In Memoriam ✓

Chapter Four: Into You

Mallory

"I love this song!" Cleo squealed, fanning herself. Kennedy leapt up from her bed, and they began singing a song from the 2010s. I sang along, sitting cross-legged on Kennedy's bed. 

Cleo took Kennedy's hand, and Kennedy obliged Cleo's desire to dance a strange variant of a tango while singing, which took considerable talent and silliness to pull off. My best friends collapsed onto me as the song ended, and we burst into fits of giggles.

My mind was spinning in all directions today. I spent the entirety of the previous night deliberating on my encounter with Reid by the Lake. He kissed my cheek, looked at me like the world hung on my axis. Then he left me in a pool of confusion.

Reid and I were approaching a level of intimacy that lay in dangerous waters. Was this still a friendship? I couldn't think straight anymore.

"Seriously, Mallory, what's going on?" Cleo asked in frustration when I missed my intro to the next song. She paused it, looking at me. "You've been spaced out for ages."

Kennedy studied me. "Is something bothering you?"

I knew this was the right time to talk about Reid. I brushed my hair over my shoulder and sighed, bracing myself. "Reid kissed me."

"Oh my god!" Kennedy squealed, clapping her hands. I nervously ran my fingertips over the crystal embellishments that Cleo and Kennedy adorned my eyes with, which they were also wearing.

"Wait, you're being serious?" Cleo asked in shock. She leaned back on her bed, her dark eyes staring at the ceiling. "Wow. Another soldier, fallen to the lure of a boy."

"On the cheek!" I argued defensively. "He kissed me on the cheek, so it wasn't an actual kiss. Then he told me to enjoy my date. I mean," I threw my hands up in frustration, crossing my arms, "What does that even mean? It's a blind date, I might hate it."

"Mallory, that's not the point." Kennedy said flatly. "We didn't know you guys were so close."

"Well, Mallory did disappear on us for a while." Cleo informed Kennedy. She turned to me, her eyes appraising my face. "I thought you were getting over Brent, but turns out you were getting under Reid this whole time."

I hit Cleo on the arm, but I couldn't stop a smile from breaking on my face. "You know that's the opposite of Reid and I's friendship? He's like a good book I love. I'll take him out whenever my mind goes to him, but we don't depend on each other."

"Weird analogy." Cleo commented. "But I understand, I guess. I'm just annoyed I didn't get to see when you guys started liking each other. Everyone knows that's the best stage of a relationship." 

I didn't bother to deny it, because I had no idea whether I liked Reid or not. Kennedy did my hair in a long, sleek fishtail braid, which I was fiddling with to reduce my anxiety.

"Would you reject Reid if he asked you out? Hypothetically." Kennedy wondered. Cleo and I stared at her, and she blushed. "Sorry if I want you to date Reid, over some random Tinder guy."

I rolled my eyes. "I didn't find my date on Tinder; one of my friends from school knows him. Besides, our date is tonight. I can't just cancel on the day."

Cleo raised her arms, then dropped them. "You can, actually, if you want to clear things up with Reid. Your date will understand. Potato, potato."

"That's not how you say the expression, Cleo." Kennedy argued. "It's not supposed to sound the same."

Cleo glared at her. "In my world, potato, potato sounds the same. That's the point of it."

"Can we focus for a second?" I pleaded, staring at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were ringed by dark circles. "I feel like this date is going to end badly."