Chapter 33

~ 

"What the hell..." Lotte whispered as she kept scrolling to see more pictures of Jake and Andrew together.

"I am so...angry," I had to say looking at the post she was clicking.

"Girl, what even is this??" Lotte clicked on one post of Jake and Andrew one arm hugging like any pair of best friends would do. They were holding the football trophy they won from last year at playoffs. "I'm officially dead."

"Like, WHO cheats on their boyfriend or GIRLFRIEND with that person's BEST FRIEND!?" I yelled. "Like how INHUMAN and DUMB can you be??" I walked around Charlotte's room wanting to pull my hair out.

"Girl I'm just as speechless as you. Like...that's like me cheating on Kevin with Asher... Why would someone do that?" Lotte had to say.

"I don't even know, but I really don't have the guts to tell Jake now," I sat on the floor crisscrossed, burying my head in my hands. "I can't do it."

"Dawn, no," Lotte turned to me quickly in her chair. I sighed as I dropped down to her floor, shaking my head. Lotte sighed as well, going over to her printer getting the pictures I had printed out. She came back over and sat on the floor beside me, laying out all the pictures. I examine the photos as Lotte placed her hand on my shoulder.

"Listen to me... Although Jake isn't my favorite person in the world and more than half the time I just bunch him in his face because he's so stupid, he doesn't deserve a girl like this," she admitted. "Jake is a good boyfriend and for Celeste to be cheating on him with HIS BEST FRIEND is just horrible. He has a right to know!" She told me seriously. "Like those are supposedly his two BEST FRIENDS! He deserves better!"

"I know he deserves better!" I looked at Lotte. "After all the things he's told me about what he did for her and what they been through since sophomore year-" I had to add quickly before I admitted our talk at the secret hideout earlier, "Jake deserves more!" I sighed again picking up one of the pictures thinking about everything. I was kind of surprised I was more upset than I should be, but I just shrugged.

"It just sucks....I mean...I don't know how to tell him," I looked at Lotte. "That what? 'Oh hey Jake, I just wanted to inform you that "your suppose to be girlfriend" and one of your best guy friends are totally like together in secret and are lying to your face and they are also a thing, but it's okay. Celeste is a bitch anyway and Andrew really isn't your best friend after he pulled a stunt like that, and although I don't like you, I'm here for you and I'm sorry! I just thought you should know!'" I said really fast with a fake smile on my face. Lotte just looked sincere and depressed at me. I then just slummed down and buried my face in my hands again.

"I can't do it, Lotte," I tell her. "I don't want Jake mad at me."

"Listen to me girlfriend," Lotte got closer speaking queitly as if someone would hear us. "You have all the evidence you need. You have to do this and think about it, he can't be mad at you. The only person he has to be mad at is himself for not noticing all this before and of course Celeste. His only option is to break up with her BEFORE homecoming and think about this Dawn," Lotte wanted my full attention.

I looked at her hiding my lips in my mouth.

"Imagine Celeste Hollister....breaking up with Jake Lander....and he didn't even do anything...AND HIM getting the short end of the stick and then her going out with his best friend? We can't let Celeste have her way like she has been for the past THREE years. We can get her back in secret...." Lotte whispers to me. "Besides... it's her own word against hers...." Lotte then goes on my phone and plays the voice memo and like right on cue we hear Celeste's evil voice and she says,

"Jake doesn't need to know what I do in my personal life Dawn Noel and you better not even mention it to him since I KNOW y'all have classes together!! Mind your own business!"

Lotte stops the recording and she crosses her arms with the look of seriousness on her face and although I did want to get Celeste back for the all the crap she's given me since freshman year and even Charlotte, I had to agree....

Jake was my friend no matter how hard I didn't want to admit it....and with him helping me get with Asher...I can't just sit back and let this happen. Jake really did deserve more than that. He deserved something better.

"Fine," I finally looked over at Charlotte. "I'll tell him-"

"BEFORE homecoming-"

"No," I cut her off. She tilts her head at me perplexed, but before she can say anything I tell her, "Halloween. I will tell Jake before Halloween." Lotte smiles.

"A week before your birthday," she tells me quietly. I smile back shaking my head saying,

"A week before homecoming."

~

To calm ourselves after the dirt we just discovered, Lotte ordered a pizza and we're just sitting on the couches in her room, laid back, with no care in the world watching Youtube videos on her Smart TV.

"So, how were you and Kevin's date last night at Trendy Treats?" I asked her. "I almost forgot to ask." She didn't look at me.

"It was really fun. He didn't ask me to homecoming though like I thought he would," she seemed disappointed. "But it was really cute and we just talked all night about different things."

"Like what?" She shrugged.

"Like how much we both despise physics. Him still wanting to try out for the basketball team when bands over. How I'm not trying out for homecoming royalty," she rolled her eyes. I chuckled as she was still clueless I nominated her, but that just reminded me to see if she made homecoming court when I get home later tonight. "Kevin even suggested we match for the house party at Caleb's, you know? At the Halloween party?" Lotte then brightens and I looked over at her as she got up and went over to the other half of her room, toward her closet.

"I almost forgot, our costumes finally came in!" I laughed as I got up to join her and she placed the unopened boxes on her little-cushioned seat in front of her full-length body mirror.

"Omg, did you call them like you said you would?" I asked her.

"I did, and I guess it worked. I threaten a refund and I guess they already spent my money and they couldn't afford that," she looked at me with a big cheesy smile on her face. I really laughed.

"You're crazy Lotte," I shook my head as she trying to open the box. "Crazy."

"You love me though," she said when she finally tore off the tape.

When she opened the box and pulled out the first plastic bag, it showed the picture of a super cute mini mouse costume and she handed it to me and she pulled out her bumble costume and we looked at each other.

"Girl," Lotte smiled at her costume.

"This is cuter in person..." I said looking at it.

"Omg, it really is!" Lotte exclaimed. "We have to try them on like...right now."

"Duh!"

Lotte and I put on our costumes, laughing trying to figure out how to put them on, noticing I had mines on backwards we were just crying of laughter. Suddenly we heard some gasped and we both turned to see Javier and Charlie standing in the doorway of Lotte's room, looking at us half naked.

"Ahhh!!!" They both screamed like any little boys would do. I laughed even harder falling on the floor of embarrassment and Lotte ran to close the door and she said,

"Get out my room you dweebs!" But Charlie and Javier kept her from the closing the door.

"Wait, we just wanted pizza!" I heard Charlie's little voice trying to keep the door open.

"No, it's Dawn and I's. Go ask mom for your own!" Lotte is still trying to close her door in just a bra and panties.

"We want it noowww," Charlie begged still trying to keep Charlotte from closing the door.

"Ugh fine!" Lotte went over and grabbed the box of leftover pizza and shoved it in Charlie's hands and she said, "Now leave us alone!" Charlie and Javier ran away laughing and Lotte closed her door back at locked it.

"Hahahaha! Omg, I can't believe they just opened the door like that without knocking," I told Lotte as I turned around for her to try and sip me up again.

"I can believe it. Just be happy you don't have any little brothers," she rolled her eyes. I couldn't help but keep laughing. 

Eventually, she finally got the zipper and I turned around and put on the Minnie Mouse ears on my head, as Charlotte finally got on her bee outfit, putting on her antennas. We both went over to the body mirror in front of her dressing room for a closet and we both squealed, gasping at each other with wide eyes.

"Girl," I turned and looked at Charlotte.

"Dee," she said at the same time I did.

"You look amazing!" We both said to each other. We both laughed getting closer to the mirror, as I pulled out my dress beside me like I was a princess while Charlotte turned around and messed with her little black tutu.

"Hahaha, ugh this is cute! This is so me!" I said to myself in the mirror. "Thank you so much for buying this for me Lotte!"

"Of course girl! But can we just admire how sexy my gloves for with my skin tone?" Lorre asked me. "Sunbathing in the dead of fall wasn't a bad idea, and my dad tried to tell me differ," Lotte shook her head. I laughed at her as she chuckled looking at me and I just automatically hugged her.

"Hahaha, yes! Thanks Lotte you're the best. If I do that mouse/cat make up you suggested the other day, I'm sure Asher will totally adore me at the party, which means he'd have to ask me to the homecoming dance November 7th!" I screamed.

"Yesss! How about we practice the look right now! I'll do it for your and while I do that, you should look up some make up ideas for me from Pinterest. Like, I'm a bubble bee. WHAT am I suppose to be going for on my face?" I chuckled as she held onto both my shoulders from hugging me.

"Stripes?" I joked. She brushed me off smacking her lips and I just laughed grabbing my phone walking over to her vanity.

"Lame Dawn, you're lame," she told me turning on her Hollywood inspired lights waiting for me to come over to her.  I did while I winked at her saying, 

"Love you too babe."

~