Amber nodded an affirmative, having already heard this by now.

E-Beth nearly started crying.

“I did it to myself. I brought him to the party and let him fuck Amber and Maria and all these girls prettier than me! I put the idea into his head that he could trade me up!"

She was quickly becoming hysterical and I went over to hug her.

E-Beth's self- confidence had always been a fragile thing. From chunky outcast in high school, she'd worked really hard to improve her body and raise her own self-image. I thought for the last few years she'd finally accepted she was a hot babe after having a string of good-looking dates and having an entire campus drooling over her tits.

But to have your boyfriend say he's dumping you because he wants to find a better looking girl? That threatened to undo everything she had gained.

Unfortunately, E-Beth refused to let me hug her. She took one look at me and started bawling, shrinking away from me, much to mine and

Amber's confusion. She pulled back, right into Diane's grasp and Let the diminutive Asian girl pull her into an embrace.

“E-Beth, what's wrong?" I asked softly.

“Don't you see?" she whined through her tears.

“I'm getting what I deserve. I did it to you and now karma's coming back to me."

“What ?"

“You helped transform me from ugly duckling into beautiful swan. And how did I repay you? I broke up with you. I'm the fucking asshole who broke up with you to try out other guys.”

I held my hands out to her. "Do I look like I'm mad at you? What you felt was honest and I accepted that. And we both know that breaking up turned out best for us."

“Not for me. I made a mistake. I had the greatest guy in the world and

I pushed you away." Her eyes swiveled to Amber and she started sobbing even harder.

“You even ended up with my prettier best friend! How fucking ironic is that!"

Okay, E-Beth had now crossed the Line to hysteria. She was laughing maniacally and shuddering in pain as she cried uncontrollably all the while. Diane couldn't hold onto her and this time, when I went to wrap her in my arms, she didn't have the control to pull away.

I simply bear-hugged her and pulled her head to mine as I rocked slowly and did my best to calm her down. "You are beautiful Elizabeth..." I soothed. "You are beautiful. Don't you ever forget that."

She hiccupped and asked, "Don't you think Amber is more beautiful than me?"

How I hated these trap questions.

“You are both beautiful."

“But is she prettier than me?"

I glanced at Amber, who just nodded encouragingly.

“Why should it matter one way or the other?"