That baby-doll cut looks like something out of the maternity section.' 'Well, in that case, I'll keep it to myself.' When she glares at me, I just smile in return and say, 'Don't wear that. 'I bet whatever it is, it's completely lame.' She yanks out a shimmery red top from her closet before facing me again. 'You're building this up way too much,' she says. Kristen props a hand on her narrow hip and cocks her head at me, her glossy, shoulder-length blond hair swaying with the motion. I shield my face with both hands, laughing as the shoe bounces off one arm and onto the mattress. She turns around from where she's digging through her closet and chucks a black leather sandal at me. Still, it's rare for me to have the upper hand with her, so I can't help but hold it over her head just a little. A pissed-off Kristen is not a fun Kristen. Of course I'm going to tell her she's my best friend, and I can't keep it to myself much longer without truly pissing her off. I realize I've been pushing it by alluding to my newfound information over the past twenty minutes without actually divulging anything. We're in her bedroom where I'm helping her decide on an outfit for tonight-a drawn-out process when your wardrobe is as massive as hers. 'Will you stop the teasing already?' Kristen says. I'm just about ready to burst at the seams. The secret I have right now is so, so much juicier than that. That was ten years ago, and it still may hold the record for my personal best.

It never has been, ever since kindergarten when I found out Becky Swanson had a crush on Tommy Barnes, and I managed to circulate that fact to the entire class, including Tommy himself, within our fifteen minute recess-a pretty impressive feat, in retrospect.

Speechless by hannah harrington