The Boyfriend Factory

Chapter Eight

"You look like you were hit by a bus," Violet commented. I glanced up at her with dull eyes, my head laid across the table. "And the bus reversed. Then hit you again. Then a car ran you over. And it reversed too, and ran you over again. And a plane fell and–"

"Ok, I get it," I huffed. I raised my head from the table and leaned against the palm of my hand.

"What's wrong Eve? Like, not offence, but you look horrible," Violet said with sheer concern. I smiled at her.

"Nothing, I'm just not getting much sleep lately."

"It looks like you didn't sleep at all," she insisted. Her face brightened like she'd just gotten a light bulb. She dug into her bag and pulled out a packet of jelly doughnuts, wiggling them at me. "Would these help?" I managed to grin at her, but tiredly. To be honest, I wasn't much in the mood for doughnuts, but I couldn't tell her that – it would be too out of character.

She placed them on the table, peeling away the wrapping and took one. I didn't reach for it.

"So, how's the 'Greek God' doing?" she asked giddily. I cringed at the mention of his nickname and started to nervously fidget with the band I'd wrapped round my wrist. Obviously she mustn't have heard the news.

"I don't really want to talk about it . . ." I muttered, staring at the table. I could practically feel Violet frowning. She dropped her jam doughnut.

"Ok, what's wrong? Spill the beans Eve, because you know I love beans." I glanced up at Violet who was wiggling her brows at me, but at the same time seemingly concerned. My best friend. The one person I'd ask to rob a bank with me, the one person who'd follow me if I jumped off a cliff, and the only person who'd ever offer to listen to my stupid whiny problems.

I took a deep breath.

"I don't know, it all happened so fast, Ethan asked my out with him last Saturday to go to the mall with him so we could talk about his relationship and it was all working so perfectly everything was going well, the plan was working too, but we had to hide and all because we couldn't be seen together, he even bought me bubble tea and ice-cream and super expensive sunglasses and he took me on a carousel and it was actually nice and he felt nice, but I know it's probably a façade and I'm such a slut for flirting with someone else's boyfriend, even though technically their not even dating and I don't even know how to flirt, but Brianna was so mad at me and now I freaked up and everyone was talking about us because someone saw us together and I've ruined everything and Ethan doesn't want to talk to me anymore but it's all a misunderstanding and I don't know I feel like I'm dying and I just want to throw myself over a bridge," I gushed.

Violet nodded, taking all of it in, surprisingly understanding everything I said. Another thing I loved about Violet. Somehow she understood my stupid incoherent rambling.

Tears sprung to my eyes and I whimpered at the rush of emotions.

"Aww, baby," she said frowning. She got up from opposite me and meandered round the table to wrap me in her arms. She stroked my head and rocked back and forth gently. "There, there." I pushed the tears from my eyes with the heel of my hand. I'd already cried enough tears to last me an eternity.

"I don't know, it just makes me feel like . . . poo. I don't know. Ugh. I feel like a wreck and I'm just making a big deal of things, aren't I? But sometimes I can't help feeling anxious about everything," I said. "And it makes me feel worse that everyone's staring and laughing at me."

"Mama Bear, or nah?" she asked, anger leaking in her words. I shook my head before Violet could go run off with an axe trying to dice people up for looking at me the wrong way.