Better Kept Secret

chapter 20

Ben's friend, whose name I don't remember, pulls him into a bro hug as soon as we get to the ice cream shop. I work here part time, so I quickly wave to my coworkers behind the till. Gloria is standing beside her friend, choosing which flavor to get.

I feel like I have to prove to Ben that I am not in fact jealous, so I head up to the counter right beside Gloria.

"Hi. What are you guys getting?" I say.

"Something without dairy. I don't like to have anything fattening." Her eyes sweep up and down my body. "You should consider getting that too." Did she seriously just call me fat? I don't know if I will be able to contain my anger much longer.

"I'm getting mint chip," says the short red head beside Gloria. "I'm Isla, by the way." She looks sweet and she reaches out to shake my hand. Why is this innocent looking girl hanging out with Gloria?

"Nice to meet you."

I feel a hand brush the small of my back and look up to see Ben.

"What flavour do you want?" He says to me. "I'm paying."

"You don't have to, " I say through tight lips.

"Well I am." I squint my eyes at him and he does the same to me, our argument from before still hanging over us.

Once we've all chosen our flavours and paid, we sit down on a bench outside the shop. Gloria makes sure she can be beside Ben which leaves me beside Isla and across from him. I still don't know his name, but from just watching the two I've realized that Isla and Ben's friend are dating. She snuggles into the crook of his shoulder as soon as we sit down.

I notice that Gloria places a hand on Ben's leg and I tense up. When Ben called me jealous, he meant jealous of her popularity and beauty, definitely not of their relationship, so I hide that I'm uncomfortable at their touching. She looks up at him with puppy eyes before digging into his ice cream with her spoon. She licks it off seductively while looking into his eyes and I suppress a gag.

I'm literally a fifth wheel, with Isla and her boyfriend feeding each other and Gloria practically sitting in Ben's lap. This is so embarrassing. I just want to leave. But I also have to prove to Ben that I'm not jealous of the perfect girl sitting in front of me.

"So... What made you want to come to the beach again?" I say to start conversation. I look beside me and then to Gloria, but the two beside me are too busy whispering and gazing into each other's eyes, and Gloria is blatantly ignoring me.

"Gloria?" Ben says while shifting a bit away from her.

"What?"

"Elowyn just wanted to know why you're here today."

"Oh I didn't hear that. You're just so quiet, aren't you? It's almost like you're not here!" She says with a sweet laugh and I grind my teeth. I feel like screaming. Or dumping my ice cream on her head. Or lining her and Ben up in a line and smacking them both.

"Well Isla and I had plans, and of course she had to bring Jamal with," she nods at him with a look of disgust and rolls her eyes. At least I know his name now. "He's just like, dumb as a stump," she says while cupping her mouth and whispering at us.

"Why are you such a bitch?" Jamal says, all of a sudden no longer entranced by his girlfriend.

"Ex-cuse me?" Says Gloria balking at him.

"You heard me. You're the one who's fucking stupid."

"I have the best grades in school, asshat."

He rolls his eyes and she stabs her spoon in her left over sherbet, still glaring at him.