I Helped My Best Friend Flirt With a Guy… Then He Fell for Me Instead

The Confrontation

My phone buzzes immediately with Audrey’s response saying she’ll be there in twenty with a heart emoji. I switch to Kurt’s thread.

My fingers feel heavy as I type that I need a day to think about dinner because of some friend stuff happening. It sounds weak and vague, but I hit send anyway.

His reply comes back fast, saying he understands and hopes everything’s okay. I look at Joey’s text last, his message still sitting there unopened.

I can’t open it because seeing his excitement makes everything ten times worse. My hands shake as I grab my jacket and shove my phone in my pocket.

I head downstairs and wait by the front window, watching for Audrey’s car and trying to breathe normally. Her blue sedan pulls up exactly twenty minutes later.

I can see through the windshield that her eyes look red and puffy, even though she’s trying to look determined. I climb into the passenger seat.

She immediately starts talking about how Kurt’s been so distant lately and she just needs to understand what happened. She keeps saying she thought they were getting closer.

I make agreeing sounds and nod at the right times while my stomach twists itself into knots. I’m pretty sure I know exactly why he’s been distant.

The drive to Kurt’s apartment feels like it takes forever, even though it’s only fifteen minutes. Audrey practices out loud what she wants to say to him.

Silence and Broken Spirits

We pull into the parking lot. Audrey puts the car in park but doesn’t get out right away.

She takes these big deep breaths like she’s preparing for something huge and checks her face in the mirror. I follow her out of the car.

She walks up to the building entrance with fake confidence, and I trail behind her by a few steps. She rings the doorbell and stands up straighter.

The door opens and Joey’s face appears. He lights up completely when he sees me standing there.

Then his eyes shift to Audrey next to me and his whole expression changes, his smile dropping away. He doesn’t say hi or invite us in.

He just turns his head and calls for Kurt in this flat voice. I can see him reading the tension already, and it makes me feel even worse.

Kurt appears behind Joey looking confused about why both of us are standing at his door together. Audrey jumps in immediately, asking if they can talk privately.

Kurt’s eyes flick to me and I see this uncomfortable recognition cross his face. He agrees, but his voice sounds reluctant.

Joey grabs my hand before I can follow them and pulls me toward the living room. He starts talking really fast about this new level he finally beat yesterday.

I try to focus on what he’s saying, but I can hear Audrey and Kurt’s voices coming from the kitchen. My stomach feels sick.

The Aftermath of Honesty

Joey stops mid-sentence and looks at me with this expression that’s way too knowing for a twelve-year-old. His shoulders go stiff.

He sets the controller down on the carpet instead of handing it to me like he was about to. We sit there in this awful silence.

I want to say something to Joey, but nothing comes out. He picks at the edge of the controller and won’t look at me anymore.

Finally, I hear footsteps and Audrey appears in the living room doorway. Her eyes are red and puffy, but she’s got this bright fake smile plastered on her face.

Audrey announces in this too-cheerful voice that we need to go now. Joey’s hand tightens around the controller so hard his knuckles turn white.

I stand up too fast and feel dizzy for a second. Kurt’s eyes find mine, and there’s this question in them.

I can’t deal with whatever he wants to know right now because Audrey is already heading toward the door. I give Joey a quick little wave and follow her.

The door closes behind us with this soft click that sounds way too final. Audrey walks fast toward the stairs and I have to hurry to keep up.

She doesn’t say anything until we’re in the car. Then she just breaks.

The tears come all at once and she’s sobbing these big gulping sobs. She tells me Kurt said he values her as a friend but he’s not interested in dating her.

Seeking a Path Forward

The drive back to my house takes forever. Audrey’s still crying when she pulls up in front of my place.

I promise to call her later tonight and get out of the car feeling like I might throw up. As soon as I’m through my bedroom door, I collapse face down.

My phone buzzes. It’s a text from Joey asking if I’m okay and saying Audrey seemed really upset.

That makes me want to cry because even in the middle of all this mess, he’s checking on me. I text back telling him I’m fine and we’ll hang out soon.

An hour goes by and my phone buzzes again. This time it’s Kurt asking if we can talk when I have a chance.

I stare at his message for like ten minutes. Finally, I type back that I need a day or two to figure some things out.

I barely sleep at all. School is going to be terrible.

When I get to school, I spot Audrey down the hallway. She looks even worse than I feel.

She sees me and walks over and pulls me into this tight hug. She thanks me for being there yesterday and says she doesn’t know what she’d do without me.

Lunch is torture. Audrey starts going through every single interaction she’s had with Kurt.

Then someone mentions seeing Kurt talking to me at Joey’s school event last week. My whole body goes cold.