Love Me When I'm Unlovable

Chapter 5: LeAnna

Rita was slumped down in the pew, her feet resting on the pew in front of her. We were getting some dirty looks from the people around us.

My cheeks turn red when Mrs. Collier, my friend's mom, glares at us. My parents aren't doing anything about her.

I nudge Mom and cock my head at Rita. "Leave it," Mom mouths. I suck in a breath and try to make myself invisible for the rest of the service.

"That was a good message," I remark as we walk out. "I needed that."

My parents each give me strange looks. The sermon was about adultery, but I'm just trying to get Rita to say something. She hasn't said anything to me, or even looked at me since this morning. Did I do something wrong?

"What did you think of it?" I ask her, smiling.

Rita shrugs. "Dunno. I wasn't really paying attention." I can see her jaw locking.

I don't understand what I did. Was it something I said or did?

"Oh."

Rita arches an eyebrow at me. "What? Am I going to be tested on it or something?" She phrases it as if she's daring me to try to quiz her. But not in the way that someone does because they know all of the answers. In the way someone does because it would give them a reason to strangle the other person. I don't want to be strangled.

I shake my head. "No. I would never test you."

Rita gives me a skeptical look, but shrugs. "Okay."

"So where should we go for lunch, Rita?" Mom asks, interrupting us. I don't protest. Rita won't even look at me. "You can pick today."

Rita blinks. "Oh. I hadn't really thought about that."

"We could get food," I offer, smiling at her.

She shoots me a side-eye glance. "Haha. Funny. McDonalds or something, I guess."

"I said food," I say playfully. I smile warmly, hoping she'll say something that's more than a singular word.

"Uh-huh," she says. She reaches up and yanks on the ponytail holder in her hair, letting her braid unravel down her back.

I look away. It almost feels like an act of defiance, her taking her hair down. I know there are other reasons, like the braid feeling loose, or tight, or her getting a headache from it, but I can't help thinking that it's more than that.

She doesn't look at me as she gets into the car. I try not to overthink that. I overthink everything. I wish I could turn it off right then. I didn't want her taking down her braid to mean she didn't want me.

"Do you guys want to go in?" Mom asks, reaching up and adjusting the rear view mirror so she can see us. Mom always drives, because she says Dad's driving annoys her. Of course, her driving scares all of us, by going five over the speed limit, but whatever.

"Sure!" I say, at the same time Rita says, "I'm good."

"Oh," I say. "Never mind. We don't have to go in."

Rita shakes her head and shrugs. "No, it's fine."

"No, I didn't actually want to go in," I say hurriedly. "Really, it's fine."

Rita raises an eyebrow at me. "Okay, okay. We'll go through the drive-thru. Just for you." Her lips twitch a little. I grin at her.

I got her to talk! Score one for LeAnna. Not that anyone's keeping track.

Her eyes glaze over a little like something had just come to mind. The partial smile slid off her face, and she went back to staring out the window.

Or maybe not. What did I do now?