WIN these cute, only-been-worn-once J.Brand "Darcy" jeans!
They are a very small size 26--at least that's what I'm telling myself when I went to put them on for only the second time and they no longer fit!
If there's a reader out there who would like them--or who has a friend, sister, daughter who could use them, please post below! Simply share a Darcy-esque toxic-friend story in 300 words or fewer by Friday noon EST and include your email address or a way to contact to you.
My own (completely non-toxic) best friend will be helping me choose the winning entry this weekend. I will also send a signed copy of SOBO and SOBLUE to the winner--so no sweat if the jeans don't zip! Good luck! Can't wear to hear your stories!
Two close friends of mine went through a Darcy and Rachel saga a few years ago, less dramatic than D&R, but quite traumatizing all the same. Vanessa had been pining over our mutual friend Beck for ages. She was shy and lacked confidence in herself, despite the fact that all of her friends constantly reminded her how truly fantastic she was. Amelia, Vanessa’s confident and beautiful best friend from childhood, supported Vanessa’s crush on Beck and encouraged her to tell him how she felt. This period of encouragement went on for several months and Vanessa began to open up to Beck. Then, over a big dinner party with Vanessa present, Amelia and Beck got to chatting. They hit it off and began meeting for long chats over tea…and then romantic dinners…then the sleepovers came. Amelia kept her secret from Vanessa for weeks. Eventually the word got out and Vanessa found herself heartbroken. Not only had she lost the chance to be with the one man she had grown to love, but she had lost her best friend of 15 years. In the end, the most painful part for Vanessa was the fact that she knew Amelia was simply thinking of Beck as a rebound lover. Beck fell hard, and deeply, in love with Amelia, only to be brokenhearted and alone 2 years later when Amelia left him for her ex-boyfriend. Vanessa had predicted this ending and it saddened her to see him in pain. Vanessa and Beck are now both single. They occasionally see each other at parties and concerts where they exchange kind and friendly words. Vanessa does not bring up her feelings for him anymore. She forced herself to move on from both Beck and Amelia. I hope someday they will all find a true and lasting love.
ReplyDeletemy e-mail: eeveo@yahoo.com
P.S.
I LOVE your books! Thank you for enriching my life with your talent...I learned about your work about a month ago and have already read 3 of your books. I'm starting HOTM tonight! I have to say, I've never been this addicted to reading...:)
I had a best friend in college whom was definitely the "pretty one" when we went out. I was always the "cute one" and one of the guys. In our junior year, she started to put on a little weight and while she was still beautiful, she no longer had a model figure. Meanwhile, I had upped my fitness regimen and was the skinniest I'd ever been. We were hanging out with a group of our friends one night and a guy who had graduated the year before was in town for visit. When I stood up to hug him, he commented on how 'hot' I'd gotten. My friend was so jealous since she'd always taken that role that she made a snide remark. She said, "Well I don't care how skinny she gets her face will never be pretty." I was mortified but felt really bad for her that she felt so insecure that she had to put me down like that in front of a group of 10 of our friends. Several people immediately chastised her for the comment and she ended up leaving the party. Our friendship fell off after that. I haven't seen her in 6 years. I guess we were only friends when she thought I made her look better.
ReplyDeletesalippincott@comcast.net
Stephanie L. in Florida
My bestfriend Darcy* and I became fast friends. We were both fresh faced and oozing of preteen hormones with the uncanny love of watching Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, long after the pair had split up. We stayed up late laughing until our stomachs cringed, thumbing through my mother’s coveted Cosmopolitan magazines, and eating enough junk food to make a couple of burly mack truck drivers sick to their stomachs.
ReplyDeleteWhen my relationship with my first boyfriend ended Darcy* was there for me, and really helped me get over it. She was also friends with him and me being a true friend, I told her that she should still be friends with the both of us, I just had one rule: We’re not going to bash him together, and I don’t want the two of you bad mouthing me when I’m not around either. It only seemed fair right? We were both her friends.
Little did I know that Darcy* was dating my ex-boyfriend and had continued to attend family dinners and fun nights with my family and I. I guess she decided to stay true to my rule of not talking about him… but apparently dating him was okay.
I harbor no ill feelings towards Darcy* and I wish her all the best in whatever she does, after all she was my friend once. I just wish that she’d have been honest enough to tell me what was going on. I’ve learned from it, and trust is something that you should never give up over a cheap bag of Walmart’s Dorito’s at midnight.
-Amber
My e-mail: amberavery10@yahoo.com
PS: Thanks Emily. I LOVE writing and tried putting a creative spin on my TRUE story to make it a little less boring.
Nine years ago, just after completing my freshman year of high school, my best friend Jill (since 2nd grade) set me up with Steve, a dreamy football player. Jill and Steve had a minor “past”—however much of a past you can have in high school—but Jill decided she was over him and told me that since I found him attractive, I should pursue something. And pursue something I did; for one week during summer vacation (a lifetime at fourteen), Steve and I hung out nearly every day. And not only was Steve a hunky athlete, but he had just received his driver’s license, cementing his dreaminess. Then came my annual summer vacation with my father. I left town for four days, high on young love, but I returned home to daunting news, delivered by Dreamy Steve himself: The first night I left town, Steve and Jill hung out with a group of friends, and Jill broke down, locking herself in the bathroom and confessing her love for Steve—the same Steve whom one week before she had disgustingly declared her complete dissipation of feelings for and affirmatively encouraged my crush on. To avoid friendship disaster, I eventually bowed out from my blossoming relationship with Steve, refusing to cause Jill more pain, although she never revealed to my face her bathroom breakdown. Ironically, Jill (now 24) recently moved in with her boyfriend (Kenneth) in a house adjacent to Steve’s parents, where Steve (25) lives, having just gotten out of the military. When Jill told me about her new neighbor, she still failed to mention the awkward “love” triangle and hurtful tactics she pulled so many years ago. Much like Darcy, she has had her toxic moments, but much like Rachel, I can’t help but love (and excuse) my friend.
ReplyDelete- Brooke; btomlinson@live.com
To be polite I will refer to people with just the first letter of their names. The people are C, my supposed friend, and R, my supposed friend and ex-boyfriend. C and I became instant best friends. We would hang out all the time, go shopping, go out, watch movies, talk, go to dinner, all of that kind of stuff. C had dated the older brother of R’s best friend. The whole time C and I were hanging out, she kept talking about how she was still in love with her ex-boyfriend. I was also still in love with my ex, R, but we were also friends. A group of us including R and C all hung out a lot over the summer. One night we all went out to a club. After I got home, a few of the guys wanted to come over to watch a movie. When they got there, they were talking about how R was over C’s house. When I confronted her about it, she said they were just talking and was pissed that I would even question what she was doing with him, especially knowing how I felt about him. I of course felt bad for questioning her and brushed it off. Towards the end of the summer, I found out that R and C had been dating the whole summer. They had been hanging out with me and then going off to together behind my back. The whole summer I talked about how in love with R I was, and the whole time she was dating him. She convinced one of my other best friends to lie to my about it too. R, C and everyone else lied to my face about it. Needless to say, we are no longer friends.
ReplyDeleteMichaela -michaelalmorales@gmail.com
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSenior year… June 16th to be exact. Three of my friends and I were getting ready for prom. We rented a limo for 5 hours to drive us to prom and back. We were splitting the cost of the limo between us but my “best friend”, who I will name Alice, didn’t have the money to cover her portion. I decided to pay her way because I could not stand the thought of not having her there with me. We had a great time and danced all night long. After prom, we were all going to go home, get out of our prom dress and have the limo bring us to a party. Since I lived the furthest, I would be the last one to go home. So the limo stops to let us get changed one by one. At Alice’s turn, we waited an hour and a half. She decided to take a shower and to re-do her hair and make-up. This leaves us with just enough time for me to go home and change. But Alice didn’t want to be late to the party so she tells me to wait at the nearest gas stations (which happened to be closed) and my mom can pick me up. I was so shocked, that I got out, told my date to stay behind (because there was no way I was going to cry in front of him) called my mom and waited half an hour sitting on a bench alone in the dark wearing a prom dress. To make matters worse, she was sucking my dates face when I got to the party. Lets’ just say we are no longer inseparable.
ReplyDeleteCheers to Friendship!!
Anik Gaudet – anikgaudet@gmail.com
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteMy story is about stealing the spot light, not cheating..
ReplyDeleteMy best friend and I were on a double date with our serious boyfriends at the time. It was my senior year in college and right before Thanksgiving break. My boyfriend had taken his wallet out of his pocket to pay for the bill when an envelope from a jewelry store fell out of his wallet.
I didn’t notice what had just happened but my best friend made sure to draw attention to it. She started screaming “ Oh my goodness! Is that what I think it is?!” My boyfriend was fumbling to hide everything and change the subject.
Later that evening, unaware to me at the time, my best friend’s boyfriend asked my boyfriend if he had bought me a ring. Whenever he said yes, he commented “I have to go get her a ring! She’s going to flip out if you two get engaged and I don’t have a ring!”
Both couples went our separate ways for Thanksgiving break. On the Eve of Thanksgiving, I get a call from my best friend. Guess what!! She’s engaged!! They had went and bought a ring together that day for him to propose that evening. My boyfriend planned and saved to surprise me with a ring during that break but couldn’t because my best friend stepped in to be the first. Since they rushed to get a ring, they did not have any money saved and had never looked for rings before to have the knowledge about diamonds. Her diamond shortly started to show black spots and other imperfections because of the poor quality.
She started planning her wedding right away, taking the month that I had always wanted to get married in. She knew that the date she picked was my choice too.
My boyfriend politely waited a month to propose to me so he would not steal their thunder.
Fortunately, I never knew exactly what happened that night of our double date and was surprised when he did propose.
She kept me close by as her Maid of Honor, helping her plan every detail. When it became her turn as Maid of Honor and help me, she was no where to be found.
merrock12@gmail.com
I was dating Derrick* in college whose fraternity was having a dance. I had family coming into town that weekend, so I could not go. However, my best friend (June) wanted to go, so I suggested that she go in my place. Derrick and June agreed that it would be fun, although they would miss me. (You know where this is going.)
ReplyDeleteLater that night, after my family was safely tucked away in a hotel, I went to get my car from a campus parking lot. From a distance, I saw the outline of Derrick and June coming towards me. Holding hands. As they approached, and I came into their view, my best friend dropped my boyfriend’s hand and raised her own to her mouth, eyes agape. They both stopped in their tracks and just stared at me.
Horrified, I jumped into my car and sped out of the parking lot. I went straight back to my sorority, only to bump into another sister who had been at the dance and knew what had happened between the two culprits. She followed me to my room and helped me pack all of Derrick’s stuff into a bag, and then went with me to his fraternity.
Upon entering the front door to his house, his president looked at me and merely said “Oh shit.”
After quite some time, June and I rekindled our friendship, but it was never quite the same. As for Derrick. Who cares? I’ve seen recent pictures and he has not aged well. At all. And rumor has it that he has become quite a jerk. But I already knew that firsthand.
* Names have been changed to protect the innocent. Shoot, the guilty. Whatever. I changed their names.
Oops, forgot my email:
ReplyDeletesamiam1117@gmail.com
My toxic best friend story is in no way embellished, I promise! I had a boyfriend back in the day who I really cared about. I had a crush on him for a long time, and when he and I finally started dating, I was thrilled. We had a good relationship and even though deep down I knew that he wasn't "the one", I was deeply in lust at the time. For my birthday I decided to take my boyfriend and I away for a weekend in a hotel. Since I had a much better job than him at the time and because it was my birthday and something that I wanted to do, I paid for everything. So, here we are, the day of my birthday in a fancy hotel that I paid for in Toronto, Ontario, getting ready to go out to the clubs (my favourite activity at the time) when he drops the bomb. Not only is he breaking up with me, but he's in love with my best friend, Laura. They've been dating for several months behind my back and sleeping together as well. I was crushed, and then I had to spend the rest of the weekend with him. When we got home, Laura told me that it "just kind of happened" and that she didn't know how to tell me. Yes, telling me on my birthday was fabulous timing! Needless to say it took me a long time to get over what my friend and my ex-boyfriend had done, but they're now married with two children so it must have been meant to be. We never resumed our friendship.
ReplyDeletejoniathebookchick@gmail.com
My Darcy and I were best friends all through high school. By senior year, I hated her. But, it was a good thing because hating her meant I had finally stopped hating myself. Once, I introduced Darcy* to a guy I liked and she was sleeping with him three days later. I promised myself that if she ever went after any of my ex-boyfriends I would stop speaking to her. She did, but I didn’t. I let her get away with it. She always pointed out when my outfit wasn’t well thought out or if my hair was doing something strange. She gave me condescending advice on how to improve my non-existent love life. I let her put me down and walk all over me everyday and yet there I was, still sticking up for her and making sure I helped her get whatever she was after, even if I wanted it as well. I started liking guys based on how much they liked her. The less attracted they were to her, the more I liked them. That way, I thought that I could trust that they would never choose her over me. After two years of feeling like less and less of a person, I couldn’t handle being in any situation where she was better than me. By senior year I had lost so many competitions to her that I avoided anything and everything she wanted. I gave up before I had to deal with losing. It took me too long to realize that my insecurity was something she had a direct hand in. I had never realized that it wasn’t my fault. She was emotionally abusing me. One day, I just stopped talking to her. That was two years ago. It felt like beating a disease.
ReplyDelete*As a footnote, thank you for writing this story. Some of the dialogue was so close to my life that it was kind of like therapy. It really helped me close the door on the situation for good. ☺
Olivia
olivia.rene@gmail.com
Amy and I were not only friends, we were 2nd cousins. All our lives, Amy had been in competition with me, always wanting to “be like me”, right down to our favourite Backstreet Boy. In our later years however, she had seemingly gotten over those childish ways; until Dave.
ReplyDeleteAmy had been dating Jamie for several years (yes, poetic isn’t it?), and in recent years had broken up with him, but remained friends with several of their mutual friends.
One of those friends was Dave.
In our rather boring hometown, Amy and I would meet up with Dave to hang out; go for pizza, coffee, whatever. It was during one of these particular outings, Dave must’ve seen something in me that he liked, and decided to pursue it further by sending me a text several nights later.
When he came to pick me up to go for a drive, who should be across the road but my dear cousin, Amy.
Immediately Dave’s cell phone rang.
“Are you with my cousin?” She asked.
“Yeah” Dave replied.
“Can I speak to her?” Dave hands the phone to me and so began an outright battle between us.
After several days of nasty text messaging, Amy showed up at my work to return my sweater. She sat in her silver Sunfire, smoking her cigarette out the window, when I walked onto the parking lot.
She reamed me out, telling me I had no right going behind her back and being friends with “her friends". Might I add, that at this point, Dave and I were nothing more than friends and nothing romantic was involved. Besides, when did she become the sole determiner of friendships in this town?
Once she was done, or shall I say once I was done listening to her, she left her tire marks on the pavement of my work and we didn’t speak for nearly two years.
Some may read my story and call me the Darcy, and if Amy and Dave were once romantically involved, I would agree. However, in previous years Amy and I were in the same situation, but the roles were reversed, and I encouraged her to get together with my Ex’s friend… isn’t that what girlfriends do?
Danielle
daniellemboone@hotmail.com
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI had been best friends with the same girl since kindergarten. We just clicked, right away from that very first day, and we lasted through the years. Sure, we fought and had issues from time to time, but we were best friends and nothing was ever supposed to change that.
ReplyDeleteThen right as she started dating a new guy (her first serious relationship, ever), I got engaged. When I took her out to dinner and told her, her first response was, "You don't expect me to be the maid of honor, do you?" Of course I did, but she thought it was too much responsibility so I delegated that job to someone else. Time passed and everyone was getting ready for the wedding, and she was the only bridesmaid who would not participate in wedding planning activities with us. She wouldn't go pick out the bridesmaid dresses with us, she wouldn't go dress shopping with me. I called her several times asking her to please go get fitted for her dress because the deadline to order and get them in on time was swiftly approaching. I didn't hear anything back.
Finally, in mid-January (the wedding was in March), she sent me an instant message over the internet saying that she just didn't think it was appropriate to be in my wedding any longer. I was completely shocked. This is the person who had been my best friend for twenty years - and all of the sudden, because she was so preoccupied with her new beau - she didn't have time to take part in the happiest day of my life. She then said, "It's up to you if you still want to invite me to the wedding."
It's a situation that still, a year and a half later, I can't quite wrap my mind around. I never would have hurt her like she hurt me. I can't even fathom doing that to someone. Awhile after the wedding she sent me a message saying that my wedding pictures were really pretty (she'd seen them on Facebook) and that it was weird not to be there on that day. Well, she could have been, and I wanted her there, she made the choice herself.
She still texts occasionally and tries to contact me every once in awhile, but it's hard to be her friend. I don't think I'll ever be able to fully get that relationship back, because how can I ever trust her again? She chose to miss out on one of the most important days of my life, and the way she notified me of it was shocking and rude, and it still hurts.
Jessica
JNBrickey@gmail.com
Hi Emily!!
ReplyDeleteI have a friend that reminded me of Darcy so much when I was reading both SOBLUE & SOBO. I am only 19 so it's not exactly a trivial fiance stealing story. Me and my friend met in 7th grade. We became the BEST of friends, like sisters. We knew each other so well, which I think became the problem. It's safe to say that her family was wealthier than mine. In the first five years of our friendship the money issue wasn't really a problem, but I suppose as we got older and more mature it definitely got in the way of us being so close. Money was no issue for her and she would give me an attitude every time I couldn't do something with her for money reasons. She would always make snobbish comments that I would just ignore and tell myself that it's not her fault. Unfortunately one time it came to an all time low when she insulted my family! She thought she could do so because we were so close but it was the last straw! I had kept my mouth shut for so long and I had to say something. I simply told her that she sometimes forgets that my parents don't give me their credit card every time I wanted to do something. I tried to be nice but I guess keeping my feelings in for so long finally made me become kind of mean myself! I regret my approach but she is definitely a Darcy! We are definitely not as close anymore and life has taken us in completely different directions but I hope she finds her way just like Darcy did.
Thanks!!!
jeaninetalento@gmail.com
My best friend Kendall and I have been like sisters ever since I can remember. She's one of the most gorgeous girls you'll ever meet. She's skinny, tall, and just gorgeous. She's the girl that people would turn around to see again while passing on the streets, or hallways. On the other hand, I'm normal faced, normal bodied.
ReplyDeleteOf course, she got the guys too. We really didn't run into a problem until end of sophomore year of high school... I liked this guy. He was smart, funny, gorgeous, and a soccer player. Basically he was dream guy. But of course, Kendall being my best friend and the beautiful one of the two, he was interested in her. Trying to be the good person, I set the two up, and of course they hit it off. Two gorgeous looking people, what's not to like?
After a year of constant third wheeling with them, one day I got to hang out with Beck... just the two of us. Kendall didn't mind because she knew we were strictly friends. I had feelings for him, they were small, but there. I didn't plan on saying or doing anything. We were friends, and I was content with that. At that time, I was dealing with a lot of things, and I guess when we were just talking, I started crying.. and before I knew it, we were kissing.
I was mortified, and he told me that he didn't regret it because he had feelings for me. Beck and I couldn’t bring ourselves to tell Kendall. But she found out after someone else told her, and she was pissed. We got into a full blown fight. I can say that we never fought like that before. Obviously Beck and Kendall broke up. But I couldn't bring myself to date Beck.
Kendall and I didn't speak all through the summer going into junior year. Then beginning of junior year, she apologized to me, which was crazy. She was hinted that I did like Beck before they started dating, but went for him anyways. Now, we're back to being best friends. And I'm grateful that she is the one I turn to when I need someone.
I did something horrible, but she was the best friend that I needed and eventually forgave me.
I honestly love this girl.
Kathryn
yenakathrynlee@gmail.com
I met my best friend, Christina, on the first day of class at college. We were both new students at Auburn, and quickly became good friends. She showed her first Darcy moment about three months after we met. I was crushing on a guy and after they met, he started liking her and she liked him. They secretly started hooking up and she didn’t tell me about until after he dumped her. I was furious. We didn’t talk for a week. I eventually forgave her and we became friends again. Over the next four years, we had a lot of good times. She was a pretty and very flirty so there were always guys around her. I introduced her to my friend Matthew and they started dating. I ended up meeting a guy five months later. Everything was great, we were both happy and in love. Fast forward three years, Christina had broken up with Matthew and was feeling lonely. We were no longer living in the same city but we talked regularly. I told her to give it some time before she moved on to another guy. However, she never went very long without a man. I was still with my boyfriend. My relationship had been bumpy, but things were going good and we were talking about getting engaged. Then my world turned upside down. My ‘best friend’ was desperate for a man and she found one. Unfortunately, the man was my boyfriend. They had been talking a lot. They also had exchanged nude pictures. Needless to say both relationships ended. Looking back now I realize she was very needy, constantly trying to impress people, and always had to be the center of attention. She was my Darcy. Ironically, I had just finished reading SOBO when this happened.
ReplyDeleteEmily
harried@aces.edu
Oops I just realize I had a typo. *She was a pretty and very flirty girl so there were always guys around her.* Sorry I didn't notice it before I hit the post comment button.
ReplyDeleteSo mine is about a friend. She is still one of my best friends and just recently got divorced. This story has nothing to do with that...this was in high school...senior year to be exact. The names will remain the same because there's no chance in hell anyone will see this.
ReplyDeleteKatie is one of the sweetest and most bubbly girls I have ever met and she's not a cheerleader. One of her best friends, Ruth, had dated this guy Sean for a while during sophomore year. They were all friends now. Ruth had moved on.
Senior prom was just around the corner. Katie, being the sweetie she is, went with a junior as a friend. Well, she had planned to. We will call him Jack, cause his name cannot be remembered and is irrevalent to the story.
So I'm in bible class, Christian high school, talking to Sean asking.him who he is taking to prom. He said, I don't know. My girlfriend and I broke up so I may just go with the guys. I said, well Katie likes you and would probably want to go with you. He said, really...Katie like me. I said, yeah she told me so. You should ask her.
Now Katie got pissed after class when I told her 1) I told Sean she liked him and 2) that she would prob go with him to prom. Shr had another date. I said, well tell the guy that the one you really want to go to prom with wants to go to prom with you. She did and Sean asked her. Katie was beyond happy.
Things at prom were great. She danced, she laughed..it was awesome. Then the after parties happen. Somewhere before the night is over, Ruth starts talking to Sean and Katie finds her beat friend and the guy she likes making out on some couch somewhere.
Katie hated her for like a week and got over it. But they were never really that good of friends again. Rumor has it...Ruth made out with Sean a few days before her wedding.
All this happens at a nonsecular school.
Melissa
Sweetness2282@yahoo.com
I had been best friends with this guy all through middle school and high school, but everyone could tell it was meant to be something more than friends. One night he confessed his undying love for me and...surprise surprise...I felt the same. So we decided to give dating a try. It was going really well and it was funny because we were really happy and so was most of the school to finally see us together. One of my really good friends at the time was the biggest cheerleader of us dating. She was so excited saying it was meant to be and everything. It was really dumb that I didn't see it coming but I found at that she was sleeping with my boyfriend. Awesome, right? I was devastated and needless to say she is no longer my friend and he is no longer my boyfriend. She was toxic.
ReplyDeleteOlivia Whitton
oliviawhitton@gmail.com
I pulled a Rachel the summer after high school. My friend Angie was dating a really hot, tall Candadian guy, and she was, like, 5'2" and I'm almost 5'10", so it wasn't fair. One night she had to break a date with him and asked me if I would entertain him. We hit it off big time, and we began hanging out more. Within a month we were sneaking behind her back to see each other, and when she got suspicious she asked both of us to never see each other again. So we both broke up with her and started dating.
ReplyDeleteOf course I got payback when he cheated on me with another short girl...(he was no Dex, that's for sure!)
maryelpearce@gmail.com
Rewind back to third grade. There was a new girl who joined out class named Ashley. You could tell she was really nervous and hadn’t made a friend yet. Towards the mid day she threw up in front of the class. I felt so bad for her because she was so nervous. I decided to become friends with her and introduce her to all of my friends. We instantly became BFFs. We were inseparable with everything like concerts, shopping, sports, etc… We would be asked all the time if we were sisters or twins. We looked aliked, dressed alike, and even talked similar. She was like my sister for years. Fast forward to junior year I had just gotten my heart broken by my boyfriend of 2 ½ years. And Ashley helped me through it. A little while later I met Josh. It was pretty much love right off the bat. We were so happy together. Ashley had a boyfriend too. Our lives at 17 were “perfect”. Fast forward to senior year post homecoming. Josh and I started fighting/not getting along as much as we did. So we decided to take a break and see how we felt. Prom was right around the corner and Ashley and I both had dates. I had confessed to her right before that I wish I would of went with Josh but I was planning on getting back together with him after prom. She was very supportive. After prom I confessed to Josh how I felt and he felt the same way so we decided to work things out. I noticed shortly after how Ashley kept calling him and he kept avoiding her in the halls at school. I confronted Ashley since she was my best friend and she denied anything. So I confronted Josh and he told me they had slept together the night of prom. I was livid. I couldn’t believe that my best friend would betray me like that right after I told her how I felt. I could never trust her or forgive her for that.
ReplyDeleteUpdate: Josh and I broke up after he came back from boot camp after he graduated high school and we are both happily married to other people. We got our happy ending
Emily I just wanted to thank you for sharing your amazing talent with us. My best friend (now) and I love your books!
My email address is aubreyfaille@gmail.com
I grew up with this girl named Steph. We had known each other since we were two, and graduated high school together. We were best friends growing up. The friendship was always bittersweet for me. You see, there was always this underlying competition between us two. I didn't want it, but she caused it be there. If I liked this boy, she encouraged it. For a little while. But then she would profess her undying love for the same boy and my sweet smiles were overcome by her more transparent flirtations. I would hide my feelings and pretend like I really didn't him, and she would happily tell me about their hour-long phone conversations.
ReplyDeleteIf I would get a cute pair of shoes, she would declare that they were hideous. When I got my braces off, she told me I looked like a beaver. In high school, she scoffed when I showed her the boy I had a crush on, saying "Why would any boy like you?"
What kept us best friends? That's a good question. We had a lot of good, fun times together. She brought out the extrovert in me, that I never knew I had. We laughed at our own stupid inside jokes that people didn't understand. The familiarity and closeness of a childhood friendship was the glue that really held us together, though.
After high school, I tried, successfully, to separate myself from her because of the damage she did on my self-esteem. Now, almost five years later, the bitterness is gone. We are friends again, but the physical distance keeps us from being close.
I don't really miss her so much as I miss the idea of having a lifelong friend, something we promised each other we'd be...over and over.
Rebekah
red.6905@hotmail.com
So here is Hope's story... Everything was going great, Hope was, as they say, on cloud nine. She had a devilishly handsome boyfreind, who to top it off was an elemtary school teacher. All the moms were talking about this new addition to thier childs school. Long before Darren became the new hott teach on the block, he was the average college baseball superstar. Majored in pre-med, but soon discovered his love for children and his not so love for long hours of studying.
ReplyDeleteOne night early into their second chance at love she called him and he rushed her off the phone. Then as soon as she hung up, her phone lite up to his ring tone. It was him but, he obviously had butt dialed her. She heard a woman in the background yelling and screaming at him. Saying things like, "why would you want her", and "why would fall in love with her, Hope has a child with another man". To make a long story short. Darren had always loved Hope. They were high school sweethearts who drifted apart when he went off to college. Now that Hope has been through a short two year marriage to a man she never loved, she just felt she had to marry him to make an unexpected pregnancy right, the two would find eachother again and a romance would blossom after the half of a decade away from eachother.
While Darren was in college he met Chelsey, who at the time was what he thought could feel this void of Hope's abscence. Chelsey was Darren's sister's best friend and she just fell into his life and seemed to be a good fit to the puzzel.
Back to the night when Hope, Chelsey, and Darren would turn into a triangle of love. Darren finally ended things with Chelsey that night, while Hope heard every word. Hope though Chelsey was this ex-girlfreind who she met a handful of times at Darren's family events and really liked her personality. That night Hope learned that Chelsey was not the girl next door, that she had been plotting for months on ways to tear this couple apart. When it was all said and done. Hope took Darren back even though he was not innocent in this but he was also just a puppet in Chelsy's freak show.
Hope and Darren are now seeing a counselor to prepare for marraige, but Chelsey still plotts against them and uses mutual freinds to plant untrue evidence about her so called love affair with Darren. She was what everyone thought was this southern beauty with charm, now only Darren and Hope will know what twisted blonde bombshell she really is. Girls beware...
Elise,
cekeylon@gmail.com
My grandma told me that anything worth having was worth working hard for, so I loved going to the gym. It wasn’t for my body because that was pre-baby stage and when I lived with the romanticized idea that I would be forever young and taut. It was for Brett. He was hot eye candy and he worked there. I forged a friendship with him and really started working hard. One day I came in and Brett quit. He moved to the gym down the street. I left and immediately joined there. I figured working to pay for two memberships that I was locked into equaled hard and it was going to totally pay off.
ReplyDeleteMy best friend, Alexas, started working out with me. She was the girl that was in a relationship and got a kick out of my childish antics. The day Brett asked me out, I was in heaven! I let Alexas drive my car back to my house and I rode with Brett. The plan was to go in and get as prettied up in five minutes as I could. I figured I wouldn’t have to do much since he had already witnessed me in sweaty form. When we got to my house, Alexas’ “better” half was waiting to begin their daily dose of drama. Chris was ranting like a Southern Baptist preacher that has to wipe his brow as he stomps around and thrusts out the “uhs” on the end of every word – in other words with intense passion that teenagers are prone to. Brett left while I was changing and never did I get to see if he was worth having. Karma knocked Alexas up and made her and Chris forever tied and continuing their drama. Ok, wasn’t karma but it sounds good!
Amie
davisami@onid.orst.edu
As I think back on my friendship with D, it wasn’t the healthiest. Despite that I do have some great memories growing up with her. Riding bikes, spending hours playing MASH, listening to her Boys II Men cassette as we played outside, or our cheesy reenactments of the final scene of the Bodyguard.
ReplyDeleteD was the leader of our little group and we basically did what ever she wanted to. Then we she became bored she would just hangout with someone else but she would come back. As you’re growing up you don’t realize it as much but then things started to take a turn for the worst. She would make comments, putting me down or telling her parents I did something when I didn’t. She always wanted to build herself up in front of others. This became more evident as the business her family started really took off. High school was the turning point for us. I would hear things she would say but ignored and continued to be her friend.
I finally reached my boiling point in 2001, D’s graduation night. I knew some other people who were graduating and went to the ceremony. As we went down to congratulate everyone, I went to D. But when she saw me walk towards she turned and walked away. The next day when I saw her mom, she asked me why I did Ignore D? I was shocked and hurt that she would say that and it was then that I decided I wouldn’t be able to talk to her anymore. For five years I didn’t talk to her. If I happened to see her and she said hello I would say hello back but nothing more than that. Two years ago we started talking again. She invited my to her engagement party and bridal shower. At the shower we had to say how long we knew the bride and one of our fondest memories. I told everyone how I knew D since I was six. How she was the first friend I made that was outside of school. I told the story of how we would play this tornado game. When we would get blankets and snacks to hunker down in out gated doorway. It was a really dumb game considering Tornado's don’t occur in Tucson, but it was our little game. I went to her wedding and we now talk more but nothing like when we were younger but it’s in a good place. My childhood wouldn’t have been the same without her.
Elena Cruz
lenapisces84@gmail.com
Like most people, I too have a "toxic friend" who I will call Kara (note: Kara is ALWAYS late and unreliable). Once, I was out with my best friend and we all agreed to meet up with Kara at her house at 8:30PM. Apparently, Kara also told our other friend (Casey) to come to her house in "15 minutes", which was around 8:15PM. We get to Kara’s house at 8:30PM (Casey had already been waiting), but Kara’s car was not in the driveway; she was not home. We took turns calling and texting her, worried because her phone was going straight to voicemail. After 30 minutes of waiting with no response, we decided to drive towards the mall (she was supposed to be picking up her paycheck). We were concerned she might have gotten into a car accident. Kara is a notoriously erratic driver. Along the way, we frantically tried calling her brother. Instead, we got a hold of her mom who also had no idea of her whereabouts. 15 minutes of driving later, Kara called us saying she was on her way home. No explanation. We drove back to her house and she was still mia. After another 10 minutes of waiting, Kara finally pulls up to the driveway. She was over an hour late! It was around 10:00PM and we were like, “What happened?” Kara's response was, "I ran into a co-worker at the mall and we were chatting. My phone must have been off." There was no apology. Casey exclaimed, "WE THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD." Kara then laughed and shrugged it off. She actually thought it was funny that we thought she was dead, that we cared so much. Unfortunately, this story and many more stories like this one are typical of Kara, a toxic friend.
ReplyDelete-Liz , elizbrette79@gmail
I met Z when I moved to my current neighborhood in 5th grade. We became best friends very quickly, and spent most of our time with each other and each other's families. We were best friends until my sophomore year of high school, when I noticed that things were changing. She had a beginning of the school year slumber party and didn't invite me. She told me about it saying, I don't know the people she was inviting and I would feel awkward and uncomfortable. I understood, but that didn't stop me from staring out my bedroom window that day and bursting into tears whenever someone showed up at her house.
ReplyDeleteOne day we were walking to our houses from the bus stop. and I was asking her if she was available the next weekend to do something for my birthday. She told me that she had something to tell me, and that she just needed a minute to figure out how to say it. Once we got to our driveways, she told me that she didn't want to be my friend anymore. I don't remember the details, but I remember the words "just can't take it anymore". Was I that terrible of a person to hang out with? I kept a brave face in front of her and said I understood, then went in my house and cried. I cried and cried. In a time when girls have many best friends, she was my only one.
The next day on the bus I talked to some girls that were close friends of hers, but had grown to be my friends as well. I didn't talk to her, or mention what had happened the previous day. After we got home I heard the doorbell ring, opened the door and there was Z. She asked me if I understood what she had said the day before. How could I not? I said I did and she went on back home.
She has recently left the neighborhood, and I haven't talked to her since she came over to my house after that terrible day. I still regret that I never said how I really felt about what she had done to me. I have had hard times keeping friends ever since then, but have met some really, truly great people who are teaching me that friendship can be forever if you meet the right people.
I know that it's past 12:00, but I hope I can still be considered. (Unfortunately class interrupted my writing session)
Sorry, forgot my email...
ReplyDeletealanna.abraham@gmail.com
Though I realize we are past time, I thought I'd share my quick and entertaining story. When I was a sophomore in high school, I had been dating a guy for several months and my then "best friend" was dating HIS "best friend". For some reason (which I do not recall--nearly 10 years ago), both couples split up after several months of dating. BUT, within days, my "best friend" was dating my ex-boyfriend and his best friend and I were very puzzled by the whole situation. We all still continued to hang out, but for the 2 weeks or however short-lived their relationship was, my girl friend was constantly telling me how she didn't live up to me and that my ex-boyfriend kept bringing me up and telling her that she didn't do things like I did, etc. etc. Long story short, she kept asking ME for advice on how to "save & better" her new relationship with MY ex-boyfriend by trying to be more like me-LOL. Oh, gotta love high school flings!
ReplyDeleteMy best friend in High School and still a great friend thought she would go and inform a boy that I had a crush on him....during the conversation between her and the boy...he ended up asking her out. I believe she said yes (for about 5 minutes until she realized by the look of horror on my face) that it wasn't a good idea.
ReplyDeleteadelek@shaw.ca
Mine is from 6th grade. I asked my very best friend (from 1st grade on) to please tell the very first boy I ever liked that I liked him. Finally after begging for two days she started talking to him. When I would ask what he said she kept blowing me off. Finally after the third day she told me that he told her he liked her and she decided she liked him too. That was my first introduction to how back stabbing "friends" could be over a guy.
ReplyDeleteIn the end it all works out- in the thick of things it just plain sucks! I had been dating this boy for a few years in college and he was not definitely the "one" but he was something. My very best friend "T" was not only my room mate but we always had the best time and often found ourselves the center of attn (and loving it). We all graduated and each of us ended up in our city not too far from school. It started with an innocent "you don't mind if we ski together" to a dramatic break up with him. With no discussion of someone else in the picture. 3 months later I find out that she had been sneaking around with him the WHOLE year prior to the break up..slowly being caught by friends etc. Until one day the grape vine had become to large and recieved THE CALL. I was in shock that she would go after my bf (he really wasn't that great) and screw over a friend in such a way. When I found out she was vacationing in Europe and wrote what I like to call the "I AM NOT SORRY LETTER- I would do it again if I had the chance. They actually ended up getting MARRIED and having children. I would have loved to hear the "how we met" at the wedding. Anyways I think she is happy and I am certainly happy I DID NOT marry that guy or keep her as a best friend. BUT we do co-exist in our large circle of friends
ReplyDeleteB
brookebarber@hotmail.com
I have read SOBO over and over again and every time I would swear you were writing about me. No seriously - I AM Rachel. Minus the sleeping-with-my-best-friend's-fiance part. And I am currently living the Darcy drama - and probably always will be because no matter what - she is my best friend and I will always be there.
ReplyDeleteMy BFF and I have been "sisters" since we were 11 years old (we're now 30) and she has always been the "pretty" one (I'm fine, but I think you know what I'm getting at) and she knows it. I'm the good friend (not just to her but to her flavor of the month/year/whatever) I'm the listener, the advice giver but when I need her - the conversation is always brought back around to her. It's best summed up with what happened last weekend....she no longer lives in our hometown but was here for the wedding of another of our life-long friends. She got upset with her boyfriend (over nothing, let me point out) and stomped off her to room. He didn't go after her and neither did I. Eventually I did go after her (because I always do) and we got in a fight. Seriously, a fight. Like we were 15 or something. And do want to know why we were fighting? (Other than she was mad at her boyfriend and had to take it out on someone?) Because I took too long to come see if she was ok. Let me just remind you that this night was about our friend and her new husband - not her.
But you know what? Just like Darcy, she could spend the whole day at my house watching MTV (or, in our case, reruns of 90210) and looking through our HS yearbooks (which she does whenever she's in town) and I feel a rush of emotion for her that erases every bad moment and every bad quality she possesses. Right or wrong, she is my best friend - my sister - and I love her.
krista.kibel@gmail.com
Long story short:
ReplyDeleteMy best friend (Darcy) throughout high school and college, and I started hanging out in a new group of friends Junior year of college. I was really into one of the guys (let's say.. Marcus)... and we heavily flirted for over a year.
FINALLY we started dating, but about 4 or 5 months later, I noticed he was starting to become distant.
We broke up.
My friend, Darcy, was so supportive and really there for me, as I was completely heartbroken and upset, since Christmas was only a couple weeks away.
I was starting to get over everything, until Darcy gave me a Christmas present... the book "He's Just Not That Into You".
Two weeks later, I saw pictures on Facebook of Darcy and Marcus on a romantic New Year's Eve jaunt.
That was the end of that!
Christin
music4christin@gmail.com
I know it's probably too late to enter the contest, but I have to share my story...
ReplyDeleteOne of my friends "Rebecca" and I have always been and always will be "Rachel and Darcy". It all started when we were 3 years old, I kid you not. I could not make this up if I tried. At the time, I thought I was hot snot, since I was the only one in my tot group at the time that actually had a boyfriend. Alex and I were very hot and heavy, sharing our ice cream, taking naps on the same rug, and he even once let me help him with his popsicle stick sculpture. All of that changed when Rebecca started going to our tot group.
I can remember the very day that she walked into our room, her ruby red hair shining, her curls smooth and bouncy. Alex was immediately smitten, and needless to say, I was left by myself in the craft room while Alex went to play on the teeter totter with Rebecca. That was the day she became known as "The Redhead".
Fast forward 11 years. At this point in my life, Alex was a cute memory, and Rebecca was a long forgetten foe. Until randomly, in my freshman gym class, there she was. Red hair still bouncing, smooth curls still silky.
Except this time, we bonded. Call it the luck of the draw, call it fate, call it what you wish, but that freshman bonding experience is a strong one. From that gym class on, Rebecca and I were unseperable, scheduling classes together, shopping for our platform sandals together, even going on vacations together starting that summer. Despite our past, we had gotten over the 3 year old drama, left behind our issues with our dirty sneakers and popsicle sculptures.
Until I met Alan.
Alan, like all first loves, was the perfect guy for me. He was smart, he was kind to me and my family, he was the perfect down home, straight from the Pennsylvania Dutch country, yes ma'am-no ma'am God fearing baptist boy. I thought that this was it; I thought that clearly there was no one better for me.
Until once again, Rebecca entered the picture. Instead of leaving me in the craft room, he left me at the homecoming dance. Instead of going to the teeter totter, he ended up taking her to the mall, holding her hand even though he had to know word got back to me. It was my 3 year old romance drama all over again, just aged 11 years.
Today I have to say that Rebecca and I are, surprisingly, still friends. Are we best buds? Absolutely not. But we have grown to the point that we can make fun of our 3 year old love triangle, and are even to the point that we can talk about how we both shared our first love in high school. Even through all of our drama, she is and always will be "The Redhead".
I know Im late, but I thought I'd share my story too. Hope you dont mind.
ReplyDeleteMy best friend and I had been friends for four years when we decided to be roommates in college. We both seemed excited about the notion of living together, and I was excited to have one person I really knew at school. The only problem was that my best friend’s parents were extremely over protective and obviously didn’t want her to leave their sight, even for college, which made it pretty clear that she wasn’t going to go. For over a year, she put up a whole charade of how she was going, and we were going to have such a great time, and were going to live it up.
But then THREE days before we were moving in she told me the inevitable news that she wasn’t going, and then preceded to tell me that I shouldn’t be mad at her because it really didn’t affect me at all. Needless to say I am still a little ticked at her for that one, even though her not going was the best thing that could have happened, and ever since I have slowly started to drift away from her, and her constant need to make everything about her. I am still friends with this person now, but I am constantly left in the dust by her and her constant effort to outshine me and everyone else, but I find it hard not to be friends with someone who I know can be a true friend, even if it is only about 1% of the time.
This is my story, it may not be as bad as Rachel and Darcy's, but a lot of the time it feels like it, unfortunately.
Megan
cookylu22@aim.com
I just realized that I typed my e-mail wrong way up there. It is jonitathebookchick@gmail.com.
ReplyDelete