Married While You Waited Ten Years Chapter 2

Steve and I were the "it" version of childhood sweethearts. We were inseparable from kindergarten through the start of high school. Our lives were a single thread.

Until Becca moved to town.

She was loud, athletic, and claimed she "only got along with guys because girls were too much drama." She worked her way into the center of the boys' circle, and that included Steve.

Suddenly, they were sitting together in every class. They were gaming together until 2 AM. Our walk home, which used to be our sacred time, turned into a trio.

At first, I tried to be the "cool friend." I didn't want to be the jealous girl.

That changed the day Becca "accidentally" knocked my ceramic water bottle off my desk. It shattered into a million pieces. It was part of a matching set Steve and I had bought together.

Becca gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. “Oh my god, Jo! I’m so sorry! I’ll buy you a new one, I swear. Don’t be mad!”

I shook my head, trying to keep my voice steady. “It’s fine. It was an accident. Don’t worry about it.”

Becca leaned down, her voice dropping to a whisper that only I could hear. “I’ll get you a new one. I know how you girls are—saying it’s fine to my face then crying to Steve about how mean I am behind my back.”

I froze. “What?”

She stood up and shouted to the room, “See? Look at that face! She’s totally mad. Jo, it’s just a bottle. Just tell me to buy you a new one instead of doing the whole two-faced thing. I seriously can’t stand girls who won't just be real.”

She nudged Steve with her elbow. “Hey, Steve, tell your princess to cheer up before she goes home and tells on me.”

Steve looked uncomfortable, but he shrugged. “Come on, Jo. Don’t be like that. It’s just a bottle. I’ll buy you another one. It wasn't even expensive.”

“Steve,” I said, my heart sinking. “Do you really think I’m being petty right now?”

I felt the blood rush to my face. “I’ll buy my own bottle. I don’t need anything from either of you.”

Steve started to apologize, seeing the look on my face, but Becca threw her arm around his neck, pulling him away.

“Whoops! The Princess is officially in a mood! Run for it, Steve, before she turns us into frogs. We’ll apologize when she’s finished her tantrum.”

And just like that, I had a new nickname: Her Highness.

If I handed out papers for a teacher, they’d whisper, “Watch out, don’t let Her Highness break a nail.”

If I went to the bathroom, they’d line up in the hallway, snickering. “Make way! The Royal Procession is passing through!”

The hallway became a gauntlet of muffled laughs and sidelong glances. Steve saw it all. He did nothing.

Later, when I tried to talk to him, he just sighed with annoyance.

“Jo, stop acting like a princess. You don’t have the crown for it, but you sure have the attitude.”