Chapter Eight: Open Your Eyes

The months seemed to go by in slow motion. I watched month after month as Rosamund and Jeff seemed to get closer and closer. I had hoped beyond hope that when they first got together that their relationship would end quickly after it started, but that ended up not being the case. I was forced to watch them hold hands, kiss, and laugh and there wasn’t anything I could do about it.

I still didn’t think very highly of Rosamund but she had so far never given me any reason to dislike her and there especially wasn’t anything that she had done that I could go to Jeff with to show him that my feelings about her were correct. I still felt that she was up to something. I couldn’t put my finger on it but she still seemed like she had ulterior motives.

One good thing about Jeff and her dating was that Peter and I had become closer friends. I had long ago started riding to school with him. We even sometimes hung out together. He and I were talking one morning at our lockers when Jefferson and Rosamund walked up.

“He guys! How was your weekend?”

 

 

“It was great! Star and I went to the Spring Festival and we had a blast playing horseshoes and falling on our butts trying to rollerskate.” Peter said.

“You all should have called us. We could have all gone together.” Jeff suggested.

 

 

“That’s okay, I’m sure both of you would prefer to go by yourselves.” I said nonchalantly.

"That’s not true Star. Hey, Rosamund, Peter, could you guys let me and Star talk alone for a minute.”

 

 

“Sure. Come on Peter, we can go and vote for the prom theme while they talk.”

Rosamund and Peter left and Jeff and I stood looking at the floor in silence.  “So, what’s up?” I finally asked him.

 

 

“I could ask you the same thing.”

 

 

“What do you mean?”

“Why are you acting like this, Star? Have I done something? Has Rosamund done something?”

I sighed. There was no way for me to tell him what was going on. Well, there was a way but at this point it wouldn’t make a difference; not with as close he and Rosamund had gotten.  “No.”

“Then why did you act that way about me suggesting that you guys could have invited me and Rosamund to the Spring Festival?”

 

 

 

“Well it’s true, isn’t it? You’d much prefer to go alone then with other people. That’s the way it seems with most other things.”

 

 

He looked dumbfounded. “What have either of us done to make you think that?”

“Well, we’re supposed to be best friends yet it’s been weeks since we’ve done something alone. Plus, I know she acts differently, but I’m telling you that Rosamund doesn’t like me much.”

“What are you talking about Star. She likes you but with the attitude you have right now, it’s kind of hard to look past that and be nice.”

“The kind of attitude I have?! Seriously Jeff?! God, she has really just blinded you hasn’t she. I’m telling you, she is up to something. I can’t put my finger on it but she is!”

 

 

“You’re being ridiculous Star. I have spent way more time with her than you have and I can tell you that she’s nothing like what you’re making her out to be. You’re the only one that has a problem with her. Even my own parents like her.”

 

 

“Well then she’s got all of you fooled.”

“So everyone except you is wrong? That isn’t even logical Star. I’ll admit that I haven’t been the greatest best friend lately but that’s no reason to stand here and make things up about Rosamund, who I happen to care about very much.”

 

 

“I’m begging you Jeff, open your eyes. She’s not good for you. I’m afraid that if you don’t open your eyes now, you’ll end up regretting it in the long run.”

 

 

“What is going on with you Star?! I have never seen you act this irrational or dramatic?”

 

 

He might as well have slapped me in the face. I looked at him with no emotion. “Fine. I’ve tried to warn you. I’m done Jeff. It’s your life. If you want to mess it up, that’s your decision.”  Peter and Rosamund walked back up and I looked at Peter. “Come on, let’s get going to class.”

 

 

 

 

*****

 

 

I watched Peter and Star walk away and I felt horrible. “What was that all about?” Rosamund asked.

 

 

“I’ve apparently been a horrible best friend.”

 

 

“What?”

“Since you and I have started dating I haven’t spent much time with Star and she was just letting me know how she didn’t appreciate it.” There was no way I was going to tell Rosamund the truth.  Not that I thought that Star was right, just that I didn’t want to create any more drama between the two of them.

 

 

“But you do spend time with her.” Rosamund tried to tell me.

 

 

“No, she’s right. I spend time with her at school and all four of us occasionally do things together but it’s been a long time since we’ve done anything just the two of us.” I looked over at Rosamund and she looked kind of sad. “Don’t look like that.” I tried to reassure her. “We spend almost all our spare time together. Surely it’s okay that I spend an afternoon with my best friend.

 

 

She looked at me and smiled. “Of course it’s okay. You two have a good time together. It’ll give me time to help the prom planning committee.”

 

 

I kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks for understanding. Let’s get going to class.” As we walked to class I thought about what Star had said about Rosamund. It didn’t make any sense to me. Star wasn’t up to anything. She was my girlfriend and an awesome one at that. She even acted understanding about me wanting to spend more time with my best friend. If anything, that showed me that Star’s views on Rosamund were way off.

 

 

I hoped that I could convince Star to hang out with me one afternoon so I could talk to her about this whole situation. If I could just convince her that she had it all wrong. There must be something I could do to convince her. . .

 

 

*****

 

 

I walked with Jefferson to English class and we sat next to each other once we got to the classroom. I wasn’t quite sure what Jefferson and Star had talked about but I knew one thing, I was not happy about him spending time with her. I was his girlfriend, he should be spending time with me, not her.  She had obviously said something that made him feel bad. I went out of my way to not make him feel bad and yet it seemed like he was running away from me to comfort her.

I didn’t hear any words the English teacher or any other teacher said. I had to think of a way to make sure that Jefferson realized that I was the one he needed to be with. There was no way after dating him for five months that I was going to let her come between us.

 

 

 

The hours passed and I soon had a plan. School ended and Jefferson and I walked to his car. He spotted Star and politely told me he was going to talk to her and asked me if I minded waiting by his car.

 

 

I stood there watching them talk. She looked so mad and I was hoping that she wouldn’t agree to do anything with him. I watched Jefferson try to convince her to listen to him and I watched as people started looking at them and then me. I was starting to feel embarrassed. Why did he put up with her acting like that? What was so special about her that he couldn’t let her go. I felt myself getting more and more jealous as the minutes passed by. Finally he headed back to me.

 

 

 

 

“Did she agree to hang out with you?”

 

 

“Yeah, we’re going to meet after school tomorrow.” I started to wonder if I needed to find another way home and that made me mad.

 

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll take you home and then she and I are meeting at the Festival to talk.”

“Okay. I still don’t understand why she’s so mad, but if it’s important to you, then I’ll try to understand.” I lied.

 

 

“Thanks.” He kissed me and we got in his car. He talked to me about something that had happened to him during the day and I pretended to listen to him.  I was more interested in figuring out a way to keep him more interested in me.