Keeping A Straight Face | ✔

05 | Dissimulation

T A Y L O R' S  P. O. V.

Friday, February 1st, 2014  

"So, what do you think of the plan?" Bella whispered to me as she flicked through her biology notes, snorting and giggling when she came across the "human reproduction" section. I shrugged in response. In all honesty, I didn't hear a single word Bella had said to me. Whoops.

I was too busy ogling Darko from across the room, admiring from afar the cute little things he does when he thinks nobody's watching him study. He sat there, absentmindedly nibbling on the tip of his pen as he read and took down notes from his laptop, occasionally asking Lyra for help. The little smiles he would do once he figured out an answer, or the tiny giggles he spoke when Lyra told him one of her party tales drove me freaking wild.

I'm surprised Darko & Lyra hadn't hooked up yet, but I'm euphoric that he doesn't see her in that way. They got close during one of her earlier parties when he was a drunken mess one night, and she helped keep him safe & away from the other cheerleaders. Ever since then, people have been shipping them together. "Darko & Lyra, the match made in Heaven!" I hear his teammates say teasingly to him on occasions. Bleh. I don't think Darko even knows what shipping means.

Lyra is my friend. Darko is my secret crush. I can't do anything about my burning jealousy without exposing myself - so I'm sitting here, mentally weeping because of them behind my thick black-rimmed glasses.

Bella, realizing I was ignoring her, followed my gaze and figured out who I was focusing more on. She saw the pain in my eyes when she saw them laugh about something.

"You're jealous, aren't you?" she whispered as she joined me in my stare. I nodded, and she rolled her eyes.

"Jealousy is a bitch to deal with; I've learned my way of dealing with it, you've just gotta find your own way without outing yourself."

Bella's jealous over something? Jealous of what?

"Anyway," Bella began, snapping me out of my gaze, "You want a recap of the plan?"

I shrugged. "Fine, but be quiet, or you'll trigger Mr. Fisher."

Bella had snorted before she leaned in close. "Okay, so, Lyra's party is when shit's gonna go DOWN. My plan, put short, is just to get drunk. You need to get at least tipsy; otherwise, my plan isn't going to work - it's foolproof. Once you're drunk, and he's sufficiently drunk," she nodded her head towards Darko, "I'll work my magic."

I raised an eyebrow. "That's the thing, Bella. How can I know this will work? He's straighter than a flagpole, and both of us getting tipsy ain't gonna change that? Not to mention I hate the idea of getting drunk? Did you forget I have an alcoholic mother?"

She pulled off another eye roll. This time, it was accompanied by a groan.

"I know you're gonna be uncomfortable about this plan, with your mummy issues and your skepticism," she said in an annoyed tone, "but I know what I need to do to make him reveal his 'undying gay romantic feelings for you' if they even exist. You've just got to trust me."

I sighed. Bella has been there for me almost as often as Darko has been. During my first year of high school, my lunch money was always snatched from me from this group of bullies. Darko didn't know about it, and I didn't want to tell him because he'd probably get beaten to a pulp. They did it every day for four months straight. The only reason it stopped?