Page 50 of Never Not Friends

Juliet’s there too, in mint-green pants with her hot-pink bubble necklace that I’ve secretly been jealous of ever since she got it at Christmas. The pop of color looks so good with her blonde hair.

She sits in front of him on one bleacher lower. She leans back between his legs, both elbows up on his knees.

And they’re flirting.

I can tell from here.

Vinny’s smile is big and animated, like he loves the attention. Even craves it.

He flips Juliet’s hair, and she giggles.

My heart explodes into millions of tiny pieces that could never be put back together again.

Tears flood my eyes faster than if I were cutting onions in cooking class.

“What?” Blair nudges my shoulder. When I don’t answer, she follows my stare to the bleachers. “Whoa! What’s Juliet doing with Vinny?”

I have no clue.

Ex-boyfriends are off limits to best friends. It’s the unspoken rule in every friendship.

“You guys just broke up.” I appreciate the injustice in Blair’s voice.

But we didn’t just break up. It’s been one month, and two of those weeks we weren’t even talking. But over the last two weeks, things have been like they used to be. We message back and forth for hours every night, walk to class together, sit by each other in class, and plan our joint birthday party. So normal, besides the fact that we don’t kiss or touch anymore because friends don’t do that.

But even I can’t compete with Juliet.

Quickly, I wipe away a fallen tear.

“Let’s go slap her across the face or at least scoot her over so you can sit by Vinny.”

My feet slide backward. “I…I…can’t.”

I don’t call people out. I avoid conflict like I avoid geometry.

“Oh, come on.” Blair tries tugging me forward. “You can’t not do something.”

I shake my head, still focused on all the touching happening between them. “I can’t.”

Blair looks around. “Well, where are we going to sit, then?”

I watch as Vinny rubs Juliet’s shoulders as if he’s giving her a massage. It’s only, like, five seconds, but it ends my world.

“I’ll call my mom and go home.”

“No.” Blair grabs my arm, forcing me in the opposite direction. “We just got here. We’re not going home. Let’s go sit by my mom.”

Blair’s mom is exactly what I need right now. She’s different than Jackie Lawson. She’ll let me cry on her shoulder for the rest of the game if I need it, whereas my mom would tell me I’m being dramatic; I’m only fifteen, and Vinny is just some crush.

But he’s not just some crush.

He feels like the love of my life.

I glance over my shoulder back at the two of them.

Juliet’s arms are still draped over his knees. And Vinny’s still smiling like he’s never had a girl’s attention before.

I didn’t know my heart could hurt like this.