Sophia's P.O.V.

"You're crazy," Kelsey declared after I told her that I was going to marry Bryce in less than a month from today. She didn't know why I got the sudden urge to get hitch with him.

Bryce explained that I couldn't tell anyone that we would both be leaving after a big arrest. He didn't say who they were arresting, but I didn't have any interest in asking either.

"Are you pregnant?" Nicolas patted my flat stomach. "If this is a shot-gun wedding to cover a pregnancy just tell us."

I swatted his hand away. "I'm not pregnant."

"Have you had your period this month?" Kelsey questioned, getting super personal.

"No..I mean, I don't know. Sometimes it's late, but that doesn't mean anything."

"You're pregnant!" Nicolas howled. "I knew it, I knew it!"

"No, I'm not. If you would've let me finish, I would've told you that it's irregular because I'm on the pill." I whispered and put my face into my hands. How did I get these friends in the first place? They were so all over the place that it was hard to keep up with them at times. This wasn't the kind of talk I wanted to have in a public place.

Nicolas and Kelsey exchanged glances. "Since when have you been on the pill?" Nic inquired.

"None of your business," I hissed. "You're not my doctor."

"I don't get it though. Why would you marry a guy you hardly know unless your preggo?" Brooklyn asked intrusively, sinking her teeth into her hamburger. "You're either pregnant or you're hiding something from us."

It took a lot of convincing for me to drag Kelsey to this lunch-meeting I arranged with Nicolas and Brooklyn. Anytime Brooklyn opened her mouth, I saw Kelsey's eye twitch and her fingers curl into fists.

She desperately wanted to know what my "big news" was though so she agreed to come with me.

We sat at a booth in a local Fatburger. It was Nicolas suggestion because he was craving their milkshakes. I agreed, knowing that it was better than my first choice which was Wendy's.

Brooklyn offered to go to Taco Bell, but I repeated that I'd never step foot in another Taco Bell after my first visit. They put Mexican food to shame. It was blasphemy to call their trashy, cheap meals anything remotely Mexican. It made everyone think all we ate were tacos and burritos. Where was the Pozole, Fideo, Carnitas, or some Menudo? None of that was on their menus.

I need to calm down before I stress myself out.

Kelsey removed the pickles from her cheese hamburger. "I love that you're with Bryce. Really, I do. I'm the one that practically set you guys up. I think you're great together. You guys remind me a lot of Conner and I when we first started dating."

Brooklyn rolled her eyes and annoyingly cleared her throat.

"Is there something caught in your throat or are you just being a bitch?" Kelsey boomed.

"She didn't mean that," I quickly tried to mend the issue. "What were you saying?"

Brooklyn didn't stop glaring at her.

Kelsey took note of this and clenched her fists again. She composed herself and then went on with what she was telling us. "Like I saying, I love you guys, but don't you think you're moving too fast?"

"We thought now would be a good time to get married." I shrugged, picking apart the left over bread from my meal. "Bryce is graduating next semester and I'm going into my third year of college. There's a lot of stuff going on next year. Besides, tax season is coming around soon and there's lots of benefits when you do your taxes as a married couple."

"You've got to be kidding me, Sophia." Brooklyn huffed. "You're getting married for tax benefits? Are you forty years old? Only old people bring that up."

"I'm sorry I don't have more of a profound reason," I snarled. This wasn't going the way I hoped. "I thought you guys would've been happy for me."

"I'm happy if you're happy," Nicolas patted the back of my hand. He put the red straw up to his lips and took a long sip from his vanilla milkshake. "Also, as long as I'm the man in honor, I'm all in."

"Man in honor?" Kelsey laughed. "That's a thing?"

"I'll make it a thing if it's not already." Nicolas announced. "Honestly, who else would be your right-hand bestie for your special day?"

"I could be the maid of honor," a voice squeaked. It was Brooklyn, awkwardly chewing her straw.

"You have more of the bridesmaid vibe coming off of you, Brook," Nicolas commented.

"She's my best friend." Brooklyn stated.

Nicolas made a pained noise, sucking a breath through his teeth. "Oooh. Who should be the one to break it to her? I can't do it."

"You're not her best friend." Kelsey said. "You're hardly a friend to begin with."

"Excuse me?" Brooklyn was taken back, dropping the paper napkin she had balled up in her left hand on to the table. "She's known me for years. She met you literally a second ago, so I don't know who gave you the authority to say who is and isn't Sophia's friend."

Nicolas snapped his finger, pointing at her. "You've got a point there, but you haven't really been acting like a friend."

"I know what I did before, but I apologized for that stuff." Brooklyn explained. "How many times do I have to say sorry for it?"

"I didn't know you already apologize," Nic backpedaled. "Sorry I wasn't aware of this. It's just that you guys still have this weird tension. It's so thick I could slice it with a knife."

"We don't have tension." Brooklyn brushed her braids off her shoulder. "You're making up problems."

I bit my tongue. I was giddy off the idea of marrying Bryce and was too happy to start a war with Brooklyn. I would be gone soon and wouldn't have to rip the bandaid, revealing the ugly wounds she had given me with her harsh comments and inability to support me as a friend.

I'd miss Nicolas and Kelsey, but I had booked my schedule until December with important days for all of us. Conner, Bryce, Kelsey, Nicolas, Anthony and his girlfriend, and I were going to Kelsey's parent's cabin in Aspen for thanksgiving break and we decided to finally do a re-do birthday party for Bryce right before finals.

"Who's it going to be?" Brooklyn asked, not letting it end.

"I chose you, Nic." I told them and prepared to explain myself. "Nicolas has a good sense of fashion so I think he should be the man of honor."

"I can't believe you wouldn't ask me to be the maid of honor." Brooklyn said in a hostile voice. "That title is traditionally given to a female friend. He's not a female."

"It's not always about you, Brooklyn. It's my special day, not yours. If I want a male to be the man of honor, fuck it, let it be. It's my choice. It's not your choice. Are you getting married? I don't think so," I hissed, stunned at my own abrasive remark. "Why don't you go up to the cashier over there and ask for a bag of attention? Because that's exactly what you're asking for."

A feeling of regret didn't wash over me. I didn't want to say sorry and I didn't want to retract my statement. I meant what I said and I said what I meant.

Sensibility flew right out the window. Contrary to what I wanted to do, I verbally attacked Brooklyn for her rudeness. Originally, I didn't want to start up anything, but that had been disregarded when Brooklyn began to push my buttons like she always did. For once, I was bold enough to stand up against her.

"Damn." Kelsey gasped. "I don't know what else to say. I'm speechless."

Brooklyn gnawed on to her lower lip and her eyes became glassy, ready to pour pointless tears that wouldn't sway my opinion. I honestly could care less.

"Of course you're going to cry." I grimaced. "It's still not about you, Brooklyn. You can cry all you want. I'm not changing my mind."

Hoarsely, Brooklyn released a breath and got out of her seat. "I'm not crying so you can change your mind. I'm being emotion because you're being a bitch about it."

"Bitch? Wow, you're one to talk. That's like the pot calling the kettle black." I rose to my feet as well. I was hoping that she tried something extremely. With how loud we were getting, most of the people inside the fast food restaurant were watching us. "I usually never talk back to you when you say mean things, but the first time that I do, I'm suddenly a bitch? If I'm a bitch, then what does that make you then?"

"Fight, fight, fight," Kelsey chanted, knocking the table impatiently. "I want to see a fight." She pulled up her purse from the seat next to her, putting it before her and bringing out brass knuckles. "I brought them when you told me Brooklyn would be here."

"What is wrong with you?" Brooklyn snapped. "I don't get what Conner sees in you."

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know?" Kelsey bounced up from her seat.

"Don't do it," Nicolas warned. "If you hit her, I'm going to get you off of her in a heartbeat. She's still my cousin. I'm not going to let you do that."

"She kind of deserves it," Kelsey mumbled. Nicolas glared at her. "What? I'm being honest."

"I don't care. She's like a sister to me and I'm not going to let you guys hit her and not do anything." He responded. "Be the bigger person. The three of you. We're leaving." He took the black trays, dumped them, and set them next to the trash cans. "C'mon, guys. This lunch meeting is over."

Thank God for Nicolas or I would've punched her inside a Fatburger. That would've been tacky...but so worth it.

I didn't know where this anger was coming from. I wasn't sure if it was Bryce's personality rubbing off on me or my true, genuine tiredness towards Brooklyn. Something about her was pissing me off. I wasn't giving up that easily.

I put my purse's strap on to my shoulder and followed behind everyone, paranoid that Brooklyn would do something behind my back. It was a dirty move, but I wouldn't put it past her. Once outside, Brooklyn did turn to me, setting her hand to her forehead to block out the sun.

Kelsey slowed her step and came up next to me, hugging me from the side and putting her arm on my shoulder, pulling me close. "I bet you would have won if there was a fight."

"Do you ever shut-up?" Brooklyn fumed. We reached Nicolas's car and Kelsey's. This was where we were going to split up. "It seems like all you can do is talk as if you know what's going on. How pathetic can you be? Get your own friends."

Kelsey took a step away from me, but Nicolas blocked her way.

Clearing her throat, Kelsey said. "You can say that, but at least I'm a better friend than you."

Her thin brows narrowed. "You're not."

"Yes, I am a better friend," she repeated. "The only reason you're being mean to me now is because you know I have someone you don't -- and that's Conner. I'm sure that's burning you up inside. So not only am I better friend, but I'm also better at getting guys. All you can do drool over a guys that aren't yours."

I laughed. Brooklyn's blazing eyes hit mine as if I had betrayed her by finding Kelsey's jab funny.

"How pathetic can you be? Get your own boyfriend." I concluded and Kelsey gave me a high-five. "Maybe that's why you're so bitter all the time. I get your sex life has been dry for the past few years, but that doesn't mean you have to punish us for that."

"A few years?" Kelsey echoed. "That can't be true."

"It is true." I chuckled. "I mean, I heard you almost had sex with Bryce last year, but he ended up falling asleep before anything could happen. Now that's what I call sad. You made a guy fall asleep without even touching him. What did you do? Talk so much that it bored him to sleep? I could see that happening."

"That's it!" Brooklyn yelled, lunging at me with her fist in the air. She linked her knuckle to my jaw, causing me to bump into the nearest car and setting off its alarm.

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