Chapter 5

Part 1 - Monday Morning

“How’s the bestest friend in the whole wide world doing on this wonderful morning?” Will said while embracing me after sneaking up on me on my way to school.

“Get the fuck off me,” I told him, forcing myself out of his hug. “What’s got you in this good of a mood this early in the morning?”

“Life is just such a beautiful thing....” Will said, daydreaming in La-La Land with the same stupid smile still on his face. “Beautiful… like her.”

“First of all, stop talking like a lovestruck eighth grader who just got her first boyfriend. Second of all, start you’ve got some explaining to do.”

“Alright, remember that movie you invited us to but ended up ditching?”

“Yes”

“So…. We both put 2 and 2 together and realized you guys set us up, so we decided to talk to each other because that’s what you guys wanted us to do. We talked through the whole movie, disturbing the whole other 4 nerds there in the auditorium with us while not paying any attention at all to the movie. We ended up getting along really well and we were making out by the end of the movie. The best part yet, she gave me her phone number too!” he said, grabbing out and showing me the piece of paper the number was written on.

I stared at him in shock, not believing what my ears just heard. So Xela and I somehow unintentionally made our plan work by fucking everything up???

“I don’t see how getting her phone number is the best part when you guys have already kissed now,” I said, trying to hide the shock on my face from the story he just told me.

“You don’t understand Johnny,” Will began. “Kissing is kissing. Sure it feels great and everything, especially if it’s with the right person, but we’ve all done it before. Getting her number is different. It means she’s actually interested in you and wants to keep talking. Of course, you wouldn’t understand since NO experience with girls whatsoever.”

“Ouch. I’ll have you know, I’m great with the girls. As a matter of fact, I have loads of girls’ numbers saved on my phone.”

“Oh really?” he says as he grabs my phone away from my jacket pocket and starts searching through my contacts.

“Hey! NO, DON’T GO THR-”

It was too late as he turns my phone around to show me, and sure enough, the first 3 contacts read:

Mom

Hailee (Little Sis)

Xela

“Interesting,” Will sneered. “So you have your mother and little sister as the most recent two, which is pretty sad. But wait, who’s this???? Xe-La.

“Fuck you,” I said, slightly blushing and looking down at the ground.

“Now that I think about it, you and Xela did run off together when you ditched us at the movies. Where did you two go? Did you guys already have sex?”

“You and I both know that I will forever be a virgin,” I joked around, trying to hide my embarrassment.

“I don’t know, Johnny. Maybe this girl will be the first to break through that thick barrier of yours. I’ve seen it all happen before. Normally, girls would try anything to get your number. You pretend to be oblivious to what they’re doing, eventually pushing them away. The fact that you actually gave this girl your number is pretty surprising to me.”

“I didn’t even give her my number,” I explained.

“OH! So you’re saying you asked her for her number? Even better!”

“NO! She just got it somehow, it’s a long story. Besides, I don’t even text or call her.”

“Let’s see about that,” Will says as he opens the conversation between me and Xela.

“NO WAIT! FU-”

Once again, it was too late as he quickly read through our conversation and turned the phone around to show me again. Surely enough, it read:

Me: By the way, you forgot your tampons at my place.

Xela: I’m not bleeding anymore. Give them to me the next time I’m on my period.

Me: How will I know when that is dumbass?

Xela: It’s not that hard dumbass. Just add a month from now.

Me: Can’t you just call me when you need them?

Xela: Fine!

My face got even redder than before and I prayed he didn’t notice my embarrassment.

“Care to explain why her tampons are at your house, why she was on her period at your house, and why she was even at your house, to begin with?” Will asked, still smiling.

“I’m not even bothered to at this point,” I sighed.

Part 2- After School

Once the bell rang, Xela and I met up at our usual place and headed to Filip’s Café like always.

“Did you hear the good news?” Xela asked as we sat down at our normal table in the corner of the café.

“Of course I have, Will wouldn’t shut up about it today,” I replied.

“Same here on my side. Rebekah just kept going on and on and on about how ‘defined’ his jawline is.”

“Yeah I could see why; chicks dig that stuff.”

“I don’t,” Xela said. “I couldn’t give less of a fuck about how stuck out some boy’s jaw is. It’s kind of disturbing actually.”

“Well, let’s be honest. You aren’t exactly the greatest example of what someone would call a normal girl.”

“What the fuck do you mean by that?” she asked angrily.

“I mean, you swear every second, you sleep like a hobo, and do you see what you’re wearing?” I said, pointing out her light pink Thrasher hoodie and sweats.

“Why were you watching me sleep?” she asked with a disgusted face.

Realizing what I said, I looked away and started whistling.

“Right, good news. I heard they kissed and exchanged numbers and everything.” I said, trying to change the topic.

“Hey! Don’t get off topic!”

“Yeah, so do we set them up again or what?”

“Fuck you.”

“See, there you go swearing again. Not very ladylike is it?”

“I don’t know what sexist world you live in where women can’t cuss.”

“Can we please stick to the topic at hand?” I asked, already knowing I lost the argument.

“Oh, fuck you, Johnny!” Xela said, clearly annoyed. “By the way, there’s something I’ve wanted to ask you for a while actually.”

“What’s that?”

“Are you… really okay helping me with this. You know, with everything that happened between you and Rebekah in middle school. Isn’t doing this hurting your mental state?”

Suddenly, my face turned all serious. “Why do you know this and how much do you know?”

“Rebekah’s my best friend. She tells me everything. Also, you make it pretty obvious when you like someone or not. Like right now, do you… still like Rebekah?”

I paused for a few seconds to think about this question.

“Honestly, if you asked me that question when we first met, I’d probably say I’m completely over her. I don’t know why, but the more time I spend with you, the clearer my thoughts and emotions became. I’ve given that question some thought for the past week, and, to be completely honest, I’m not too sure myself how I feel about her.”

“If you’re not sure, then why are you still helping me? What if you do end up still liking her? Are you trying to get yourself hurt?”

“A number of reasons, actually. For one, you practically begged me to help you," I said jokingly.

“I did not!” she shouted.

“And two, Will’s my best friend too. If Rebekah was truly what made him happy, then I’d more than gladly accept your stupid offer of trying to set them up together, even if it would costed the risk of me being hut in the end. That’s just what friends do for each other"

A small smile appeared on Xela’s face. “You know, you’re not as big of a dick as you seem.”

“Thanks???"

“Just please be careful not to go too far. As unbelievable as it sounds, I don’t want you getting too hurt, you know?”

“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. Besides, I have you to help me out,” I said while giving her a big smile and staring right into her eyes.

Immediately, she starts blushing and looking down at the table shyly. “I told you not to smile like that again. It’s too-“

“Cute?” I suggested sarcastically.

“Sure, cute,” she agreed.

“……”

“……”

As she said that, we both sat there, frozen, and looking at the ground. A huge blush instantly appeared on my face, and I could tell she was blushing as well.

“What the fuck? I thought we agreed not to call each other cute,” I said.

“You’re the one who asked, idiot.”

“I expected you to say no!”

“Well, it was true.”

“Whatever.”

Part 3

For the next 10 minutes, Xela and I sat there awkwardly, doing nothing but looking down at the table and occasionally sipping our coffee. By now, we were both calmed down and no longer blushing.

“What about you?” I asked, trying to break the awkward silence between us.

“What about me?”

“Do you or have you liked anyone.”

“That’s personal,” she answered.

“Hey, I answered your question!”

“Fine!” she exclaimed. “Yeah, I do like someone right now.”

“Does he have a name?” I asked.

“Nope.”

“How long have you liked him for?”

“Since 6th grade.”

“6th grade???? Have you said anything to him yet?”

“Nope,” she answered.

“Why not?”

“Sorry to break the news to you, but you’re not the only pussy on this table.”

“Is he dating someone right now?”

“Nope.”

“Then why haven’t you at least tried?”

“He doesn’t see me like that,” Xela sighed.

“You don’t know that.”

“But I do,” she said with a breaking voice.

“How would you know if you’ve never asked?!” I started raising my voice.

“Why can’t you just mind your own business?!” she said quietly, but just loud enough for me to hear. Her comment took me by shock, and I instantly regretted trying to push the topic any further.

Shortly afterwards, we broke into yet another awkward silence which lasted for a minute or two.

After calming down, Xela went back to her quiet and calm tone. “Sorry, that was uncalled for. I just overreacted,” she says with an apologetic smile on her face.

“No, it’s my fault,” I apologized. “What you do with your life isn’t my decision. That’s completely up to you. It’s just… I don’t want you dreading for the rest of your life about how you didn’t tell the boy you liked how you felt and then it was too late because he left for university.”

“Haha,” Xela giggled lightly. “Thanks for worrying about me?”

“No, this is for my own good. I know I’ll have to be the one to go through all your complaining and whining ten years into the future,” I joked, causing her to laugh.

“That is if we’re still friends 10 years into the future.”