The Best Friend Read Online Free

her. “Anyway. I can get them some other time. I’ll be seeing you a lot.”
    Becka didn’t reply. She glanced reluctantly at her posters.
    I don’t really want to give them away, she realized. I should’ve told Honey no.
    Why did I offer to give them to her?
    Honey glanced at the clock on Becka’s dresser. “Wow. I’ve got to get going.” She turned back to Becka, her face revealing deep emotion. “Oh, I hope we can be best friends again!” she cried. “Just like when we were kids.”
    She rushed forward and gave Becka another hug. Then she turned and ran out of the room.
    Becka, Lilah, and Trish remained silent, listening to Honey’s heavy footsteps descend the stairs. When they heard the front door slam, all three of them exploded at once.
    â€œWhat was that all about?” Trish demanded.
    â€œShe didn’t even notice Trish and I were here!” Lilah exclaimed. “She didn’t say goodbye or anything!”
    â€œWho is she?” Becka asked, collapsing onto the floor beside Lilah. “Am I cracking up or what?”
    â€œShe’s your best friend, Becka,” Lilah said in a mock scolding tone. “How could you forget your best friend?”
    Laughing, Trish buried her face in a window seat pillow.
    â€œDo you remember her?” Becka demanded.
    Lilah and Trish shook their heads.
    â€œWhy should we remember her?” Trish said. “She was your best best best best best friend!”
    Trish and Lilah collapsed in hysterics.
    Becka didn’t join in. She pulled the pillow out of Trish’s hands and hugged it. “But—but what if she was right? What if we were best best friends? How could I be so awful to forget?”
    â€œFace it. You’re awful!” Trish declared. She and Lilah both thought this remark was hilarious too.
    Becka heaved the pillow at Trish. It missed and bounced off the window.
    â€œYou’ll probably forget us too,” Lilah declared.
    â€œForget who?” Trish cried.
    Both she and Lilah collapsed in laughter.
    â€œCome on,” Becka urged. “This is serious. Did you see how happy Honey was to see me? And all I could do was stand there with my mouth open and go, ‘Duhhh.’”
    â€œI’ve never seen her before,” Trish said. “Weren’t we in the same fourth grade class? Didn’t you have Miss Martin?”
    â€œYeah,” Becka said.
    â€œMe too,” said Lilah. “Whatever happened to Miss Martin?”
    â€œMoved away, I think,” Becka replied. “I think she had a baby and got married.”
    â€œDon’t you mean got married and had a baby?” asked Lilah.
    â€œWhatever,” Becka replied impatiently.
    â€œSo why don’t we remember Honey Perkins?” Lilah asked.
    â€œDo you have your class pictures?” Trish demanded, standing up and walking over to the other two.
    â€œFrom fourth grade?” Becka shook her head. “I don’t think so. Oh. Wait.” She made her way to the desk against the wall, leaned down, and pulled out the bottom drawer. “I might have it in this box.”
    She pulled out a battered cardboard box and began rummaging through it. A short while later she lifted out their fourth grade class picture.
    The girls huddled close to study it.
    â€œThere she is,” Trish said, putting her finger on a face in the upper right-hand corner. “It’s got to be her. The same hair.”
    And as Trish pulled her finger away, all three girls suddenly remembered Honey.
    â€œYeah. Right. That’s her,” Becka recalled. “She was weird.”
    â€œShe was real weird,” Trish agreed. “She was quiet. Almost never spoke. When Miss Martin called on her, she used to choke. Remember? She’d turn real white and just sputter.”
    â€œNo one liked her,” Lilah commented, staring hard at the photo. “Hey, Becka, nice bangs!” she cried,