Best Friends Forever

5

The first week of school passed in a blur of syllabuses and textbooks and sleep deprivation. By the end, all the students were sick of it as they reminisced about the summer that they'd let slip by. By Friday, everyone was ready to party.

Addy, Jason, Lucas, and I all sat in my room, predrinking from my parents' (mostly my mom's) alcohol collection. My parents had gone to dinner, so we were home alone and getting ready. I had already picked out my outfit and done my makeup, but Addy still hadn't even decided on what she was wearing. She'd been going through my closet for the past hour, trying on outfit after outfit, all that she ultimately disapproved of for a miniscule reason.

"Addy, can you hurry up?" Lucas asked. "Why is it taking you so long?"

"Girls take a longer time to get ready than guys," Addy snapped at him. "If you want me to hurry up then change societal standards of what's expected from each gender."

"Well, Leila got ready in ten minutes and she's a girl," he said.

"I'm sorry I don't look like Leila. I can't just throw something on and put a coat of mascara and look perfect."

"I don't look perfect," I said. Addy constantly compared our appearances. I knew that I was pretty, but so was Addy. Still, I felt she always made it into some sort of competition.

"Say that again when every guy there hits on you as usual," she said. "Besides, I'm only putting this effort in for Brad Gowoski. It's cuffing season."

"You're going for Brad?" Jason asked. "Why? He's an ass."

"Well, he went for me," Addy said. "But I'm just trying to solidify it."

"I don't recommend that at all. He's a piece of shit."

"So is every guy in the entire world. At least he's a hot piece of shit."

"Addy," Jason said in warning.

"Jason," she responded in the same tone.

They stared at each other for a long time, almost as if they were communicating through their eyes. I felt oddly left out and Lucas and I looked at each other in confusion.

Finally, Lucas spoke up. "I agree with Jason. Brad is a dick."

"I didn't ask either of you. I can make my own decisions on who to go for, thank you very much."

The two boys fell silent, but seemed annoyed doing so. I wondered what Brad had done that had earned their disapproval. As far as I knew, he had a pretty clean slate.

"That dress would look amazing on you, Addy," I said after an awkward minute of silence. She held up the short black dress in her hands and examined it.

"Yeah, I like it," she said, nodding her head. She went inside the closet and put it on, then came back out for opinions.

"I think it's too revealing," Lucas said.

"Who cares?" Jason said. "Addy, you look fucking hot. Holy shit."

She smiled at his compliment. "Thanks, J."

"Yeah," I added. "Brad is going to lose his mind."

"Perfect. Now Lei, can you help me do my makeup?"

I got to work, doing the same look I always did for her. The glittery eye shadow I applied always looked amazing on her, accentuating her large, doll-like eyes and playing off her skin tone. Addy was beautiful in every sense of the word, in a way I would never be. I had always wondered why she couldn't see it, but Addy had been idolizing my looks since we were children.