Between the Lines✔ [COMPLETED]

[31] Surprise, Surprise

Malory

So this is exactly how I found out. 

I'm sitting at a usual table in the cafeteria with my head down –nobody's sitting with me and I'd been staring at the sandwich on my tray long enough to know that I really and truly don't want to eat it.

Then a tray slams down on the tableand Olivia says, "Ron kissed me," and my head immediately flies up and there'sa crack in my neck. 

"What?" I ask, startled, "Wait, what?"

She then proceeds to relay everything to me –from the mini argument to Ron's 'all you had to do was ask' line to her mom coming home with groceries while I sit in sheer shock. 

"And that was it," she says, waving her hands dramatically, "We just started bringing in the groceries and didn't talk about it at all. We didn't even message each other. I'm... I..."

She rubs her forehead and sighs,laughing wearily.

I scoff as I look at her. "Do you like him?"

Her hand slams down on the table, "How am I supposed to know? It was so sudden and... and..."
"And...?"

She bites her lip, "I... actually liked it."

     "Of course you did," I say, smirking. I fold my arms. 

"I liked the thrill of it anyway. I mean, I almost fell weak when he said that," she scoffs, "if you wanted an adventure, Prescott, all you had to do was ask. He's such a dork –why is that line so attractive to me?"

"Because it's everything you've ever wanted to hear?" I offer.

She groans. "We've avoided each other since then. I mean, we've avoided each other ever since the whole argument about Dale... but... now it's just... I don't even know what to say to him. Every time I see him I try to hide."

"Hmmm," I say, pretending to think, "Why does that feel familiar to me?"

She rolls her eyes. "Right. I forgot you're still paired with Kyle Davidson."

"Well, can I tell you what happened now that your amusing tale of a budding romance is complete?"

"Carry on," she says, making a small circle in the air with her index finger.

"Kyle bought me a goldfish," I say. 

I stare at her blankly. She processes the thought of it. Then we both burst out laughing.

"What? A goldfish?" She asks, almost falling off her chair.

And then I tell her everything –from the practice that evening where I'd completely exploded on Kyle after I'd found out about Antonia's mother's death, and how I didn't feel normal –all the way to the Reprise textbook and the goldfish on the table in my living room.

"Where are those two idiots anyway?" I ask.

"Probably somewhere making up," she says, shrugging. "The last thing Ron managed to tell me at rehearsal was that he had to talk to Kyle –I hope it's not about me."

I roll my eyes. 

___

It's the last week of school before the holidays. More specifically, it's the third day of the last week of school. Exams are over and there's not much to do besides wait for reports and prepare for the Christmas concert on the last day –I'm not taking part in that one; it's for the lower years.
I sit in the cafeteria again. I'm just as tired as I've been over the last few weeks –if not more. My head is down on the desk again.