Part 12 (2/2)

We're standing in line at Boppy's, waiting for our turn to order delicious ice cream. It hasn't moved since that skinny guy with the pink s.h.i.+rt got to the counter.

”We are together,” I say to my suddenly nervous friend.

”No, I mean like together,” she emphasizes, anxiously looking at something over my shoulder. The she starts rapid-fire whispering at me. ”Don't look right now, but there's a tall girl with braids coming our way. I hooked up with her at the college party I went to with Ethan last week, and she's been calling and texting me non-stop since. Which would be fine, because-no, don't turn around! She's hot and really fun to be with-but she has a boyfriend, and she keeps pus.h.i.+ng for a threesome.”

I frown at her. ”You never told me you hooked up with anyone at that party.”

Heather smiles sheepishly, tossing back her long hair. ”I was drunk. I didn't want you kicking my a.s.s about it. But, please, just pretend that you're my girlfriend, okay? I don't want this to get awkward.”

”Already there,” I mutter as a very tall dark-haired girl approaches us.

Heather quickly puts an arm around my waist, and gives the girl a big cheesy grin. ”Hey, Dawn! How's it going?”

”Hey, Heather.” The girl-Dawn-smiles, but there's a question in her eyes. ”It's funny that I should run into you. I've been trying to get a hold of you for a while.”

”Yeah, sorry. I've been really busy with my girl, here.” Heather giggles and gives me a quick painful squeeze. ”Oh, Dawn, this is my girlfriend, Juliet. Juliet, I met Dawn at a party I went to just before I met you.”

I clear my throat, and nod at the other girl. ”'Sup?”

”Hi.” Dawn looks at me curiously. ”I didn't know you had a girlfriend, Heather.”

”Oh, well, it's a very recent thing. True love at first sight.” She presses her cheek against mine.

”Yup.” I try to look super-possessive and tough. ”We can't keep our hands off each other.”

The guys standing in front of us immediately turn around, eyes wide and smiles perverted. I want to kick them. Isn't that what an angry lesbian would do?

Dawn looks confused, and a little put out, but she speaks graciously. ”That's great. Good luck to you both. Uh, it was nice seeing you again, Heather.”

Heather waits until she's out of sight to whirl on me. ”What the h.e.l.l was that?” she hisses.

”What was what? Is this line ever going to move?” I mumble distractedly.

”That! That six-pack-a-day-gangster-lesbian voice?” She points at me accusingly.

”Oh,” I say gruffly. Then in a normal tone of voice: ”Sorry. I didn't know if I should be the butch or the b.i.t.c.h, so I went with what sounded more fun. You know, we've been standing here for fifteen minutes, and this line hasn't moved an inch. Let's just go to the one on Turner.”

”Fine, but only if you promise not to yell at me about Dawn. Let's go, stud.”

I stifle a sigh as I follow her out of the food court. I would like to scold her for her careless behavior, but Heather tends to shut down whenever I bring up her drinking and casual hookups. I used to resort to leaving pamphlets in her purse, and whispering things like ”gonorrhea” and ”crabs” in her ear when she'd start to flirt with some random girl. The result was that she left me at home, and didn't tell me about any parties she went to.

I don't know what to do about her. I've already started refusing to be her cover, and I'm seriously considering ratting her out to her parents. Yeah, she'd never talk to me again, but at least she'd be safe.

”Oh, my G.o.d,” Heather says under her breath, bringing me out of my dark musings.

”What? Is she back?” I murmur, ready to put my arm around her shoulders.

She shakes me off, talking out of the corner of her mouth. ”Don't look, but that girl heading toward us-she's absolutely beautiful!”

There is actual awe in her voice. I don't know why she tells me not to look since I always do. I stare right at the girl ahead of us. She's standing outside of Gadgets, a kitchen appliance store, and looking down at the phone in her hand.

She is beautiful, with her glossy black hair and exquisite features. ”That's Sloane Suzuki,” I whisper to Heather.

Her brow furrows. ”Who? Oh-one of the sea harpies?”

”Yeah. The not-so-b.i.t.c.hy one. Sloane!” I shout before Heather can stop me.

Sloane glances up, not looking very pleased to see me walking toward her. Hi,” she says briefly, then goes back to staring her phone. Heather continues to gape at her.

”This is my friend, Heather,” I say, yanking on her arm and pulling her right in front of Sloane.

”Hi-lo!” Heather says goofily, and snorts a laugh. She looks at me, horrified, and claps a hand over her mouth.

I focus on the other girl, refusing to let my lips so much as twitch. ”So, Sloane. Did you go to the dance last night?” I ask, just to make conversation so I don't burst out laughing.

”I don't really do school dances,” she replies vaguely.

”Oh. Well, we were just going to get ice cream-do you want to join us?” I get right to it, ignoring Heather's quick intake of breath.

Sloane forces a polite smile to her face. ”No, thanks, I'm meeting someone in a few minutes. Some other time, maybe.”

”Sure. See you in school Monday.”

Heather grabs my arm, and starts dragging me out the exit ”Oh, s.h.i.+t.” She gasps weakly when we're in the parking lot. She drags her feet dramatically. ”That was epic.”

”Hi-lo?” I laugh. ”Really? What are you, a Muppet? Hi-lo, everybody, I'm Heather the Frog.”

She buries her face in her hands, giggling. ”I was fl.u.s.tered!” she says, her voice m.u.f.fled. She drops her hands, and steps up to me. ”Juliet, you have to tell me every single thing you know about her.”

I could have sworn I parked down this row, but I don't see my dark blue car anywhere. ”I don't know that much,” I answer Heather, leading her down another row. ”I have her in my AP Lit cla.s.s. She doesn't talk a whole lot-not to me, at least. I don't know if she's ever dating anyone. Um...she hangs out with Dean sometimes, but they're not together. I can ask around for you-and don't worry, I'll be subtle about it.”

”I don't care if you are.” Heather shrugs matter-of-factly. Then her face turns thoughtful as she looks off into the distance. ”How do you spell her last name? I want to look up her on online.”

I give her my best guess as we wander around, looking for my lost car. Did it get stolen? My phone beeps with an incoming text message, and I glare at it.

Heather laughs at me. ”Is that Johnny again, and his one hundred and fifty-seven reasons why you guys should get back together?”

I frown down at the phone in my hand. ”No, he's been really quiet since the whole serenading mess.”

”Oh, my G.o.d, the look on your face! I'm so glad someone posted it on their profile.”

”d.a.m.n it,” I huff in exasperation. ”It's hard enough seeing him almost every day. Sometimes, when we're just talking to each other like before, I forget, and I want to...I don't know. But then I see her-or I replay what happened in my head-and I get so p.i.s.sed off. Oh! There's the car!”

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