Lauren

 

There was no reason why I needed to go work in Jake’s classroom today. After that first time, I’d gone back on Monday and the next two days as well. Even with the time we spent talking and critiquing each other’s work, I got a lot of work done. Unfortunately, that meant I was completely caught up in all of my classes.

As I walked across campus and into the art building with no real reason for being there, I was forced to face the truth. I wasn’t coming here to study. I liked being around him.

Jake was smart, talented, and kept me laughing. We were becoming good friends, despite our awkward start. But there was something dangerous about the way my mood improved so drastically when I thought about seeing him. Worse still was the way my heart fluttered when I actually saw him and he smiled like he was genuinely glad to see me. Mere friendship wasn’t supposed to make you feel that way. Especially when you had a boyfriend.

Instead of heading for Jake’s classroom, I turned toward the exit that faced the parking lot. As I walked past the bulletin board, a sign caught my eye. A surge of excitement shot through me as I saw it was a notice for a job opening in the art department. They needed a studio assistant. As I read the responsibilities for the position, I knew it was exactly what I’d been looking for. My small stash of money was rapidly dwindling and I desperately needed to get a job. I had enough to pay rent for the semester, but I needed money for food and gas.

Determined to apply the next day, I left in a sunnier mood. Just as I was getting into my car, my phone rang. It was Natalie.

“What’s up?” I asked, putting my key in the ignition.

“Are you still at school?” she asked.

“I’m leaving now.”

“No!” Her voice blasted through the phone.

I pulled my phone away, annoyed. Switching the phone to the other side, I rubbed my ear, hoping it would stop ringing soon. “Thanks for making me deaf.”

“Sorry. But you can’t leave yet. I need you to do me a favor.”

“What?”

“Go over to the art building and see if Jake is still there. I want to take him a surprise, but I need to know where to take it.”

“Okay, but even if he’s there, how will I know how long he’s planning to stay?”

She was quiet for a second, then said, “I don’t know.”

“I could just ask him.”

“No. It’ll be suspicious if my roommate goes and randomly talks to him. He’ll guess something is up.”

Annoyance clawed at me. I wanted to inform her that he wouldn’t think it was weird at all since we hung out after school every day. But I couldn’t, because then she would know I talked to him all the time.

“So, you want me to go spy on him?”

“Yes. Okay, call me as soon as you can.”

She hung up and I scowled at my phone. I jerked my keys out of the ignition, and slammed the door when I got out. This was so stupid.

Walking back to the art building, I hoped Jake would be gone. Just thinking about calling Natalie and telling her that it wasn’t going to work would make me so happy. But then I realized what a terrible, jealous friend that would make me. So then, my conscience pricked at me like a thorn.

This time of day, everything was usually quiet and empty, so I was surprised to hear voices from Jake’s classroom. I ran past the door, knowing I’d only be able to see into the room from the other side, then pressed myself to the wall. Leaning slightly into the open doorway, I looked through and saw Jake sitting in his usual spot with his back to me. But I froze when I realized the girl talking to him was a pretty student with blue hair and shorty shorts on.

He leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head, completely at ease while she hopped up on the table opposite him and crossed her long, bare legs. Straightening, I left, not caring in the least if he heard me walking.

Good to know he wouldn’t miss me today.

Angrier than I’d been before, I pulled out my phone to call Natalie. Knowing that my anger was completely irrational did nothing to make me feel better.

When Natalie answered, I said, “He’s in his classroom. Looks like he’ll be there for a while.”

“Perfect. Uh…where’s his classroom?”

Resisting the urge to grind my teeth, I told her how to find his classroom, wished her luck, and hung up. And I really did wish her luck, because if anything would put blue-hair girl in her place, it would be my model-perfect friend dropping in to see Jake. Her legs were nothing on Natalie’s.

By the time I got home, I was surprised to see Natalie still there. She was running frantically around the kitchen, filling a picnic basket.

“Oh, there you are,” she said. “Have you seen the strawberries I bought yesterday?”

Rolling my eyes, I walked over to the fridge and dug around until I found them.

“Great,” she said when I waved them in front of her face. “Would you be a darling and wash them for me?”

Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I said, “Sure. But I’m going to eat some of them as my fee.”

“Whatever. Just not the big, pretty ones.”

Turning on the water, I whispered, “We wouldn’t want Jake to eat ugly strawberries, would we?”

Then a guy’s voice said, “You’d better hurry or you’re going to miss him.”

I nearly jumped out of my skin. “Nick! I didn’t know you were here.”

He grinned at me. “I was over on the couch. I rented a movie. We can watch it as soon as Natalie gets out of here.”

“Um. Okay.”

I handed Natalie the strawberries, which she carefully arranged on a napkin in a plastic container. She added it to her basket, and smoothed back a few strands of hair. “How do I look?”

“Gorgeous,” I said. And with her leaf green sundress, smooth red curls, and flawless makeup, she really was.

“Great,” she said. “Gotta go.”

She flew out the front door and I watched her leave, wishing I could both see what happened when she got there and wishing I could forget all about it.

“Finally,” Nick said. “Come on, babe. Let’s get the movie going.”

“I’m going to grab something to eat first.” I looked in the fridge and considered my options. I could cook my last egg or have peanut butter and jelly again. Trying not to think about how much better the egg would be on top of some of my mom’s stacked enchiladas, I cooked it in a tiny dollop of butter and laid it over a piece of dry toast. I added the three tiny, misshapen strawberries I’d taken from Natalie to my plate. So appetizing.

When I joined Nick in the living room, I saw that he was eating the last of a sub sandwich. I stared at the wrapper which was sprinkled with bits of lettuce. It had been a foot-long, no doubt about it.

“Is that all you’re eating?” he asked as I sat down.

“Yes,” I said, my voice sounding short even to me.

“I’ll never understand how girls can survive on so little.”

“It’s not because I want to,” I said. “I can’t afford to eat-out. Or buy many groceries. Which is why I need to get a job as soon as I can.”

“That shouldn’t be too hard. There’s lots of fast food places around here that are always hiring.”

“Yeah, but I’ll have to find a place that will work with my class schedule.”

“No problem. They have to be used to that being so close to the college. Tell you what, how about if I take you to get a snow cone after the movie? There’s a place down the street with great ice, and I have a punch card I can redeem for a free one.”

I smiled at him, thrilled. “Yes. That would be awesome.”

“Cool. Okay, let’s get this thing going.”

I ate quickly, then Nick pulled me tight against his side and put his arm around me. I didn’t feel any butterflies or electricity, but it was nice to be wanted, so I snuggled in. The movie was a stupid alien invasion remake so it didn’t hold my interest. In fact, I nearly fell asleep. But just as I was drifting off, Natalie came home.

Curious, I sat up and turned to look over the back of the couch. “How’d it go?”

She shrugged and set the picnic basket down. “Oh, fine I guess. He was surprised, but there was this girl there. She wouldn’t leave, even though it was obvious we wanted to be alone. She just sat there doing sketches or something. And she kept asking for his help. I mean, no wonder Jake acted so annoyed the whole time. She just wouldn’t take a hint. Next time I need to surprise him at his apartment.”

“Next time?” I asked, surprised.

“Yeah. Maybe next week.”

“That’s a good idea,” Nick said, grinning. “Definitely don’t wait for him to ask you out.”

“Shut up,” Natalie said.

Nick turned to me. “I don’t know why she’s wasting so much time on this guy. He’s obviously not interested in getting serious, but she just won’t give up.”

“It’s just hard because he has two careers and I’m busy with mine too,” she argued.

“Or, he’s a player. I mean, look, he was flirting with Lauren at the pool that one day, even though he knew she was taken, and now there’s this other chick at the school.”

Natalie scowled. “You’re just blowing things out of proportion.”

Nick and Natalie were always fighting like this. It was normal since they were only two years apart. I fought with my brothers too and knew that a few minutes from now, they’d be super close again. But the things Nick was saying about Jake really bothered me. Was he a player? Is that why he was so…magnetic?

Now I felt more stupid for being attracted to him and feeling special when he smiled at me. Not only did I have a boyfriend, but no doubt he made every girl feel like she had a close connection with him. Then, I realized Nick and Natalie were both looking at me as if they were waiting for me to say something.

“What?”

Natalie gave an annoyed sigh. “I asked what you think of Jake.”

“Me?” There was no way I was getting dragged into this discussion. Especially with waves of confusion and guilt and jealousy churning inside me. “I want a snow cone. Come on, Nick. This is a stupid movie. Let’s go now.”

Nick laughed and turned off the movie. “Fine. I can finish it later. You want to come, Nat?”

“No. Those things are pure sugar.”

“Exactly,” I said. “I could use something sweet right about now.”