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"ARE YOU GOING TO LIZ ALLAN'S PARTY?" Beth asked as she waited for her best friend outside the bathroom stall while she changed. The outfit she brought was a combination of Beth's and Kaelyn's clothes, but they pretty much share everything anyway so ownership was irrelevant.
Kaelyn hesitated, "I haven't really been in the party mood as of late. Lots of shit going down."
"Yeah," the dark-haired girl's voice faded off. It was quiet for a split second before she had more questions, "I wanna go because I kinda wanna... I don't know, make a move on Liz? Maybe? I don't know. I just know I need you there or else I'll just sit in a corner and admire her from afar. So, honestly, if you don't go, neither will I. We can always just sit in our PJs at my house and eat popcorn while we watch shitty eighties movies."
Kaelyn opened the stall door looking at her best friend with what could only be described as "puppy dog eyes." "Would you really be okay with doing that? I just, there's so much shit going on right now I really just can't find the will to go to a party."
"Yeah, no, don't worry, Kae, I totally get it. I mean, Caden — sorry, he who shall not be named — was just so torn up when I saw him. I don't know what happened, but I know it was bad so I'm totally here for you."
After a moment of thought, Kaelyn sighed, putting her head down. Without a word to Beth, she walked over and leaned against the bathroom sink.
"What's wrong? This is the first time in like three years I've seen you speechless," Beth asked, walking over to her friend and wrapping her arm around her, rubbing small circles into her skin.
"What happened to me?" Kaelyn muttered, shaking her head before letting it rest on the dark-haired girl's shoulder. "I used to have my shit together. I had all the football boys at my feet, my brother wrapped around my finger, and I had you by my side, always. I mean, I ran away from home and I didn't even feel like I could call you! You know what makes it ten times worse? You know what's made my pile of shit life somehow stink more?"
"What? Baby, tell me everything," Beth mumbled affectionately as she kissed her best friend's forehead.
The redhead sighed deeply, "I think I have a crush on someone. I don't crush on people, I just crush them. What the fuck?"
"Oh, my God, wait, who? O-M-G, this is so exciting—" Beth started to get amped up, but at some point, she must have realized now wasn't the time. "Sorry, sorry, not the most important thing right now. But like, if you wanna tell me who, I, uh, would not be opposed."
"You'll judge me," Kaelyn muttered, but Beth just scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"Kae, my love life is so sad I've been thirsting over the same girl since freshman year, you could tell me you're attracted to Steve Urkel and I still wouldn't judge you," the girl reassured, "You can tell me if you want. It seems like you need to get some shit off of your chest."
Kaelyn scoffed, "Yeah, that's for damn sure. I just, things have gotten so overwhelming so quickly and I've just had no release for it, you know? Nothing to funnel these feelings of stress or worry into. I mean, I've never even thought about having a crush on someone, I mean, for half of middle school and freshman year I thought I was just straight up aromantic."
"Ugh, you would have just been too powerful to date, we know. But clearly, that's not the case because you feel romantic attraction for whoever this guy is, right?"
"I think so?" the girl sighed, "Shit is just so confusing. He's just one of the first boys to treat me like a human being instead of just some bitchy cheerleader that's only there to shake my ass for the football team. So, like, I don't know if I'm just glad to have a guy friend that like, sees me as a real person, or if it's a crush."
Beth put a finger to her chin as though she were deep in thought, "What's some stuff you guys do?"
"Beth, I literally spent the night at his house. And his aunt made me lunch. And we playfully make fun of each other, and he hugs me and he's just really soft and warm, and I don't know when or why but I just wanna spend more time with him and I hate it."
"Kaelyn, I hate to break it to you, but that sounds like a little more than a crush," the dark-haired girl mused, running her fingers through her friend's red hair in an attempt to keep her calm.
The redheaded girl just sighed and stared at nothing, "Fuck, I know."
"So..." Beth hesitated for just a moment, "You gonna tell me who it is?"
"I don't wanna say it out loud, it's too real, I don't like it."
"Hm..."
"It's Peter Parker."
Similar to the dead silence right before an explosion, Beth was silent. Then, she burst, "Holy shit! Peter fuckin' Parker? Oh my God! He is not someone I thought would be your type! You spent the night at his house? O-M-G. I can't, I can't! Aw, you guys would be so cute together! Do you think he likes you? I feel like he would like you."
With a small, lighthearted laugh, Kaelyn chastised her best friend, "Please, scream louder for the entire school to hear you. These bathrooms aren't sound-proofed, Beth."
"Ah, sorry! I'm just happy for you!" Beth exclaimed, pulling her best friend into a bear-hug, "You have a crush! On a boy! That's not a football player!"
"I do!" Kaelyn smiled, letting herself be squished by the other girl. "Thank you, Beth."
"For what?"
"Cheering me up, letting me talk to you. I just, I feel like we haven't spilled to each other like we used to and I missed it," the statement was accompanied with a sigh as her best friend pulled back from the hug.
Beth's expression went solemn as her eyes darted around the room, "It's just, uh, Will's back in town so things have been a little rough with my parents."
"Why is he back?"
"He and my parents won't tell me, he just showed up one day and said he was done with boarding school. I think he's going to try and get into Midtown again," Beth rolled her eyes, "I'm just over it, emotionally."
Now it was Kaelyn's turn to squeeze her friend to death, "Well, if you ever need to get out of there, just let me know, okay?"
"Bitch, you can't go home either, where are we gonna go?"
"We'll figure it out, nothing matters as long as we have each other, Beth, come on. It's always been that way!"
Beth smiled, "And it always will be, as long as you'll put up with my dumb ass."
"More like as long as you'll put up with my shitty drama."
The two girls laughed, walking towards their first-period class, already fifteen minutes late with their arms around each other. Boys were important, yes, but not as important as each other. That much is always going to be true.
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uhh we stan strong female friendships!! also, i keep waiting too long to title the chapters so i forget how to make the sign off gifs because im too lazy to write things down so dont make fun of me if they look different okay thanks
