Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg Read Free Book Online Page A

think they’re seeing the same movie as us?”
    Dread came over me that I’d have to watch the Emily and Levi Make-Out Hour instead of the new Paul Grohl romantic comedy.
    Danielle apparently read my mind. “Maybe we can sneak by them and sit toward the front?”
    “Sounds good.” We grabbed our tickets and headed toward the theater with our heads down. I felt my heartbeat pulsing quickly.
    “Hey, guys!” I froze in my tracks upon hearing Emily’s voice. For a split second, I debated pretending to not hear her, but Danielle was already heading over.
    “Hey!” Danielle said cheerfully. “What are you guys doing here?”
    I made a mental note to encourage Danielle to join the drama club.
    Emily laughed. “Seeing a movie, silly!”
    “Really? You didn’t come here solely for the popcorn?” Danielle shot back.
    “We’re seeing The Salem Reckoning .” Emily pretended to get chills down her spine. “Fortunately, I have this one to hold me tight.” She beamed at Levi.
    In the many years I’d known Emily, she’d always refused to watch a horror movie. Even the cheesy, so-bad-it’s-funny kind. But I guessed she’d use whatever excuse she could get for PDL (public displays of Levi).
    “Cool,” Danielle said in a way that you could tell she found it the opposite of cool. “Well, I need to hit the little girls’ room before I watch Paul Grohl be romantic and dashing for ninety minutes.”
    “I’ll join you!” Emily grabbed Danielle by the arm and headed toward the restrooms.
    “Hey!” Levi finally acknowledged my existence.
    “Hey.” I decided not to act like it wasn’t awkward.
    “Listen,” he began. “I was thinking that maybe on Wednesday we could go grab a bite to eat and do some shopping. I totally need help picking out what to get my mom for Christmas.”
    I let the icicles that were beginning to form around me melt a little. He was making an effort. He was also asking me to help him with his mom’s gift because I knew her better. I knew him better. Maybe I was being a little harsh. I wasn’t being replaced. Because that was really what I thought was happening.
    I was being foolish. Levi would never replace me.
    We’d solidified our plans by the time Emily and Danielle came back from the restroom.
    “Ready?” Emily grabbed Levi’s hand.
    “Yeah.” Levi winked at me. “Have fun!”
    “You too,” I replied.
    And I meant it.
    Levi and Emily weren’t the problem. My attitude was. Clearly, there was something wrong with me that I got threatened the second my two best friends didn’t give me one hundred percent of their attention.
    I knew right then what my New Year’s resolution would be: to stop being so needy.

    Once I gave myself an attitude adjustment, I began to smile whenever I saw Levi and Emily together. I remembered reading somewhere that if you smile at something, it automatically makes you happier.
    So whenever Levi or Emily would bring up the other, I’d smile.
    Soon it became an automatic response.
    Levi and I were walking around the mall, our hands full of shopping bags. “So I was telling Emily” — SMILE! — “that I still haven’t gotten used to this weather. I know everybody said last winter was particularly brutal, but I think this year’s even worse. Like, negative degrees? How can it be so cold that the temperature doesn’t even exist? Or, like, it’s less than zero? How is that even possible? At least Emily has promised to keep me warm.”
    SMILE! I didn’t know what else to do. I had to play a role, a happier version of myself so he wanted to still spend time with me.
    Levi took my silence as an invitation to continue. “Yeah, so I was also kinda hoping you could help me pick out something for Emily.”
    SMILE!
    “Oh, awesome!” Levi replied.
    Even though I didn’t say anything, my stupid grin made it seem like I’d be more than happy to help him pick out a gift.
    Levi led me to a jewelry store. “You’re so cool. I didn’t know if it’d be