Page 27 of Never Not Friends

It’s just temporary.

Vinny knows me.

He’ll know that I don’t mean it.

“I don’t like you anymore,” I spit out, trying to add confidence to the lie.

I half expect him to laugh at my pathetic attempt at breaking up with him. Everybody knows I’m madly in love with Vinny Brooks, including Vinny himself. I told him I loved him two nights ago. But as the seconds tick on, he doesn’t laugh.

Awkward silence slices through my heart, and suddenly, I’m questioning my whole existence.

With my mom standing two feet away, I can’t take back my words or spend twenty minutes explaining everything to Vinny—not now, at least.

The ‘I don’t like you anymore’ line was meant to be quick and painless, like ripping off wax on your leg. Although, I waxed my bikini line with Juliet three weeks ago, and nothing about it was painless.

Doubt plagues me until Vinny finally speaks. “Okay. Bye.”

“Bye.” I barely get the word in before he hangs up on me.

The ending happened so fast I couldn’t figure out the tone behind Vinny’s goodbye.

Is he mad? Sad? Or does he understand that this breakup is just a stupid formality?

I stare at my phone, debating if I should text him and make sure.

But my little non-confrontational heart talks me out of it. I’d rather stand up in front of the entire school and recite—from memory, like I had to in Mrs. Wipples’ class—the prologue to Romeo and Juliet than face conflict head-on.

“See?” my mom says behind me, hand out like she wants my phone. “That wasn’t so bad.”

I nod once, like the obedient daughter that I am, then hand her my phone. Now there’s no chance to text Vinny an explanation.

Everything will be fine.

Tomorrow at school, I’ll explain everything, and then we’ll pretend like it never happened.

He knows how I feel about him.

This breakup is not that big of a deal.

It doesn’t mean anything.

EMMA

There are certain friendships that reach a point where knocking becomes unnecessary. Juliet and I passed that point somewhere around the fifth grade, which is why I don’t bother knocking before walking into her mom’s house later that night.

I mean, if Vinny’s car had been in the driveway, then I would’ve knocked. Or maybe not have come over.

I learned my lesson the hard way, walking in on them making out too many times to not make an adjustment.

But tonight, it’s just Juliet.

“Jules?”

“In here!”

“I come bearing gifts.” I follow her voice toward the kitchen and find her standing in front of the stove, in her baby-blue dental scrubs.

She looks over her shoulder with a smile as she stirs something in a pot. “You hungry? I made my mom some chicken noodle soup.”