"FINE" LIES

What About Andy?

Saturday, October 11

I woke up around ten thirty in the morning. I had a hour to get ready. I took a shower and got dressed in dark jeans and black tee shirt that had a grey rose on it. I wore my black Vans and thought of Andy. I smiled to myself. I grabbed my small black book bag and packed my wallet and jacket in there. I walked downstairs. My dad was down there watching the news. I sat on the couch next to him. I was sitting closer to him than I normally would.

"Are you ready?" my dad asked.

"Yeah," I said. "But I don't want to leave yet."

"Okay."

A silence passed over us. During it, I was thinking about how much I didn't really know my dad. We rarely talked. And when we did, it was mainly small talk. I felt like I should treat him better, but then I thought about what he did to my mom.

We left around eleven thirty. The car ride was quiet, but I didn't mind. When we got there, my dad pulled in front of the Macy's where my friends and I usually meet up when we went to the mall.

"What time do you want me to pick you up?" my dad asked.

"Four is fine," I said. I got out of the car.

"Have fun."

I closed the car door and walked into the mall. Anna and Scarlett were waiting for me with Hannah. They waved at me.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey," Anna and Scarlett said.

Hannah didn't say anything.

We walked around going in stores here and there. We shared many laughs. Within a hour, Hannah had to leave, but she said she'd be back around three. Scarlett, Anna, and I went to the food court. Anna got pizza, while Scarlett and I got Chinese.

"So what happened on your date with Kaiden?" Scarlett asked.

"Wait!" Anna cried. "You went on a date with Kaiden last night?"

I nodded.

"How was it?"

"It was nice," I said. "I liked it a lot."

"Did he kiss you?" Scarlett asked.

"Yeah, it was cute."

"But wait," Anna said. "What about Andy?"

"What about him?" I asked.

"I thought you two had a thing."

"Not really, we just talk."

"So you chose Kaiden over Andy?" Scarlett asked.

I nodded. "I guess."

She frowned a little.

"What?" I asked.

"You just seem closer with Andy."

"Yeah," Anna agreed.

I didn't want to say that I agreed with them, so I stayed quiet.

"So is it official now?" Anna asked.

"I guess," I mumbled.

"I'm telling everyone!"

I chuckled. "Why? It's not a big deal?"

"Yes it is! Everyone knew you'd be together eventually, but now it actually happened."

After we ate, we walked around a little more. Around three, Scarlett got a text.

She read it before groaning. "Hannah said that she'd be here in a few minutes."

Anna and I sighed.

"Looks like the fun is over," I said.

"Or it can continue," Anna said.

"How?"

"Tell her we're in one store and go in another and just keep doing it."

"So in other words," Scarlett said, "avoid her?"

"Yeah."

"That seems so..."

"Cruel is the word you're looking for Scarlett," I said. "But just think of all the things she's done to us."

"That doesn't mean we have to treat her badly."

"Scarlett, we're talking about Hannah.You know the girl that hates the fact that your so mean to her, but still stays around you. It's her own fault. She's walking into her own trap. She knows how mean we are."

Scarlett sighed. "You do have a point."

For the next hour, Anna, Scarlett, and I spent it avoiding Hannah. We had a lot of laughs. It was fun just being with Anna and Scarlett and not have someone I didn't like bothering us.

We walked by a bench and sat down on it. We took a rest from running. Scarlett tried calling Hannah again. After about a half hour in of avoiding Hannah, we all felt bad for avoiding her. So we all tried calling her to apologize, but she hadn't answered since.

"Still no answer?" I asked.

Scarlett nodded.

"She's going to kill us on Monday," Scarlett said.

"I know," I said.

"She'll make a big scene at lunch, too," Anna said.

"Of course she will," Scarlett said. "She is Hannah."

Anna and I chuckled.

My phone vibrated in my pocket. I checked to see who it was. It was my dad. I knew that meant he was outside waiting for me.

"My dad is here," I said."I'll see you guys on Monday."

Anna and Scarlett waved goodbye as I walked out the mall. When I got outside, I stood on the sidewalk and waited for my dad to pull up. When he did, I got in and sat in the front seat.

"Did you have fun?" my dad asked.

"Yeah," I said.

"So, it was just Anna, Scarlett, and you?"

I nodded. "But Hannah was there too for awhile."

"Did you know Hannah was going to be there?"

"Yeah."

"Why'd you go then?"

I looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I know you don't like Hannah that much, so I was just wondering why you went if you'd be with her."

"Oh, well I just thinking more of my other friends rather than just her."

I realized that my dad actually listened to me when I talked, unlike my mom. She would always forget the name of my friends. And she would always forget who I didn't like. But my dad knew. He actually cared about what I had to say.

"Fair enough," my dad said.