"Omg, she seriously needs to get a trash bag to cover that hideous hair of hers,” said Bella a little to loud.
“I know right! Like who does that loser think she is?! Anyways, she only fits into those True Religion’s because of the lipo she got done in 7th grade!” cried Charlotte.
“What was the use of the lipo anyways, I mean she really should have considered a nose job instead!”
Crap. It had come out of my mouth before I even realized what I had said. I knew perfectly well that Kelsey had actually dropped 20 pounds the summer that we went into 8th grade and I also knew that when we were 9, I had accidently punched her in the nose causing it to be crooked. I watched Kelsey’s eyebrows knit together and then her mouth form a little “O”. I flipped my auburn hair and cleared my throat.
“Come on girls we have to go to class, she’s a lost cause anyways”.
“Yeah, I know, she’s as weird as my grandmother and her nose is like majorly croo-“.
“Enough Bella! We all know! There is no need to state the obvious!” I snapped. My insides were burning with guilt already and the pale yellow walls of the school corridors started to spin. God, I was mean. And I had turned my friends to be just like me.
“You want to know what the annoying thing is?” started Brooke inquisitively, “It’s the fact that she is actually really kind of pretty. You know, like in a….” she trailed off after seeing my expression.
“Oh my goodness. I thought I said we were done talking about Kelsey Parker!” I cried. Of course I knew Kelsey was pretty. As a matter of fact, she was downright supermodel gorgeous. Even her crooked nose couldn’t distract you from those bright blue eyes, that long blonde hair, or those heart shaped lips. Kelsey was the one who had brought me out of my own shy shell. She was the one who had brought me to my first party and given me a makeover for the first time- teaching me how to use all the different brushes and telling me which colors complimented my light skin tone. I suddenly couldn’t take it anymore. I needed to talk to Kelsey. I needed to apologize for 3 years of unexplained cruelty.
“Girls, I won’t be able to make dinner tonight”, I said abruptly, “As a matter of fact, I have to go now too, bye!” I started running off when Bella’s high-pitched voice yelled after me, “Wait, Kendall! Your lucky bracelet, you dropped it!
I went back as fast as my heels would take me, took the bracelet from Bella’s hand and said “Oh thanks. You know I can’t even function without that.” And it was true. That bracelet was what got me through life. The delicate pink heart on it inscribed with my name was the last gift my mother had given me before she passed away. Thinking of her made me realize how disappointed she would’ve been if she knew that I had abandoned Kelsey, my best friend of 13 years, because I felt threatened by her. I needed to go and find Kelsey right now and explain everything. I walked up to some random girl wearing big black glasses and demanded, “Where is Kelsey Parker’s locker?”
“Oh, hi, um, I’m pretty sure its right by the, uhh, the main office, on the left” she squeaked nervously.
I nodded and started walking in that direction. She was there, leaning against her locker studying for some AP test that she was probably going to ace.
“Kelsey,” I said. She looked up and seeing whom it was, turned her back and started opening her locker. “Look Kelsey, I need to talk to you. I have some explaining to do.
“To be honest Kendall, I don’t really give a damn for what you have to say. You have caused me three years of social humiliation and there is no amount of “explaining” that can fix that. Okay? So why don’t you go and make fun of someone else now,” she retorted.

“No Kelsey, please, just give me a chance. At least let me tell you what happened back in 8th grade. You don’t have to forgive me, just give me a chance to tell you that I never meant to hurt you. Please. Lets go out for coffee tonight and we can catch up and I can-“
“Are you joking me Kendall. You are willing to give up your precious Friday night to go out for coffee with me? Me? Kelsey Parker? The girl who got lipo in 8th grade”, “who wears a wig to school everyday”, and has a “crooked nose because her father abuses her”!? And where is this all coming from anyways? I mean it couldn’t have taken you this long to realize how selfish, snobby, and mean you are! Ugh, save it.”
I sighed. Kelsey made me sound terrible. I opened my mouth and spoke the first apology that I had given to anyone in years. “The sad thing is, that it actually did take me this long to realize it. But now that I have, I want to apologize. I wanted to say that I am sorry that I felt threatened by you in 8th grade because I knew all of our friends would like you better than me in high school. And I’m sorry that I started vicious rumors about you so that those girls would abandon you and come running to me. And I’m sorry that I threw away our amazing friendship for popularity, and I’m sorry I stole your boyfriend that summer and I’m just really sorry,” I cried. I could tell that she was taken aback by my sudden truth. I really wasn’t the type to apologize and admit that I was wrong. Kelsey looked away and took a deep breath.
“One coffee. That’s it, “ she said.
“Okay thank you. I’ll pick you up at 6 and we can go to Espresso Royale. “
By the time I got home it was already five. I wasted time and watered the lilies that were sitting on the windowsill in my bedroom, filled a glass of orange juice and drank about half, and played around on my Mac desktop. For some reason I had a weird feeling about tonight. Maybe I should call and fake sick or something. I could just go out for Friday dinner with the girls like always. I looked down at my lucky bracelet and thought about what my mother would have said. She would not have been pleased at all with the way I was acting. In truth, ever since my mom passed away, I had become a rude and dishonest brat. I expected everything from my father, I expected my friends to follow me, and I expected everyone to love me. And never had I once uttered a little thank you to them. I had to go to this little coffee date. I grabbed the keys to my BMW and was out the door. Thankfully, Kelsey’s house was only a 3 minute and 36 second drive. When we were little, Kelsey and I had timed the car ride so that whenever we wanted to play together, we could tell our parents “But she only lives 3 minutes and 36 seconds away!” I pulled up at Kelsey’s house. It was the same as I remembered it to be- red bricks, black shutters and that horrible bright blue front door that we had always made fun of. Kelsey was standing outside and came to the car.
“Hey, so I’m going to drive, is that okay? I mean it’s a 10 minute car ride anyways,” I said.
“Uh yeah, whatever. So listen, I think its really great that we’re going to talk and all but don’t expect for us to become best friends again. That is never going to happen.”
“The thought didn’t cross my mind”, I cleared my throat; I hadn’t realized that this situation might be awkward. ” So Kelsey, what have you been up to these past 3 years?”
“Well, other than being tormented about my liposuction and nose and fake hair. Nothing really! How about you?!” she said sarcastically.
“Okay Kelsey, I know that I have made mistakes and made up rumors and given you a hard time but-“
“Jeez, watch where you’re going!! You almost crashed into that tree,” yelled Kelsey.
It was foggy outside and tough to see the road and I honestly wasn’t a good driver. In the few short months that I had gotten my license I had already towed two cars.
“Sorry, sorry!” I cried, “Anyways, like I was saying, in 8th grade, you were the popular one and the pretty one and everyone looked up to you. I was just known as “the pretty-girl’s-best-friend”, and I was sick of that. So I made up some rumors and told people that the only reason that your hair was so pretty was because it was a wig, and the only reason you suddenly had the most perfect body was because you had lipo during the summer. Oh, and the nose being crooked, it was me that told people that your dad abused you, and that one day he took a blow at your nose…” I snuck a sideways glance at Kelsey. She looked horrified.
She took a calming breath and said “Wow, you-“

And then everything went black.

I woke up in my bed disoriented, my joints aching, and my head hurting. I was really confused for some reason. Then I suddenly remembered Kelsey and the car ride. Had that actually happened? I turned and looked at my clock- 5:05. It had all been just a dream! I still had 55 minutes to face Kelsey and explain everything! I got up and looked around. The roses on my windowsill were looking parched. Wait a minute, the roses? I never had roses. I had always had lilies on my windowsill, ever since I was 2 years old. Weird. The housekeeper must’ve changed them. I decided to go downstairs and get myself some orange juice. As I was going down I noticed a full glass of orange juice on my table. After thinking about it, I decided that I must’ve left it there this morning. I glanced at the clock; it was still only 5:15. My laptop flashed with a new notification. I ran towards it to check it out. It was an email that read, “Hey K, are you bringing the flowers”. What flowers? Wait a minute; I didn’t even have a laptop!! I had just gotten my new Mac desktop and given my old laptop to Brooke. What was going on here?!
I ran downstairs, “Dad! Dad!” I yelled.
Some unknown lady walked up to me and said softly, “Hey Kelsey your father isn’t home right now. He’ll be home around 7.”
“What? Who are you!? First of all my name is Kendall and second of all, my father is always home on Wednesdays!”
“Oh Kelsey, not again! This isn’t funny!” the woman said looking weary.
“What are you saying!? My name is Kendall, Kendall Nicole Carlyn. Look it says it right here on my bracelet!” I grabbed my wrist and looked. Inscribed in that little heart was the name “Kelsey Jane Parker”. I gasped.
“Oh my goodness”. I looked at myself in the mirror next to me and the first thing I saw was that crooked nose, bright blue eyes, and blonde hair….
That strange lady looked at me and said sympathetically “Oh darling, I know she used to be your friend, but Kendall Carlyn died in a car accident two days ago.”