Page 43 of Before We're More Than Friends
Keep going, I’m reading everything.
Chloe
Okay, his name was Dallas. Get it? And he’s from Dallas, like you! His sister’s name is Kami also, but I’m not sure if it’s spelled the same way or if it stands for something different, like Camilla or Camille. If I hadn’t known you lived in Boulder Valley, I would’ve thought you were the same person!
Yeah, my heart was on the floor. Inthe garage below.
Chloe
Isn’t that funny?
She probably expected me to see this as an awesome coincidence, but it just made me want to puke all over my keyboard.
Alex
Ha
Chloe
?
Alex
?
Chloe
What’s wrong? Is your stomach still hurting? You seem off.
Tell me about it. I met my pen pal in real life in one of the worst ways possible, and I have no idea where I stand with her. I mean, I could ask you, because you are her. I could legit drive over to your freaking house and show up on your doorstep with stupid flowers and confess my feelings for you.
And I’m not doing any of that.
Chloe
Alex, you’re worrying me. Please tell me what’s wrong.
Alex
I think I’m sick. Gtg.
With that, I slammed my laptop shut and flopped onto my bed. A tear spilled onto my cheek, and I wiped it away in frustration.
Houston looked at me from the floor as if he were asking me,What’s wrong?
“I met Chloe. In real life.” I lay on my back, putting my hands on my stomach. “And it’s nothing how I wanted it to be.”
He crossed one front paw over the other one.You just got crushed by a crush.
I shot a glare at him. “It’s not a crush. It’s a special connection.” That was now beginning to crush me.
He actually shook his head.Uh-huh.
“Man’s best friend,” I muttered.
After lying there for two minutes, I connected my phone to my Bluetooth speakers and put on my “only the best chemicals” playlist. When in middle school, I used to blast music for me and Houston to dance to, but it usually came with a complaint from Kami.
But I didn’t care tonight. I needed to dance every thought of Chloe away.
