Best of Friends

“All Jack said was I look pretty. It was just a little comment, Noah.” Rachel inspected herself in her oversized vanity as she spoke, adjusting her black pushup with delicate fingers.

“Jack creeps me out,” Noah said as he scrolled through the endless reels on his phone. He sprawled across Rachel’s bed, feeling the warmth from the sun streaming through the bay windows.

“I think you’re being unfair. His jokes might not always land, but he’s not creepy.” Rachel ran her freshly done nails through her blonde wavy hair, assuring it had a perfectly natural look. She puckered her full pink lips as she looked over her makeup once more. Noah glanced at her reflection in the mirror, his heart skipping a beat as he caught her blue eyes.

God, she was beautiful.

“I swear, you are way too innocent. He’s a fuckboy Rachel, and those ‘little comments’ about your looks and body? They’re not just little comments. They’re weird, and he’s a creep,” Noah replied. Rachel had to laugh at that.

“Well, I think you’re being a little too suspicious of him. It’s really cute his friends have been so welcoming to us. It’s made freshmen year a lot easier.” Rachel walked over to the pile of clothes pouring out of her closet and began sorting through them. “God, it’s impossible to find anything in this small closet… Is my dress on the bed, babe?”

“I thought you said you were going to give away some clothes to make space?”

“I did! This is only about a fourth of what I had,” Rachel said.

“I guess you haven’t gotten used to living like us common folk yet,” Noah said as he looked around the bed briefly.

“Hush.” Rachel laughed softly as she tossed a shirt to the side, “Did you see the dress?”

“No dress, sorry,” Noah said. He watched Rachel rummage through her closet with a smile across his face. She only wore her bra and panties, moving with a gentle elegance despite being flustered. But that was Rachel. Too well-mannered to lose her graceful poise, and too sweet to show a hint of frustration.

“Did you actually look?” Rachel asked.

“I did. There’s nothing here babe.” Noah eyed Rachel hungrily as she dug deeper into her clothing piles, her perfectly round ass in plain view as she got on her knees to continue her search.

“You know, if you can't find it, we could always stay home. Jack will have another party. He’s been having one almost every weekend since we got on campus,” Noah said.

“Oh, is that right? And what would we do exactly?” Rachel leaned forward into the pile, arching her back so her ass hung high in the air.

“I could think of a few things.” Noah did his best to sound seductive, but Rachel didn't seem to catch it. After all, being seductive never was Noah's strong suit. Rachel stood and turned to him, the fabric of her black plunging-neck dress clinging to her curves.

“Found it! I guess those ideas of yours are going to have to wait,” Rachel walked toward Noah slowly. She swayed her hips while pulling the dress close to her chest. Noah felt his cock throb as she turned around and stepped into it. She moved slowly, giving Noah a coy smile as the dress caught on her butt cheeks. Rachel might have been a sweet small-town girl, but when she wanted to be bad, she sure knew how.

“You sure you don’t want to just stay home tonight?” Noah asked weakly, his eyes glued to Rachel as she slipped the dress over her shoulders and turned to him.

“Noah, we have officially escaped small-town life. We have four years. Four years to really be young and live our lives to the fullest. This is our time to have fun! Not sit at home and watch TV.”

“Well… we wouldn’t be watching TV…” Noah sat up and grabbed at Rachel’s waist. She let out a playful yelp as he pulled her onto his lap. Noah leaned in for a kiss, but Rachel promptly placed a finger on his chest and pushed him back.

“Ah ah, I just did my makeup.”

“Come on babe...” Noah groaned.

“After the party. Now, listen to me, mister,” Rachel dragged her finger across Noah’s chest. “You need to learn to take life by the horns. I know there wasn’t much to do in Herferd…”

“And no friends to do them with,” Noah said blandly.

“Yes, but that isn’t the case anymore, is it? We’re at an elite college right by the city. We could eat at a different restaurant every night and still not have tried everything this place has to offer. I don’t want to be who we were in Herferd. We need to get out as much as possible and experience all we can!” Rachel’s energy was intoxicating. She had always been this way. A bright star that could inspire even the most miserable of their peers. It was why she made valedictorian, it was why she was cheerleading captain.

“I mean, you're right. It'd be stupid not to try and live a little before we get tied down with jobs and life. But I wouldn’t say Jake’s party counts as ‘experiencing’ something. All they do is drink, smoke, and play beer pong. People just go there to flirt and hook up. It’s literally the same every time. Plus Jack and all those guys…” Noah stopped, looking to the ground as his chest tightened.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Rachel said, placing her hand on his shoulder.

“I guess… I guess a part of me wishes we hadn’t befriended them?” Noah said. Rachel stared at him silently, he wondered if he'd said something wrong.

“You don’t want to be friends with Jack?”

“I mean, maybe?"

“Noah, you can’t keep pushing people out. Jack has been a saint. He’s literally the only person who went out of his way for us since we got here.”

“Yeah, I know…”

“He was there for you when you were having car trouble. He was there for me when I was having trouble finding my classes.”

“I know I know,” Noah closed his eyes and shook his head.

“So what is it?” Rachel wrapped her arms around Noah’s neck. Her sweet perfume filled his nostrils.

“He reminds me of Brian.” Noah felt goosebumps rise on his skin. He couldn't remember the last time he'd said that name out loud.

“Oh…”

“Yeah.”

“Noah, I know what happened at prom was traumatic. How Allison cheated with Brian was–”

“Don’t bring that up,” Noah pushed Rachel off himself and stood, burying down his memories as fast as they appeared in his mind. His heart thumped in his chest, it felt like the walls were closing in around him. He wanted to run, to sprint as far as his legs could take him.

Noah focused on his breathing and clenched his fists tightly. He wasn’t at prom. Allison wasn’t here. That was in the past. Noah took several deep breaths.

That was the past. Allison wasn’t here, Brian wasn’t here…

“Are you alright?” Rachel asked gently. Noah nodded.

“Y-yeah, that wasn’t as bad as some of the other times,” he said.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought that up,” Rachel said gently.

“It’s fine.” Noah didn’t turn to look at Rachel. He didn’t want to appear any more **** than he felt.

“I guess I’m just shocked,” Rachel said. “I really thought this group was helping you feel at home. Coming to Godfrey was a big step for both of us. It’s a totally different world compared to Herferd, and I’ll be honest, it’s been a hard transfer for me. Having Jack and his friends around has been really helpful. I didn’t realize you didn’t feel the same…”

“No, you’re right. They’ve been decent. It’s just… god how do I explain it?” Noah turned to Rachel. She looked nervous, eager to help Noah feel better in any way she could. He hated when she looked that way. Noah wanted Rachel to feel safe around him, she shouldn’t feel like she needed to take care of him. Allison felt like she needed to take care of Noah. He couldn’t let that happen again…

“It’s ok, take your time. I’ll listen when you’re ready,” Rachel said with a smile. Her voice was a warm invitation for Noah to relax. It made him feel like the luckiest man on earth.

“We had a chance to start over. To leave Herferd behind. You were getting a shot at some freedom, and I was getting a chance to be a completely different person. This was a chance to not be seen as the weak, nerdy kid… then they just showed up. Don’t get me wrong, they’ve been helpful and a lot of fun. But deep down, I can't help but feel like something is off,” Noah said.

“Oh Noah.” Rachel stood and walked over to him. “What happened on prom night… was a nightmare. And those ‘friends’ of yours weren’t your friends. But this group is different. I feel like we can build a real friendship with them.”

“I guess. You don’t think all the name-calling and the jokes about me still being a virgin are a red flag?” Noah asked.

“Well, we both know you’re not a virgin.” Rachel stood on her toes and kissed Noah deeply. His anxiety floated away as her soft lips touched his. She tasted sweet. He felt his body shiver as Rachel’s fingers slid up and down his arms. She pulled away and gazed deeply into his eyes. “They're just teasing you. That's what boys do. You can’t run from making friends forever. At some point, you’re going to have to trust people again.”

Noah wrapped his arms around Rachel and let out a sigh. “I hate it when you’re right.”

“Mmmm. But I bet you're feeling better, aren't you?” Rachel pressed her nose against Noah’s.

“A lot better.” Noah let out a breath and placed his hands on Rachel’s hips, “Can I ask you something, though?”

“Of course.”

“What do you like about those guys, anyway?”

“Hmmm…” Rachel looked down. “I think they’re honestly really fun and really nice. I know they can be rough around the edges sometimes. But that roughness feels familiar. I guess in a way, they remind me of home. Plus… if I were being honest… I think the parties are a lot of fun!” Rachel shrunk away with an embarrassed grin.

“You’re serious? You actually like the parties?” Noah said with some surprise.

“Of course I do! Noah, you know how strict my dad was. I never got to party!”

“He didn’t seem all that bad to me.”

“That’s because my dad is the most personable man on the planet. He didn’t build a manufacturing business with his looks, that’s for sure.”

“You can say that again,” Noah said. Rachel immediately punched him in the chest, “What the hell?! I was just agreeing with you!”

“I can make fun of my dad’s ghoulish face. You cannot!”

Noah raised his hands, “Alright! Jesus. All I’m saying is you should be glad you got your mother’s supermodel looks.”

“Ew Noah! Now you're saying my mom is hot?!” Rachel’s words were delightfully lighthearted. The two laughed as Noah covered his eyes in shame.

“Fuck, I think it’s best if I just stop talking.”

“Yes, please. Stop while you’re ahead,” Rachel was tearing up, her cheeks rosy from laughter. “Anyway, while my dad seems super nice. He was insanely strict with me. Probably because I was his only daughter…”

“And because you’re gorgeous,” Noah added. That was a minor fact Rachel always seemed to sidestep.

In Herferd, Rachel was the prettiest girl in town. There wasn’t a girl in their small high school that came close. She was too big for a place like Herferd. Between her looks, family wealth, and charm, it was only a matter of time before she found her way to a larger, better life. But despite all her wealth and beauty, Rachel was incredibly down to earth. That’s what made her one in a million, and Noah loved that about her.

“Don’t start. What I’m trying to say is I didn’t get to do anything in Herferd. My Dad never let me out of the house, and when he did, I had strict curfews. He installed a tracker on my phone and even made me text him every few hours! It was like a prison. But now…” Rachel let out a little jump of excitement, “Dad isn’t around to say no to parties, and I am actually getting a chance to have some fun!”

The excitement in Rachel’s voice was contagious. She was right, this was her moment. No, it was their moment. Noah couldn’t let the past stop him from having a future. If he did, Allison and Brian would win, and Noah couldn’t let them win.

“Well, when you put it that way… I guess we better get going, huh?”

Rachel smiled, “That’s the spirit! Come on, we don’t want to be too fashionably late.” Rachel adjusted her tight dress over her curves and grabbed her small handbag. Noah took a deep breath as he followed Rachel out the door.

Rachel was right. It was time for a new beginning, everything would be fine.

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