Accidentally in Love with the Best Friend

h.a.r.p.e.r.’.s....p.o.v.

I walked in Tuesday, ready to face my boyfriend. I hoped this was all just a big misunderstanding, and that by lunchtime we would be back to our old selves, laughing and joking about this.

But as I rounded the corner to my locker, all hopes of that ever happening were smashed. Completely obliterated. Because right in front of me, was Toby, making out with some girl. I wouldn’t have believed it if someone had shown me a picture, because I was the cheater here, right? Seeing it with your own two eyes, though, makes all the difference.

When a muffled whimper escaped my lips, a lot of the people gathered around, watching, turned their attention to me. In the midst of them was Justin, and one of his friends, who were filming the entire thing. That made me flinch back. Were they trying to make this whole thing worse?!

“Harp,” Justin said, quietly, bringing Toby’s attention away from the blonde girl in front of him. His face paled considerably as Justin took a step towards me, hesitant, as if I was a skittish animal that would make a break for it any second.

Not being able to take in the sight of the blonde beauty in Toby’s arms anymore, I made a mad dash for the girls room, hopeful that no one would be stupid enough to follow. Talking it out with some sympathetic person when the topic was so raw was like rubbing salt into deep cuts.

“Harp!” I heard Toby’s voice from outside of the bathroom. “Harp, come back! This isn’t what it looks like!” That was when I broke down. I couldn’t take it anymore. How long had he been seeing her, kissing her like that? I was no expert, but you don’t do that upon first sight.

About half an hour later, and fifteen minutes into first period, I was still in the bathroom. I felt pathetic, too much so to move, even. I didn’t want to face anyone, especially not with my red blotchy face.

“Harp!” I stilled, hoping whoever it was would just leave, but then I heard footsteps thundering into the girls’ room. “Harp, I came late because of a dentist appointment, but had I known, I would’ve been here way sooner!”

I looked through the slit in the stall door to see Carmela, her hair windblown, as she tried to slow her breathing. She had obviously run all the way here, and just the thought of her caring for me that much put a smile on my face.

When I finally opened the door and came out, I hugged her. She patted my head and assured me that it was all going to be alright.

“W-who was the g-girl he was with?” My voice was scratchy still from crying it raw.

“Nancy Henderson. I don’t know how long Toby has known her, but when I saw the footage I couldn’t believe it. But hey, it could always have been a camera trick, totally could’ve been faked out.”

“Carmela,” my voice came out in a pained whisper. “I was there, I saw the whole thing. I walked into school, and BAM, there is Toby and some blonde making out by my locker.”

Carmela’s nose twisted up in disgust. “Toby, he told me that he was forced into it, that it was all a camera trick.”

“Well, that must have been a really good trick, because I saw the whole thing, no camera included.”

“I can’t believe him!”

“I know... it’s just...”

“And to think he liked you! I bet that video of him talking trash about you is real too!”

“Carmela, what video is that?” Toby wouldn’t do something like that to me, would he?

Carmela’s face paled. “Oh, y-you didn’t hear?”

“Hear what?”

“There is a video going around,” she began fiddling with her fingers. “I don’t know who posted it, but it’s of Toby calling you a liar and a cheater, and a bunch of nasty stuff I wouldn’t like to repeat. He said that every problem in the relationship was your fault, and-”

“I’m going to talk to him.” Boyfriend or not, nobody talks about me like that and gets away with it. I was going to confront him about this, and even break up if I had to. Yeah, I wasn’t the most experienced girl in the world on this category of life, but I knew that wasn’t acceptable. That wasn’t someone I wanted in my life.

Seeing the video of Toby bad talking me was much worse than it had sounded. He looked so riled up, with only truth and venom shining bright in his eyes. He spoke of me like I was his ex, and had five different guys sleeping with me behind his back. Over-reactive much?

After I finished shedding a brand new round of tears, I pulled myself together, and with Carmela at my side, I headed into the lunchroom to get it over with. Now, no matter what he said, or tried to say, we were over. And there was nothing he could do about it.

I entered the lunchroom to find a distressed Toby pacing back and forth by the entrance. When he saw me, his eyes brightened. “Harp! I was worried about you!” The innocent look in his eyes drove me up the wall. He knew what he did, there was no denying it!

“We’re over, Toby.”

“What?! Are you not even going to give me a chance to speak?!” He looked at me with accusing eyes, all the innocence in his look from earlier completely evaporating.

“I saw you making out with that girl, and I even got a glimpse of that video you bad talked me in. I think that’s enough evidence for me to be over you.”

“I was only getting you back for what you did for me!” I rolled my eyes at his attempt to justify his actions.

“I never bad talked you! I never kissed anyone! I didn’t cheat on you, and I definitely wasn’t out for revenge!”

“Oh, don’t lie!” He sneered, his true colors bleeding through. Even he couldn’t keep them hidden for that long. “I know that you and Justin hooked up behind my back! I even heard you met up with him on Friday night, isn’t that right?!”

A crowd started to form around us, and Carmela took a few steps back, understanding that this was between me and Toby, no one else. “Toby, we are friends. All it was was a friendly talk.”

“And I can believe you didn’t bad talk me there? How gullible do I look, Harper?”

I gritted my teeth. No more nicknames, this was serious.

“Well, news flash for you, Toby. When I say we’re over, I mean it!!!” And with that, I grabbed Carmela by the arm before whisking her out of there. I wasn’t going to put up with his horrible, twisted lies. Not anymore.

Now that I knew the real him, I wasn’t ever going to go back.