Beauty and the Dork

Surprises

Margot was panicked, pacing around her room.

"We'll be down in a second!" she called, her voice going up an octave. I took her shoulders and pulled her to me.

"Go, take a breath," I ordered. She was pale and anxious, taking shallow breaths. I wrapped a hand around her neck and stroked her cheek, trying to calm her. "This is no big deal."

"They aren't supposed to be here!" she said quietly, her voice shaking. I pulled her face close to mine.

"Go, we sneak around all day. This is no big deal," I assured.

I was lying. This was a huge deal. We hadn't practiced in front of people who weren't supposed to know except for her parents, which was useless, because they could obviously sense something between us (despite Margot insisting that she had successfully pulled the wool over their eyes – she hadn't). I had no idea what we were going to do in front of her friends.

I followed her out the door and nudged her back so she would smile. She got to the top of the stairs and looked over the landing, grinning down.

"Hey, you two! I thought tonight was a rerun?" Margot asked, her voice cheerful and kind. I was confused what they were talking about.

"It is, but we miss you! We thought we could just come study with you and Eddie!" Chrissy answered, leaning into Jason. Chrissy looked at me, forcing a larger smile. "Hi, Eddie!"

"Hi, Chrissy," I croaked. I followed Margot down the stairs and tried to calm my racing mind. Jason smiled at Margot and eyed me coolly. I stuffed my hands in my pockets and decided to train my eyes down on my feet.

"You guys know that this project isn't really for group sessions," Margot teased. She was bright and bubbly now, New Margot taking control. Jason shrugged.

"Maybe we can just hang out for a bit and then we can leave so you can work on the project – we just miss you, Mar-got," he said. I hated that stupid nickname.

"Oh, you guys are so sweet. You don't mind, do you, Eddie?" Margot asked, turning to me. Her eyes got wide, and I tried to understand what she was telling me. I shrugged.

"No, not at all!" I replied. Her eyes flashed and I suddenly realized that I hadn't understood her code. She turned back to them, smiling brightly, and then looked at her dad who was still watching us.

"Dad, do you mind?" she asked. He shook his head.

"Not at all – your mom and I are leaving right now to meet with my agent," he answered. He looked at me and smiled. "Keep everyone in line, Mr. Munson."

I smiled and nodded as Mr. Patterson walked off from us. Margot clapped her hands together, awkward again.

"Let's hang out for a bit! You guys go to the living room, and I'll get some snacks!" she said, gesturing to the living room. Jason and Chrissy started towards the living room, their shoes still on. I didn't know who to follow for a moment but then remembered we were sneaking around. I sat in the loveseat across from the couch and set my hands on my lap awkwardly.

"So, Eddie," Jason started, settling in next to Chrissy and wrapping an arm around her. "How is the project going? We never see Mar-got anymore because of it."

He was joking, trying to connect, but I knew there was a kernel of concern in his question. I had taken up a majority of Margot's time and attention over the last couple of days – she made a joke one time about how her friends would wonder where she went.

"It's good, man – Margot's an awesome partner. She's been super helpful in getting it organized," I answered, scratching my head awkwardly.

"She's super smart. You were lucky to be partnered with her," Chrissy interjected. Jason nodded, agreeing with his new girlfriend.