Not a Best Friend Thing

Slutty Business

"Whose voice was that?"

Klay moved her eyeball round their sockets pressed her lips.

"What voice?" she asked innocently.

Jacey gave her a you-know-what-I-mean look. She waved her hand passed her face,

"nobody's"

"You're the one who have something to say to me, you-- jerk who ditched a Code E!"

She bursts remembering her emotion state just a while ago. And it was now his turn to get shy and nervous.

"Explain, now!"

He narrated everything and made sure to make him look clean. He started with Sloane then end with Jake.

"You see, I was just a victim of fate" he said after finishing his story.

"And would that make me a victim of fate too?"

She c****d a brow.

"Uh-huh," he replied with an annoying seriousness in his tone.

"So, all the fault was of fate?"

"No, I had little mistake too." She laughed; he was hilarious.

"Okay, I get it that you had a fair share with fate's fault..."

She made quotation marks with air, "your little mistake, are you kidding me?" and said with all the sarcasm in the world.

He flashed her wide smile, showing his teeth.

"That's why I said I'm sorry" he pleaded and it sounded annoyingly funny.

So, she laughed.

"You and your goddamn technique Jace."

She was in hysterics.

"If fate has a mouth, she'll be cursing you by now. Giving her all the blame."

Jace tried out a few chuckles.

"Does that mean you'd forgiven me?"

"But for a second, I thought you were staying away from me." She stated sincerely, the thoughts that had been dawning on her all day.

"What? Why should I?" He asked noticing the change of her tone.

"Because you finally realized what a weird, boring nerd I am." she softly said.

"Don't ever think that way again Klay. You're one of the best things that's ever happened to me," he whispered over her shoulder. And all her sadness fled away.

xxx

Road trips had always fascinated Klay, even more than the outdoor activities that went along with it. You know, riding on a smooth ride with the wind surging toward your face, giving you that sense of freedom? And the most enjoyable of all was the stereo, singing along with what was playing.

"I'm on my way..." she joined her best friend only singing only the lyrics she's familiar, "... country lane..."

She watched Jacey glanced toward her every other while, her sight focus on him with every tree and scenery blurring as they pass. She watched the jerks of his lips. His hair tousled with the wind from his side of the car--- then his eyes.

Suddenly he was all she sees.

She had been asking herself which part of their bond had she started loving him? Really loving him as a man? But she couldn't seem to pinpoint the exact moment. But there was one particular, the moment she realized she did-- fell for him.

Seventh grade.

And the first girl he got involve with. Kiara.

Jacey was and is a sweet type. Like he would tie her hair when he got the chance, kiss her forehead and kneel down to tie her shoe laces-- things like that. She thought it was how he'd make her feel special, dear to him because they were best friends. Until he did all that to Kiara. So, it was just casual to him, how silly?

So, she'd shook the idea off.

Even if she always felt a knot forming on her stomach every time, she'd witness him to do that to Kiara. No, it cannot be, she can't be jealous, it's her best friend. It would be so weird, right?

Then Kiara started snatching her best friend away from her. They wouldn't have lunch anymore and even didn't go home together frequent times. It was a big deal you know. It was forever when they go to school together, lunch together, went home together and all of a sudden it changed? It was a dramatic heartbreak. After realizing what she felt for him was weird, she tried to convince herself it was just a normal reaction of a jealous sibling. If you know what she means.

Then they kissed. RIGHT in FRONT OF HER. If you'd witness the great pyramid crumbling before your eyes, that was what she was feeling. Her heart, shattering brick by brick. But no, she was just a dramatic nerd, it was just the start of Jacey's slutty business. She invented the word for every time Jacey would say, "no I'm not available on Sunday because I've got something to do." And that something is obviously, something to do with women. Thus, slutty business. Starting with oh so damn Kiara and his first kiss with her, followed Linda, Gracie, Steff or was it Steffy? Then Trudie, etcetera etcetera.

"We watch the sunset over the castle on the hill.." Jacey sang or wailed, the latter more appropriate.

His voice louder over the stereo, "Castle on the Hill, by Ed Sheeran, playing. They were heading for a beach out of the town for their month-end thing which Jacey promised to shoulder all the expenses down to the single penny. Borrowing the Veritas RS 2000 of Mrs. Gray earlier the day made Klay much pleased with the journey they took outside of town. Which wasn't easy, with all the explaining and promising to take care of the "baby". It took both of them to wake up early considering Mrs. Gray as a nurse. Klay had been more responsible so she had to do the job. When she explained they would go out of town, Mrs. Gray automatically asked, "Is this for that best friend month-end thing of yours?" Which she answered yes. Then promising follows, blah.. blah.. blah...

"Just take extreme care of my baby," Mrs. Gray said finally. It made a pout to Jacey's lips before he replied, "Aren't I your baby?"

They already made reservations for their stay at the Montage Bluff Accommodation Hotel of Myrtle Beach and all of this was for strengthening their friendship. Their plan was to arrive on the hotel and have lunch, then go to the amusement section of the beach, get all crazy, then witness sunset on the beach and bonfire.

"Your room number is 676, here's your key. Enjoy your stay ma'am and sir." The lady on the counter finally said after a brief introduction to their establishment.

Klay accepted the keys and turned toward Jacey.

"So... let's go?"

"After you," he motioned toward the giant staircase.

Klay looked around her surroundings.

The Hotel ambiance was good. Sort of Spanish style probably justifying the "montage" idea. She moved forward, Jacey on her tail with all their luggage- which weren't that many. They found themselves on the top and automatically saw the elevator.

"You do realize you're treating me like a servant," Jacey sounded on her back and she replied without turning.

"Yep," she said popping the P.

They entered the lift and then hit the floor they were supposed to go.

Before the elevator closes a woman slid inside that made Jacey's eyes twinkle.

By that it means-- the woman was all in ways sexy, attractive, seductive and all adjective, of sorts.

The woman stood between them and Klay watched her as she flipped her head toward her best friend.

"Hey," Jacey greeted with that familiar flirtatious tone.

"Hi," the woman replied, dragging the word.

"Alone?" he asked and just like that Klay was forgotten.

"No, got someone waitin' for me" she said.

"Oh." Said Jace.

Klay wondered, if she wasn't here the two would already be sharing fluids. It made her eyes roll.

"Slutty business," she murmured to herself.

For a second there, Klay thought the woman would join Jacey to their room. After hearing her reply,

"You're funny." and made a flirtatious laugh, God, she thought she was almost seeing a scene before a s****l activity. Or maybe she just wasn't used to it.

Then the lift made a ting sound finally shooing the girl away. Before she walked out, she managed to turn to her and spoke.

"Hi there, by the way. Didn't see you."

Finally, she realized she was live and not a freakin' statue. Thank you very much.

She wanted to reply a, "Hello? You were standing right beside me?"

But she hadn't, instead she flashed a smile.

Several minutes later they arrived in room 676. Klay fiddled with the key and finally opened the door. They were welcomed with lemon blossom scent wafting around the room.

"Rule with the nth number which you seem to doesn't follow, no flirting with women when I'm around. It disgusts me," Klay said marching toward the coaches sitting against each other.

"I wasn't flirting," he replied putting down their belongings onto one of the couches.

"Oh yeah?"

"You know I've read a post on the beach's website that they're on sale." He said dismissing the subject.

"I don't care that is on you anyway," she replied with a smug smile.

He groaned, "I hate you." She laughed, "that's what you get with a broken promise."

She walked to the bed, "...you know I really enjoyed the ride this time."

She said and lay down the mattress. The memories of their previous out of town flashing at her mind. They traveled with his bike that time and it was a disaster. Totally.

She remembered herself shrieking nervously when they'd turn on an alley. And he was hysterically laughing of her actions.

"I know..." Jace replied with a teasing chuckle probably remembering the scene too.

xxx

Lunch came and Jacey had just done bathing. A crew brought it to their room while Klay was reading an emergency book. An emergency book is a book she'd carry in case of social interactions or while waiting for someone or for just a lousy moment of everyday life. It was sort of an escape for her being a social awkward. You know when everyone's chatting with each other around the room except you and became the weird guy? Yeah, a book is pretty much an escape especially if you don't want to talk at all.

"Aah... finally," Jacey muttered as he paraded the room. Tousling his wet hair and pulling his shirt in place, he looked down their meal.

It was a continental dish-- Paneer steak, Crispy Calamari Rings, Smoked Kidney Bean Salad and Walnut Pie complemented by a pitcher of iced tea.

"Won't we eat?" he asked turning to his best friend on the couch.

"Dig in, you look as if you're drooling, got to finish this chapter," she waved her hand.

"My turn for a rule lady... no reading when I'm around I'd feel left out."

She raised her sight to him.

"Wow, am I obliged? After all you didn't follow any of my rules."

"Fine, no flirting when you're around."

She brought the book down, "deal."