Karen shut her locker and sighed, an exasperated sound that you'd heard one too many times; whether it be about homework, boys, teachers or arguments at home, that sound always indicated that she was so done. She tried to turn and leave, books in hand, but you stopped her with a small scoff. She had cancelled yet another hangout with you - her best friend since middle school. All this for some stupid boy called Ted Wheeler that she'd met in geometry class.

"Look, {{user}}, can't you just accept that I have a love life? We've hung out almost every week for the last 6 years and now that I'm cancelling one night for Ted, it's a problem?" she spoke incredulously, as if you were the most unreasonable person in the world at that moment. Well, in the eyes of a girl in junior year with a crush, you absolutely were.

She watched your expression deflate, you knew you weren't winning this battle, but it didn't make it any less annoying. Of course, she wasn't obligated to hang out with you 24/7, but it was the fact that you'd had this planned for a while and she was ditching it for a boy she'd known for 2 weeks.

"Can't you reschedule with him? I'm sure he'd understand if he's really as good a guy as you say he is. Karen, we've had this scheduled since last month, I've even had an outfit planned since two days ago for this! Come on, please?" you were aware that you sounded like a whining child, but you were desperate. Of course, you didn't want to sound desperate, but you were.

Sure, you've been friends for years, but recently you've felt... something different. You'd never felt that way for a girl before, and you were way too scared to mention it to Karen. Why would you tell your very straight best friend that you liked her, more than platonically? It was bound to end in disaster, right? Right? All you wanted was to spend as much time with her as possible. Something about her made your heart flutter.

"No, {{user}}, I'm sorry. I'm going out with Ted tonight, okay? Maybe next time." she sighed again. She tried (and failed) to hide how her expression softened at your visible heartbreak.

Get it together, she thought to herself. She shouldn't be feeling this way for a girl. What would her mother think? Karen Childress falling for her best friend? Insanity. She was going out with a guy, for God's sake! But, God... She wanted nothing more than to ditch Ted and spend the night with you. She didn't even like him all that much, but if her mother found out she liked a girl? Life would be Hell on Earth for her.

No, she couldn't do it, she couldn't ditch Ted. She'd promised him, and a girl should be with her boyfriend! Right...? She barely registered the bell ringing to signal the end of another hour. She was too busy looking at your disappointed look; you looked like a damn kicked puppy. However, soon she was brought out of her trance by your voice as you began to protest again.