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Chapter Twenty Seven: The Aftermath Part One
Langston woke up the next morning still thinking about the accidental kiss she had shared with Cole. It haunted her dreams so much from the previous evening she wasn't sure she slept at all. She couldn't believe she had betrayed Starr like that. She was her best friend in the world and she had kissed her ex boyfriend, the ex boyfriend she was still in love with.
Quickly she wiped a falling tear from her eye and hoped she wouldn't run into Cole today. All she had to do was avoid him and everything would be okay. Besides Starr wasn't supposed to be hanging around him anyway.
As she pulled her black lace stockings over her legs, she couldn't stop replaying that kiss in her mind. As much as she hated herself for doing it she still remembered and yearned for his lips against hers, his hands tangled in her hair and his body touching hers.
Cole thought about lying to his Mom and John and telling them there was a teacher in service day so he wouldn't have to go to school today as he laid in his bed waiting for his alarm clock to ring. He hadn't slept at all last night. Every time he closed his eyes all he saw was Langston and all he felt was the feel of her lips and her body.
He could still remember the way they tasted. Her lips like fresh spring strawberries. He knew when she had pulled away from him, the horror of the reality of what she had done was written all over her face. She couldn't have gotten away fast enough and he was sure she probably would never talk to him again. How could he convince her that it was just a kiss? A kiss they both wanted and that they weren't hurting Starr.
The ringing of his alarm clock signaled the beginning of a new day. Peeling the covers off his body, he walked over to his closet having no idea what kind of day he was in store for.
Britney happily pranced the halls of Llanview High looking for the favorite target of her wrath Starr Manning. The petite golden rod blonde with the soft doe eyes always got on her nerves. It was as if she didn't understand that Britney always got what she wanted. The school musical lead was supposed to be hers but because Mrs. McPain-In-The-Ass liked Starr better and had it out for her, she got it. And then there was the biggest coup of all, stealing Cole out from under her. Didn't the little emo freak understand that athletes only dated cheerleaders?
Today however was going to be so much fun. Nothing brightened the cheerleader's day like ruining Starr's. The look on her face was going to be priceless when she saw her BFF kissing the boy she loved. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity the bitch in Britney just couldn't pass up. Looking around she found Starr and Langston hanging out by the former's locker. Life just didn't get any better. This was like killing two birds with one stone. She could humiliate both of them now. Plastering a sweet as pie smile on her face she walked over to the double your pleasure freak show and said, "Hi, Starr. Hi, Langston. It's so good to see you again."
Langston rolled her eyes at the preppie girl remarking, "What do you want Britney? You haven't had your daily blood fix yet?"
"Whatever do you mean Langston? I'm merely saying hello to my fellow classmates."
"Save it Britney. You don't like us and we don't like you. So why don't you tell us what this is really about?" Starr asked exasperated as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"I wish you guys would just give me a chance." She pouted as a warm smile appeared on her face. "I really don't hate you. Besides Starr I have something you might just want to see."
"Oh really," Langston challenged stepping in between Starr and Britney. "What is it another one of your videos of Starr's parents?"
A cunning smile broke out on Britney's face as she pushed Langston out of the way. Flipping open her cell phone, she revealed to Starr the picture she snapped of Langston and Cole kissing. Britney watched in pure pleasure as Starr's soft doe eyes became wider and her mouth fell open in shock and horror.
Turning to Langston she feigned innocence in her voice, smile and hazel eyes as she showed the other girl the same picture. "Does this look like Starr's parents to you Langston?"
Before Langston could answer Starr turned to her best friend and desperately pleaded with her. "Please tell me Langston that it's not true. That the picture isn't real that it's just another one of Britney's tricks. Tell me that you're not kissing Cole. You would never do something like that to me. You're my best friend. Please."
Langston's throat swelled up dry as tears welled up in her brown eyes and she wanted to lie. She wanted to tell Starr that the Queen of Mean was up to her nasty tricks again, but she couldn't. She couldn't find the words to explain herself and she couldn't lie. Not about something that was so painstakingly true.
"Is everything okay?" Cole asked walking up to the three girls that were congregated in front of his locker. Seeing Langston looking like a deer frozen in the head lights he asked, "Hey Langston are you all right? Starr is she okay?"
"Tell me Cole," Starr begs snatching Britney's phone from her and showing him the picture. "Please tell me that you're not really kissing my best friend. That you didn't just give up on me like you promised me you never would. Please tell me you wouldn't do something this cruel and hateful. That you would never hurt me this much."
Cole stood there much like Langston was standing there, wishing he could lie. Wishing he could tell Starr that she was right that he could never hurt her like he was and that he wasn't breaking his promise to her. However he couldn't lie to Starr, not about this; not about kissing Langston. It was true he had kissed her and he would kiss her again and again. The saddest part about all of this was he didn't regret it at all.
"I wish I could Starr but I can't." He admitted softly too ashamed to look her in the eye.
Starr felt her entire world crashing all around her. Sure she had been the one to end their relationship. She had given Cole up and told him they could never be together because of her Dad. But she never thought in a million years times infinity the boy she loved with all of her heart and soul could do something this cruel and mean. That he could shatter her heart into tiny little pieces but he had.
Turning around she faced her best friend, her confidant, the sister she never had and saw in her brown eyes that were welling up with tears all she needed to know. She saw guilt, hurt and sorrow but she herself felt nothing for the girl standing in front of her. Her soft doe eyes now blazed with an anger and a betrayal she never felt that surged through her body as she ran away from both of them, not wanting to see or talk to them ever again.
Britney meanwhile smiled in satisfaction as she watched Langston sink to the floor ready to cry. It was all in a day's work for Llanview High's biggest bitch. After this it was so obvious that Starr and Cole were finally over for real. They were no longer the school's biggest star crossed somethings, it was all over. There was no coming back from this and Britney couldn't have been happier. Life just always seemed to work out for her. A lesson Starr had finally learned the hard way.