BooksBarbecue
Back When We Were Friends
Chapters (52)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Dedication
  4. About the Author
  5. 31
  6. 14
  7. 31
  8. 14
  9. 31
  10. 14
  11. 31
  12. 14
  13. 31
  14. 15
  15. 31
  16. 16
  17. 32
  18. 16
  19. 32
  20. 17
  21. 32
  22. 17
  23. 32
  24. 17
  25. 32
  26. 17
  27. 32
  28. 18
  29. 32
  30. 18
  31. 32
  32. 18
  33. 32
  34. 18
  35. 32
  36. 18
  37. 32
  38. 18
  39. 32
  40. 18
  41. 32
  42. 18
  43. 32
  44. 18
  45. 32
  46. 32
  47. 33
  48. 33
  49. 33
  50. Acknowledgments
  51. Discussion Questions
  52. Booklist

“No, you can’t. Nobody knows how I feel about him. They all think it was just a mutual casual one-off.”

“I’ll pretend I’ve kicked him in the balls by accident.”

“What are you going to do? Cossack dance?”

Jessica smiled. “Yes, how all good plans start.”

The wine bottles emptied and we danced around my room, shrieking. For an hour or so, it was just our own perfect little bubble. We kept hugging, saying how much we’d missed each other and then hugging again. But as it got darker, we got drunker.

“Oh my God, Monique,” I yelled, when she knocked to ask to borrow my hair straighteners. I gave her a tight hug and pulled her inside. “This is Jessica, my friend from home.”

Jessica waved, but then started laughing at nothing.

“You have to dance with us,” I said, trying to unplug my hair straighteners. They were too stiff in the socket, and I fell backward yanking them out, to more splutters from Jessica.

“Are you guys drunk already?” Monique asked, eyeing the empty wine bottles on my desk.

“We’re reminiscing,” I explained. “Please dance.”

“Umm, maybe later?” I saw the look on her face. Mildly bewildered. Slightly judgmental. A panic overcame me.

“It’s just we loved these old songs,” I explained, speaking much too fast. “Back when we were kids.” Monique was a new friend and I was suddenly worried she thought we were weird.

“They’re not old songs they’re the ONLY songs,” Jessica yelled behind me, still dancing, and I cringed at how drunk she was as I handed over the straighteners.

“OK OK, I believe you. Anyway, thanks for these.” She held the straighteners up. “I’ll bring them back. We’re meeting downstairs at eight, right?”

I nodded, trying to appear more sober. “Yep, eight it is.”

She still had a slight look of judgment on her face and I wanted to stand in front of Jessica, who’d put on “Nobody Wants To Be Lonely” and was trying to get me to sing along.

“She’s a bit drunk,” I whispered.

Monique slowly nodded. “I can see that. Tonight should be fun.” She waved the straighteners again and left us to it.

“We need to get ready,” I said, but Jessica held out her hands, yelling along, and wouldn’t let me do anything other than scream along with her.

32

now.

I pelted down the hallway and pushed my feet into some ballet pumps.

“Fern?” Ben called from the bedroom. The sound of them whispering. Figuring out their story. Oh my heart, it hurt so much. I couldn’t...think. Just needed to run.

Jessica’s face around the door. “Fern!”

I was out in the hall, hurtling down the stairs, slamming through the doors out into the summer air.

Their faces.

My best friend.

Ben...