Strip Tease

Chapter 34

Wednesday, January 4th

"Guys this is the third day in a row we have had movie night. Don't you miss your boyfriends?" I sunk down further into the couch and snuggled with my warm bowl of popcorn. 

I had tried to call Orion hundreds of times to explain to him that I think whatever made him hate me, Trish was behind it. There is no way we went from loving and perfect to hatred and catastrophic in the span of a few weeks. She had to be behind this somehow. I just couldn't figure out how she did it.

"We broke up."

"Shocker." Becca rolled her eyes and shoved her hand into my bowl. I frowned at her as she put a fist full of buttery goodness into her mouth. "Jason has football practice all week to get ready for the championships. His coach is making him pull 12 hour days. When he does get home he just wants to sleep, so I told him to stay at his house. He is the worst cuddle buddy anyways."

"What about you Raegan? Do you have a boyfriend?" Amanda asked meekly.

"Why would you think I have a boyfriend?" I scoffed and popped a piece of popcorn into my mouth. Wine would go good with this...

"She doesn't think you have a boyfriend; she thinks you just lost one." Becca states rather blatantly. My eyes widen, hoping they don't know about Orion and I.

"It's just that, since we've all moved in together all those years ago, you went to school, you went to volunteer, and you went to sleep. But for the last few weeks, you were almost never here, you smiled more, you went out more. It was nice." Amanda smiled and held my hand in hers like she was ready for gossip.

"But now, you are home all the time, you don't change out of sweats, you eat like you haven't in years and you're getting kinda fat."

"Rebecca!" Amanda screeched at her from the other side of the couch. I winced and not from Mandy's ear piercing voice.

"I get it; I've changed a little. But I'm just going through some things with my parents." I lied. "I just need a little time to get back to my old self."

"Aw Rae, take all the time you need. Do you want to talk about it?"

"When has she ever wanted to talk about it?" Becca spit incredulously.

"Why are you being such a bitch tonight Becca?" I turned my body to face her and glared hoping she would spontaneously combust.

"I don't know, PMS." She grumbled. I didn't believe her for a second. I have lived with these girls for three years, and as nasty as it is, I know their times of the month. Becca wasn't due for two more weeks. But I didn't call her on it. Whatever it was, I didn't have any more room in my life for anyone else's problems.

"What movie are we watching tonight?" I asked and turned back around so I wasn't looking at her anymore.

"I was thinking the Harry Potter series? We could see how many we get through before falling asleep."

"Sounds fine. Put the first one in." 

Amanda jumped off the couch and ran over to the DVD player beneath the TV. The chime to our door bell echoed throughout the apartment and all of our heads turned at once.

"Did you invite someone over?" I asked to no one in particular.

"No, but don't get up it's fine I'll get it." Amanda chirped and danced towards the door. She flung open the door without even looking into the peephole. "Yes? Oh..." I couldn't hear anyone from the other side but I watched as Amanda didn't say anything with her jaw slack and her eyes wide, her hands were dropped to her sides and she looked dazed. Suddenly she shook her head and looked down to the ground. "Oh, yeah, um..." She pressed her hands to her face and then turned towards us. "Raegan, it's for you." I walked towards the door as she walked back to the couch. On her way though I didn't miss her mouthing 'Oh my god' like a school girl. Just from my passing glace I could tell she was embarrassed.