Flaws || A.I

Chapter seventeen

~Claire~

Two days after Ashton and I pretty much broke up, Brielle came bouncing into my room. I was huddled in a shit ton of blankets surrounded by empty cookie containers, used tissues and some books, along with my laptop that I used to keep myself distracted and amused from everything else.

"It's like fucking Antarctica in here," she commented, rubbing her arms.

"Stop cursing," Brooklyn said as she walked by.

"Why don't you make me?" Brielle replied, winking at her. Brooklyn just rolled her eyes and left. Then Brielle turned her attention back to me. "You have class today."

"I don't want to go."

"You have to."

"Go away."

"Come on, you have to get up."

"Leave me alone to die."

"Okay look," Brielle sighed, sitting on my bed. "You can't mope around like this. Remember when Sean died? You wouldn't let me sit around on my ass and cry all day. You made me get up and do things. Well, right now you have to get up and go to class, okay?" I just groaned in response and buried myself deeper into my blankets.

"I'm gonna go pick something to wear and get dressed. You'd better do that too." With that, Brielle was gone. I rolled my eyes at her and stayed wrapped in my blankets.

Brielle returned four and a half minutes later wearing black faux leather skinny jeans, a loose fitting black shirt, black boots and a blue button up tied around her waist. Her hair was brushed and I could smell the mint toothpaste she used. It amazed me that she was extremely indecisive and picked out her outfit for that day in the morning, yet took less than five minutes to get dressed. Another remarkable thing? She wasn't wearing make up today.

"Claire. Up. Now." When I didn't get out of bed, Brielle literally yanked me out of my bed and numerous blankets. While I sat on the floor whining because I didn't want to get out of bed, she picked an outfit for me. She appeared from my closet and winked at me.

"This isn't the first time you've made me come out of the closet," she said flirtatiously. I couldn't even be bothered to snap at her. Brielle sat next to me on the floor with some clothes in her arms. "Claire, you have to get up. Show him that you're better off without him. Then after class I'll take you to get ice cream and we'll rant on guys and watch stupid movies on Netflix, yeah?" I nodded sadly and took the clothes from her arms. Brielle smiled and ruffled my bed head up a bit before leaving. I pulled myself up and got dressed in the blue sleeveless silk button up, ombré denim shorts and gladiator sandals before brushing out my curls so they didn't look too crazy and putting on my glasses. I brushed my teeth quickly and walked out with my bag full of art supplies in hand. Maybe a little painting will get my mind off of everything.

Brielle was standing at the door with her bag already on her shoulder, rapidly texting away while a steaming cup of what I guessed was coffee was next to her, perched precariously on the window sill.

"I'm ready," I muttered. Brielle smiled at me before grabbing her cup and skipping out of the front door.

As we walked to art, I finally understood what it must have been like for Brielle when she was always with Riley in seventh and eighth grade. Brielle was always depressed, moping around while Riley radiated happiness and friendship. I now understood the annoyance, anger and gut wrenching jealousy of seeing someone so happy while you so weren't.

"Where's Brooklyn?" I asked to keep from snapping Brielle's head off.

"She's sick. Allergies." I nodded. Brooklyn was allergic to like, everything. She missed a lot of class because of it but she always made it up online.