When it was time for Beth to leave Joe's room early that morning she had already friend-zoned him, even though her mind screamed not to.
"You know this can't happen anymore, we will both be ruined somehow." She had said with concern. "I know." Joe whispered, but all he could think to say was "stay." They stood close, almost as close as they had hours earlier. Before Joe could lean in any further Beth backed away. "Goodbye." She said and slowly stepped back, not wanting to see the moment end.
It was as if Beth was on the edge of a cliff all week, paranoid with the constant thought that someone knew she had been in Joseph Garret's bedroom. Someone knew Annette had been drunk driving with Tom. Someone knew that she had gossiped about all of her "friends." Thinking of the night with Joe took away all of her anxiety, reminding her how to live and that it was all worth it, but deep down she knew that remembering would hurt her.
"No one knows." Beth whispered to herself louder than she had meant. "Knows what?" Suddenly Beth was snapped back into the reality of her high school lunch table, a fork in hand and a salad staring her in the face. "Huh?"
"You said 'no one knows.'" Amy mocked. The whole lunch table was looking now, set to find out what the famous Beth Bates was hiding.
"The pop quiz... In Brine's class... On Hamlet." Beth's sentences were scattered as she tried to come up with a quick lie which she succeeded in as Amy's next sentence was, "I can't stand Brine, she thinks she's so great." Immediately the topic was switched to teacher hate comments and horror stories. This gave Beth even more time to think, as if she hadn't already had enough.
The bell rang, indicating the end of lunch and Beth hadn't even touched her salad but got up to throw it in the trash anyway so it wouldn't spoil in her bag. Amy followed Beth to the trash, concerned. "Are you okay?" Amy asked. "Yeah, why?" Beth quickly answered. She had tried her hardest to make it seem like nothing was wrong but now realized that she wasn't doing a good job. "You've been really quiet this week, you didn't eat lunch, and your weight is downgrading." Amy stated facts. "Is this why you became vegan Beth? I can't have an anorexic friend, not cool." Panic waved over Beth. "What? No! I just-" She was cut off by her friends calling her back over. Amy patted Beth's shoulder awkwardly and went on her way. "Great." Beth mumbled to herself and followed Amy back to the table.
"Hey Beth, movie tonight, you in?" Rosie informed. An extra social event was not the added pressure Beth needed. "Not today, I don't feel well. I barely got any sleep last night because of that science project we had." Everyone sighed, things always got out of control when Beth wasn't there to contain everyone. "Desolé mes amies, maybe next time?" Beth tried to throw humor into the mix so she could cut the thought of her being depressed out of everyone's head. "It's fine, feel better." Rosie said as the second bell rang. They went their separate ways to their next class.
...
Annette's car pulled into their street. Beth rubbed her eyes and forced her seat up from the bed like position it was in. "You okay? You were being really quiet the whole ride home." That was the second time someone had asked if she was okay today. Annette drove past her own house, waiting patiently for an answer while Beth tried to ignore the question. "Yeah, I just feel a little car sick." Annette slowed down the car to make sure Beth wouldn't throw up in her car.
The only thing on Beth's mind was to get home, away from everyone else's voices. Joe's voice was the only voice she let linger around her mind.
"BETHANY!" Annette screamed and waved her hand in front of her face. "Huh?" Beth said as she snapped back into reality. "Are you sure you're okay? You've been so spacey this week."
"I told you I don't feel well, I didn't get enough sleep last night because of the science project."
"So do you want to hang out or not? We can go to your house and I can eat you out of house and home." Annette joked. Beth laughed along and agreed. She was extremely grateful that she wouldn't have to run into Joe today, she wasn't ready to face him again.
As soon as they entered the Bates household Annette went straight for the kitchen and Beth set her bag down and sat at the table. "Aren't you hungry? I heard you haven't been eating lunch lately." Annette asked while opening a the fridge. "Not really." Beth's small word answers were an indication that something was wrong but what was wrong was a mystery to everyone around her. Annette put down the sandwich she was making and went over to sit with her friend.
"Beth, what's wrong?" Annette pulled out a chair and sat next to her friend. "Nothing."
"Beth." She said sternly. "I don't know Annette; I just have someone on my mind." Beth knew she had messed up right then and there but there was no way she could take back her words. Annette sensed the indirect hint that it was about Joe but waited for Beth to admit the inedible.
"David." Beth blurted out. "Shit." Beth thought. Annette's eyes widened, "What?""Play dumb Beth." "Huh?"
"You like David?"
"Apparently." Beth mumbled and shoved her head into her hands, trying to escape reality for a few seconds.
"I need an Advil." She mumbled again and rolled her face out of her hands to see Annette already getting the bottle out from the cabinet. "Are you okay?" Beth made another tally of the question in her head. "I have a headache." She moaned. "I didn't get much sleep last night (because I couldn't get Joe out of my head) and it's been a really hectic day." Beth said as she swallowed the small pills. "I'll go and let you rest, text me when you feel better." Annette smiled, but deep inside a fire was growing; there was something Beth wasn't telling her.
Annette's head was spinning faster than her car tires as she drove down the street to her house. "She's lying, Beth's lying and now she's sick and it's all Joe's fault." She thought. What could her little brother have possibly done that night to mess up her best friend this much? Colors became brighter as Annette became more furious, she knew something wasn't right but nothing like this. This wasn't just wrong, it was weird.
Anger flashed through her eyes, taking over her body causing her to pound on her front door in attempt to break through. She threw her backpack on the ground when the hinges of the door finally broke. Determination took over the feeling of anger. She wasn't going to accept some sort of half hearted answer, not this time.
Annette had no patience to knock. She swung open the door to reveal Joe sitting in complete darkness on his floor with only the light of his TV screen shining on him.
"I'm playing Minecraft, go away." Joe said without looking away from the screen. Annette responded by swinging the door shut. Joe looked up when he heard the door slam and felt the gust of wind that was followed by it.
"Can I help you?" He asked with a mixture of aggravation and worry in his voice.
"What the hell did you do to my best friend?"
