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Chapter Seventeen:
Today is the day; Stacey is going to tell Kourtney her secret. All evening, last evening, they plan the perfect conversation.
"I don't think I can do this." Stacey nervously gets out of the car.
"Don't worry bestie we will be right there to support you." AJ offers.
"Actually, I would like to do this by myself." They all, except Randy, raise their eyebrows. "I think it is best that I do it that way. If you guys are there she might assume I am covering for one of you." Stacey explains.
"Randy, did you know about this?" He nods. "Why didn't you tell me?" AJ is a bit hurt. She likes to be informed of plans so she will not be surprised.
"I didn't because Stacey told me not to. She doesn't want any help and shoe knows you would offer to help because that is the person you are." He smiles. Hopefully the compliment will get him off the hook.
"Well, fine. Bestie, you just call me if you need any assistance. I have more helpful." AJ whispery jokes not to let Randy hear them as Stacey nods.
"Thanks."
"Stacey, there she is. This is your shot because she is by herself." John observes. Today, he is with his friends giving Stacey all the support they can give. One of the aspects of their perfect conversation it can be is to have Kourtney without her group.
"Okay." Stacey calms herself down. "Here we go." She puts a smile on her face. "Kourtney!" She calls out waving her hand in the air while she jogs towards her.
"Hi Stacey, how are you? It seems I haven't seen you in awhile." She is being nice using the best friend aspect to get close to Randy.
"Yeah, it has been awhile. Umm, we need to talk about something." She speaks nervous on not knowing what her reaction will be.
"You don't want to be friend anymore." Kourtney pouts.
"Well we need to talk about that, but I have something else to tell you." She fidgets with her hand.
"Phew. I thought you are going to dump me for AJ. I mean you and AJ best friends; that is crazy." She hysterically laughs
"She is not that bad. Now back to my announcement." She brings them back on track.
"I mean, what do you two have in common? She is a nerd that hangs around with people way out of her circle. I mean look who she is dating, although, they are both nerds." She chuckles.
"Hey!" She yells. "She is dating my brother. You never liked him because she doesn't fall over you like everyone else does. He is a great brother and a great boyfriend to my bestie." She crosses her arms furious at her. She doesn't know that she opened another conversation.
"I am not dating your brother." She ponders. "You are dumping me for her." She is in shock. "AJ is your bestie now." Her plan is ruined.
"That's right, I have decided that she has been a better friend than you, who is suppose to my best friend."
"But Stacey, we are childhood best friends. We have been through everything." She is upset being dumped. She is usually the dumper not the dumpee.
"I know we have been which is why it is very heartbreaking to have us drift away." Stacey tears up. Even though Kourtney has changed, she still cares about her. "Kourtney, you have changed a lot in these few years. You are not the same person I have known since childhood. We promise to always have each other's back, but that changed in Middle School. Ever since you have befriended the head cheerleader in Grade 8, nothing has been the same. You hang out in clubs, party all the night, and hurt people emotional and physically. That is not who I am and you know that. I am grateful that you have invited me to all those parties. However, I never was comfortable with any of it. Now, I have a bestie that hangs out in the interest we both enjoy." She explains. "I am sorry to tell you in this way, but it is how I feel. You shouldn't not insult or make fun of anyone including the one that always stick up for us with our parents.
"They put you up to this. They have brainwashed you to turn on me." She can't believe this is happening right now. Kourtney just feels that she has changed a bit. She thought everything was fine between them.
"They haven't. They just have opened my eyes to the many difficulties and differences that have happened between us," She informs her.
"So, this is your announcement. This is your plan to hurt my feelings." Kourtney sniffles being a bit hurt by the revelation.
"Actually, this is on the spot. The real announcement is that I am the recorder." She blurts out quickly.
"What, who is that?" She is now confused on who this person is.
"Kourtney, I am the person who recorded the whole situation with John and AJ." She almost whispers.
"You were the one." Stacey nods. "That video expelled my boyfriend. Have you no heart." She is in disbelief. "You knew how much he wanted to turn his life around." She is now angry at her.
"I do have a heart. It is him who had to beat up two people without any explanation." She argues back.
"He did have a reason." She whispers knowing it is somewhat true.
"Oh really, what is it? What was so important that John had two bruised ribs for?" She asks very seriously.
"Your boyfriend isn't that innocent either. He may not do anything physical, but he hurts me emotionally with his awful words he expresses to me. My boyfriend was defending my honour and he gets expelled for it. Randy is just like his best friend, AJ. They both hurt people emotionally." Kourtney mutters.
"It is true they are like each other sometimes; they are best friends from childhood too like us. They defend each other like we used to do. You say he was defending your honour." Kourtney nods. "So Randy, John, and Jack are allowed to beat your boyfriend's friends to defend mine and AJ's honour." She states.
"No, that is not how it works." Stacey rolls her eyes. "Randy hurt my feelings." She argues weakly.
"Well you hurt AJ and tried to get my boyfriend, Randy to break up with me." Kourtney is surprise. "That's right I know, he and AJ told me all about it. Plus, with all the stunts you and Dawn have-"
"Wait-" She shakes her head. "Why is Dawn included in this conversation? She has been a better friend than you." She now recognizes that they have drifted apart since Middle School.
"Well your 'friend' gave me a baby powder shower, freak me out, and threaten me." She informs Kourtney who has a disbelief expression.
"Why would she do that?" She asks not knowing all of these situations took place.
"Because she knows about me being the recorder, that's why. Instead of just telling you she decides to blackmail me. She has been writing notes and warning me to tell you or else."
"How does she know about your secret?" Kourtney is a bit mad at Dawn for not telling her about Stacey. They both know how much she wanted to know who it is.
"I guess she eavesdropped on one of our conversations.
"I can't believe this. I can't believe you two would do that to me. Without you, Dawn is my closest friend." She can't take anymore betrayal.
"Think about it, why she would do that." Stacey pretends to ponder. "She has always been jealous of our friendship before when we meet her in Grade 8." Kourtney looks at her weird. "I guess all the partying and drinking affected your brain. Yes she was and still is jealous that you would invite me first to everything. I was your number 1 pick because I was your best friend, even though we were drifting apart.
"No I haven't noticed." She looks down. "What do I have to do to gain your trust again or get back to where we were before?" She gives it one more chance to continue her plan.
"Look back at our childhood, how you were. Afterwards, look who you are now. If you don't see the differences, you have gone farther than I thought. If you do see the differences, help yourself get back there. I really miss that Kourtney." Stacey walks away. This is not how the conversation is supposed to be. She was supposed to tell her and leave like ripping a band-aide.
Kourtney ponders at her words. 'Have I really changed that much?' She sighs. Now she has to have a conversation with Dawn.
Stacey sits at their lunch table waiting for everyone. The conversation went up to the bell which signals classes have started.
"Hey baby." Randy pecks her cheek. "How did the conversation go?"
"It was emotional draining." She lays her head on his shoulder.
"You two walked down memory lane a bit as you assumed." Randy asks. They were up half the night talking about what could actually happen in the conversation.
"Sort of, she didn't accept that she isn't my best friend anymore. She also wasn't happy that it is AJ who is my bestie."
"So she knows you are the recorder?" She nods. "That's great; do we have to hide you when she is around now?" He slightly jokes.
"No, she didn't mention anything about that. However, our Dawn situation might be already solved."
"Oh, she knows about the Dawn situation." She nods again. "Well that also great. You solved two problems at once." He hugs her with one arm.
"Hey bestie, how was the conversation? Did it go as planned?" AJ asks sitting across from her with Jack and John beside her.
"Somewhat, we talked about our friendship before I told her. Plus, Dawn's name along with what she did made its way into the conversation."
"So Dawn will leave us alone?" AJ asks surprised.
"I hope so." Stacey takes a bite out of her sandwich.
"Maybe not, here they both come." Jack points out to Dawn and Kourtney marching towards them.
"Stacey, get up!" Dawn yells at her.
"Woah, you don't yell at my sister like that." Jack yells back.
"You stay out of this Jack. This doesn't consider you. I am speaking to your disrespectful sister." She glares at him.
"Hey, anything that consider her considers me so back off." He argues back about to get up.
"Yeah right, you will forget that when you spend all of your time with AJ. You will forget all about her." She proclaims.
"No he won't." AJ speaks up.
"Stay out of this shrimp fry; you are invisible to me. You are just a boyfriend/ best friend stealer. You steal Jack away from Becca and Kourtney away from me. Kourtney is my best friend and you still Stacey which supposed to make Kourtney mine best friend she isn't. You have one already in Randy. Now, Stacey gets up before I pull your hair to get up." She orders.
"Dawn, let's go. We don't want any violence. Her old self doesn't like any violence. I guess the popularity took over her personality.
"No we are staying here until we sort this out. Now for the last time get up." She pulls her arm to get her up."
"Aww, what do you want Dawn? Just leave us alone." Stacey snatches her arm back.
"You told Kourtney about what I did to you." Stacey nods irritated. "Now you are going to pay by causing my best friend status with her. Prepare to battle for her." She raises her fists.
"No way, I am not a fighter." She tries to sit back down until Dawn speaks up again.
"Come on you chicken." She grabs her hair pulling her away from the table.
"Stop!" Stacey pulls Dawn's hand off. "I am not fighting you." She walks back to the table.
"Suit yourself." She charges at Stacey.
"Stacey, look out." AJ pushes her out of the way to get the impact of Dawn.
"AJ!" Randy and Jack both yell out simultaneously. Kourtney is in shock on just happened.
"AJ, are you okay?" Randy pulls her to his lap. "AJ, answer me." He rubs her cheek. "What did you do, the both of you?' He asks very concern for his best friend.
"That is the price you pay for being Stacey's new best friend." Dawn smirks evilly.
Jack and John stand up with glares at both of them.
"We better go. Come on Dawn." Kourtney knows perfectly well that they are in trouble. She remembers the glare from Jack when he caught them in trouble before.
"No I'm good." Dawn observes her handy work.
"Dawn come one." She drags Dawn with her.
"AJ, please say something." Randy speaks with concern in his voice.
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