"Wait, didn't you say you don't post on IG?" Ishani asked, her tone suspicious.
"I mean, I haven't posted anything in, like, years," I stammered, feeling like I was about to get bitten in the butt. My cheeks flushed all the way up to my ears.
"Maybe we should just open the presents," Lamar suggested, clueless like any guy would be when a storm named "coming out" was about to hit.
Bianca bit her lip and turned away. I really didn't want to out her. Sure, she kissed a guy, and yeah, I'm still mad about it, but she didn't deserve to be outed like this, totally unplanned. I wasn't worried about Alisha and her brother — they were cool with the whole LGBT thing. But the others? Not so sure. And I was definitely not sure about my show-off sister. I once saw her laughing with her friends at a skinny tomboy girl with a short haircut and baggy clothes in the supermarket.
"Why are we even talking about my doodles?" I mumbled, my eyes darting around the room. My heart pounded like a drum at a parade, and I could feel a panic attack coming on.
"So, someone's posting your drawings without you knowing?" Alisha muttered, handing me her phone.
I blinked at my own drawing on my own account.
"Let me see!" Ishani demanded, leaning right over my phone screen. "Exactly! What a jerk!"
"What are you all even talking about?" Lamar asked, surprised. He had been munching on some battered shrimp and had clearly missed our girl talk.
"You have no idea! Remember that new account everyone at school started following? This person is totally posting other people's work, even stealing stuff from our Mel!"
"I don't know," Jessica chimed in, "the style looks pretty familiar."
"Shut up, Jess," I growled at her. I didn't care about myself, but I didn't want to throw Bianca under the bus.
"But this person really is stealing stuff! Bianca, people are following her because of you."
"Excuse me?" Bianca snapped, hovering over Ishani like a dark cloud. "No one forced anyone to follow the people I follow. But judging by the crowd in this school, no one has any brains."
"Girls, girls, break! Break!" Lamar pleaded, trying to defuse the tension.
"Stay out of this, Lamar," Bianca snapped back, clearly regretting even coming here.
"I think I came at a bad time," a voice said, startling us all. We turned around to see Lydia standing in the doorway with a huge gift in her hands.
"Lydia! I'm so glad to see you! Come in, please!" I jumped at her with a big bear hug. Thank goodness she is here! "Oh my gosh, is that a present? I told you, you didn't have to! How sweet!"
"We brought gifts too, you know," Lamar said with a hint of humor.
"I'm so happy you're here!" Alisha squealed, throwing her arms around Lydia, who blushed even redder than I had. "She was my savior!"
Jess almost silently scoffed. Jealousy was in her blood; she couldn't believe anyone could be paying more attention to someone else instead of her.
"Is that a gift? It's huge! How did you even carry it here?"
"It's not that big," Lydia mumbled, clearly embarrassed.
I didn't waste any time. I was too curious and tore open the wrapping.
"Oh my God! This is insane!" I gasped.
"That's a really expensive gift," Bianca said, pursing her lips.
"That's rude, Bianca," Ishani remarked.
I couldn't tear my eyes away! Codex Seraphinianus! A special edition...
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I'm kinda back to my writing schedule, 'thank you' to those who stayed, and 'screw you' to those who left 😏 Happy September everyone 🗿
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