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Highest rank on the hot list over the last few weeks - #207 in Chick Lit

A sneak peek will be up on the site this Wednesday! If you guys could continue to vote and comment, that would be great!

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© 2017 Shay Spencer. All rights reserved.

The Buddies Rule

Chapter 24

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Life is strange sometimes. You can go forever thinking one thing about yourself, or one thing about someone else, and sometimes, you can get by with just that. Nothing ever has to change.

Other times, life likes to throw in something special just for you.

I had known Alan for a year and a half, and for the duration of that time, I had known him to be quit the ladies man. He almost always had a woman by his side, and it was only just lately that he had pulled back from his play boy ways. I had just assumed it was because of his love for me.

So I'd be lying if I said the sight of Alan kissing a man didn't confuse me.

Alan was a man's man if nothing else, and knowing what I now knew, altered the image of my best friend to no end. I didn't know who he was anymore, or who he had been for the last year and a half; to be frank, his sexuality didn't bother me, but what did bother me, was that he had led me to believe that he was falling for me this whole time.

Despite all of my worries and concerns, I still hadn't confronted him about it this past weekend.

I hadn't been able to find him after the play, and Lewis had insisted that Chase and I come with him for some celebratory drinks after the final curtain. I half felt like I lost my chance after that. But now that the weekend was over, my time to act was drawing closer and closer.

"Bree!" Lewis yelled after me, sounding just as out of breath as he looked.

I stopped on the path, turning back to watch as Lewis scampered after me.

"You okay there?" I teased, patting his back as he stopped next to me.

"I'm so excited," he sighed, waving around a single piece of paper. "Behold! My future."

I rolled my eyes and took the piece of paper from him, scanning over the words carefully.

"Dear Lewis Doolan... Blah blah blah, we'd like to invite you to join our short film-makers class for the spring semester!" I cheered. "Lewis, you actually did it."

Lewis frowned, "what? You didn't think I could?"

"I did," I laughed. "But it's weird actually seeing it on paper."

After all the time and hard work we had put into the play, it was amazing to see that things were finally working out for Lewis. He'd been having quite the time with his screenwriting class this last semester. If anyone deserved this, it was definitely Lewis.

"I know," Lewis smiled, taking the paper from me once again.

"Wait! I want to read the rest," I whined.

Lewis gave me a sly smile, "the rest is for my eyes only. There's something big coming up for me, and I don't want to jinx it."

"What's so big that you can't even tell me?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

"It's nothing," Lewis reassured, shaking his head. "Actually, it's huge. So huge, in fact, that I need to talk it over with my mom and D. Davids."

"Chase's dad?" I asked. "What would you need to talk with them about? You got into the class of your dreams! I don't really think you'll need their permission to sign a transfer slip."

"It's something else," Lewis smirked. "Something that you don't need to worry about. The second I hear anything, you'll be the first to know."

"Is that why you missed bowling this morning?" I asked.

Chase and I had shown up to the bowling alley, only to find that our third team member had missed today's class. The only grade we received in bowling was strictly for participation, and it reflected badly on Chase and I when Lewis hadn't shown up this morning.

"Yeah, I was meeting with my advisor," Lewis said. "He gave me this letter in person."

"Okay," I sighed. I hated when Lewis got all ominous like this. It didn't seem like things could get much better for him, so I didn't get why he would hide it. "I guess I'll catch up with you later? I've got English three."

"Say hi to my nonexistent roommate for me," Lewis smiled, walking off in the direction of the auditorium.

"Be nice to the lesser play writers! They all can't be as good as you!" I called after him. I could vaguely hear him snicker as he walked away.

I smiled to myself, resuming my walk to class.

I had figured that Alan would at least show up back home now that the play was over with. Even Chase and I had called a truce after the play. We knew that our issues were much smaller than anything else that was going on in our lives at the moment; and finding out that Lewis had actually gotten into that class, should be something that Lewis shared with his best friend.

Not that I was complaining about being the first one to hear the news.

"Hey," someone said, reaching out and taking a gentle hold on my arm. I glanced to my left to see Shawn leaning back against a nearby tree with a book in his hands. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

I shook my head, "I've got English three."

"A lecture class? You can probably slip in without anyone noticing."

"It's not being late that I'm worried about," I said simply. Pulling my arm out of his grasp, I warily stepped onto the grass beside him. "I saw you and Alan at the play."

"I know," Shawn nodded slowly. "That's why I wanted to talk with you."

I pursed my lips together as I watched him. Shawn looked embarrassed, but this was probably the last conversation he wanted to have today. I had caught him kissing one of my best friends.

He shouldn't have to be the one explaining anything, though.

"First things first," Shawn started, closing his textbook and setting it on the grass by his feet. "That wasn't the first time Alan and I kissed."

"What?" I scoffed.

"When Alan first got here, the entire football team thought he was gay. I don't know why they did, but they made him prove it... By kissing me. It was just some hazing tactic-"

"But still," I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Shawn."

"It was almost three years ago," he sighed. "After that, Alan was cleared of any gay-ness, and went back to dating any girl he wanted. But at the beginning this year, he quit the football team, and I was the only one he told about it. He left without saying a word to the other guys."

"Why?" I questioned, crossing my arms over my chest once more.

"I still don't know. But around that same time, he had practically sworn off dating, and he kept trying to get me to come out for drinks with him. He said he just needed someone to talk to, but I kind of got the signals mixed."

"You're telling me this has been going on since September?"

"He's been leading me on, Bree," Shawn revealed. "He's been staying with me since he and Lewis got in that big fight last Tuesday, but things only got worse between us from there. He's got this way of sounding flirty even when he doesn't intend to."

I closed my eyes, letting everything sink in. Alan was really starting to sound like a tool, and this wouldn't be the first time I'd thought this.

"He'd told me about his feelings for you, but I always thought his feelings were misplaced. He didn't tell me until he and I had gotten pretty close. I thought that was his way of telling me he had feelings for me," Shawn let his gaze fall to his feet. "I was the one who kissed him at the play. I thought he felt the same way about me, but he pushed me off the second he got the chance. All I could think is how much time I wasted on him."

I reached out, pulling Shawn into a hug.

"It's not your fault," I whispered. "I'm pretty sure he's doing the same thing to Zoey Ramirez, too."

"Seriously?" Shawn pulled back, looking me in the eyes. "He's leading on your ex's little sister?"

I rolled my eyes at him. I hadn't known Shawn for long, but he was always someone who kept up a sense of humor. He was a good guy, and Alan didn't need to be treating him like this.

"Don't let him stay with you anymore," I ordered. "He's got something else coming to him. I don't know what it is yet, but I'll find something."

"You and Chase could just like, make out in front of him," Shawn laughed. "That got him pretty riled up last time."

I bit my lip to keep from laughing, "very true."

"I'll let you get to class," Shawn smiled my way. "But promise me something. You can't fall for him. He doesn't deserve someone like you, Bree."

I nodded, reaching out and squeezing his hand quickly. "Promise."

Shawn gently nudged me forward, waving me off to the English three lecture hall. "Give Alan my best."

"Won't do," I smiled over my shoulder.

Walking to the lecture hall took much shorter than I'd anticipated, and by the time I had gotten into the room, my eyes landed directly on the back of Alan's head.

He was sitting in our usual spot, tapping his fingers against his notebook as he waited for me. But honestly, I couldn't bring myself to sit with him this time. I slid into the seat right next to the door, making sure to keep a careful eye on Alan.

I was starting to see what Zac had warned me about so long ago, and all it took was Alan kissing a guy for me to realize it. Alan wasn't ready for me, or anyone else for that matter.

At least that made things a little easier for Chase and I.

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Alan's been leading people on?? Doesn't sound too far off 😜

But keep reading! There's another chapter posted now!

Something Real was updated yesterday too - just a little reminder!

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