Her Best Friend's Brother by T. Dell (read the beginning after the end novel .TXT) 📕

missChristmas with the fam, but plane tickets home wouldhave been worth way more than my sorry ass makes ina month. I love it though. Not that I ever get to doanything important but it’s a real newspaper. Youknow? I talked to mom and dad and Mel earlier. Itsounds like they had a good holiday. My across the hallneighbor and I went out for Chinese. It sounds lame butit was kind of cool.

I thought about calling you, but I didn’t know whenyou’d be busy. So Merry Christmas Libby I hope it wasa good one.

-t-

Chinese sounds good. You know me and my mom—

we ate so many Christmas cookies that neither of uscould eat the Turkey dinner we made. So we had turkeypot pie for lunch today. I saw your family yesterday. Istopped by for a little while, they missed you—even Mel.

stopped by for a little while, they missed you—even Mel.

I missed you too

-L-

A few days later a box came in the mail for Libby.

Inside she found a digital runner’s stop watch. A little hand held thing that had settings for keeping track of her best times, and trends, and other things she hadn’t even known she needed to track. It was the most thoughtful gift. And Libby liked it almost as much as the card she found enclosed. It was a plain holiday card with a drawing of mistletoe on the front and inside Tony had scrawled a note in this barely decipherable writing.

thought this would come in handy. Lots of luck.

Love, Tony.

Love. Not Sincerely, and not Yours Truly. No, Tony had signed love. Of course boys probably didn’t think very much about these sorts of things so Libby tried very hard not to read too much into it. But that didn’t mean that she didn’t do a happy dance around her bed room after tucking the card into the frame of her dresser’s mirror.

Just got your package. I love it. It is perfect.

Tryouts are in two weeks so keep your fingers crossedfor me!

-L-

How did it go?

-t-

I’m so in! They post the official results tomorrow,but I had the fastest mile. Not the fastest mile for agirl. I had the fastest OVER ALL mile! Just shows whata good stopwatch will do for training.

-L-

Not five minutes after she hit send, she got a thril from the message box’s ‘ping’.

TMarchetti: That’s great! Congrats

Libbylibbylibby: Thanks I am super excited about this.

I have never played any sports before. At first I just wanted to have an extracurricular for my colege apps this summer, but now I totaly want to win.

TMarchetti: that’s great lib. You sound happy. I’m sure it was al you, but I am glad you liked the stop watch.

They chatted about nothing in particular for almost 45 minutes. Libby floated into her bed that night.

Every couple of days she had come to expect an email or a text from Tony. Nothing particularly special or personal in content, but he always made her smile and occasionaly he had her laughing so hard her eyes would water. A week or so later she got a birthday card in the mail, and it joined her Christmas card in a place of honor above her dresser. That was their pattern. Light and occasionaly slightly flirtatious pen pals. It meant the world to Libby, but sometimes she had to wonder what, if anything, it meant to him.

Happy Birthday Lib. Mel says you are going to amovie? That sounds awfully tame for one of yourparties! Do you remember the year when you twodragged us to The Little Mermaid on Ice ? You were sodisappointed in Prince-What’s-his-Name. I hope youhave fun.

-t-

It was Prince Eric! And the actor was all wrong.

the movie was fun. I guess we have just outgrownprincesses and ice shows.

-L-

Wow. All state! Mel was so excited for you shebarely spent any time talking about prom dressshopping. I was more interested in your news anyways.

Why didn’t you tell me last week when we talked?

-t-

Well I am pretty excited, but I figured I would waitand see how I actually place before I got all braggyabout it. I didn’t want to have to tell you if I came inlast – it would be too awful.

-L-

You’re dumb. That better be the last time you everworry about having to tell me anything. Besides no wayare you coming in last place. I wish I could make ithome for the all state meet, but I really need all thestudy time I can get.

-t-

“Sam Tucker asked you to prom?” Mel was

out of breath as she ran into the bakery. “And you said NO!”

“Realy Mel, who is your informant? It hasn’t been more than an hour.” Sam had asked her right after school let out, and now 45 minutes later Mel was already inthe know. “He wasn’t upset; it was more of an I-don’t-have-a-date-you-don’t-have-a-date sorta thing.” Mel puled a face. “You could have a date. I know you aren’t interested in Sam that way, but he is way hot and a good dancer. And at least you could go to the PROM!” Her eyes narrowed as Libby concentrated on arranging a tray of cup cakes. “You do want to go don’t you? You haven’t been out with anyone in ages. Actualy not since Christmas-- is this stil about Tony?” She could feel the color rushing to her cheeks.

“No. I just haven’t been out. What’s the big deal”? I have been way busy with training and the bakery.” Libby kept her eyes down and tried to keep her voice even and normal. A distraction. She needed a distraction to keep Mel’s mind away from Libby’s nonrelationship with Tony.

“So Cory huh? Are you sure you want to go there again?” Cory and Mel had the whole school talking at least once every six weeks. Were they together? Were they broken up? Did you hear about their fight in homeroom? Libby was more than a little convinced that the notoriety