Curvy Girls Can’t Date Best Friends by Kelsie Stelting

Fifty

CARSON

As we drove away from the RV campsite, Callie had tears streaming down her cheeks. I hated that she was in pain, but she had no idea how much that little dog meant to my grandparents. That was just another one of the things I loved about her. Even though she knew fostering dogs was bound to break her heart, she did it anyway.

I reached across the console and took her hand. “Hey, I’m here for you.”

She smiled tearily at me. “Thank you.”

If I was being honest, I was going to miss Franklin too. Him leaving with my grandparents felt like a bookend to the summer. “Can you believe we only have a few weeks until it’s time to leave for Stanford?”

She shook her head. “Not at all.”

The last two months had flown by and hadn’t gone remotely how I’d expected. I’d be grateful for that always. Not only had Callie fallen in love with me, but I’d gotten closure with my family I’d never anticipated. My mom apologized. My dad moved away. Gemma and I had rekindled our relationship, and even Clary made me promise to visit them for Thanksgiving. It was like I’d gotten my family back. My life back.

Now all there was to do was enjoy it with the love of my life. I wondered how I could make these last few weeks in Emerson ones she would remember. We had her mom’s cookie competition, which we’d obviously blow the top off of, and she would be working. Mrs. Mayes even let me back on the schedule despite my last-minute exit.

Callie’s phone began ringing, and she moved her finger over the screen. Zara’s face came into view as Callie showed both of us on the screen.

“Hey, Zara,” I said.

“Hey, Callon,” she replied. “So I had an idea. Do you guys want to get ready for the premiere here? We could make it a fun group hang. Everyone else already said they were free.”

“Premiere?” Callie asked.

And then it hit me. “Crap! Callie, the movie premiere.”

“Oh my gosh,” she said. “I totally forgot.”

“Well, good thing I called!” Zara said. “Do you guys want to swing by in an hour or so then?”

Callie and I glanced at each other and wordlessly agreed.

“We’ll be there,” she said.

I grinned as she hung up. This would be the perfect thing to lift our moods. Not to mention, I couldn’t wait to see Callie in a dress. I hoped she’d wear one that showed off her curves.

“I have a crazy idea,” Callie said.

I turned to her, just a little terrified. “If you try to talk me into sneaking a dog into the dorms again—”

“It’s not that,” she said, laughing. “No, what if we invited Merritt to get ready with us?”

A sly smile lifted my lips. “Look at you, Callie, trying to be the bigger person.”

Blushing, she rolled her eyes. “It’s not that... it’s just… Her friends dumped her when she lost her money. I can’t imagine not having my friends.”

This, right here, is why Callie was my best friend. After the way Merritt had treated her, I honestly wouldn’t have blamed Callie for just going off to college and pretending Merritt never existed. But here she was, opening her heart to even the most unlovable.

“Call her,” I said with a smile.

She bit her lip nervously. “What will the girls say?”

I shrugged. “Probably that you’re crazy. It’ll be awkward, but it’s the right thing to do. I think we should all be ready to move on from high school, Merritt included.”

“Right.” She lifted her phone and slowly tapped her fingers over the screen.