FORGET YOU LAUREN

CHAPTER 12

"Sociology is the study of the development, structure and functioning of human society". Greg repeated for the umpteenth time tonight. "Sociology is the study of the development, structure and functioning of human society...".
"Please tell me you've gone further in your book, Greg." I watched it while he walked on the floor of
our living room.
"I am," he said. "I have kept the first seven chapters of the book in memory so far. The test will be in the top five this Friday, but in case this idiot tries to pull a quick one, I went further and memorized the next two, you know?"
My friend Michael shook his head across the room. "I think I've been officially replaced as your craziest friend."
"I agree". I laughed and waved him to follow me to the kitchen. "It's good to know you're still alive."
"I could say the same for you, my friend."
We both didn't walk as much as we used to, since his medical doctorate was kicking his ass in the last semesters, but the reckless times we shared during our freshman and sophomore days would always be something for the record books. Something we could always remember.
"All right," he said, picking up a beer from my fridge. "I came to ask a huge favor."
"You could have called."
"I called. You didn't answer."
I looked at my phone and there was definitely a missed call from him, but there were also forty new missed calls from the phones that belonged to Lucy's friends.
Ugh. Take the tip, Lucy.
"What's the favor?" I asked.
"It's simple. I need you to get the best friend of a girl I'm interested in."
"Why do I feel it's a little more complicated than that?"
"Because you have a great intuition." He laughed. "This has to be a kind of extensive thing, since I want to hum, get to a certain point with her for the senior trip."
"Is something wrong with her best friend?"
"Aside from the fact that she hates me and thinks I'm a bad influence for her friend?" He shrugged and showed me her picture on the phone. "Not really. And call me crazy, but other than that, I think you guys would really get along."
"She's cute," I said, then I shook my head. "So of all the things you said, should I just assume that your girl said she was willing to go out with you if you linked her friend to one of your hot friends?"
"The word 'hot' has never been used, Ms. Pretentious". He laughed. "But yes, your intuition wins again. Can I give you her friend's phone number? Her name is Teresa."
"Sure".
While I was saving it on my phone, Camila entered the kitchen wearing a sports bra and a pair of black shorts. She went straight to the fridge, moving all the alcohol and beer until she found her water bottle.
Michael and I stared at her, and I started to imagine her on top of me, in the back seat of my car.
Shit...
"Hey, Lauren". She finally turned around, reaching out to Michael. "Hey, Lauren's friend."
"Michael," he said, looking at her from top to bottom. "And you are?"
"Camila".
"Ah". He nodded. "Lauren's friend who went to sea".
"We are not friends," we said in unison, a habit.
"For a while there, I thought she was making you up." He kept talking like he didn't hear our intrusion. "I must say that her description did not do you justice."
"I'm sure." She laughed. "But if you're the Michael Han she wrote from time to time, she never said shit about you."
"Good to know".
Another image of her wrapping her legs around my waist crossed my mind and I didn't shake it away.
"Guess what?" she said, looking at me.
"What?"
"I just invited myself on a date! As a real meeting that will not be held on a cruise ship or on an international tour."
"Somehow, the cruise ship and the international tour sound much more attractive."
"Not for me," she said. "I just wanted to know the guy's name before I said yes. Do you know a Brett Gallagher?"
"Brett is an amazing guy," Michel said, still looking at her from top to bottom.
"He's an old ally of mine," I said, making a mental note to beat him this weekend. "We were closer before he joined a fraternity, but he's a nice guy."
"Great! Someone you can guarantee." She hugged me, catching me completely off guard, and the second her breasts hit my chest, I started getting horny. "If this meeting is good, and we go out a few more times, I will ask him to share my ticket for the veterans trip for the elderly."
I took a step back. "When is the date?"
"This weekend. Can I show you some clothes so I don't give the wrong impression?"
"Sure".
"Great," she said. "You know, you're a good temporary friend, Lauren." She rushed and Michael looked at her until she was out of sight.
"What the hell?" He approached and hit me on the shoulder. "You never told me that the girl you 'supposedly' hated was like that."
She was not...
"Hell," he said, laughing, "I would probably write it back all these times too. Especially if I knew she was coming back and living with me." He lowered his voice. "Have you got it?"
"No," I said, taking advantage of the new images of Camila leaning over the sofa that were passing in my mind.
I took my phone and tried to keep the focus on favor at hand. The Teresa girl.
As I texted her number, I tried to convince myself that the feeling in my chest when Camila mentioned Brett Gallagher was not jealous. It couldn't be.
She's still the girl next door I hated... Nothing else. Nothing less...