffed. “Easy for you to say. You don’t have anything to worry about other than grades and calling dibs on the recess equipment.”
“I miss those days,” I said, calming myself down by channeling every ounce of the inner child in me. When I shut my eyes, I wasn’t the stressed-out teenager with a mind and life that was falling apart. I was a little girl on the swings having the time of her life under the moonlight. “Appreciate them while you can, Emma.”
CHAPTER 11
Dallas
Chloe
How was your evening? I’ve been thinking about you.
Nerves fluttered in my chest when the message from Chloe popped up. No crap that she would think about me tonight. Because I literally collided with her. I sat there and talked to her about my life face-to-face.
I’d finallymether.
Had she already put the pieces together? If she hadn’t, would it be better to tell her than keep it to myself? I didn’t need any more reasons for my head and stomach to hurt.
Alex
