10 Things I hate About Her (10 Things #1)

2. Ms. Insecure

"You're mean," Val muttered. A black velvet box stuck out of her jacket's side pocket, the present she had bought for Naomi while Juliana was getting ready. Strings of little white bulbs were reflected in the glass windows of the shops they passed. Giant snowflakes dangled beneath the protruding metal arms of streetlamps.

Though it was close to midnight, a thousand people filtered across the street and sidewalks, bogging down traffic. Students huddled with their friends, laughing and cheering while taking videos with their phones. In contrast to the sunny dispositions of those with plenty, those without homes and money sat on newspapers and cardboard boxes, hugging themselves to stay warm.

Val led the way down the sidewalk; she was over six feet tall, and the crowd split at her behest. Juliana was maybe two inches shorter than her sister, but unlike Val, the angles of her face were softer, more oval. Her black hair reached the middle of her back, but she had tied it back so she could eat without it getting in the way.

As they went forward, men nodded at Juliana; a few blew kisses. A shiver ran down Juliana's spine. She hated being out late at night, and she hated men that thought hitting on strangers was respectable behaviour. So, she pinched the back of Val's jacket. With this gesture, she hoped people would mistake them as a couple and hopefully not hit on her.

Juliana's gloves were thin and cold air leaked in and froze her fingers, but she thought of the free food and pushed forward. In high school, she had forced herself to be a people person, but in university, she had dropped that pretense and retreated into her shell where it was quiet, and she didn't have to bother with unnecessary conversation. Maybe that was why most of her classmates thought she was a bitch.

Val stopped in front of a tinted black door and held it open, so Juliana released her sister's jacket and entered first without checking the restaurant's name. A lady dressed in black waited by the counter. 'Limitless' was written in gold on the purple wall behind her. Her brown hair had been put into a tight bun. When Val stepped inside and shook her head like a wet dog, brushing some of the snowflakes free with her long fingers, the woman glanced at her with a slack-jawed expression. A blush reddened the stranger's cheeks.

Juliana recorded the stranger's reaction in her mind's log; a half smile curled her lips.

Val broke the silence. "Is your boss still cool with me using the stage at twelve-thirty?"

The stranger answered, "Yep. Naomi's waiting at table six; I'll take you there." Their host picked up two menus and led them into the dining hall. Inside, the walls and floor were made of cedar wood. Naomi was waiting with Dana at a square table by a large window. Naomi's face was rounder than when they were in high school, and her shirt was tight around her gut; her thighs were fuller, but even so, she was still beautiful, and Val watched her like a whipped puppy. Auburn hair curled near Naomi's shoulders. Her pink lips formed a hard line; her eyes narrowed as if to say she wouldn't forgive Val too quickly.

Juliana and Val sat across from the others and accepted their menus.

Dana asked Val, "You're paying for me, too, right?"

Val nodded; her smile, growing strained, twitched at the edges. "Please don't order dessert unless your name starts with 'N'," she whispered, her ears turning red.

Naomi said, "So, you're still doing the modelling stuff?"

Another nod. Val played with the cuffs of her shirt. "Is your café doing okay?"

"A friend is helping me promote it on Instagram and Tick Tock, so business has picked up a lot."

'Why am I here?' wondered Juliana. The waitress that was in love with Val waited patiently on their orders; Juliana flipped through the menu. 'Oh yeah. Free food.'