The Significance of Orange Juice

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

My fingers hovered over the keypad of my phone, suddenly wishing that I hadn't been quite so vocal about my dislike for Jay. It was going to be weird enough admitting I'd finally had my first kiss without having an 'I told you so' on top of that.

I pursed my lips before I started to write the most awkward text of my life. Before I hit 'send' and invited Satan and all his minions into my house, I read through the message, checking that it was as innocuous as possible. I didn't want to give Olivia any more ammunition than was required. Satisfied that it was as good as it was going to get, I hit the button and sat back to await the inquisition.

Olivia didn't disappoint. Mere seconds after the text had been sent, my phone began to buzz, dancing erratically across the desk. I answered the call as I lay back on my bed, only half-fearing for my life.

"You did what with who?"

"Try not to rub it in too much."

Livvy's laughter tricked through the speaker. "Hey, I wasn't going to say 'I told you so'!" she protested. There was a slight pause before she continued. "I was certainly thinking it loudly enough though..."

Everything about that sentence just screamed 'Olivia'.

"Seriously though, you guys kissed? How on earth did that happen?"

Olivia stayed unusually quiet as I explained the trip to Quasar, the clumsiness of the first kiss and how Jay had chased after me.

"And then what?" she prompted when I fell silent. "Did he kiss you again?"

I could feel a steady burn creeping up my cheeks. "Actually I kinda.." I coughed a little before rushing out the most embarrassing words of my life. "I kinda kissed... him?"

The sound of static crackled in my ear as I was buffeted by waves of Olivia's shock. "Well. And to think I was starting to feel that I was supporting a losing team," she managed eventually.

I laughed. If that was all the interrogation that I was going to get, then I'd got off lightly. Sobering up a little, I asked the question that had been plaguing me. "You don't mind, do you?" I asked hesitantly, "What with Jay being Alex's mate and all?"

I could almost hear the sad smile in Olivia's words. "Honey, whatever's going on between me and Alex is our problem. You shouldn't let it get in the way of your happiness."

A giggle bubbled up my throat. She made it sound like parents fighting over custody of the kids.

"On a more serious note, has he asked you on a date yet?"

The flush in my cheeks intensified. "He's... erm...picking me up in an hour." I mumbled.

A flurry of words poured through the speakers on my phone as Olivia alternated between outrage that I'd left out such a crucial detail and a squealing excitement that seemed to pierce my ear drums. Emotional outburst over, Olivia set about remaking me until she was satisfied that I looked as good as possible without her physically being in the room with me.

I appraised myself in the mirror once Olivia had hung up, deciding that she must be some kind of fashion genius. That or she'd memorised the contents of ny wardrobe. Either one was possible to be honest. Some of the things she'd made me try on, I'd forgotten that I even owned. All things considered, she'd done a great job though. The denim skirt that she'd paired with a set of half-forgotten brown boots looked fantastic. I smiled a little, suddenly feeling a lot more confident about my date with Jay.

I was just settling down with my long-neglected sketchpad when I saw Jay pulling up outside my house. Tossing my pad aside, I darted down the stairs, calling a generic 'I'll be back soon' out to my parents. The longer I could keep my parents from Jay, the better.