Then Came Blue_ girlxgirl.

chapter 18.

"Want go out for ice cream today?" Isaac sends me a message the next Tuesday. Isaac and I have been texting on and off, getting to know each other just like fake couples do. Today however is the first time he's asked me out to anywhere.
Me: Uh...yeah. I could do ice cream. 
Isaac : Can you put on something cute and flirty, like a little dress?
Me : Is there any reason you are dictating my wardrobe?🤔
Isaac : I might have knowledge on the whereabouts of a certain artist tomboy today.😉
Me : " Oh... I'm about to hit you with cute and flirty then.😁
Isaac : Good. I'll see you at 2
At around thirty past two Isaac picks me up. By the time he gets there I've alrdeay worked myself into a nervous mess. I don't even know why I'm nervous but I am. Just the thought of seeing Blue gets me high and  jittery but the thought of seeing Blue with my fake boyfriend who happens to be her cousin is what is killing me.
"Sorry I'm late man," Isaac apologises first thing. "But technically it's still 2 so..."
"Oh yeah, because that totally excuses you," I bite back sarcastically. "And you might want to stop calling me 'man' if we are going to be convincing."
 "Oh shit! You're right, boo," he says making a  kissy face at me.
"Much better honey." I stick my tongue out at him good naturedly.
"We'll be fine though," he assures me and I believe him because Isaac and I get along pretty well. We make each other laugh and there's no chemistry between us, just vibes  so there's no better person to be my pretend boyfriend than someone like him.
 * * *
The whole gang is at Fruity's when we get there. From where I stand outside on the sidewalk I can see them clear as day through the glass. They've taken up the window booth that gives everyone in the street a good view of them. What stands out more though is Blues newly dyed hair. She's seated with her back to the window but I know its her, I'd know her from anywhere. It's like my body cells are attuned to her. She hasn't changed her hair cut which is usually cut shorter in the sides and longer at the top, the front styled to almost touch her forehead, she has changed its color from a dark blue to a bright ocean blue.
"Take a deep breath and bring your A game baby," Isaac, completely forgotten besides me says. I take said deep breath, hold my chin up, shoulders straight and let Isaac lead me in with a hand on the small of my back. Even in my ultra thin short floral dress it still feels hot under my skin. The cold air condition air that greets us when we step inside is a welcome relief.  I also feel the heat of Isaacs hand where it rests just slightly above my ass and I badly want to step away from it but I can't, obviously. He leads me to the serving counter like we didn't see the people seated by the window, I feel like turning around and getting out of here because I've never really been good at acting but Isaac's hand on my back keeps me grounded. Before we reach the counter he leans down and whispers, "You should laugh at something I just said."
"But you haven't said anything funny," I reply looking at him with a beautiful fake smile on my face.
"I don't have to, just_" he stops to put his hand fully around me and runs his finger down my ribs eliciting the much desired laughter from me. I haven't even recovered yet when I hear my name being called.
"And that is how its done," Isaac whispers to me as we turn around in the direction from which my name came.
"Riley!?" I put on my best surprised look as I turn. It's Lona who called.
"Oh, heyyy... Hi! I, we didn't see you guys there," I say, pulling Isaac with me toward them. "Hi."
"Oh Riley, its good to see you!" Kiara says, jumping off her seat and engulfing me in hug, then Lona, then Ethan and Kenji. I assume what they grumble through their mouthfuls of icecream cone is that they've missed me too. Blue and Skylar remain planted in their seats and I also deny my eyes permission to seek her out as the rest shoot me questions one after another about where I've been, what I've been up to, how I've been....
"Am I invisible or something? Hi guys." Isaac has to raise his voice to be heard over their  rapid talk excited questions.
They all shoot  him uninterested "hey Isaac's" because I think he's probably been hanging with them, except Blue who says, "I  noticed you." Its the first time she has said anything since we reached the table and the first time I've let my eyes find her and she doesn't look very happy to see us.
"Hi,"I say with all the nonchalance I don't feel at all. Her angry eyes move from Isaac to me and then to Isaacs hand around my waist, her jaw works noticeably. I know she's grinding her teeth to keep herself in check.
"What is this?" She asks looking between us and everyone suddenly goes silent.
"Uh, it's, uh_ we are just grabbing some ice-cream, " I stutter, unable to meet her gaze directly because this isn't as easy as I might have thought and also because I'm just so attracted to this girl I might cry.
"You don't say," she sneers sarcastically,her eyes getting harder and her tone colder. All the others are just watching us now. Even Isaac is letting me deal with full on angry Blue on my own like this wasn't his plan.
"We are just hanging out, right Isaac? " I dig my elbow into his ribs to get him to say something too.
"Yeah, hanging out," he provides weakly. I shoot him a quick glare so he adds, "I hope that's okay."
If looks could kill, the look in Blue's eyes could take out a whole village.
"Awwwkkkkwwwward..." I hear Kenji's loud whisper to Ethan followed by an ouch! which I assume means Ethan probably kicked him under the table.
He is right though, this is so awkward. I feel like I'm sweating right through my dress and Isaac's hand on my back isn't helping at all.
"Of course that's okay, we are all friends here." Blue manages to school her face into indifference but the way she runs her hand through her hair tells me she's frustrated, that's a tell I know.
"Cool," I say with fake nonchalance.
"You guys can join us then," Kiara says, and Lona seconds it. Ethan and Kenji are already squeezing in to create space but Skylar doesn't even move a muscle. She might have been quite through our exchange but that doesn't mean she can't express her distaste through action.
Isaac takes this one. "Thanks guys but next time maybe, we have a movie to catch," There's a movie? I wasn't told there would be a movie too.
"Movie huh?" Blue questioning eyebrow raise is directed towards me. The look of betrayal that flashes through her eyes when I nod is almost enough to break me, have me spill my guts and tell her how this is all fake.
"We watch movies too. In fact we are having a movie night at my place this weekend, maybe you guys could come? "
"Blue, what are you doing? " Skylar finally speaks up with warning. The others however are a chorus of "yeahs..good idea.. you totally should, Riley please say yes..."
"I wouldn't want to impose," I say acting bashful but I totally would want to impose if it means I get to be around Blue. I hope my eyes don't betray how badly I want to say yes!
There's a slight change in Blue's disposition. Her eyes soften a little and she says, "Riles, you will never impose with me." This is a very simple statement that people have said to me many times before but it didn't mean as much as it does when she says it. With Blue it's different because of the way her voice softens and she looks right into my eyes like she can see deep inside my insecurities. It's like shooting an arrow right to my heart. All I can do is nod stupidly and stand there wanting badly to be lost in her. Someone clears their throat beside me and I remember I'm here with someone else.
"So you will come right?" Blue asks.
"Yeah, I guess I'll be there."
"Blue? " Skylar tries again but Blue doesn't seem to be listening.
"Cool! I will, sorry, we will see you at movie night."
"Okay," I say to Blue, and then turn to the others, "It was nice seeing you again guys."
"Let's go dear, " Isaac says, using the hand I'd forgotten was still holding me to try and move me along. My gaze holds Blues for a minute longer before I let Isaac lead me to the counter to get the ice-cream we came here for in the first place. I feel like I'm in kind of daze though, my mind still stuck in Blue. I want to turn and look back but I force myself not to. Instead I pretend to be paying attention to what Isaac is saying, ignoring the nagging feeling that someone is staring daggers at our backs. Isaac and I end up going for a movie anyway because according to him, I need something to help me out of the Blue induced funk I seemed to suddenly be in. Being friends and having to act cool with someone you want nothing with except to be wrapped around them for the rest of your life can take something from you.
                     * * *
I don't eat a single thing the whole day Saturday. I keep oscillating from nervous to excited to anxious. I feel like an addict waiting for their next fix. I check my watch again for the a hundredth time today but it's still 3pm. Why is 3pm so far from 7pm? By the time seven comes around I've worked myself into a nervous mess. I've gone through my entire wardrobe and I can't find anything that says 'appropriate for movie night at your exes that you're trying to win back".
"Riley, what's going on?" Shae asks me from her side of the room. Poor girl is trying to read for a test but probably all my pacing won't let her.
"Nothing, don't mind me. You just read on."
"I can't read, not with you sighing after every minute, pacing around the room so what is going on? "
I flop down on my bed defeatedly because I feel defeated by these real life wardrobe challenges.
"I can't figure out what to wear for this thing I'm going to. "
"This thing?" she sits up, closing her book. Oh oh. "What this is this and why wasn't I invited? "
"It's a movie night thing at a friends place. " I choose to ignore the second part of the question. "What to they even wear to something like that?"
"If it's a friends thing it shouldn't matter what you wear," she says, her suspicion growing. "Who is this friend?" I start to fidget but then I remember I have a fake boyfriend. This should be a window for me to tell her about Blue, even just as her being the friend I'm going to see but I take the cowards way out.
"Just this guy I met. He's taking me to his cousins place for a movie night. It's supposed to be fun and all. "
"A guy? Do I know him? " she gets up, moving to her own wardrobe. She's not looking my way, busy flipping through her clothes.
"I don't know, maybe?" I don't know if she met Isaac when he was with Lynn. She turns around and throws at me something small and thin.
"Try that," she commands sitting back on her bed, "Now tell me about him."
"Did you ever meet Lynn's ex, Isaac? " I ask. What she threw at me turns out to be a navy blue romper with white flowers on it.
"I think so, once. Were they even legit dating? I doubt because he was kind of nice and we all know how Lynn can be. Anyway, so what about him? " I just look at her and wait for it to sink in.
"Wait, you're seeing Lynn's ex!?"
"Well_"
"Bitch no! Lynn will murder you!"
No she won't. Lynn is mean but her killing me over this would be her admitting that she cared about this guy and that will never happen. She would die first before admitting she cared about a guy.
"No she won't, " I tell her as much. "And we aren't like really really seeing each other." She rolls her eyes at me disbelievingly.
"And when did my dear old friend begin to see guys? Who are you? And how did I miss this?"
"Well you've kind of been preoccupied." With Brian back in her life, again, Shae will always be preoccupied. Lou told me however that they are  on another mini break, it doesn't end with those two. But it's not entirely her fault, I've been hiding too.

"So, this movie night thing, is it invite only or couples only or what? She asks coming over to mess with my hair in what she calls her sexy out of bed look.
"I don't know, why? "
"Can you and your 'not boyfriend' can't take a third wheel?"
"What?" It sounds like she's suggesting she tag along with us. I hope not_
"Can I tag along? You said you guys weren't like actually seeing each other so it's not a date right? And this movie night can surely accommodate one more person. Unless it's couples only then it's okay and also we haven't hang out together in a while plus I really need a break. Please say yes?" I don't know what to say. Shae is good company but  taking her with me to Blue's place isn't something I'm ready to do plus can I even do that? Just invite another person? If Lou picked up on the vibes between Blue and I, Shae is likely to notice too, and the she'll know. No, not happening.
But then I'm supposed to be trying to accept myself, own my truth and who I am at least to the people I care about. Lou found out and the world is still yet to end. I should trust that Shae would get it too, she's my friend above everything else, right? But people are so unpredictable. But you'd be doing this for you and Blue. Blue. Thinking about Blue and being with her again makes it all worth it. It makes it worth losing a few friends. I pull out my phone and text Blue who replies immediately. One extra person would be welcome.