Friendship Rules

Madison stared at the front of the classroom, eyes fixed on the whiteboard, but nothing was sinking in. The numbers blurred together, meaningless symbols floating in and out of her focus. Something about limits, derivatives, maybe an equation she was supposed to be writing down. Whatever.

She had more important things to worry about than calculus.

She tapped her pencil against her notebook. Really, Madison knew that she should be paying attention, that her understanding of the material would have bearing on her ability to perform in her upcoming university classes. Always a conscientious student, Madison had a disciplined approach to schoolwork that served her well, earning her the honor of valedictorian and acceptance letters to every school she applied to. And yet, after the walk with her best friend and her boyfriend, all of it felt meaningless.

Boyfriend.

The word sent a rush of warmth through her, momentarily soothing the unease coiling in her chest

She hoped that was how Joey thought of himself. Madison's boyfriend. They hadn't exactly talked about it. They'd gone on a sort-of-date, they'd made out at lunch, and Madison had made a habit of walking to school with him. She wasn't sure how else she could make her intention clear to him. And she certainly thought of herself as his girlfriend. If another guy came along, it would be easy to take a pass. Joey was the best possible thing for her, so why would she even consider someone else? And if he met another woman, well... then...

Her fingers tightened around her pencil as she thought about the walk to school.

Aynsley. Her best friend.

What a bitch.

Madison had known Aynsley would be weird about it. She’d been so skeptical when Madison and she had texted about Joey, all that crap about hypnotism and ****. Joey wasn’t some loser; he was Joey Granger! Girls like Madison and Aynsley would be lucky to have a guy like Joey! If Aynsley had just listened from the start, they could have skipped all the arguing, all the attitude.

But finally, midway through the walk, Aynsley came around. It was, of course, right after Joey had explained it all to her. He was so good at that. Sometimes girls like them were too dumb to figure things out on their own, and having Joey to explain things sure helped them keep on track. Madison was certainly glad for it.

And then Aynsley actually started getting it, that Joey wasn’t just some random guy, that he was the guy. Madison could feel it, the shift in the air. The way Aynsley’s voice changed, the way she started agreeing with Madison instead of questioning her.

And for a little while, that had made Madison happy. She’d won. Aynsley understood. It was, after all, what she'd asked for, what she'd hoped for.

But then…

It wasn't that Aynsley stopped at understanding why Madison would want Joey; it was as if Aynsley started wanting him herself. That was not something best friends did to each other.

The teasing, the little giggles, the way she kept touching Joey’s arm like she had a right to. Joey was Madison's! How could she be so shameless?

The sharp crack of breaking wood startled her, and she quickly glanced around, heart pounding. No one noticed. Good. She exhaled sharply, shaking out her fingers before fishing another pencil from her bag, gripping it a little too tightly.

Joey was Madison's lucky break. Her one shot at the best possible life for her. If Aynsley jeopardized that, Madison would never forgive her. Madison had been so confident. Who could come along and steal Joey away from her? She was willing to compromise, to change so much of in her life, to give Joey the benefit of the doubt. He was, of course, the best possible thing for her. And if the only way Madison could be with him was that he wanted to play the field, well then she'd have to be alright with that. At least she'd still have him in her life.

But Aynsley wasn't the kind of girl who shared. Madison had seen her with boys, how possessive she was, how all encompassing her affections could become. Aynsley had been the one who had gotten Richard Tsang to break up with Rachel Harling, and then to swoop in to snare him in her wiles. By the time Aynsley was done with him, Richard couldn't even remember Rachel's name! And now Aynsely, Madison's best friend, had her sights set on Joey Granger!

Best friends just don't do that! Best friends don't flirt with the guy you were clearly with. Best friends certainly don't try to steal them. Aynsley should’ve been happy for her, not trying to wedge herself into something that had nothing to do with her.

It had taken everything in Madison not to snap right then and there. She’d **** herself to smile, to pretend she didn’t notice the way Aynsley kept tossing her hair and laughing at things that weren’t even funny. She’d kept her hands on Joey, just enough to remind both of them what was what.

But the fact that she’d had to do that at all?

She bit the inside of her cheek, her leg bouncing under her desk.

It had been a mistake bringing Aynsley into this. Maybe Madison had been too eager to celebrate her new relationship, to show off what she had. She had wanted an advocate, not competition.

But that was over now.

Aynsley had better remember who Joey belonged to.

Or else.