Effortless With You Lizzy Charles 11 page

A text from Matt forces my head out from under my blanket.

Matt: Party tonight. You promised. 7.

Right. Birthday party. Matt. Marissa. Zach. Confrontation.

Am I ready?

No, but that doesn’t matter. If it was up to me, I’d never be ready. I’d be happy avoiding Marissa and Zach for the rest of my life. But realistically, that is impossible. I’m sick of being passive and part of people’s games. It is time to take control.

I’m going to that party. Marissa and Zach can shove it.

I’ll walk in confidently. They’ll never know what hit them.

I’m fine. No, I am terrified. I’ve never been to a party alone and without Marissa’s connections, I barely know anyone.

That needs to change. I glance toward Pride and Prejudice, my bookmarker almost three fourths of the way through. It’s time to make some real friends.

I empty my closet onto my bed, hoping to find something that will make me feel confident and real. Most of my dresses are earth tones with an empire waist. I put one on. It hangs loosely and gives me little shape. Yuck, ugly.

Marissa always disagreed with me, explaining how the style was perfect for hiding my curvy hips, which just weren’t fashionable. I turn around in front of the mirror. It looks like I'm wearing a peasant frock. I was crazy to listen to her.

I sort my clothes, throwing everything Marissa approved to the side. My remaining wardrobe is pathetic: a few pairs of yoga pants, my maxi skirt, some tank tops, a pair of leggings, and an old, favorite pair of jeans. I return to my closet, not willing to admit defeat. Even if I have to run out to buy something, I am going to this party. If I don’t, I fear I’ll live in a hole forever.

My eye falls on a dark plastic bag stuffed behind my shoe rack. I peer in, hoping for at least a fitted t-shirt to pair with my jeans. A green wad of gingham material is shoved inside.

I pull it out slowly, examining my discovery. A casual sun dress with a heart shaped neckline and halter ties. This is the dress I bought for my first high school party. Marissa’s opinion echoes in my ears, “Girl. Take that off. It makes you look ghastly.” She let me wear one of her strapless bubble dresses instead.

I iron the dress before trying it on. This better work.

The dress fits me perfectly. It hugs my chest without showing too much cleavage and accents the small size of my waist between my curves. I shift uncomfortably in the mirror, pulling my hands through my auburn hair. The dress color makes my hair look rich and dynamic. Also, with my curves highlighted, I don’t look so bulky. What was Marissa thinking?

That’s when it hits me. Marissa knew exactly what she was doing. She played my features down so she could be the hot one. That’s all I was to her; an accessory that helped highlight her looks and made guys turn her way.

I smile at myself. I can’t wait to see Marissa’s expression tonight.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Matt lives in the development next to mine. I walk to the party, needing the exercise to steady my mind. I focus on the truth: Marissa degraded me to help her feel beautiful and confident and Marissa and Zach know nothing about commitment, truth and kindness. They are weak. I will be the strong and compassionate individual.

At least, that’s what I hope.

I stall outside of Matt’s backyard fence for a brief moment. It’s time to do this or I’ll hate myself forever. With a smile plastered to my face, I push open the gate. The yard is more crowded than I expected, putting me at ease. I can easily lose myself in the mix. I won’t have to stay long. Just long enough for Marissa to see me.

Matt waves as I step through the threshold. He motions for me to join him near the grill.

“Wow, big turn out.” I say with too much nervous energy.

“I know. Weird, right? People must be getting bored early this summer.” He turns a row of beef patties. Olive, the petite red-head from our advanced math class, holds out a plate of cheese for him.

“It’s not weird,” she says in her quiet voice. “It’s your birthday. People like you. It makes sense.” She shrugs and smiles at me. “Hi, I’m—”

“Olive. We were in math together.”

Her nose scrunches up a bit, “We were?”

“Yeah, I sat in back.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I swear I would have remembered you.” Olive’s eyes dart away from mine. I can feel her embarrassment. Matt places his hand on her shoulder. I watch that side of her body gently relax. I smile. There is definitely something going on there.

“Please don’t worry about it. I kept to myself.” I explain to her. She studies my face for a while.

“Oh, you’re that Lucy girl.” My heart sinks. How does she suddenly know that? “Everyone knows about Marissa and Zach, which means everyone knows about you.” Olive nods toward a group hanging out in the corner. Marissa is sitting on Zach’s lap, giggling loudly at someone’s joke. “They’ve been super obvious and super annoying.” Marissa squeals in the background. Olive covers her ears. “I swear. That’s the worst noise in the world.”

“You have no idea.” My stomach churns at the sound.

“I’m sorry. This is probably hard on you.” Olive fidgets. I like her. She is honest and awkward. She stares at me for a long time, waiting for my answer.

“Well.” I look back at them. Zach’s arms are wrapped around Marissa’s waist. She squeals again. My stomach relaxes. I mostly just feel humiliated that I ever dated him and was friends with Marissa. “Actually, it’s not that bad. I mean, I’m pissed but, honestly, I don’t really care about them anymore.”

“Wasn’t she your best friend?”

I shake my head. “She just used me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Eh. It sucked.” Zach nibbles Marissa’s ear. The little hairs on my arms stand on end. Creepy. “I’m glad it happened. I’m way better for it.” I echo Justin’s opinion, which I realize I totally agree with.

Olive pats my back. “Good for you.”

“Thanks.”

Matt rejoins us. Olive naturally leans toward him and he leans back in response. Neither one seems to notice their slight shift in position. Olive eyes the food and drink tables. I sense she wants to return the situation to just being her and Matt.

I take her unintentional hint. She deserves the chance. “Well, Matt, those burgers look amazing. I’m starved. I hope you have a happy birthday. Thanks for the invite.”

“Sure. Have a good time.”

I grab a water and fiddle with the lid. The backyard is more crowded than before. I only catch occasional glimpses of Zach and Marissa between bodies. I just have to let them see I’m here so Marissa will know I'm not scared of her. And then I can pretend to mingle a bit longer before I walk home.

I take a deep breath. I can do this.

I catch a familiar head of blond hair out of the corner of my eye. Luke. We never really hung out much at work. I scan the crowd for someone else I know. My eyes fall back to Luke. He’s playing soccer.

What is wrong with me? I know Luke. Yes, we barely speak. But it would be weird of me if I didn’t say hello. It's time to stop being passive, for good.

I take advantage of my brief moment of bravery, crossing the lawn and waving to Luke. He immediately waves back with a smile. Good. This isn’t going to be weird.

“Awesome. We’re getting killed, Lucy. Are you half as decent at soccer as you are at basketball?”

“Ummm, maybe a sixteenth?” I was on a soccer team for a few summers in elementary school. I remember the basics.

“That’ll have to do. Come on.” He grabs my hand and pulls me out onto their makeshift field. The boundaries and goal posts are marked with Pepsi cans.

My nerves settle as I focus on the game. Laura, Luke’s girlfriend, befriends me immediately. She’s a bubbly brunette with a Southern accent. She chats with me the entire game about how she moved from Georgia and how lonely she was until she met Luke.

“Did you grow up here?” she asks after telling me her life story.

“In Minnesota, yeah. But I moved to this district when I was a freshman.”

She shrugs, “Same situation then. You still had to move in high school.” She lowers her voice. “Did you find it difficult to make friends here?”

I think of my horrible freshman year and hear Marissa’s squeal in the background. “It was horrible. To be honest, it still is.”

“Oh thank gawd. I thought there was something wrong with me.” She nods toward the group of senior girls that call themselves “The Lunch Buddies” huddled in the corner. “They stared at me like I was insane when I asked if I could eat with them in the cafeteria.” She pretends to pout. “I had to eat alone in math that day.”

I laugh. “I ate a lot of lunches in the janitor’s closet.”

“Yeah, the girls here are cliquey.” She pulls her hair back into a French braid. She sighs, looking at Luke, “But the guys. Oh, they are so much better here. Back home they just want to charm their way into your pants. Luke’s not like that.” She nods over my shoulder. “Neither is he.”

I turn to look. Her eyes rest on Justin who’s standing near the gate. My heart twists. I force myself to look away.

“He showed up early to our Pre Calc class and found me eating lunch alone. He invited me to eat with him the next day. I didn’t believe him so I went back to eat in math the next afternoon. But, there he stood with his Jennifer, waiting for me. He was actually the one who introduced me to Luke.” She clicks her tongue. “Sad thing about him and Jennifer, though. I really thought they’d make it.”

What?

I furrow my brow, looking back at Justin, who laughs with some guys at the gate. Jennifer isn’t at his side.

“Jennifer broke up with him last night. I’m sure they’d prefer if the world didn’t know so quickly.” She taps her cell phone. “But word travels fast with these. I’m surprised he’s here.” Laura nods back toward the drink table. Jennifer stands smiling and chatting with a group of friends.

Why didn’t he say something to me this morning?

My eyes travel back to Justin. He moves toward Jennifer, occasionally stopping to laugh and greet people along the way. He approaches her from behind, reaching out to tap her shoulder. I hold my breath. Jennifer turns around and smiles. They hug briefly and I swear a hush falls through the crowd. Justin steps back from her and hugs her friends as well. He chats briefly before he moves on to his next group of friends.

“Well, that doesn’t surprise me. They had the best relationship. Why not have the best break-up too?” Laura shrugs.

I nod, turning my attention back toward her. She asks me questions about my dress while I track Justin in my peripheral. He grabs a burger with another guy from the basketball team. He laughs, pulling his hand through his hair and my heart flies into a frenzy.

Laura giggles. “Ooo!” She points at Justin who is sitting down to eat his burger. “This will be fun. Watch them gather.” Within a moment, random girls start approaching him. They all lean in, flip their hair, and let out loud, flirtatious giggles. “We need a seat for the show.” We abandon the soccer game, which we weren’t really playing anyway. Laura leads me over to a high table. “Let the games begin,” she jokes.

Laura calls the game. “Here comes the tall, leggy volleyball captain. Look at those tight shorts! She’s going in for the kill, bending over to pick up her napkin and showing off her main asset.” Justin briefly looks at her bum, and smiles before looking away. “No ace; sorry sweetheart.”

I bite my lip. The thought of him being with Jennifer seems natural but knowing he’s checking out other girls makes me feel so unnoticed. I take a deep breath. No. I need to feel good about myself tonight. I won’t let my mind go there.

Laura pretends to gasp. “Oh no. Is this really happening? Too soon girl; too soon. Allison approaches, one of Jen’s closest friends.” Allison sits down on the end of Justin’s lounger, crossing her legs. Justin responds to her with his genuine smile and brushes something off her shoulder. Once, he looks over her shoulder and rolls his eyes at Jennifer.

Maybe they haven’t broken up after all? He seems too relaxed and happy. Jennifer bats her eyelashes and rolls her eyes at him before she returns to her conversation with her friend. They seem okay. I push my disappointment aside. Maybe it was a fake break-up? I want Justin to be happy. He deserves it.

My thoughts and Laura’s play-by-play are interrupted with a loud clearing of the throat. We turn around. My stomach jolts. Marissa stands behind us, hands on her hips.

“And what do you think you’re doing here?” Her face is scrunched up into what she uses as her intimidating expression. I never noticed how much it really makes her look like a pig. I stifle a laugh. I can do this.

“Hi, Marissa. Matt invited me,” I say in a relaxed, unbothered tone. I refuse to stoop to her dramatic level of life.

“But you knew we’d be here.” Marissa speaks loudly, trying to draw attention. People turn around to stare at us. Laura whistles lowly. Marissa glares at her.

I shrug. “I thought you might. But, no big deal.” I turn back toward Laura. Marissa shifts behind me. It’s driving her crazy that I'm not playing her game.

“Nice dress,” she spits out.

I turn back around and tug on the dress’s side. “Really? Thanks. Maybe you remember it?”

“How can I forget such a rag?”

Laura stands up next to me, not having enough experience with Marissa to avoid her drama. “Are you crazy? The dress rocks.” She spins me around. “Look at her!”

Marissa pretends to gag. “Yeah, without me to dress her she looks—”

“Beautiful.” A comforting low voice interrupts Marissa from behind us. I turn around.

Justin.

My face grows hot. He walks forward, stopping at my side. I hope he can’t hear my heart pounding against my chest.

“Oh Justin, just because Jennifer dumped you doesn’t mean you have to lower your standards.” Marissa looks me up and down. She leans in toward Justin. “You can do much better than that.”

I speak quickly. “Listen, Marissa. You’ve had your fun.” I nod toward the crowd. “Everyone’s watching; that’s what you wanted, right?” I whisper so only Marissa, Justin, and Laura can hear. “Now, how about we end this before you end up looking bad?”

Marissa laughs. “What’s that? You want Zach back?” Her words slur together. My mouth flies open to protest. Justin’s hand rests on my shoulder. Laura grabs my other hand. I take a breath, steadying myself.

Marissa takes a step toward me. Her breath smells of alcohol. “I’m sorry, babe. Zach was only with you to get to me. You’ll have to learn to understand.” People snicker.

I force myself to stand up straighter. “Honestly, Marissa. I don’t really care.” I nod toward Zach who has come to watch. “You can have one another. I’m good.” Marissa purses her lips, reaching out and pulling Zach toward her. I feel Zach’s eyes fall on me. His eyes survey me and my skin crawls. My eyes dart away.

“Well, good.” Marissa snaps. Her frustration is palpable. She pulls Zach’s arms around her. “I hope you can find someone like Zach someday.”

“I did, remember? Turns out, he’s not my type.”

“Exactly. He’s mine.” Zach kisses her neck and she forces out her high-pitched giggle.

“Aw gawd!” Laura adds. “Go get a room.”

“Good idea,” Zach adds. Marissa giggles again. The crowd groans.

“Have fun.” I wave goodbye, turning away from them and willing them to leave. The crowd thins.

I welcome the relief. They are gone. I did it.

Laura is the first to speak. “Nice entrance, Justin. Very smooth. Very heroic.”

“Yeah, thanks for that.” I add. He looks down at me, his green eyes smoldering. I would be lost there forever if it wasn’t for Laura’s cough. I immediately take a step back.

No. It doesn’t matter that he is available. I'm not like the rest of those girls. I know where I stand with Justin. Friendship. That’s all he wants. I wouldn’t dare ruin that.

He shrugs, removing his hand from my shoulder. “No problem,” he says casually. He nods toward his friends eating on the lawn chairs. “I’ll see you later.”

“Wow. What was that about?” Luke says as he hands Laura a burger.

“Lucy just made Marissa look like a fool,” Laura bubbles.

“Really? About time.”

“Yup. It was effortless. It was collected. It was … confident.”

“Really?” Thank God. I can’t believe I pulled it off.

“Yeah, she won’t mess with you again. Trust me.”

“Thanks.” My post-confrontation adrenaline begins to rise, but it isn’t the good type of adrenaline. It is the type that makes me freak out. My mind and emotions are on overload. I need to get out of here. I nod toward their burgers. “That looks good. I think I’ll go get one.”

“Do you want me to grab you one?” Luke offers.

“No. I’m good. You guys enjoy. Laura, it was great to meet you. We should hang out.”

“Oh, don’t worry.” She hands me my cell. “I already added my number. Hope ya don’t mind.”

“Not at all. I’ll send you my number later.”

“I kind of already did that too. What can I say? I’m desperate for some girl talk.” She glances sideways at Luke, “No offense, babe.”

Luke grabs my wrist dramatically. “Call her, please. It will save me.”

I force myself to laugh appropriately. I grasp my hands. They are beginning to shake. I wave goodbye before disappearing into the crowd and slipping out the fence gate without further confrontation. The side yard is empty. I toss my purse on the grass and lean back against the fence. My whole body feels jittery.

I don’t know where to start. I’d successfully stood up to Marissa and Zach. Marissa looked like a drunken fool in front of everyone. It went better than I could have hoped. So why did I feel so disappointed?

I remember Justin’s voice uttering “beautiful.” My face warms with a fresh blush. Did he really mean it? I start to ache. No. He can’t have. How can he return to being so stand-offish if he did? He was just sticking up for me, saying whatever would make Marissa upset. I have to hand it to him. It worked.

I bend down to pick up my purse. I'm ready to go home.

“Lucy, you look amazing tonight.” My stomach turns over. I don’t even need to look up to know that voice.

CHAPTER TWENTY

“Uh, thanks.” I push past Zach as he grabs my arm.

“Where ya going?”

“Home, Zach.” I shake my arm. “Let me go, now!”

His grip tightens. “Oh come on. I think we can make up. Don’t you?” He pushes me against the fence. He smells like whisky.

“Leave me alone.” He steps toward me. My flight response soars. I try to run past him. He grabs me and slams me back into the fence. “I’ll scream.”

He laughs. “No one will hear you over the music.” I scream anyway.

He leans toward me.

“Don’t.” I push him away.

“You know you want me.” He slips his finger under my dress’s strap. I shove his chest with all my weight. He replaces his hand against the fence, positioning himself so close I can taste his whisky breath.

“Why else would you dress like that? Marissa would never have to know.”

“Not happening.” I duck under his arm, screaming as I bolt.

Even drunk, his reflexes are still supreme. He grabs my arm and throws me back against the fence. The back of my head makes a loud thud. The sound startles Zach. He steps away from me with a conflicting look on his face.

I meet his eyes. “Zach, stop.”

“Youwantthis,” he slurs. I scream but it only seems to entice him. He forces his lips against mine. My mouth fills with bile. I don’t swallow it in case I need to spit it in his face. I close my eyes as his body pushes against mine. He is so heavy. It's hard to breath. His hand goes straight to my chest.

I spit the bile at his face and knee him in the balls.

“That means ‘no,’” says a deep voice.

My eyes fling open. An older man grabs Zach’s arm and flings him to the ground. I suck in new air. Matt rushes to my side. The older man effortlessly picks Zach up and throws him against the fence. His strength surprises me. Zach’s body slumps to the ground.

“That’s not how you treat women, son.”

Zach nods, sleepily. The older man spins around to Matt. “Did you serve alcohol?” His voice is thick with accusation.

“No. He brought it.” The man studies Zach, then Matt. “Come on, Dad. Is it really that hard to believe?”

Matt’s dad returns his attention to Zach. “Get off the ground. You’re coming with me.” Zach shakes his head in refusal before he retches. The smell of his whisky vomit overpowers me. I duck my head behind a bush and do the same. Mr. Johnson reaches down and yanks Zach up by his collar. “Either come now or I’ll call the police.” Zach swears but relents. Mr. Johnson nods to Matt, “Sorry, son. The party’s over.”

Matt doesn’t protest. He opens the gate to slip in back and end the party. Justin is on the other side talking with some volleyball players. He glances at me, Zach, and Matt’s dad. His jaw drops. He drops his conversation and steps to my side of the fence. He closes the gate behind him.

“What happened?” He touches the back of my arm.

I can’t answer. My heart spins out of control. I want to close my eyes, curl up on the ground, and make all the feelings stop. I can’t make eye contact with him. Mr. Johnson starts explaining that he thought he heard a scream from inside. I can’t take anymore.

I walk away. I'm done.

A rough hand touches my shoulder. I flinch. “Lucy,” says Mr. Johnson. “I don’t think you should walk home right now. I’ll take you home after I call Zach’s parents.” He leads me to the front porch. “Have a seat, okay?” I nod, totally numb now.

“Justin, why don’t you wait with her?” Mr. Johnson suggests. I shake my head but he doesn’t notice.

“Of course,” Justin answers. I can’t meet his eyes. I just walk away from him and curl my knees up to my chest on the porch swing. He pulls up a chair next to me. “I’m sorry, Lucy.” His voice is warm and tender. Every nerve in my body jolts in confusion.

It hurts.

“Why do you do that?” I snap.

“Do what?”

“You really don’t know?”

“No. What is it?” He reaches out and places his hand on mine. It sends me reeling.

“That!” I pull my hand away. “One second you act like you care about me, as friends,” I clarify, “and the next second you push me away. And now, today, you care again?”

“I have no idea what you are talking about,” he says in a cool tone.

“See, right there!”

“What?” he snaps.

I glare at him. “You waltz into my life annoying me to death when really you are trying to save me. I become enlightened, not through any of your help,” I add, “and we decide to be friends. Then a tornado runs us down and suddenly I’m not worth any of your time.”

Justin rolls his eyes. I continue. “You barely say hello. When you do talk to me, it is only about business.”

“Well, I’m your boss!”

“And then today you show up to play basketball? And then left, just like that. If you wanted to talk about Jennif—”

“That’s not why I was there.”

“You could have told me. I wasn’t going to text the world.”

“Well, I thought better of it.”

“And why is that, wise man?”

Justin shrugs nonchalantly.

My blood boils. “So that’s it?” I demand.

He sits back down and pulls his cell phone out of his pocket. He opens up some sort of Tetris app.

“Fine.” I walk past him down the steps. My heart stings. “I’m sorry I’m such a bother.”

“Where are you going?” he demands.

“Home.”

“But Matt’s dad is driving you.”

“Obviously, he isn’t.”

“Lucy.” He crosses his arms over his chest. The veins in his forearms are pulsing and his muscles are twitching.

My heart is fried. “Justin, you are so—”

“Impossible,” a light voice interrupts. Jennifer steps out from around the house.

“Precisely.” I exhale, pulling my fingers back through my hair.

Jennifer approaches me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I was just helping Matt clean up in back. He told me what happened with Zach.” She rests her hand on my forearm. “That must have been terrifying.” She turns toward Justin, not expecting me to answer.

“Justin, I’ll walk her home. Tell Mr. Johnson she just needed some girl time.” She nods toward the front window where Mr. Johnson is yelling into the phone, presumably to Zach’s parents. “I’ve got this.”

“Fine.” Justin flings his hands in the air in defeat. He storms into Matt’s house, slamming the door behind him.

I let out a long breath.

“Thanks,” I mutter. I start walking away, hoping Jennifer isn’t really intending to follow.

“Wait.” She catches up to me. “You seriously can’t walk home alone after what just happened.”

“I don’t even know what just happened.”

Her voice is tender. “With Zach or Justin?”

“Both, I guess,” I say honestly, exhausted from hiding my emotions.

We turn onto the walkway connecting the developments. Light from the full moon bounces off the black asphalt. “Justin can be intense.” She takes a spot at my side. She walks with me comfortably in silence. I concentrate on inhaling the cool night air, willing it to calm me down. Occasionally, she places her hand on my back. Jennifer is being so nice and she doesn’t even know me.

No wonder Justin likes her.

“Thanks.” I stop walking. I want her to know I really mean it. “I’m sorry about you and Justin.”

She smiles. “No problem. As far as Justin goes, it really isn’t a big deal.” She doesn’t seem shaken at all.

“Oh. Are you guys still dating?” Jennifer’s eyes widen in surprise. “I’m sorry. That was rude. I just noticed at the party you guys still seem …” I search for the right word.

“The same?” she offers.

“Yeah.”

“That’s because we are.”

I nod and continue walking. I try to hide my disappointment. “That makes sense. I guess I’d try to keep everyone out of my relationship if I were you too.”

“No, no.” She smiles at me. “We aren’t together anymore.”

“But?” I stop. I don’t know why I’m arguing with her.

“Justin and I are great friends.” She stops walking for emphasis this time. “He’s a great guy.”

“I know. He’s everyone’s favorite.” My eyes roll before I can stop them. “If he’s so great, why did you break up with him?” I clasp my hand to my mouth. I can’t believe I just asked that.

Jennifer laughs. “He’s right. You are funny.”

I don’t know what to say to that. I’m still hoping she’ll answer my blunt question.

“That was his idea actually,” she adds calmly.

“To break up?”

“No. That we tell everyone I broke up with him. It was mutual.” She nods toward the bench on the side of the walkway. I sit down with her.

“We actually haven’t been dating very long.”

“You were together over a year.”

“Yeah but,” she sighs. “We only really dated a few months before we realized that we weren’t that into each other.”

“So you pretended?”

“We really liked each other as friends. Pretending meant we wouldn’t have to deal with people hitting on us all the time.” She shrugs. “Being together was a built-in excuse. I always have a date for the dances without the drama.” She smiles. “You saw those girls at the party, right? Imagine that happening all the time.” She pulls her hair back into a tight pony tail.

I smile back at her. “Somehow I don’t think Justin minded it much.”

“No. Tonight he found it amusing. But trust me. He really does hate it.” Jennifer starts picking at her fingernail polish. Her leg bounces. I’m surprised she’s a fidget-er.

“So then why did you choose to end it?”

“I met someone,” she says with slow intensity.

“Who?”

She turns toward me, her face serious. “I’m going to tell you because Justin says you are a good person. I trust him so I trust you to keep this secret. Okay?”

“I promise.” I am surprised at the magnitude she puts on the moment. Her leg bounces up and down. I put my hand on her shoulder, helping her calm her nerves. She smiles at me and takes a deep breath.

“Her name is Trish.”

I process what she says for a second. The second seems too long, making me feel rude. “Oh, awesome!” I sound overly enthusiastic trying to cover up for my paused second. I slap my hand against my forehead and she laughs. “No, I mean. Seriously, that’s good for you.” I place my hand on her arm. I hope she feels my sincerity. “How’d you meet her?”

She squeezes my hand back in understanding. “At a track meet this past spring. We’ve been seeing each other for a while. Justin covered for me. But I don’t want to hide anymore. I need to be myself, you know?”

I nod. I totally get that. “Who else knows?” I ask as she starts picking her nail polish again.

Date: 2015-02-16; view: 5200