Miss Make-Believe

Chapter 4

The first month passed by fine. High school still wasn’t my most favourite place but gratefully it didn’t become intolerable also.

Manuel and I were getting close by the day. We hung out at my place sometimes during the week after school and watched movies, mostly picked by me. He told me about his hometown, Memphis and how people usually are there. I told him about my life like my parents, Suzanne, my tastes and preferences.  We also occasionally went for walks in the park where we didn’t say anything to each other and rather, enjoyed the beauty of nature. It was awesome because he had become a good friend.

Suzanne and I on the other hand, were getting scarce. We didn’t hang out as much and whenever we did, all we talked about was the ultimate bet. It was frustrating, to be honest.

Talking about the bet, I wasn’t landing anywhere with it. Heaving out information from either Noel or May was getting difficult by the time and for once, I regretted my decision of placing a bet on them. I wished I had backed out that one time Suz had offered at my place. But when I realized that May and Noel had been getting closer and closer by the second, I vowed to myself that I would win the bet, by hook or by crook.

It was the first day of the second month.

Like they go any better, my conscience spat out sarcastically as I made my way into the gym.

When I entered the gym, I heard loud noises coming from the colossal room. Looking around, I didn’t notice any teacher, only chattering students. I tightened my dark ponytail, opened my eyelids wider since I was feeling sleepy, ran a hand along my denim shorts and finally made an entrance which went unnoticed by all, obviously.

I located Manuel and Suz talking with each other enthusiastically. I started strolling toward them at a leisurely pace. Just when I thought that I had managed to cover the distance, my eyes fell on a petite girl talking with Manuel and blushing profusely. Manuel looked a teeny bit discomfited and he was looking at Suzanne for help, who was relishing the show and holding her laughter at bay. I smiled at the scene and decided to put an intervention. “Hey! What’s up?”

Suz’s eyes conveyed that she wanted me to step aside and take pleasure in the free show with her but Manuel’s eyes were relieved and begging for help. I looked down at the girl with a blonde head and said, “I’ve never seen you before. Are you a senior?”

Although I was very polite, I discerned her glowering at me. “What’s it to you?” I opened my mouth to throw something back at her but she beat me to it. “I’m a sophomore.” Why did she sound so cold and mean? Did we even know each other?

My thumb jabbed in Manuel’s direction. “You like him?” Manuel’s eyes fluttered wide and he gazed down at me incredulously while I rolled my eyes at him, mentally asking him to stop over-reacting.

The short girl nodded briefly and then, started glowering at me again like I was her long lost foe. Roused by her unwanted attitude, I crossed my arms over my chest and declared clearly. “Well, you can’t have him. Get that?” Her blue eyes glanced at me in a way which made me shiver for a second. If it hadn’t been for the time and place, she would definitely have dug in hot poker sticks in my eyes and left me alone in a dim room to writhe in pain. Her gaze trailed toward Manuel for one last time where she smiled amorously at him before sauntering away like a diva.