Training Wheels: Boyfriend Edition

1. genius idea

Michelle Holmes sat in the last row of the rollercoaster, stiffly nodding at the stranger who was sharing the compartment with her. The other teenage girl didn't look too pleased to be separated from her own friends, either.

As Michelle eyed her friends and their respective boyfriends who filled up the rows before hers, she bit her lip and ran her hand through her light blonde hair for the millionth time that day.

"What am I even doing here?" she muttered to herself.

It had been a complete mistake to come today.

She hadn't been aware that all three of her friends would be bringing their boyfriends along, turning this group outing into a triple date and leaving her as the odd one out.

Sheer optimism that maybe it wouldn't be so bad had been the only reason she'd hung on this long.

When the rollercoaster started moving, she felt the familiar pull in her stomach.

At least they took pity on her single self and let her choose most of the rides.

She was planning to repeat all the rollercoaster rides until the nausea made her forget how hard she was third wheeling her friends today.

"It's too much for me," Hailey Thomas said sweetly, holding out the giant cloud of purple cotton candy she'd just gotten, courtesy of her boyfriend. "Can we share?"

"Sure," Carter said, stuffing his wallet back into his pocket. "I'll eat whatever you can't finish."

She beamed at him as he took a bite out of it. "Thanks, babe! You're so sweet."

Michelle merely looked down at her own stick of blue cotton candy, politely not rolling her eyes. Instead, she tore a generous chunk out of her cotton candy and shoved it into her mouth. She really wanted to make gagging noises, but it would only serve to upset her friends.

They were great friends when they weren't bringing their boyfriends along on every outing.

She just didn't get it.

Why were they bringing their significant others along for no apparent reason all the time?

They wouldn't be okay with it if she brought along a random friend—she'd tried it once—so that she wouldn't be third wheeling everyone, so what made bringing a boyfriend okay?

At least Michelle had known her classmate Denise for over three years. Hailey had just gotten together with Cartertwo weeks ago, and everyone was happy to have him join them!

"Hey, Michelle! What are you doing? We're taking a photo! Get in here," Autumn Stewart said enthusiastically, waving her over.

Everybody was already huddled in front of the giant water fountain in the center of the amusement park, waiting for her.

"Sure," she drawled. I'll be right there to ruin your couples picture.

She immediately regretted the sarcastic way in which she'd said it, but nobody seemed to notice. Sighing, she strode to Hailey's side and posed with a smile she didn't feel.

When the kind stranger had finished taking the photo with Autumn's phone, she returned it to her.

"Ooh, it looks good! Send it to me!" Sylvie Collins said, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

With one glance at it, Michelle already knew that she didn't want it on her phone. Everyone looked all couple-y, and then there was her, the random extra that was as good as a photobombing character.

She missed the days when it was just her, Hailey, Autumn and Sylvie, just hanging out and relaxing in each other's presence.

Annoyed, she plucked off another sizable piece of her blue cotton candy to eat.