I nearly dropped my phone in surprise.

“Matt?” I asked with concern in my voice, “What’s the matter? Why are you crying?”

“I need to talk to someone,” he sobbed, “I… I… I can only talk to you. Only tell… tell you a secret.”

My throat clamped up. Then he said muttered something that was inaudible due to his blubbering.

“What?” I said desperately, “I can’t hear a word you’re saying! Matty, calm down. I’m here for you, remember?”

The sobbing gradually became more controlled.

“Better?” I said with a forced smile, “Now tell me again. I’m here to listen to you.”

A bit of hesitation first.

“Kayla,” he said, breathing deeply, “I have a secret.”

“Ok.”

“Like, a big secret.”

“I’m sure I can handle it. I’ve known you for eight years.”

“I mean, I’ve never told anybody before, not even my parents.”

I felt a shiver creep down my back, but I kept calm.

“Matt, I swear it won’t matter,” I said in the most comforting way possible.

“Ok.” He took a deep breath.

“But first,” he interrupted, “You have to promise not to tell anyone.”

“I promise.”

I felt my heart beating faster and faster. What was he trying to tell me?

“Kayla, I’m gay.”

I’m gay… The words resounded in my head like an echo. At first I didn’t believe it. Gay? I blinked stupidly. Gay. Matt was gay.

“Wow,” I finally said, “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Yeah, I guess not. Surprised?”

“Not really,” I lied, “It’s normal these days. Why did you decide to tell me now?”

He took another deep breath.

“I’ve known you long enough,” Matt said, “Eight years you said, right? Would explain why I never had a girlfriend.”

There was a bit of silence when neither of us knew what to say. I was still in a bit of shock when I remembered that Caroline was waiting on the other line.

“Um, wait a second ok?” I said, and then clicked the switch.

“What the hell!” I heard Caroline exclaim, “That took long enough!”

Oh yeah, the boyfriend mystery! How could I forget?

“So, Caroline,” I said loudly, now filled with energy with the sudden new events, “I need to ask you something.”

“Go ahead.”

“Why did you make Evan cheat on me with you?”

Silence.

“Excuse me?” Caroline said, bewildered, “Me? Cheating with Evan?”

“That’s right,” I sneered, “I know all about it. The whole deal with Kaitlin. Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.”

“Kayla Edwards, are you out of your mind?” she screeched, “I could never do a thing like that! I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“You don’t know how you stole my boyfriend?”

“What…”

I was on a roll and I pushed at it again.

“You mean you don’t know how you made out with him last Wednesday? How you betrayed me?”

“What are you-”?

“How you hurt me? How you didn’t know that I still have feelings for Evan?”

I was near tears.

“I love him!” I shouted, “I love him so much and you took him away from me! You took my boyfriend away from me because you’re a little skank!

“You skank, you skanky skank! A good for nothing little whore who makes out with other people’s boyfriends! You have nothing! You-“

“THAT’S ENOUGH!”

The alarm of her strong voice made me freeze. Then I finally burst into tears. I cried. I sobbed uncontrollably and didn’t even try to hold it back. I felt the shameful hot tears pour out of me and land in my lap. It hurt so bad, the poisonous anger I felt quenching my insides. It hurt so, so bad.

“Kayla,” she said softly, “I didn’t do it. I swear.”

My chin quivered. Flashing thoughts of my love for Evan blinded me: Our first date, our first kiss, our first movie, everything. It was just a split second of flashes. Just one split second of everything. My tears were absorbing into my clothes like an evaporating puddle. Guilt, misery, pain: All these things I felt at once and it was overwhelming.

“You skank…” I squeaked, my voice cracking, “You skank, you gay skank. I can’t believe you…

“Gay skank, gay… My best friend…”

Oh god, oh god. I couldn’t speak anymore, tears poured all over me again. I already knew who it was. It was never so obvious to me as it was now. It was right there, the whole time.

I used all the energy I could gather to click the switch again, and heard Matt’s voice again. He was saying something but I didn’t hear it.

“Fuck you,” I squealed, “I hate you. I hate you, I hate you.”

Toss. The phone was still on and I tossed it on the ground. But I didn’t care.

I lay down again and stared up at the painting, the one of the ocean. Grey lines merged with the blue lines, which flared up with the tips of the waves. It was a beautiful painting. Beautiful, like the day at the harbour.

The day at the harbour. A warm a breezy day, so perfectly calm. The day when I bought those ice cream cones after waiting half an hour in line.

I pulled myself under the bed covers.

It was the day when pretty boats lined up along the dock in a tangled fashion. Seagulls placed themselves on the posts, on the benches, everywhere.

I turned off the light was a satisfying click.

It was the day that Evan first made Matt smile when I was buying the ice cream cones.

My head rested against the cold pillow. Hot tears filled my eyes.

And they fell in love.

The End.