Three Years, Five Months and Eleven Days

Chapter Three

This is a short one, but I promise they'll mostly be longer. If you're reading this I love you SO much, but if you're commenting and voting, I love you even more!! 

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     Beth’s room was just big enough for the things it had in it. When you walked in the door there was a big double bed in front of you, and that was about it. On the wall opposite the bed there was a flat screen TV, which she used about once a month. When sitting on the bed, the wall to the left was covered in books and the wall to the right had two doors, one to the ensuite bathroom, and one to the walk in closet.

     At two in the morning Beth and I were sitting on her bed facing each other. We both had our legs crossed and a tub of ice cream in our hands. Yes, one tub each, we eat a lot.

     ‘I don’t mind it nearly as much as I thought I would,’ I said, referring to Michael being in St David’s with us.

     ‘Really?’ she asked, raising her eyebrows. ‘You already got into an argument with him and he’s been here a few hours!’

     ‘Yeah, but I didn’t find him annoying all afternoon.’

     Beth laughed and said ‘That’s so mean Debby! Why do you dislike him so much?’

     ‘It’s just…’ I wasn’t sure how to explain it. ‘When we were little, I thought you would abandon me for him at any moment.’

     ‘Why would I ever do that?’ she asked. ‘I’ve never abandoned you for anyone have I?’

     ‘No, but I always thought you’d prefer people your own age,’ I told her.

     ‘Why? You know that’s not true! I take you to parties with my friends from school,’ she pointed out.

     ‘But that’s different.’

     ‘How?’

     ‘You don’t like your friends from school that much. You love Michael.’

     ‘So? He hasn’t been here for seven years, you have. You’ll always come first Debby.’

     ‘I know, I know,’ I sighed. ‘I’m just being silly and irrational and selfish as usual.’

     She smiled. ‘As usual.’

     ‘But there’s something about him that just gets on my nerves,’ I told her. ‘I know he thinks I’m all… immoral for going out with all these guys, but at the moment I really wish I had a boyfriend. It makes no sense, but somehow I think that would make me have the power.’

     ‘That’s ridiculous Debby! Why do you need to have “the power”? We aren’t in a movie here!’ She sighed. ‘Why can’t you just be friends? It would make me so happy.’

     ‘Because nothing’s that simple when you’re in my head.’ I looked down at my tub of ice cream. ‘Half-way,’ I told Beth. ‘Swapsies?’

     She handed me her tub and I gave her mine. ‘Why did you break up with the last boyfriend anyway? You never really told me,’ she said.

     I shrugged. ‘I didn’t want to have a boyfriend over the summer, it’s supposed to be just me and you.’

     ‘But you knew Michael was coming, so that can’t be why,’ she said.

     Damn. She knew me too well. That was the reason I’d told myself I was breaking up with him, but I’d known that was a lie.