She glares at me. “Fine. Here’s the truth. Toby was too much of an idiot to realize I was his best option.”

I rush to Toby’s side and wrap my arms around him. He pulls me close and kisses the side of my head. “I can’t believe Tori saved us like that,” I say.

“I can,” he says, and I realize he’s right. She’s never once let me down. Even now, after I hurt her, she still had my back, and Toby’s.

Davidson brings the microphone to his mouth. “All right. I think that’s enough pep for one rally. Everyone is dismissed.”

After detention, we head to Toby’s house to find Tori. This has to end now. She’s in the kitchen when we walk inside. She eyes us for a moment and goes back to pouring popcorn into a bowl.

“Why did you do it?” I ask.

“You think I want people to think my brother is a complete ass when it comes to girls?”

“You can say that, but I know it’s not the reason.”

Toby sits down at the center island. “Whatever your reason, thanks. I owe you big time.”

“Yeah, you do.”

“Tori—”

“We’re not okay, Becca. What I said doesn’t change anything.”

“I know.”

“But you were right about one thing. I wouldn’t have allowed you two to date.” She shrugs. “You chose him. I have to deal with that, and you have to deal with the consequences.”

“So, you’re saying you can’t ever forgive me?”

She shrugs again. “Maybe. I don’t really know.”

“You’re dating my best friend, you know,” Toby says.

“What’s your point?”

“Why the double standard? You can date Ryder, but I can’t date Becca? Not exactly fair.”

“Had you said that before you two started secretly dating, I might have seen your point.”

“She’s right. We messed up.” I look at Tori. “I can keep apologizing, but it’s not going to make things right. Just know I’m here if you ever want to try giving me another chance, but I’ll be with Toby. I can’t give him up. I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

“I know. I saw the way you stood up for him.”

“Did you happen to see the way she confessed and apologized to you in front of the whole school too?” Toby asks.

“I did. But that doesn’t make me trust you again, Becca. Or you, Toby.”

“I know.” I stare into her eyes, begging her to see a glimpse of her former best friend. “I messed up, and I need to earn back your trust. But I will. I’m not going to stop trying to be your friend. I’ve known you all my life.”

“I guess I didn’t really expect you to stop trying. That’s the only reason I’m talking to you now—because I think you really are sorry. And maybe one day you’ll even prove I can trust you again.” She takes the bowl of popcorn upstairs.

I sigh. It wasn’t what I was hoping for, but it’s a start. “Do you think she means it? Do you think she’ll forgive me over time?”

“I think she needs you. She has Ryder, but who knows how long that will last. You’re her best friend.” He pulls me over to him so I’m standing between his bent legs. He leans his head back and looks up at me. “You’re my best friend too, you know.”

I lower my lips to his. “I know. Nothing would make me happier than having you and Tori for my best friends.”

“And boyfriend,” he adds. I smile and kiss him again. Just a soft kiss. He wraps his arms around me. “Give her time, and don’t stop trying.”

“I won’t.” I owe her that much.

***

One month later, Toby and I are still going strong. We keep the couple stuff to a minimum when Tori’s around. She spends most of her time with Ryder, and he’s even convinced her to hang out with us this weekend, sort of a double date. It’s progress. Slow progress, but I expected as much.

Toby and I walk into his house and head upstairs to his room. He wrote me another song and promised to play it for me, but we run into Tori on the stairs.

“Hey,” I say, trying to sound as normal as possible. I keep hoping that one day we’ll just slip back into our old routine, and she’ll be my best friend again. So far it hasn’t happened, but I’m not ready to give up on the idea yet either.

“Hey.” She motions to my shirt. “That one’s actually funny.”

I look down at the saying. Why write on paper when you can write on shirts? “Oh, um thanks. Dad got it for me. I thought it was kind of dumb but since he was so excited about it, I wore it.”

She laughs. “Okay, now it’s even funnier.” She disappears inside her room.

“Well, that was pretty close to friendly,” Toby says as we walk into his room.

“Yeah. Things are getting a little better each day.”

“More than a little better.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “How do you figure? She said three sentences to me, and one was only one word.”

“Yeah, but did you see what she was wearing?”

“What about it?”

“I mean on her feet.”

Her boots. The ones I bought her. “When did she start wearing them again?”

“This morning. First she agrees to a double date, and now she’s wearing the boots you gave her for her birthday. I say by the end of the summer, you two are friends again.”

“Just in time for senior year.” Losing all these months sounds awful, but I think about Kim Kwan. She lost years with her best friend. I can handle a few months.

“So, let’s hear this new song,” I say, needing to change the subject before I get upset over it again.

Toby picks up his guitar and starts to play. It’s a slow ballad, just like the last one. But instead of this song asking me to be his girl, it’s about friendship. A tear trickles down my cheek. As soon as he stops playing, I say, “I don’t want to wait months. God, Toby, I miss her. I want my best friend back. I love you. I do. You’re amazing, and I know we’re more than just boyfriend and girlfriend, we’re best friends too, but a girl needs a girl best friend. We just do.”

“I know.” He gets up and opens his door. Tori is standing on the other side of it, looking every bit as broken down as I am. Without hesitating I rush over to her and throw my arms around her shaking shoulders. We cry on each other for a long time, and Toby gives us space by playing his song over and over for us. When we both finally lose the ability to cry, we pull apart and start laughing. Full belly laughs that have us doubling over on the floor. Toby stops playing and stares at us.

“Is this a girl thing I wouldn’t understand?”

“Yes,” we both say.

We’re laughing because we’re happy, because we’re relieved to not be fighting anymore, because we’re hurting and can’t cry another tear.

“Tori, I’m—”

She holds a hand up. “Me too. I should’ve seen it. I’ve known you all my life. I should’ve made an exception to my stupid rule, knowing you’re nothing like Meredith or Allison. I shouldn’t have made it so hard for you to be honest with me in the first place.”

“That doesn’t excuse what I did. I should’ve tried harder to tell you. Are we good?”

“We’re good.” She stands and holds her hand out to help me up. “Now go kiss my brother or whatever you two do, but stop by my room before you go. I need you to braid my hair for me.”

“You got it.” I smile and watch her walk down the hall. My shoulders relax as the weight of the past month and a half lifts.

“You okay?” Toby asks.

I turn to face him. “I can’t believe you did that.”

“What?”

“You wrote that song, knowing it would bring Tori and me back together.”

“I didn’t know it would work, but I was hoping. I could tell she really wanted to forgive you.”

I walk over to him and press my lips against his. “You really are amazing.”

“Then this seems like a good time for me to open this.” He holds up a wrapped box.

“You never got to open your birthday present.” I can’t believe I forgot about it. “I’m so sorry. I feel awful.”

“Relax. It just makes my birthday last longer, right?”

“If you say so, but I think I royally screwed up on the girlfriend meter.”

“Okay, you can make up for it with one hell of a kiss.”