Chapter 1

LILY

“Up or down?” I asked my reflection in the mirror. The party going on in the hotel’s hall was already well underway, but I was still trying to figure out my outfit.

“Up” I decided. Taser, my boyfriend loved my hair up. And he would love the black dress I was in. Everything was to his liking tonight. My hair piled up, simple earrings adorning my ears. My dress wasn’t dramatic, the cut was not revealing at all and I was in the lowest heels I had.

I brushed my hand over my darkly dyed hair, missing my natural blonde waves. Taser had joked severally that being blonde made me look like a dumb bimbo. Dark was better.

Besides, it was just hair.

And tonight was more important than that.

We were finally going public with our relationship! I grinned at my reflection as I bounced off the chair and did a small turn.

I could finally rub all my sister’s doubts in her face. Myra didn’t like my boyfriend. Or my bestfriend, or the way I lived. She didn’t like a lot of things about me, but it was deserved. After everything I had done…

The room door opened suddenly, and a girl I was in the same design class with poked her head in.

“It’s almost time for the bracelet ceremony!” She yelled before shutting the door.

Fuck, I needed to find Taser and go downstairs. Hopefully Evie was still with Taser’s cousin, Camille and would be easy to find.

My best friend had left the room with Camille after she helped me into my dress, but now, I needed her help in choosing a better lip color.

Taser would like the nude, but I loved the red…

Oh what the hell, today was more important than lipstick too.

I applied the nude generously over my lips and tossed both tubes into my purse.

Now I just had to meet my boyfriend so we could head down together.

I stepped out of my room and into the crowded hallway, smiling at the faces I recognize and those I didn’t. Everyone was excited.

Mostly for the end of school, but also, for the bracelet giving ceremony aka brace-pass . At the end of the party, everyone would know who was dating who, the couples that had separated, the new ones, hell it was the perfect opportunity to ask the person your interested in out.

I could barely contain my excitement.

My smile grew wider when I spotted Camille with her friends laughing. “Hey roomie.” I waved to her friends. “Where’s Evie?”

“Oh she’s downstairs. She says you should hurry up by the way. You know how pissy she gets when you make her wait.”

Nobody understood my best friend better than me. But she was not monopolizing me today. I was getting Taser first.

“Thanks.” I chirped and moved past her.

“You’re not headed to Taser’s room are you, Lily?” Camille asked, stopping me.

“Of course I am. Evie can wait a little bit-“

“But she wants you now, you know how sad she’s feeling because she doesn’t have a boyfriend for the brace-pass.”

Her words made me hesitate. Evie had been acting distant recently, and while I wanted to do everything to make her happy, I also had to put Taser first. Tonight was going to be the first night that someone other than his cousin, my bestie, and my family would know about us, and I didn’t want to spend it with him upset. Evie would understand. She had to.

Camille smiled at me, “Don’t worry, I’ll get him down, just go meet Evie-“

Her words were interrupted by the chant “Bracepass” as guys flooded the hallways and drummed on the doors.

I turned and continued on my way while she is distracted, nearly skipping to his room with joy. I was sure my sister and her husband were down already.

As I reached the door to Taser’s room my phone pinged with a new message.

Myra informing me about where she was. She would be easy to find.

I pushed the door open, my eyes still on my phone.

When I finally looked up, I found Taser on his knees, head to the side as he wiped his mouth, and my best friend standing, one leg propped on the bed, her eyes steadily on me.

I blinked severally, waiting for the image in front of me to fade away like a bad smell.

“Shit!” I heard Camille curse behind me.

It is only after she speaks that Evie straightens her leg and pushes her dress down. She brushed her hand over her shoulder and pulled the strap of her dress up, covering her exposed pink nipple.

Oh god.

I started to back out but collided into Camille.

“Shit.” She cursed again, stopping me with her hands. “I’m going downstairs.” She muttered as she left, leaving me with my guilty looking boyfriend and a best friend that looks more resentful than guilty. Like this was somehow my fault.

Nobody had spoken. And if someone had, I could not hear them past the pounding in my chest.

I swallowed hoping my voice would be strong. “Care to explain?” I ask dumbly. What exactly did I want to know? Why I found my boyfriend of three years giving cunnilingus to my best friend? Why did people cheat anyway? Was there a reason Taser would tell me to make all this go away?

Taser stood and approached me, a sheepish smile on his face, the one I always thought was cute. ”We were just talking, babe. Then Evelyn dropped an earring and I had to help her get it. Right Evie?”

There was a slight dip in his tone, but his eyes never left mine.

“Right.” She answered, her usual sarcastic bite to it.

What was happening? Was Taser actually planning on lying his way through this? I eyed my boyfriend, shock on my face.

“I know what I saw. You were…you and Evie...” a tightness in my throat settled and refused to leave. My eyes burned, the betrayal sinking in. “Why would you do this to me?”

“I-“ Taser sighed, rubbing his eyes wearily. “It just happened.” He answered, sounding resigned “I was under a lot of pressure with the party, and meeting your family- I just panicked and…you know how that feels babe, I cracked, you know I would never do this to you...”

Evie snorted, gaining my attention. She sat on the edge of the bed, her hands stretched behind her for support.

“Evie.” Taser warned, before wrapping his hand around my wrist. My eyes never left hers. The look of contempt I had noticed earlier was still there. Come to think of it, she had not been in a hurry to cover up the crime.

She wanted me to find them.

I shook Taser off me.

“Evie.” I could feel the chasm in my chest grow wider. “You’re my best friend.” My only friend. I would imagine anyone else in the world doing this but not her. “Why…why would you throw our friendship away for him?” She didn’t even like Taser. If they ever hung out, it was because I forced them to. “All of that to be a side piece?” Nothing made sense.

Evie started laughing. Like a real belly laugh, and I wondered if I had stepped into an upside down reality.

“Side piece?” She asked, giggling.

“Evelyn.” Taser warned.

“Who’s the side piece?” She continued, ignoring him as she stood. “Sweetheart no.”

“Evelyn for fuck sake stop!” He yelled, before placing his hand on my shoulder. “Let’s find somewhere else to talk babe, your friend is clearly drunk.”

“Sure.” She drawled, waving her hand dismissively. “You could do that Lilybud, or you can stay here and get your explanation.

“If you say another word, we’re done. I swear it.” He hissed at her, as he attempted to block my view of her.. This was the most confrontational I had ever seen Taser. He was lying. This wasn’t a spur of the moment thing, there was more between them. I stepped away from him.

“Tell me.”

“Me and your ‘boyfriend’ have been together since high school.” She sounded pleased to pass that information, her voice lilting.

“Highschool?” That can’t be right. “No, you guys met two years ago. Through me. You didn’t-“

“We lied, Lily.” Evelyn gloated, “I met Taser long before you. If anyone’s the side piece, it’s you.”