Chapter One: Jess

"Jess, you must have the best boyfriend any girl could dream of, while I…" Emma sighs. I'm not really listening to her, instead I am thinking about the most recent kiss with Darcy Hawthorne. Snap out of it, Jess, this is your best friend.

"I know, like, Darcy's just so perfect!" I say.

"Jess, we are talking about my relationship," Emma says, her eyebrows raised.

"I know, I'm sorry," I shake my head.

"Jess, you have been talking about Darcy all week!" she exclaims. "You have had the perfect year, and I haven't. In addition to that, I might lose my best friend to my brother!"

"Emma, you won't lose me!" I yell, and everyone in the coffee shop stares. I blush, embarrassed.

"Really?" Emma whispers. "It's either me or him. You obviously can't balance friendship and romance." She stands up and leaves the smoothie shop, as I stare at her with a shocked look. How could she do this to me?

I mean, if I ditch Emma, I know I would regret it for the rest of my life. If I break up with Darcy, he will probably move on to someone else and my heart would just scream. What should I do?

Darcy walks into the smoothie shop with all of his baseball friends. "Jess!" he exclaims, and sits at my table. He looks at me. "What's wrong?"

"Okay, Darcy," I take a deep breath, "we need to break up."

"What?" Darcy says sadly. "You don't mean that, do you? I mean, everything was going so well. Why?"

"Oh, Darcy, I just can't balance both you and Emma! We just hang out too much for me to manage my friendships."

"Oh," Darcy says stiffly. "Well, see you around." He gets up from the table. As he leaves to go join his friends, I gather my stuff and turn to leave. I stare at him sadly, but I have made my choice. I have chosen to stick with Emma.

Darcy looks over at me, and it is all I can do to go over to him and tell him I was kidding. I run out of the smoothie shop, not being able to bear it.

I take out my phone, and call Emma. She answers on the first ring.

"Jess?"

"Hi. Listen, Darcy and I…" I sigh. "We broke up."

"Oh, good! So you'll be able to spend more time with your friends?" That's a bit selfish, I think. Maybe I should have chosen differently. I mean, Emma can get a bit possessive at times.

"Emma, that isn't what I meant."

"What else does it mean?"

"Okay, it is what I meant, but I broke up with him so I could spend more time with you! I mean, that was a very selfish thing to say!" I yell exasperatedly.

"Oh, I'm sorry that I was happy," Emma says. "I just want to spend time with you like before."

"I don't know. When things don't go my way, could you at least support me?!"

"Are you saying that breaking up with Darcy isn't what you wanted?"

"Yes! I never wanted to break up with Darcy!"

"So, you wish you could have made the other decision?!" Emma yells.

"No, I'm just saying-" I start.

"Fine. I get it. You and Darcy can go patch things up. We're over." Emma hangs up, and I run to my house. I can't wait until I can go to Julliard, and be separated from the Hawthornes. Only two more months.

When I reach my house, I run up the stairs and lock the door. I turn around, and see Adele and Frankie on my bed.

"Guys, what are you doing here?!" I exclaim.

"Hanging out," Adele says.

"What are you doing here?" Frankie asks.

"Guys, it's my room," I say. I plop down beside them.

"Right. Why did you lock the door? You never lock the door. Ever," Frankie says.

"Fine. Emma hates me, and Darcy and I broke up!" I choke out. I try to cry, but the tears won't come.

"Megan! Cassidy! Becca!" Frankie calls. They tumble out of my closet.

"We were the lookouts," Adele explains. "Jess, though, why does Emma hate you?"

"Because I made the wrong decision," I say.

"What decision?" Cassidy asks. "Got any food?"

"Emma hates you?!" Megan exclaims.

"Oh, Megan, don't pretend we weren't listening," Cassidy says. "Anyway, I'm feeling a strong feeling for chocolate! Chocolate is the cure for everything! Who wants to go to the store and get some chocolate?"

"I guess I will," I say. "Why were you hiding in my closet?"

"Well, we were partying in your room," Becca says. "It was fun." Megan's phone rings. she answers it.

"Hello?" Pause.

"SIMON!" Pause.

"You are coming here to visit?!" Pause.

"Tomorrow?!" Pause.

"Yeah, see you," Megan says, and hangs up. "Simon and Tristan are coming for two weeks!"

"What?!" Cassidy exclaims. She doesn't look excited, more worried.

"Why's that so bad?" I ask.

"Well, I suppose I should just say it," Cassidy gulps. "I like Darcy."