Secondary Characters (Novella) - By Rachel Schieffelbein Page 0,13

out.

“There’s nothing to tell,” I say, shaking my head. “He’s just a guy from school.”

“Is this the same Lance you went out with last weekend?” She stands up, lifting Sophie with her, wet towel and all.

“I didn’t go out with him. We just went along on Amber and Nick’s date. Like, for support.” I try to explain, but I know she’s not buying it. She’s just nodding her head and smirking. I guess I sound about as believable as a chocolate covered kid claiming they didn’t steal a cupcake.

“Uh-huh,” my mom says, but she doesn’t push it any further. She smiles turns down the hall toward Sophie’s room. “I just hope he’s nicer than that Mike guy.”

Even though she’s no longer facing me, she freezes and I can tell she didn’t mean to say it out loud. It just slipped out and now she’s standing there, frozen in mid-step. It’s only for a split second, but it’s as if the silence is a giant hot air balloon inflating between us. Finally her foot hits the floor and she keeps walking.

I slip into my own room and plop onto my bed, tempted to crawl under the quilt. Try as I might, I can’t help but think about Mike. He didn’t have the goatee before and I thought he was so cute. I can’t quite remember why, now. We only dated for about a month last year and it wasn’t like I was in love with him or anything. I just … I just really liked him.

It turned out, he really liked Amber.

It started out innocently enough. He’d compliment Amber on things when we’d hang out together, her hair, or her clothes. I thought he was just being nice to my best friend, the way a boyfriend should be. But the comments got more and more flirtatious. I wasn’t entirely oblivious or anything. I just convinced myself I was being paranoid. He was with me. He liked me. Stupid, I guess.

Then one weekend we played couples tennis at Amber’s country club with this guy she was kinda sorta dating. When we were done, Mike smacked her on the ass and said something along the lines of nice game. I was pissed. Livid. Hot-lava-boiling-my-brain angry.

But then he walked over to me, put his arm around my shoulders, and we left. So, even though the flames were still burning behind my eyes, I told myself I was just being jealous for no reason. Clearly he didn’t mean anything by it. He was just goofing around. Some guys are just like that, friendly, flirtatious, whatever. I tried really hard to believe it.

I still don’t know what Amber thought. How long she knew, but didn’t want to tell me. I mean, how do you tell your best friend that her boyfriend is hitting on you? Especially when it’s happening right in front of her? I suppose she thought I’d be pissed at her.

But when he asked her out, she had no choice but to tell me.

I could tell she didn’t want to. She called and told me we needed to talk. When she got to my house she sat on my bed forever, tugging on the ear of a teddy bear Sophie had left in my room, not saying anything. Finally she blurted it out. I still don’t know all the details. When I asked her what exactly he said, she claimed she couldn’t remember. And she refused to make eye contact with me.

But I can imagine what he must have told her. How she was the beautiful one. The one he couldn’t stop thinking about. How he didn’t want to be with plain, boring Mabel any more.

Like I said, I wasn’t in love with him or anything. It’s not like I was grief-stricken. But it hurt. A lot.

I try to tell myself not all guys are like that. I mean, I know that not all guys are big enough scumbags to ask out their girlfriend’s best friend.

And not all guys prefer the pretty, perfect, blonde cheerleader type, either.

Do they?

Chapter Eight

“So why didn’t you ask her out last night?” Nick asks, sitting on the couch in my basement. I’ve just finished telling him about my and Mabel’s mini-adventure in the park.

“Because we were already getting together tonight. I thought it would seem weird.” I get up from the couch and turn away from him.

“You’re so full of shit.” He laughs.

“Screw you. I’m going to ask her out tonight. Okay?” I walk over to the cupboard with