12

Even though I told Everly to go with Sabrina, it still bothered me. We had been having so much fun searching for the clues and then Sabrina just snatched her away.

Stop it, Lexi. She's allowed to have other friends.

I shook my head, trying to clear it. These negative feelings about Sabrina were getting tiring, and I knew Everly would be upset if she knew I had them. I was afraid Sabrina would come between us, but I was going to do everything I could to make sure that didn't happen.

Sierra will know what to do.

Me: Are you busy?

Sierra: No. What's up?

This was too complicated to tell over text. I called her and started walking back to the dorm.

When Sierra answered, I said, "I need your advice."

"Always happy to provide, sister. You're on speaker, by the way. Tyeshia's here, too."

"Hey, Tyeshia. I need help with an Everly situation."

"What do you mean?" Sierra asked. "You've only been at school for a week. What happened?"

"Remember how she started hanging out with Sabrina last semester? And they went to that party together?"

"Yeah, they're roommates now, right?" Tyeshia asked.

Good, Sierra told her everything. Less explaining I have to do.

"Mhm. Ev and I were doing the scavenger hunt and Sabrina called her. She ignored the phone call and said that Sabrina told her I make her nervous. And that she doesn't know if there's room in Everly's life with me being such a big part of it."

They were both silent for a minute.

"Is that it?" Tyeshia asked.

"No," I admitted. "Sabrina called again and I told Everly to go hang out with her. I was in the middle of telling her about Tyler and it feels like it got dropped for Sabrina."

"His name is Tyler? Okay, we're circling back to him," Sierra said as I badged into my dorm, "but let me see if I understand. You and Ev are hanging out, she gets a call from Sabrina that you tell her to answer, and then you get upset when Everly goes to hang out with Sabrina?"

I know, it sounds ridiculous. It shouldn't upset me this much.

"I know, it doesn't make any sense."

"Is it possible that you're jealous of Sabrina stepping in and taking some of her time?" Tyeshia asked. "It's just been the two of you for years and now there's someone new in the picture."

I stopped on the landing of the staircase and looked out the window. The late August sun beat down on my skin and after a few seconds I started ascending the stairs again.

"Yeah, maybe a little," I said. Everly's door was closed as I opened mine and slipped inside my room. "I just don't know what to do. I've tried to include Sabrina in conversations but she just doesn't seem interested in being my friend."

Putting my phone on speaker, I opened my window and threw myself onto the futon.

"So you have two choices," Sierra said. "You can just ignore Sabrina, or you can keep trying to be her friend. Both choices will likely have a direct impact on your relationship with Everly, though."

"I just don't want things to change," I said. "I know, I know, ‘change is part of growing up.' Dad already gave me that speech."

"Have you thought about taking a break from the entire situation for a few days?" Tyeshia asked. "Sierra, stop. Let me explain. Lex, you're upset about this. You're probably feeling a little bit slighted because of Sabrina and maybe a little overwhelmed with school stuff and Tyler? Right?"

I thought about it for a second. "You're right. What if Sabrina doesn't want to be friends with me, though?"

Sierra answered. "You can only do so much. Reach out to her. Get everything out in the open and see where you can go from there. Actually, take her out for coffee. I need to know what's good on that Roasted Bean menu."

"You don't need coffee. You're hyper enough today as it is," Tyeshia shot back.

"I love you both so much," I laughed. Then, my tone became serious again. "I just... I don't want things to change."

"They're going to, no matter what you do," Tyeshia said. "Take my advice, don't give any coffee suggestions to your sister, and just do your best."

I ran my fingers over the beads in my friendship bracelet.

"I have homework to do anyway. I just thought this would be a fun thing for the two of us to do together and it didn't end up the way I was hoping."

"It's a brand new relationship, if that's what this is," Sierra said. "Feelings are new, and emotions can be high. Like Tyeshia said, take a few days and see what happens."

I sighed but didn't say anything.

"Lex."

I knew it was good advice. Not surprising, coming from Sierra and Tyeshia. That didn't mean I wanted to follow it.

Sitting up, I took my phone off speaker. "I will. I'm not happy about it, but I will take the advice of my elders."

"I love you, but I really can't stand you sometimes," Sierra said. "Now, tell us about your Tyler situation."

My Tyler situation.

I put my phone back on speaker and lay down on the futon again. "I can't quite figure him out. He's quiet. Like hasn't said a word to me, type of quiet."

"Interesting," Tyeshia said. "Do you think he can't, or just won't?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't figured out a way to bring it up but I think it's part of what's drawing me to him. That and his eyes."

"Oh, do tell," Sierra said, and I could picture her batting her eyelashes.

"And I may have invited him to sleep on my futon when his roommate's girlfriend spends the night," I added quietly, remembering too late that Dad and I had unofficially decided not to tell Sierra about the futon.

Oh no.

"You mean the futon Dad wasn't supposed to tell me about?" Sierra chuckled. "He swung by on the way home after helping you set it up."

Of course he did.

I looked at the time on my phone.

"As much fun and helpful as this has been, I have homework to do," I said, taking my phone off speaker again and walking to my desk.

"Just think about what we said," Tyeshia said. "And keep us up-to-date on your Mystery Man."