Friday comes around all too quickly, making the rest of the week feel like a blur, mostly because the dance is next week and Paris wouldn't shut about it.

She's not the only one that won't shut up about it.

Almost all the girls at school can't contain their excitement about where they would shop to get their 'Sadie Lewks.' I've heard a lot more high end brand names this week alone than I've heard in my entire life. Also, I've seen a lot of them ask their crush/significant other to the dance in the halls of the school. They turned it into such a spectacle that I was starting to wonder if we were in a circus. Of course, the girls aren't clowns but some of them might as well be the next best thing because some got rejected…in public.

Embarrassment in front of the whole school is social suicide, something you may or may not be able to recover from and being rejected by your crush is just rubbing salt in the wound.

''What do you think about this one?'' She puts a sheer material on her body and twirls in front of her mirror. ''Too showy?''

''Too…booby.''

''I agree.''

She tosses the gown on the bed and grabs another one.

Instead of sifting through stores to search for the 'perfect dress' like we originally planned, Paris decided last minute that it'll be better if her mum's stylist, Dianne, delivered a total of fifty dresses to the residence. How Dianne was able to pull off the delivery of fifty dresses within a span of three hours? I have no idea but she's damn good at her job if I do say so myself.

Why Paris had a change of heart? All the high end stores would be full of girls shopping for the dance and she didn't want to run into anyone she knew or have a 'bitch stole my look' moment.

Rich people.

The dresses were delivered to her home, sorry her mansion, before she came back from school and she called me to come over so we could choose which would be 'more Paris and less Melody.' Whatever the fuck that means, I don't know, but I do know we have tried a total of ten dresses and none of them have appealed to her.

''Black.'' She picks up a Vivian Westwood, halter style A-line, above-the-knee dress with cutouts. ''This looks more like it'd be for you. I don't like black.'' She hands it to me and I examine the dress. ''I like black but cutouts are not my style. Maybe you're judging it a little too harshly,'' I try to reason with her because it's really pretty. ''Try it on and see if you like it.''

''You think so?''

''Yea.''

''I'll be right back.''

She runs to her walk-in closet with the dress in hand while I arrange the dresses she rejected into a neat pile at the side of her bed. ''Mel,'' she calls out.

''Yea.''

''Are you really sure you're not going?''

''I am.''

She comes out of the closet and I nod in approval. It's not bad at all and fits her petite figure very well.

''What do you think?''

''I think you look amazing.''

She moves to her full length mirror and admires the dress, turning to the sides to examine herself like most of us do. ''I actually like it.'' It contrasts her light, almost pale skin and hugs her curves in all the right places. ''It makes my butt look good too.''

''If you have a butt.'' I joke.

She sticks her tongue out. ''Shut up. Not everyone can have a huge butt like yours.''

She's exaggerating a little bit. I have a butt, but I wouldn't call it huge. Huge is what I call butts like Nicki Minaj and Kim Kardashian. Mine's just a little above average and I'm not complaining. I get it from my mum.

''Butt's aside, you look great.''

''I'll add it to the pile of clothes to consider.'' I hand her another dress, only this time, it's not a dress but a grey jumpsuit made from velvet material. ''Did you ask Jason to the dance?''

''What part of I'm not going don't you not understand?'

''The part where you didn't ask Jason.''

''To be honest,'' I look her in the eye. ''He sort of asked me.''

Her eyes grow as wide as saucers and she moves the clothes to the side and settles next to me. ''Sort of? How?''

''Well we were having a conversation and he asked if I was going. I told him no and then I asked if he was going and he was like he'd go only if I ask him.''

''Awww,'' she coos. ''That is so sweet and it's definitely a sign from heaven.''

''Sign?''

''That you should go,'' she replies in a duh tone. ''It'll be your first dance together and I bet it' be so magical.'' She grabs two sealed bags from the pile and hands them to me. ''I had Dianne pick out two dresses for you. It's one of the perks of knowing your size.'' I didn't even notice them. ''I know you said you're not interested but in case you change your mind, you have something to wear. One is a maxi dress while the other is a velvet one like the one I'm wearing, the difference is in the colour and the design.''

''Paris I-''

''Don't say anything,'' she says with a smile. ''Yes, I know you want to say no, but please take it. Think of it as a gift for being the best friend in the world and the most amazing person on the planet.''

I sigh. ''I really can't say no?''

She shakes her head. ''Nope, you can't.''

Knowing Paris, if I reject it, she'll have the dresses delivered to my doorstep before I even get home or deliver it herself.

''Fine,'' I reluctantly say. ''But, I owe you.''

''And you'd repay me by buying me a Starbucks coffee on Monday. God knows I need it because all this studying is gruelling.''

Can't argue with that.

''Is Theo coming?'' she asks.

''To the dance?''

She nods.

''I don't know.'' I really don't know. When it was first proposed, he objected to it but I have no idea if he objected to it because of me.

''Well, he should. I'll try and convince him.''

''Good luck with that.''

''This looks pretty.'' She brings out a Prada, white lace dress with a sweetheart neck line. ''I'll go try it on.'' I nod and she walks to her closet. Four minutes later, she comes out. ''Well?''

''You look angelic.'' And she really does, it's almost like a halo is circling on her forehead and other angels are blowing trumpets as she walks to the mirror.

''This looks like the one.''

''You think so?''

''Yea. It looks sexy but classy and that's the look I'm going for.''

''I bet Ryan will love it.''

I see her smile droop from the mirror and I frown. ''What's wrong?''

''Nothing.''

''I've known you since forever. You're lying.'' She's another transparent glass. Just like me, Paris a terrible liar and she wears her heart on her sleeves. I guess that's why we're best friends-we have a lot in common.

''Ryan and I haven't really been on good terms.''

''Really?'' On Monday, I could've sworn they were all over each other. They went out together during the afternoon break and he even sat at our lunch table.

What went wrong between the span of then and now?

''He's keeping something from me, something major and I don't like the fact that he's keeping secrets. He never wants to spend time with me anymore. We used to talk and text like almost everyday, but now our conversations are limited to twice a day if I'm lucky and I initiate the phone calls, not him.''

She continues. ''He claims he's 'busy'. Doing what? I have no idea.''

I may have an idea.

She turns to me and her eyes are sad. ''We're meant to be a team with no secrets and he's lying to me. On Tuesday, he said he was studying at home but my locations app told me that he wasn't at home, but at a restaurant two towns away with God knows who.''

Oh boy.

''I confronted him about it and asked if he's cheating on me but he denied it.'' She runs her hand through her blonde waves. ''I hate having to look like the jealous, crazy and obsessive girlfriend but my woman's intuition is never wrong. He is cheating on me.'' Her voice breaks. ''He's fucking cheating, Mel and I'm so mad.''

I stand up and hug her, feeling her tears stain my shirt. ''What if he's not cheating and you're way in over your head?''

''He is,'' she whispers. ''I know he is.''

I pat her back. ''Why don't you give him the benefit of the doubt?'' Ryan doesn't seem like the type of guy to cheat. I wouldn't put it past any guy, much less a teenage boy to cheat really, but I'll stick my neck out for him because I've studied him and I've studied his relationship with Paris. He really likes her, he told me so himself, and he goes out of his way to make sure that she's comfortable.

They're the only couple I know that go out on dates almost everyday without being exhausted.

If he's limiting their conversations, there must be a reason, and if I'm postulating correctly, it has something to do with the gang he's in with Jason. Maybe they have important business to attend to or whatever it is they do.

''Why don't you ask him? Maybe there's an explanation for all this.''

We break away from our hug and I wipe a stray tear from her lefteye. ''He'll just lie again.''

''Communication is key in every relationship, Paris.'' I squeeze her shoulders lovingly. ''A wise man once told me that you can't put a man on a charge unless you have all the facts.'' She narrows her eyes. ''You don't have all the facts, everything is circumstantial.''

''All relationships have their rough patches.'' This may not even be a rough patch, but a bump in the road. ''Talk to him and try and work things out because I know you like him a lot.''

''I do. I really do.''

I clap my hands. ''Then it's settled. Call him and hear his side of the story.''

''Fine,'' she reluctantly complies. ''But if I'm right, I'm feeding his dick to the wolves.''

I wonder how she'll react to Ryan being in a gang. Moreseo, I wonder if she'll ever forgive me for keeping secrets from her.