CHAPTER FIFTEEN
I check over the contents of my chest one last time and then close the lid. One plus to lying in bed all day, it’s allowed me plenty of time to stockpile crops in Dragons Reborn. You can’t play the full game in the mobile version, but I’ve been able to harvest crops and make enough cloth to keep me stocked for a while. I tried to con Drew into bringing me his laptop so I could play in bed, but he told me to get my ass downstairs. That option wasn’t appealing, so I suffered through.
After an hour and dropping my phone on my face twice, I almost gave in yesterday and plugged in the laptop Grant gave me. Every time he’s around he pisses me off so I forget to give it back. The only thing stopping me was the fact it’s still downstairs in our kitchen and I didn’t have the energy to deal with the first floor. Plus, I can’t get attached to the design and super-fast speed because I’m definitely giving it back to him. I need to find a box and then it’s gone.
If I didn’t care so much for my pride, I’d keep it to spite him. But I don’t want another reminder of Grant in the house. I’m giving myself one more day of sadness over the jerk face and then I’m headed in to work Monday morning to get back to my regularly scheduled life. Heck maybe I’ll say yes to the date John keeps suggesting.
But probably not.
My phone beeps, an incoming message timed perfectly to keep me from falling into another Grant sadness spiral.
SIMONE: Don’t forget today is girls’ brunch!!!
Even without her in the room I hear the super sweet and excited way she shouts the words. I groan and almost drop my phone. There are two possible outcomes if I go to brunch with the RDA girls today. They will either tell me all the reasons I should get back with Grant, or worse, they’ll plaster on fake smiles and act like nothing happened. Either option sounds horrible.
CLARE: I’m still in bed. Totally caught the summer cold. There’s no way I can make it. So sorry.
I lie back and set the phone on my chest waiting for the inevitable reply where she begs me to come. It sounds snotty and I don’t mean it to. I’ve grown to love the RDA girls. Mostly. Over time they wormed their way into my life and now I’d even classify them as friends, but four of them is more than I can handle today.
Twenty minutes of waiting later, I decide Simone isn’t going to message me back. I guess they decided they didn’t want to fake it with me this week either. What if they picked Grant’s side? I’m sure he’s gone to each one and made me out as the bad person in this ordeal.
Maybe I am.
The sounds of multiple feet trudging up our hardwood steps make me bolt up in bed. The elephants running up the stairs cause me to panic. Are we under attack? Is there a fire?
“Hold it with two hands or you’ll drop it,” a voice belonging to Aspen yells from somewhere in the hallway.
The door to my room bursts open and slams against the doorstop. Marissa grabs it quickly before it smacks her in the face and bounces into the room like she thinks she’s Simone today.
“Ummmm…” my question trails off as I watch Marissa, Aspen, Simone, and Amanda pile into my small room. “What are you guys doing?”
Marissa laughs and drops a large brown sack on the desk. It’s my catchall area. Half the space is cluttered with makeup and the other half with stacks of papers when I use it to catch up on work at home. Marissa pushes a few of the papers to the side and makes room for the two other bags Aspen places beside hers. No one bothering to ask permission.
“We were already in the area so when you said you couldn’t make it to brunch, we decided to bring brunch to you.”
One eyebrow falls. “You were in Hunter’s Point?” I have a hard time believing any of these girls were on my side of town. And that’s not taking into account most of them are either dating or married to people whose bank accounts are bigger than my entire block makes in a month.
“Yup.” Aspen starts in my direction. “We had a feeling you’d be too sick for brunch this week.” She makes air quotes around the word sick and then carries on. “So we planned the brunch deal.”
I can’t believe the RDA girls played me like this. I’d be more upset but I guess they’ve gotten to know my tactics over the last few months.
Drew’s head leans past the thresholds of my room, but he doesn’t come in any further. “Sorry, there was no stopping them,” he says. “I’m off to work. See you ladies later.” He gives me a short salute and his head disappears again.
“He’s working on a Sunday?” Amanda asks her eyes following him out into the hallway.
I nod my head. “Yes, some people do that.”
Does she really not realize most regular people often work weekends? I mentally roll my eyes at the thought, but then scold myself for the comments. Amanda’s the one girl not getting it on with one of San Francisco’s richest men, and the girls in my room are normal. They came from middle-class families and had jobs before striking it rich in the boyfriend department. Considering I bumped uglies with another member of the rich boys’ club I don’t have much room to talk. Maybe it’s time to reevaluate my best friend criteria.
Amanda blushes at my snide comment and I feel even worse. “I know. I thought he worked construction. I didn’t realize they were required to work weekends.”
Oh. “It’s not a regular job. His boss is getting married and there’s all kinds of drama. Drew’s helping out around the place while everyone adjusts.” There’s more guilt at the end of my answer. I’ve been so wrapped up in things with Grant, I haven’t given Drew’s work issues much thought. It’s been crazy excuses nonstop for the last few months. “Or he’s met a new girlfriend and they’ve been shagging like bunnies.” I shrug. Either option is possible when it comes to Drew.
Amanda blushes and then becomes overly interested in the light blue flecks in my carpeting. It’s a rather interesting response I decide to file away for later. When I have the time and quiet to think on it.
“Since it doesn’t look like you’ve gotten out of bed today, I’m assuming our shopping plans for later this afternoon are canceled?” Simone asks eyeing my choice of pajamas. There’s no way the vintage Stanford shirt I’m wearing has escaped her hawk eyes.
“You ladies feel free to go without me.” I tuck the covers back over myself and wait for them to make an exit.
“Of course not.” Aspen hops on my bed, bouncing twice.
“This wasn’t necessary.” I grab the black Styrofoam container Marissa hands me but don’t open it. Once I taste the caramel goodness of the Tahiti French toast – a girls’ brunch staple – they’ll be able to talk me into whatever they want. Caramel, bananas, chocolate, all over a stack of French toast turns me into a softy.
“Don’t be silly.” Marissa takes a seat on the floor after she passes out the last container. She pops her lid, takes a larger whiff of the breakfast goodness, and sighs. “We can go to the thrift store anytime. This is our day to make our friend feel better.”
“Thanks, guys, but it’s okay. I don’t expect you to pick sides between Grant and me.” I take the high road, but inside I scream, “Pick me! Pick me!”
Aspen waves her hand in my direction. “Nonsense. Like we have to decide. It’s you all the way. Grant’s a moron.”
I laugh a little. The first time I have in days. I’ve never had close girlfriends, but being accepted into their group won’t be bad. It’s not like they given me much of a choice anyway.
“Do you know I had to sell my car when I moved into Aspen’s old apartment? I found out it was because Grant wanted the second space available for him. He doesn’t even own a car!” Marissa rolls her eyes and takes a bite of food. “Ryland still won’t let me buy a replacement because Grant might need the spot one day.”
Aspen laughs while chewing and I try not to choke.
“It’s not funny, Aspen.”
She sticks her hand out in front of her and swallows. “Are you sure it’s not because Ry doesn’t trust your driving?”
“I’m a great driver.”
“He must have a reason,” Amanda joins the conversation. “Remember that time you backed into the cute guy after brunch one Sunday?”
Marissa’s mouth falls open in exaggerated outrage. “He backed into me.”
“That is not the way I remember it.” Amanda shakes her head but Marissa only laughs it off.
“Ladies, focus.” Aspen claps to get everyone’s attention. “This is about Grant’s suckiness. We can share survivor stories with Marissa’s driving later. Today we’re here as Clare’s best friends to bash Grant.”
Simone pulls down her cute bright pink parka getting serious like she’s walking into a courtroom to present evidence. “I heard he once killed someone because they went back on a deal.”
“That was in Dragons Reborn, Simone.” Marissa tosses a wadded-up napkin in her direction, but it only makes it about halfway across the floor and then lands on my carpet.
“It counts!” she counters and then pauses deep in thought. “Plus he’s always stealing food.”
A resounding chorus of yeses fills my room.
“One day that boy will grab food off the wrong plate and someone will stab him with a fork.”
“Come on, Aspen. It’s gonna be me,” Marissa declares, jabbing her fork in a stabbing motion at the air.
I laugh. They’ve seen Grant’s tendency to steal food, but Marissa’s wrong. If anyone will stab him one day, it will be me.
My smile slips away as I remember I won’t be the one to take out one of Grant’s fingers because I won’t see Grant again. It’s probably for the best. I imagine the judge wouldn’t see it as food self-defense.
“You know what we need to do?” Aspen asks, excitedly filling the silence in the room. “Go to a spa.”
Marissa laughs. “Okay, Ms. Random. Let’s grab a cab.”
“I don’t mean today. Next weekend. I know a great place.”
“That’s one I’m definitely going to skip out on, sorry. We’re down a roommate and my budget does not have those kinds of dollars.” I don’t even know what you do at a spa but I can’t afford it.
“No, seriously it will be great,” Aspen carries on like she didn’t even hear my refusal. “In Arizona.”
Yeah. No way I’m going to a spa in Arizona. “Have you seen my red hair and pasty skin tone?”
Aspen scoffs not giving my concern any time of day. “They have big umbrellas.”