Unproven Chapter Fifty Seven "How to F*&k Up a Friendship in Twenty Words or Less"

If you're loved by someone, you're never rejected, decide what to be and GO BE IT
-The Avett brothers

Recommend Reading Introduction to Unproven

DEFINITELY READ Prologue

Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three

Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six

Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty Two Chapter Twenty Three Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Five Chapter Twenty Six Chapter Twenty Seven

Chapter Twenty Eight Chapter Twenty Nine Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty One Chapter Thirty Two Chapter Thirty Three

Chapter Thirty Four Chapter Thirty Five Chapter Thirty Six

Chapter Thirty Seven Chapter Thirty EightChapter Thirty Nine

Chapter Forty Chapter Forty One Chapter Forty Two

Chapter Forty Three Chapter Forty Four Chapter Forty Five

Chapter Forty Six Chapter Forty Seven Chapter Forty Eight

Chapter Forty Nine Chapter Fifty Chapter Fifty One

Chapter Fifty Two Chapter Fifty Three
Chapter Fifty Four

Chapter Fifty Five Chapter Fifty Six

Chapter Fifty Seven

Ary sat on her bed, putting the finishing touches on her Christmas gift for Grayson. She had spent some time deliberating on what you would get for someone who had everything, and decided making him a present would be the way to go. She flipped through the scrap-book she'd put together over the past month and smiled. There were pictures of the two of them of course, but also poems she had written as well as those she had borrowed, along with cutouts from magazines and printouts from the computer. Also there were small personal items she'd retrieved from the scenes of different events- A matchbook and lava stone from Hawaii; a rock from the day they'd spent at the waterfall near her childhood home with a magazine cutout on how to give the perfect massage; a leaf from the day they'd gone to the nature trail on Mulholland Drive; and other assorted items. Everything had a caption, some poignant, some humorous, all relevant to their intense and complicated relationship. Backed by a very simple but powerful concept...Love conquers all.

She still had no idea what he had planned for their early Christmas. She knew that it would occur the weekend before he left and likely involved a trip on his father's jet. She hoped wherever they were going it would include a wintry setting.

When she was a child her parents had made it a yearly tradition to rent a cabin in Montana to celebrate Christmas in the snow, and it was some of her fondest memories. Particularly selecting the tree and decorating it to the sounds of Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole while drinking steaming cup after cup of hot chocolate. After that they’d have a holiday movie marathon, always including a version of the Christmas Carol and ending with It's a Wonderful Life. She'd told Grayson about this and knowing him he would take it into account, especially since he felt so guilty about not being with her for the actual holiday.

She put the book to the side and pulled out two similar books she'd been working on for Andie and Sonya. She had a wealth of photos and memorabilia to work with for these, but was finding the project for Andie difficult due to their current problems.

It had been four straight weeks since she'd spent any real time with her closest friend. Their relationship had been reduced to texts that felt forced and the occasional chat in the hallway, which also felt forced. Ary had written and rewritten over a dozen letters to her that she'd never given, simply because they were at an impasse she could not seem to find the words out of. She loved Andie and knew the feeling was mutual, but as long as Grayson was in her life things just couldn't be right between them.

"Stubborn, pain in the ass, beotch!" She said aloud, shoving Andie's gift to the side in frustration.

On impulse she grabbed her phone and texted Andie the words she'd just spouted. Her finger hovered over the send button for half a second. Fuck it, she thought and pressed the button.

Her phone beeped a second later. Excuse me? Came Andie's reply.

You heard me! I miss my best friend!! But she's a stubborn pain in the ass beotch!!

Oh HO! Is that right? Well I miss my best friend but SHE'S A STUBBORN PAIN IN THE ASS BEOTCH!!

Oh, so now you're shouting at me, huh? Well that's good, it's something at least, something more than "Hey, how are you doing?" In that fakey bullshit voice you've acquired over the past couple of months...did Grant teach you that?

Oh you so don't want to bring Grant into this, Grant who is a nice, NORMAL, guy who doesn't play head games!!!!

Oh no? Then why has he involved himself in the anti-Grayson campaign? Either he IS into head games or is a giant pussy!

There was no response and Ary thought she may have gone too far. Grant really was involved in the Anti-Gray campaign, though that might have something to do with lingering resentment over being punched in the face. Still...If he really wanted to settle it then he should confront Grayson, otherwise he was exactly what she'd called him.

She stared at the phone for several minutes, trying to decide if she wanted to recant, when her bedroom door burst open and Andie marched in, eyes flashing.

"Fuck. You. Aryanne. Seriously. How dare you attack Grant? He hasn't done a single thing to deserve it unlike your sadistic selfish fucking ASSHOLE of a boyfriend!"

Ary jumped off the bed and stood in front of her, "Oh really? So I'm only imagining the looks he gives Grayson AND me every time we see him?"

"If he's giving you looks, it's only because he can't understand why the hell you're with such an enormous dickhead! And as for any looks he gives Grayson, you might want to pull your head out of your ass and look around so you can see the hordes of people who give him the same looks!"

"Or maybe he's giving me looks because his ego was hurt that I chose Grayson over him!" As soon as the words were out of her mouth Ary wanted them back. Desperately.

Andie's expression went from intensely heated to dead-cold. Without another word, she turned and rushed out of the room.

Ary stared at the spot she'd just vacated for a moment before being propelled into motion. She raced through the house and out the door just in time to see Andie backing out of the driveway like Satan himself was on her heels. She leapt off the porch and ran, "Wait, I'm sorry, wait!" She shouted, but Andie either didn't see her or didn't want to.

She sank to her knees on the driveway. Why had she said that? Why? She hadn't even realized that she thought it until the words were out of her mouth. Yes it had been her that Grant hit on first, but that didn't mean that his feelings hadn't changed. Andie was amazing, beautiful, there was every reason for Grant to have started dating her that had nothing to do with Ary. Fuck, she thought, fuck, fuck, fuck! She ran back inside and picked up her phone, dialing Andie's number. Unsurprisingly there was no answer. At the beep she started babbling. "I'm sorry Andie, I didn't mean that, I really didn't, I don't know why I said it. You're beautiful and awesome, of course he wants you. I swear I didn't mean it, I was just mad, please call me back. Please." She pressed end and called Sonya.

"Hey, what's up?" She sang cheerfully.

"I screwed up big time Sonya," she cried into the phone, then blurted out everything that had happened.

"Oh Ary." Sonya sighed loudly, "You definitely screwed up. You probably don't know this, but Andie refused to date Grant initially because he'd been into you first. It took him a week straight of serious charm to change her mind."

"Damn it Sonya, I really didn't mean it, it just slipped out because I was so mad! I don't think there's any reason someone would want me over her, you have to believe that. Other than Grayson, but only because he loves me and I love him, but I love her too! But I hate her right now, I swear I do, because she can't just..." Ary started crying.

"I know," Sonya crooned, "I know, it's okay, it's not your fault, she is stubborn. And a bit self-righteous. I can only imagine what she would say to me if she knew about Mark. Stop crying Ary, it's not your fault, she's the one who can't bend."

Ary wiped her face and smiled weakly. "Thanks, I needed to hear that," she told her shakily.

"Glad to help!" Sonya chirped, "And don't worry, she'll get over it eventually."

Ary snorted, "Yeah. Okay."

"Well I have to go," Sonya dropped her voice dramatically, "Mark's picking me up in a few minutes."

"Oh, well have fun."

"I will!"

Ary disconnected the call and stared at the phone for a moment. She had told Grayson she needed a night with her grandma; a white lie since her grandma was out with friends playing bingo or bridge or some such; in order to finish her presents, but now she wanted to be with him in the worst way. She was basically finished with his gift anyway…She dialed his number.

"Hey beautiful, how's Grandma-night?" He answered.

"She's..." Her voice caught on a sob.

"What's wrong?" He asked, alarmed.

"Can you come get me?"

"On my way."

She disconnected and took a deep breath, letting it out slow. Sadistic and selfish? Fuck you Andie, fuck you.

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