Sound Bites: A Rock & Roll Love Story Read Free Page A

exactly take well to constructive criticism, but now that I was older I really appreciated her honesty. Sure, there were certain times when little white lies were necessary, because no one really wants to hear “Yes, you really do look fat in that dress” or “You’re right, your forehead does look like you’ve sprouted a third eye.” But there were also times when you didn’t want someone to sugar coat anything; you wanted them to give you their God’s honest opinion.
    This was definitely one of those times.
    “So you walked in on them?” she asked, wide-eyed, leaning forward in her seat.
    “Yeah, I…”
    “What did you do? Did you cause a scene?”
    “I just… ran.”
    “You left? Why?”
    I shrugged. “I was in shock. I didn’t even know what to say. I just wanted to get the hell out of there and try to process what had just happened.”
    “So what did Justine say? Have you talked to her? She must’ve called you, right?”
    In addition to her honesty, Beth was also infamous for talking a mile a minute. I couldn’t get a word in edgewise when the two of us were together, and even when I was the one talking, she would constantly interrupt with one hundred questions. Beth was very analytical. Conveying a story to her was like being on trial; you had to offer up every single detail so she could analyze every aspect of the story and weigh her opinion carefully.
    Beth and I met the summer before we both entered the sixth grade. She lived a street over from me and was the only girl in my neighborhood who didn’t think I was some sort of foreign reptile because I went to Catholic school. Our afterschool rituals consisted of riding our bicycles around the neighborhood and swapping stories about our daily adventures. I was always envious of her public school lifestyle, mainly because nothing exciting ever happened at Holy Family. No one ever got caught fooling around in the locker room or smoking pot in the bathroom. Her stories were like listening to the narrative of a soap opera, which, in my eyes, made her the epitome of cool. I couldn’t believe she actually wanted to be friends with someone who wore knee socks and saddle shoes on a daily basis. 
    “She’s called, but I can’t talk to her,” I said, answering her question. “Maybe someday I’ll be able to, but right now, I just can’t.”
    Beth cocked an eyebrow. “So how did you get your stuff out of the apartment?”
    “I went there when I knew she was at work. Took the basics, left the furniture.”
    “Do you think they’re, like, dating? Or do you think it was just a one-time thing?”
    “I don’t know, and honestly, I don’t want to know.”
    “God, I really can’t believe Justine would do that to you,” she said, covering her eyes with her hands. “I really can’t. You guys have been friends for so long.”
    I bit my thumbnail nervously, and then asked the question that I had been dying to ask all along. “Beth, why do you think she did it?”
    Beth sighed. “Well, I think it could be two reasons. The first reason could be that she’s jealous of you.”
    I shook my head. There was no way. The only time jealousy occurred was when someone felt they were being denied something they could have, something that belonged to someone else. Justine could’ve had any guy on the planet. It didn’t add up.
    “No way,” I said. “I think I’d pick up on it if she was. I mean, come on, the girl was my best friend.”
    Beth gave me that knowing look that told me she knew what she was talking about. “Don’t be so sure. Sometimes people hide things well. Maybe she’s always secretly compared herself to you and you just never realized it.”
    I shrugged. “Maybe. So what’s the second reason?”
    “Well, the second reason is that maybe she’s in love with him. And I don’t mean some sort of sexual infatuation, I mean serious love, as in marriage. If she doesn’t have jealousy issues with you, then that’s the only thing that would