eyes.
What a bitch. I used to think she was okay. I shrug. “Oh, right.”
“We had such a cool time,” Amy says, averting her gaze from me to Janey. “And there’s this real cute guy working in Starbucks. Have you seen him?”
I think back to Friday night when I was there for all of one minute. I don’t remember seeing any guys working there. Only girls.
“No,” says Janey.
“Neither,” I say.
“Well hands off, he’s mine.”
“Well, that might be a bit hard,” says Janey. “Seeing as we don’t even know what he looks like.” She glances at me and starts to giggle. “So maybe we’ll fight you for him.”
“Count me out,” I say emphatically. “I’m definitely not interested.”
“Because?” asks Janey, arching an eyebrow.
Luckily the bus pulls up outside school before I have time to answer. I pick up my bag from the floor, wait for Janey and Amy to slide out of the seat and follow behind them as we make our way to the door of the bus.
Looking out of the bus window I see Lori leaning against a big oak tree, and my heart plummets as the reason I’m dreading going to school this morning comes flooding back. My steps slow to a crawl in an attempt to prolong the inevitable. I’m so pathetic. Where on earth is in-your-face-Suzy who dare face anyone and anything?
I can’t delay stepping off the bus any longer as there’s a line of students behind me. Maybe Lori won’t notice me if I slouch and tuck in behind Janey.
“Suzy, over here.” Crap. She’s seen me. But she doesn’t sound as if she hates me. Not that I can tell after three words. I suck in a deep breath, but it doesn’t seem to slow my pounding heart.
“Hi,” I say when I get to the tree. I give my best and brightest smile. “What are you doing here?”
“Waiting for you.” She folds her arms and looks decidedly fierce.
Uh oh. Waiting for me so she can tell me not to go to the VC again and not to talk to any of them in future. I knew it. Things were going too well for something like this not to happen. And it’s no-ones fault but my own for being so stupid and for launching into act-before-thinking mode. Only when I was like this before I couldn’t care less about the consequences.
“Oh right,” is all I can utter as I wait for the onslaught. I focus on my shoes, unable to look her in the face.
“Yeah. To apologize.”
My eyes shoot up in surprise. This has got to be a joke, right? But she looks serious enough. Why would she want to apologize? I don’t get it.
“Apologize?”
“Yes,” Lori replies, hopping from foot to foot and looking uncomfortable. “For being so unsympathetic on Friday. I didn’t mean to drive you away. I felt awful all weekend. I couldn’t phone because I went away with my parents and didn’t get back until late last night. So I decided to wait for you this morning.”
I shake my head and pinch myself for good measure—just to make sure I’m not dreaming. Lori is apologizing to me, after the complete dick I made of myself with Guy and everything. I think I’ve entered a parallel universe.
“No worries,” I say. “My behavior wasn’t exactly cool. Especially after I got all silly with Guy. I don’t suppose he’ll be talking to me much after that.”
“No, you’re wrong. He felt as badly as I did. He said so when we were at my house later.”
“Oh.”
So I was Friday night’s cabaret, despite being nowhere near the place. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Well, that does it. There’s no way I can face Guy today.
“Hey, Guy. Over here,” shouts Lori over my shoulder.
Crap.
Chapter Seven
“Hey, you two,” Guy says grinning at both of us.
How does he manage to look so hot at this time of day? I daren’t even think about what my hair’s doing at the moment.
“Hi.” I smile then turn back to Lori. “Sorry, I’ve got to go to the library before first period. See you in class. Save me a seat. See you, Guy.”
I know, running away isn’t the most mature thing to do but there’s only so much a girl can take first thing on a Monday morning; and an apology from Lori and finding out what she and Guy, and probably loads of others, have been saying about me is more than enough for anyone. I pick up my bag from the ground