Chapter 38: Drunk Confessions Part 2

JADE:

I couldn’t believe my ears…

“What did you say,” I breathed in as I went over to Dianna’s side near the bathroom sink. “What rumors? What kind of rumors did you start?”

By now, Dianna was still laughing hysterically. She opened the faucet and began splashing water generously on her face.

“Ah, this is so cold, Jadey! Look! Look at the water! It’s so cold!”

She began splashing water all around us. I tried evading her attempts to splash it all over me. That was pretty easy to do since Dianna didn’t have a good aim as she was drunk.

“Okay, that’s enough water, Dianna. Let’s go back outside. I’ll call your mom and dad and ask them to pick you up,” I said softly, pushing her away from the sink.

“No,no, no, no, Jade! I’m having fun with you here. I don’t want to go home yet!”

“Um, you’re drunk. You have to go home before you embarrass yourself further,” I said exasperatedly.

I was losing patience towards this drunken version of Dianna. She was even more difficult to handle than when she’s sober.

“I’m not drunk. She’s the one who’s drunk,” she blurted out while pointing at her own reflection.

“Well, I’m still calling your mom and dad,” I said. I unclasped the red purse Edril had picked for me alongside the dress for the prom. Before I could dial any number, however, Dianna snatched the phone away from my hands.

“Hey! Give it back,” I said. I tried grabbing the phone from her hand, but she kept swinging it higher.

“No, no, no! I’m not giving it to you, Jadey! I’m not going home yet.”

“Alright, alright, I won’t call your mom and dad. Just give me my phone back.”

“Ha ha ha, finders keepers! Catch me first!”

As soon as she exclaimed this, Dianna sprinted out of the restroom like a mad woman.

I tagged along her and ran as fast as I could, the red heels I was wearing clinking on the empty hallway of the eastern wing.

Rats! The joints of my knees would probably get damaged as I try to run faster in high heels.

On the contrary, Dianna was wearing flat gladiator sandals, so she sprinted effortlessly away from me.

She ran all the way to the northern building, which made catching her even harder. She climbed the stairs despite my shouts, and all I could do was to follow her.

I was positively out of breath as we reached the third floor. I think I really would get a heart attack if I had to climb another flight of stairs!

Suddenly, Dianna stopped by the third floor landing. I sighed in relief and proceeded to come to her in a slower pace.

“Here, here… Let’s go down… Give me back my phone now…”

“Uh, no can’t do… I lost it,” she said sheepishly before she laughed hysterically once more.

“Hah! What?”

I positively wanted to cry at this point. My mom and dad are going to kill me once they learned I lost the smart phone they gave me for my last birthday.

I can’t believe that my prim and proper best friend would suddenly turn wild and childish with a single glass of wine.

I clasped Dianna’s arm. “Let’s go down now… This is getting way out of hand.”

“No, Jadey… It’s so hot! I want the cold!”

Suddenly using an extreme amount of strength from only God-knows where, Dianna dragged me instead to the fire exit, which was only a few steps away from us.

I almost tripped as she dragged me to it. After shutting the door, Dianna sat by the concrete floor of the fire exit and began to weep.

I surmised Kix must have been back by now from the buffet table. I hope he’s alright and was not in the same state as I was – confused and utterly tired from running all around.

“You should know, okay, Kix was the one who spread those awful pictures of yours. He was also the one who denied that you were his girlfriend in the group chat, remember that! They didn’t have to do with me at all,” Dianna said as she lied on the floor.

Yes… That’s what I’ve thought so too… Until Dianna mentioned these suspicions I haven’t told anyone before…

“What are you saying? Why are you bringing back those awful memories from the past?”

“B-Because he might tell you otherwise! Because he saw me do it, so he might tell you, but you’ve got to believe me! I didn’t do it! Kix’s mom said I should tell you that i-if you ever find out!”

I felt all the blood in my face drain away as it hit me…

What Dianna said just now - it’s a straight out confession, right?

“Dianna… Dianna, tell me about it properly. What did Kix’s mom made you do, hmm? What did she ask you to say to me?”

“She said… She said to tell you that Kix didn’t like you… I have to pretend to be Kix on the internet a-and tell everyone he didn’t like you… She said she’ll reward me if I do. I-I could win a scholarship… More importantly…”

Dianna rolled on the floor in fits of tears. I held her by the arms and tried to shake some sense into her.

“More importantly, what?”

“M-More importantly… You won’t be together! You can finally break up with each other!”

I looked at my best friend’s face, and for the first time, I saw traces of emotions I have never seen in her…

There was desperation, sadness, despair, hatred, and a hint of jealousy…

“Kix… Everyone likes Kix! H-How can he… How can he just fall for someone like you,” she said laughing and weeping at the same time. “How can K-Kix like a dull girl like you? I was prettier and smarter… W-Why can’t he choose me? Why did he choose you?...”

I let go of Dianna’s shoulders.

So all these years, this was what she thought about me?

“How long… How long have you liked Kix?... How long have you felt like this about me?”

“Since from the very start!... You… You were supposed to be my sidekick! You were just someone who was supposed to compliment me when I needed it or listen to me when I rant,” Dianna bitterly said. “How did an ugly duckling like you m-make someone like Kix fall head over heels in love with you? I hated it! I hated you for stealing Kix away and ruining my high school!”