It had been a long day of classes and now that it was finally over, Kelly
couldn't get out of there fast enough. School was driving her crazy at the
moment, all anyone could talk about was college, and frankly it bored her.
She just couldn't see what the big deal was. Then there was the added
torment of having to watch Dylan and Brenda together. Ever since Brenda
got back from Paris, Kelly had been doing her best to avoid Dylan. They'd
both agreed that their respective relationship and friendship with Brenda
were far too important to jeopardise, and had called a halt to their
budding romance at the end of the summer.
Not for the first time Kelly wished she could turn back the clock. Things had been so much simpler during the summer. Whilst Brenda had been away in Paris, it was almost as if she didn't exist. What had started out as an innocent friendship with Dylan had quickly turned to romance. Kelly had always had something of a crush on Dylan McKay but she had never really taken it seriously. Over the summer all that had changed, and it had been the best summer of her life. That was until Dylan had reminded her of Brenda's imminent return. Then reality had finally hit, and Kelly overwhelmed with guilt at the betrayal of her best friend, had readily agreed that it had to stop.
The problem was that her feelings for Dylan hadn't gone away. She'd figured that staying out of his way would help - she wouldn't have temptation in front of her, but it just made it harder. What was that saying about forbidden fruit tasting the sweetest? Her feelings for Dylan were stronger now than they'd ever been and she missed him terribly.
She kept asking herself if she'd made the right decision. Was her friendship with Brenda really worth sacrificing what she could have had with Dylan? Kelly sighed; she didn't even know what she felt about Brenda anymore. Sometimes it seemed as if Brenda was her worst enemy rather than her best friend. Whenever she saw Dylan with his arm around Brenda or kissing Brenda, god even seeing Brenda perched on his knee at lunch, Kelly hated her. The green-eyed monster could be a vicious creature.
But at the same time Brenda was her best friend, the one person that Kelly could really count on. With everything they'd been through in the last few years they'd gotten really close, more like sisters than friends, and it was good just to know that Brenda would always be there for her.
When Brenda first arrived in Beverly Hills, Kelly had still been in what she generally referred to as her 'walk all over me phase'. For all her looks, money and popularity, back then Kelly Taylor had been a mess. Her mother, a long-term substance abuser, spent her days high on coke and her nights with whichever guy was willing, and there had been plenty of guys. Kelly's father had long since jumped ship to Barcelona. Bill Taylor was a highly successful businessman perfectly willing to bankroll his daughter's expensive tastes, but the cheques were the only contact she had with her father.
Desperately lonely and lacking in self-esteem, Kelly had followed her mother's self-destructive path, rapidly acquiring a taste for drugs and a reputation for sleeping around. She'd heard people talk about her – 'slut', 'loose', 'easy', 'a real party girl', having gone so far down that road she'd felt compelled to prove them right. It was a reputation that she was still trying to escape. Unlike most people Brenda Walsh hadn't judged her.
Kelly wasn't proud of her past but she had worked hard to turn her life around. Without the support of Brenda and the rest of her friends, she wasn't sure she'd have made it this far. She'd come a long way, and while she still had bad days, she wasn't that messed up girl anymore. But this whole situation with Brenda and Dylan was a painful reminder of what she used to be. Sleep with her best friend's boyfriend? That's the kind of thing the old Kelly Taylor would do. But the old Kelly Taylor wouldn't have felt guilty about it.
Right now her feelings towards Brenda were pretty confused, and the conflicting emotions meant that she didn't know how to behave around her best friend. Sometimes she was openly hostile, other times it was if nothing had changed at all. She'd begun to find it easier to avoid Brenda altogether. She was pretty sure that Brenda had noticed that things weren't right between them.
Thankfully she didn't have to drive David home, he was meeting Steve to talk about a showcase or something; she hadn't really been listening. She was just relieved that he didn't need a ride. She had almost made it to her car when Brenda caught up with her.
"Kelly hold on".
"Hey, what's up?"
"Do you feel like doing something tonight, I don't know maybe catch a movie or something?"
Kelly was surprised by the offer "Aren't you seeing Dylan tonight?"
"No, we decided that after last night we could both use a cooling off period. Besides he said he wanted to work on his stupid motorcycle". She frowned "I hate motorcycles. So what do you think? I could really use a night out."
"I really don't think I'd be very good company' Kelly replied quickly "I'm pretty tired, all I really feel like doing is going home, taking a long relaxing bath and getting an early night." The last thing Kelly felt like doing right now was spending time with Brenda.
Brenda was a little hurt but she decided not to force the issue. " Well I should probably be preparing for my college counselling interview anyway".
"Preparing?" Kelly was incredulous.
"Kelly these interviews are really important"
Kelly pulled a face "God you sound like Mrs Teasley. I forgot to show up for my interview yesterday, so this afternoon she cornered me in the hallway and gave me a lecture on how important these interviews are for my future. It was so humiliating. Why doesn't she understand that not everybody wants to go to college?"
This time it was Brenda's turn to pull a face "Now you sound just like Dylan. I can't even get him to consider college. It's so frustrating."
"Well Brenda there's no rule that says that everyone has to go to college, you can do other things with your life you know. Seems to me that Dylan has a point, I really think you're over reacting about the whole college thing."
Brenda couldn't believe this. "Thanks for your support Kel. I thought I could count on you, guess I was wrong".
"What just because I'm your best friend I'm supposed to agree with everything you say?" Sometimes Brenda could be impossible.
"Just forget it" Brenda turned on her heel and walked away.
"Oh come on Brenda can't we just agree to disagree?" Kelly called after her, but Brenda kept on walking.
Great Kelly thought as she got in to her car, just what she needed; another fight. She couldn't seem to help herself at the moment. She knew Brenda was touchy about the college issue. All she had to do was provide a sympathetic ear; instead she'd provoked Brenda in to an argument. What a lousy day.
Not for the first time Kelly wished she could turn back the clock. Things had been so much simpler during the summer. Whilst Brenda had been away in Paris, it was almost as if she didn't exist. What had started out as an innocent friendship with Dylan had quickly turned to romance. Kelly had always had something of a crush on Dylan McKay but she had never really taken it seriously. Over the summer all that had changed, and it had been the best summer of her life. That was until Dylan had reminded her of Brenda's imminent return. Then reality had finally hit, and Kelly overwhelmed with guilt at the betrayal of her best friend, had readily agreed that it had to stop.
The problem was that her feelings for Dylan hadn't gone away. She'd figured that staying out of his way would help - she wouldn't have temptation in front of her, but it just made it harder. What was that saying about forbidden fruit tasting the sweetest? Her feelings for Dylan were stronger now than they'd ever been and she missed him terribly.
She kept asking herself if she'd made the right decision. Was her friendship with Brenda really worth sacrificing what she could have had with Dylan? Kelly sighed; she didn't even know what she felt about Brenda anymore. Sometimes it seemed as if Brenda was her worst enemy rather than her best friend. Whenever she saw Dylan with his arm around Brenda or kissing Brenda, god even seeing Brenda perched on his knee at lunch, Kelly hated her. The green-eyed monster could be a vicious creature.
But at the same time Brenda was her best friend, the one person that Kelly could really count on. With everything they'd been through in the last few years they'd gotten really close, more like sisters than friends, and it was good just to know that Brenda would always be there for her.
When Brenda first arrived in Beverly Hills, Kelly had still been in what she generally referred to as her 'walk all over me phase'. For all her looks, money and popularity, back then Kelly Taylor had been a mess. Her mother, a long-term substance abuser, spent her days high on coke and her nights with whichever guy was willing, and there had been plenty of guys. Kelly's father had long since jumped ship to Barcelona. Bill Taylor was a highly successful businessman perfectly willing to bankroll his daughter's expensive tastes, but the cheques were the only contact she had with her father.
Desperately lonely and lacking in self-esteem, Kelly had followed her mother's self-destructive path, rapidly acquiring a taste for drugs and a reputation for sleeping around. She'd heard people talk about her – 'slut', 'loose', 'easy', 'a real party girl', having gone so far down that road she'd felt compelled to prove them right. It was a reputation that she was still trying to escape. Unlike most people Brenda Walsh hadn't judged her.
Kelly wasn't proud of her past but she had worked hard to turn her life around. Without the support of Brenda and the rest of her friends, she wasn't sure she'd have made it this far. She'd come a long way, and while she still had bad days, she wasn't that messed up girl anymore. But this whole situation with Brenda and Dylan was a painful reminder of what she used to be. Sleep with her best friend's boyfriend? That's the kind of thing the old Kelly Taylor would do. But the old Kelly Taylor wouldn't have felt guilty about it.
Right now her feelings towards Brenda were pretty confused, and the conflicting emotions meant that she didn't know how to behave around her best friend. Sometimes she was openly hostile, other times it was if nothing had changed at all. She'd begun to find it easier to avoid Brenda altogether. She was pretty sure that Brenda had noticed that things weren't right between them.
Thankfully she didn't have to drive David home, he was meeting Steve to talk about a showcase or something; she hadn't really been listening. She was just relieved that he didn't need a ride. She had almost made it to her car when Brenda caught up with her.
"Kelly hold on".
"Hey, what's up?"
"Do you feel like doing something tonight, I don't know maybe catch a movie or something?"
Kelly was surprised by the offer "Aren't you seeing Dylan tonight?"
"No, we decided that after last night we could both use a cooling off period. Besides he said he wanted to work on his stupid motorcycle". She frowned "I hate motorcycles. So what do you think? I could really use a night out."
"I really don't think I'd be very good company' Kelly replied quickly "I'm pretty tired, all I really feel like doing is going home, taking a long relaxing bath and getting an early night." The last thing Kelly felt like doing right now was spending time with Brenda.
Brenda was a little hurt but she decided not to force the issue. " Well I should probably be preparing for my college counselling interview anyway".
"Preparing?" Kelly was incredulous.
"Kelly these interviews are really important"
Kelly pulled a face "God you sound like Mrs Teasley. I forgot to show up for my interview yesterday, so this afternoon she cornered me in the hallway and gave me a lecture on how important these interviews are for my future. It was so humiliating. Why doesn't she understand that not everybody wants to go to college?"
This time it was Brenda's turn to pull a face "Now you sound just like Dylan. I can't even get him to consider college. It's so frustrating."
"Well Brenda there's no rule that says that everyone has to go to college, you can do other things with your life you know. Seems to me that Dylan has a point, I really think you're over reacting about the whole college thing."
Brenda couldn't believe this. "Thanks for your support Kel. I thought I could count on you, guess I was wrong".
"What just because I'm your best friend I'm supposed to agree with everything you say?" Sometimes Brenda could be impossible.
"Just forget it" Brenda turned on her heel and walked away.
"Oh come on Brenda can't we just agree to disagree?" Kelly called after her, but Brenda kept on walking.
Great Kelly thought as she got in to her car, just what she needed; another fight. She couldn't seem to help herself at the moment. She knew Brenda was touchy about the college issue. All she had to do was provide a sympathetic ear; instead she'd provoked Brenda in to an argument. What a lousy day.