#3 Truth and Kisses
Page 9
Bravo Gaga!
Everyone was quiet. Gaga just stood there, like she wanted the full effect of what she’d said to sink in. Then she announced that dinner was served.
So I sat down with my family and ate steak with sautéed mushrooms. I’m not sure if it was the delicious dinner or Gaga’s wise and protective words that made me so happy, but a warm, relaxed feeling spread through me like the melting butter on the steak.
“Delicious dinner,” my Uncle Drew said to Gaga.
“Thank you.” Gaga looked pleased with herself. “I used a recipe tonight.”
Everyone chuckled. Sometimes Gaga cooks with recipes, but more often than not, she’s what she calls a creative cook. She likes to “make it up as she goes along.” Sometimes the results are good, but sometimes they’re not.
I had the thought that life would be a lot easier if it came with a recipe—an instruction manual on how to do things, like tell if your best friend likes your boyfriend, or in this case, your ex-boyfriend, or how to tell if he still likes you, and most importantly, how to tell if the hot guy next door likes you as more than a friend.
That would definitely simplify things.
It’s crazy—just a few months ago, I was so sure I wanted to get back together with Billy. But now I know I wanted it for the wrong reasons. I think Sophie had it right. Maybe it was because I didn’t want Billy to be with Brynn, or because I wanted him to always be there for me. Maybe it was a little of both.
But it doesn’t matter. Sometimes it’s just hard to separate friendship from something more. And for that matter, it’s hard to deal with friendships as they change. It makes me sad that Brynn and I don’t see eye to eye like we used to. Hopefully, we can get back there again.
And then there’s Matt.
I get why my parents are worried. Matt’s older, and they don’t really know him. Not like they knew Billy. I guess that’s the problem May and June and even Brynn have too—they just don’t know Matt. But I know him. And I like him. A lot.
Going out with him makes me feel like there are all kinds of possibilities, a whole world just waiting for me to explore it. Gaga said only I can know what’s right for me, and what feels right for me is Matt Parker. I’m trusting my heart.
It seems like a very Zen thing to do.
About the Author
Laurie Friedman remembers what it felt like to be torn between two boys in middle school. One Valentine’s Day, she went through a whole box of candy hearts hoping to gain some insight into her true feelings. She remembers it as tasty but unhelpful.
Ms. Friedman is the author of Can You Say Catastrophe? and Too Good to Be True, the first two books in the Mostly Miserable Life of April Sinclair series. She is also the author of the award-winning Mallory series as well as many picture books, including I’m Not Afraid of this Haunted House; Love, Ruby Valentine; Thanksgiving Rules; and Back to School Rules. She lives in Miami with her family. You can find Laurie B. Friedman on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter, or at www.lauriebfriedman.com.