The salty ocean air whipped Emma’s hair out of her face as she walked down the sandy road. The most noticeable thing about Emma this day was the excitement that lit her face up, and brought out her ocean blue eyes in the sunlight. She grabbed a hairband and pulled her silky blonde hair out of her face, as she continued to walk down the winding road, the excitement building up inside her. The look on her face as she reached her destination echoed on the face of a similarly aged girl as she ran up to Emma and wrapped her tan arms around her friend’s neck. Instead of talking, like they normally would, the two girls stood in awe of the beautiful beach they stood on, gazing at the beautiful sunset reflected on the clear ocean waves.

“Hey Charlotte!” Emma gave her friend another hug. “Isn’t the sunset beautiful?!”

“I know, right?” Charlotte responded, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “But do you know what’s even more beautiful?” She pointed at a figure walking along the beach in the distance. “Him…” She sighed dreamily. “Don’t you agree, Em?”

Emma shrugged. “Jeremiah’s okay, I guess. But don’t worry, I know he’s yours.” 

But… I wish he was mine, Emma thought. He’s so cute, and sweet, and kind, and I’ve had a crush on him since forever! Why does Charlotte just think she gets him automatically?!

Charlotte smiled at her best friend, but looked a little disappointed. “Only in my dreams, though. He’ll never notice me.”

I hope not. Emma thought, even though she knew she should want her bestie with him. Still, the opposite response popped out of her mouth. “Of course he will! Why wouldn’t he; you’re the best!”

Charlotte smiled and linked her arm through Emma’s, as they stepped into the clear ocean, the cold water tingling their toes. Out of the corner of her eye, Charlotte spotted Jeremiah walking towards them with a few of his friends. He was carrying a sign and flowers, but she couldn’t quite make out what the sign said. Excitement tingled through Charlotte's veins, because she knew what was coming. 

Emma glanced at Charlotte’s flushed face as Jeremiah came closer and closer, knowing what was coming. A pang of disappointment shot through her as Jeremiah hid the sign and flowers behind his back, nervously glancing back at his friends. Charlotte walked to meet him, so Emma followed her. To their surprise, instead of stopping at Charlotte, he walked past her to Emma. Her heart beat quicker and quicker, as she realized what she dreamed of was finally coming true. He pulled the sign and flowers from behind his back, and said nervously, “Emma, will you go to homecoming with me?”

Both Emma and Charlotte were speechless, as they processed what was happening. 

Ahhhh, he’s asking me to homecoming! I can’t believe this is happening! Emma cried inside her head, but the outside of her was calm and collected.

This is a joke, right? Charlotte thought desperately. Why’s he asking her; she doesn’t even like him! He was supposed to ask me! 

“Uh…I’d love to go with you.” Emma said quietly, but with a shining smile lighting up her face. She avoided Charlotte’s surprised and hurt gaze as she gave him a hug, receiving the colorful flowers he handed her. 

“Great, I can’t wait!” Jeremiah replied, relieved. “We’ll text, okay?”

“Yeah,” Emma said, as if in a daze. Jeremiah smiled at her, and then he and his friends turned around and walked the opposite way down the beach. 

Emma turned to face Charlotte, knowing her best friend would be angry at her. But to her surprise, Charlotte just looked hurt. 

Oh no. Emma groaned inwardly. Hurt is even worse than anger. I don’t know what to say!

Charlotte finally spoke, her voice quiet for once “Why’d you say yes? You know I like him.”

Emma fiddled with her thumbs, trying to figure out what to say. “I…um…well…”

“Well?!” Charlotte replied impatiently. “Why’d you say yes? You said you didn’t like Jere, and you told me he was mine!”

“But…well…I do like him.” Emma responded quietly. “I’ve had a crush on him since forever.”

Charlotte was in shock. “How could you betray me like that?” She asked, disbelieving. 

“You’re being way too dramatic,” Emma shot back. “You can’t claim a guy, especially if he doesn’t even like you!” As soon as the words flew out of her mouth, she wished she could shove them right back in. 

“I’m sorry,” Emma said to Charlotte, who was looking off into the distance with pained eyes. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

Charlotte finally looked back at Emma, glaring. “Yeah, you shouldn't have.” She angrily slid into her flip flops and ran down the beach, her hair flying out behind her. 

Emma stood, watching her figure disappear into the distance. A small tear slid down her face, as she realized she had just fought with Charlotte over a guy, something they had sworn they’d never do. At once she knew the ugly truth; she had just lost her best friend.

The salty ocean air whipped Emma’s hair out of her face as she walked down the sandy road. The most noticeable thing about Emma this day was the excitement that lit her face up, and brought out her ocean blue eyes in the sunlight. She grabbed a hairband and pulled her silky blonde hair out of her face, as she continued to walk down the winding road, the excitement building up inside her. The look on her face as she reached her destination echoed on the face of a similarly aged girl as she ran up to Emma and wrapped her tan arms around her friend’s neck. Instead of talking, like they normally would, the two girls stood in awe of the beautiful beach they stood on, gazing at the beautiful sunset reflected on the clear ocean waves.

“Hey Charlotte!” Emma gave her friend another hug. “Isn’t the sunset beautiful?!”

“I know, right?” Charlotte responded, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “But do you know what’s even more beautiful?” She pointed at a figure walking along the beach in the distance. “Him…” She sighed dreamily. “Don’t you agree, Em?”

Emma shrugged. “Jeremiah’s okay, I guess. But don’t worry, I know he’s yours.” 

But… I wish he was mine, Emma thought. He’s so cute, and sweet, and kind, and I’ve had a crush on him since forever! Why does Charlotte just think she gets him automatically?!

Charlotte smiled at her best friend, but looked a little disappointed. “Only in my dreams, though. He’ll never notice me.”

I hope not. Emma thought, even though she knew she should want her bestie with him. Still, the opposite response popped out of her mouth. “Of course he will! Why wouldn’t he; you’re the best!”

Charlotte smiled and linked her arm through Emma’s, as they stepped into the clear ocean, the cold water tingling their toes. Out of the corner of her eye, Charlotte spotted Jeremiah walking towards them with a few of his friends. He was carrying a sign and flowers, but she couldn’t quite make out what the sign said. Excitement tingled through Charlotte's veins, because she knew what was coming. 

Emma glanced at Charlotte’s flushed face as Jeremiah came closer and closer, knowing what was coming. A pang of disappointment shot through her as Jeremiah hid the sign and flowers behind his back, nervously glancing back at his friends. Charlotte walked to meet him, so Emma followed her. To their surprise, instead of stopping at Charlotte, he walked past her to Emma. Her heart beat quicker and quicker, as she realized what she dreamed of was finally coming true. He pulled the sign and flowers from behind his back, and said nervously, “Emma, will you go to homecoming with me?”

Both Emma and Charlotte were speechless, as they processed what was happening. 

Ahhhh, he’s asking me to homecoming! I can’t believe this is happening! Emma cried inside her head, but the outside of her was calm and collected.

This is a joke, right? Charlotte thought desperately. Why’s he asking her; she doesn’t even like him! He was supposed to ask me! 

“Uh…I’d love to go with you.” Emma said quietly, but with a shining smile lighting up her face. She avoided Charlotte’s surprised and hurt gaze as she gave him a hug, receiving the colorful flowers he handed her. 

“Great, I can’t wait!” Jeremiah replied, relieved. “We’ll text, okay?”

“Yeah,” Emma said, as if in a daze. Jeremiah smiled at her, and then he and his friends turned around and walked the opposite way down the beach. 

Emma turned to face Charlotte, knowing her best friend would be angry at her. But to her surprise, Charlotte just looked hurt. 

Oh no. Emma groaned inwardly. Hurt is even worse than anger. I don’t know what to say!

Charlotte finally spoke, her voice quiet for once “Why’d you say yes? You know I like him.”

Emma fiddled with her thumbs, trying to figure out what to say. “I…um…well…”

“Well?!” Charlotte replied impatiently. “Why’d you say yes? You said you didn’t like Jere, and you told me he was mine!”

“But…well…I do like him.” Emma responded quietly. “I’ve had a crush on him since forever.”

Charlotte was in shock. “How could you betray me like that?” She asked, disbelieving. 

“You’re being way too dramatic,” Emma shot back. “You can’t claim a guy, especially if he doesn’t even like you!” As soon as the words flew out of her mouth, she wished she could shove them right back in. 

“I’m sorry,” Emma said to Charlotte, who was looking off into the distance with pained eyes. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

Charlotte finally looked back at Emma, glaring. “Yeah, you shouldn't have.” She angrily slid into her flip flops and ran down the beach, her hair flying out behind her. 

Emma stood, watching her figure disappear into the distance. A small tear slid down her face, as she realized she had just fought with Charlotte over a guy, something they had sworn they’d never do. At once she knew the ugly truth; she had just lost her best friend.