Linda was standing in the college cafeteria, waiting in line for her hot cocoa and ice cream sandwich. Anybody who asked about the weird combination got a death glare and a deadpanned, "if you were being stabbed from the inside, you, too, would be eating whatever the hell you craved."
(And a sick, twisted part of her loved watching the slow looks of realization then looks of pure terror and disgust from the males).
She had just paid for her cocoa, when she heard her friend's name. She decided to eat her ice cream in the cafeteria, so she could hear what the people were saying about her best friend.
"No, really?"
"I swear to you, it's true!"
"Who's she sleeping with?"
"Professor Higgins."
"Brie Riley and Professor Higgins?" They chuckled, "I can't say that I'm surprised."
Linda frowned; Brie would never do that! She knew Brie wasn't that kind of person. But for the next few days, that was all she heard whispered in the halls. The next few days, she felt all eyes on Brie when they'd walk the campus together.
She'd glance at the accusers, then at Brie, then back again. Brie seemed unfazed, unbothered by all this. Maybe she didn't know? Or maybe she did, and she pretended that she didn't care. (Much like Linda's fiancé always did).
But unknown to Linda, Brie felt all eyes on her. She heard the whispers and giggles, saw the pointed fingers, knew what they were saying. And to make things worse, the professor she was accused of having an affair with was one of her professors. He was a professor she liked, and now she wasn't sure if she could look at him anymore without thinking of the rumors.
********
"Brie?" Linda asked after they had eaten dinner.
"What?" Brie asked, plopping down on her bed, ready to study for her sociology test on Monday. (Whoever heard of a test on Monday? Brie had scoffed at the idea).
"I..." She twirled her engagement ring around her finger, her eyes trained on the floor.
Brie rolled her eyes; her best friend wasn't as forward as she was. "Just say it, Linda."
"Well.... I- are..." She looked up and took a few steps closer to her friend. "You're not having an affair with a professor, are you?"
She looked... absolutely betrayed, and Linda felt like crying. She never wanted to see that look on someone's face ever again.
"Do you think I am?" Brie wasn't going to cry over this. So her best friend believed those stupid rumors— so what? She clearly didn't care!
"N-no! No, of course not! It's- it's just-"
"If you didn't believe it, you wouldn't have asked."
"I wanted to hear it from you," Linda tried lamely. She walked towards her friend, her arms out in front of her, "Brie-"
She stood up and walked into her closet, closing the door. She couldn't deal with Linda right now, or she might just say something terrible.
Linda's lip quivered, "I don't believe them!" She walked to the closet door, trying again. "Brie...!"
When it was obvious that she wasn't coming out, Linda felt tears on her cheeks. She was angry at herself— and a little angry at Brie for not hearing her out. She clenched her fists and stomped out of the room, slamming the door to her own room.
Plopping on the bed, she cried, "I didn't mean it."
*********
"What's wrong? You look sad," Mary told Linda as she slumped around the Reagan kitchen that Sunday.
"I may have said something I shouldn't have."
"Uh oh, who did you offend?"
"Brie."
"What did you say?" Betty asked as she chopped vegetables for the salad.
Linda sighed, putting her head in her hands. "Some of the students are accusing Brie of having an affair with a professor."
"Is she?"
"No! She would never!"
"But...?" Mary asked, wiping her hands on the towel hanging on her apron tie.
"I... may or may not have asked her if the rumors were true."
"Oh, Linda, you didn't!" Betty said, disappointment in her voice.
The blonde cringed, "I really didn't mean it."
"But you asked anyway, even though you knew it to be untrue," Mary pulled the casserole dish out of the oven.
"And now she won't talk to me!"
"Serves you right, doubting your best friend like that," Betty nodded her head once.
She closed her eyes, not wanting to cry in front of the two women she respected most (other than her Nonna, of course).
"You need to apologize to her, honey," Mary's voice was kinder than Betty's.
"How can I apologize if she won't talk to me?"
"You need to figure that one out yourself," Betty reached out to lightly press her knuckles to Linda's chin.
That was not what she wanted to hear.
********
Linda sat on Brie's bed, waiting for her to get out of the shower. She needed to talk to her best friend as soon as possible.
Brie frowned when she saw her roommate. "You shouldn't do that. What if I had been naked?"
"I'm sorry," Linda stated, not even hearing what Brie had just said. "I'm sorry I doubted you. I'm sorry that I... even entertained the thought of you having an affair with Professor Higgins. I know you wouldn't ever do that, and yet I still doubted it. And I feel so awful about it."
"Did you cry about it?" Brie wanted to know.
Linda pouted, "a lot."
"You need to grow more of a backbone."
"I know, but what could I do? You're my best friend, and I don't know what I'd do if you weren't my friend anymore."
She wanted to sit next to her, but she didn't just yet. "If you want to be friends, you shouldn't ask if I'm having an affair with a professor. I wouldn't do that... not until after I graduate college. Because then they're Ll fair game." She smirked and sat down next to her friend.
Linda didn't say anything to that; she just looked down at her hands.
"Hey," she bumped her shoulder into Linda's.
"I feel so... rotten."
"Linda..." she put an arm around her friend. "I forgive you."
"You.. do?"
"Of course I do. I forgave you that night."
"But... you stopped talking to me, and wouldn't eat with me, or do anything with me."
Brie shrugged, "I wanted you to suffer... did you?"
She nodded almost pathetically.
"Good." She held her hand out, "friends again?"
"Friends," she smiled and hugged her best friend, glad they were friends again.
