Page 27 of Wanted You More

Is she kidding me right now? I knew she was angry at me for going out with Lynly, but I thought she knew how badly that ended.

She was one of the people who lectured me for letting her take me to that rally. Mostly because I went without her. She felt like she missed out on the fun, not giving a crap that I’d been genuinely hurt by the whole situation. Being misled by a potential friend and being portrayed in the media as a victim looking for vengeance.

“Are you still pissed about that? Because you have no right to be the one angry over that situation!”

Marybelle chooses to be anyway. “You wanted toreplaceme!”

I groan. We had this spat once already, and I thought we were over it. Apparently, I was wrong. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to make more than one friend, Marybelle. You have friends outside of me and you don’t see me bitching about it. And what happens when we go to college? It won’t always be just us.”

She reaches for the door handle. “College is forever away. And those other girls aren’t my friends.Youare. If you hadn’t been so desperate to make more, maybe we’d still be fine. Now I have to watch you kiss your family’s ass, and for what? Who are you doing that for? Because you didn’t seem to care what they thought this whole time. Is it for Noah? His dad?”

Marybelle rarely brings Noah or his family up because she knows they’re attached to a sensitive time in my life. “I’m doing it for me.”

Her eyes are full of disbelief. “Whatever you say. Maybe you can hang out with your best buddy Noah since he’s a huge influence on the new-and-improved Austen Cole. I’d hate to mar your shiny new reputation.”

Before I can tell her that she’s being dumb, she storms out of my car and slams the door closed again.

I drop my head back and groan, closing my eyes. That’s when Wolfe opens the door Marybelle exited out of and asks, “What was that about? She looked like she was going to punch someone.”

My eyes go to the rearview mirror to see my best friend storming off into the crowd of dispersing students leaving for the day.

Jaw ticking, I say, “It doesn’t matter. Buckle up so we can go home. I’ve got homework to do.”

I can feel my brother’s stare burning into my face and know he senses my bullshit. I’ve never been a huge fan of doing homework. But he doesn’t push me because he’s learned all that does is make things worse.

If only Marybelle remembered that.

My heart tightens a little when Wolfe breaks the silence as we leave the school parking lot and says, “Whatever it is, I’m sure it’ll be okay. Friends don’t stay angry forever.”

And since she’s been the only real one I’ve ever had, I hope he’s right.

***

Dad doesn’t commenton my mood during dinner. He doesn’t complain when I don’t finish the overcooked chicken or veggies like he normally does whenever I play with my food rather than eat it.

As I walk upstairs, I hear Dad ask Wolfe what’s wrong with me. I have no idea what my little brother tells him—the truth or a lie—before closing myself in my bedroom.

I don’t answer the knocks from them hours later when they check in on me because the last thing I want is to make awkward conversation.

Me:Have you ever had a fight with someone important and were afraid you lost them?

Curling up on my side, I watch as three little text bubbles dance along the bottom of my phone screen.

Noah:Everybody has fights. Did something happen?

Me:Marybelle hates me because I’m boring

Noah:Marybelle tends to hate everyone, and you’re the furthest thing from boring

I stare at his reply for a few minutes in silence, debating on how to answer. Before I can, he sends me another one.

Noah:You two will make up

His reassurance makes me feel a little better, especially since he isn’t her biggest fan. I know he’d prefer I make better friends than her, which only makes me sadder as I think about what she said to me.

Maybe Iwastrying to impress Noah.

A little.

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