When Lightning Strikes

When Lightning Strikes: Chapter 5

Yes, it was true. I did not like the curious looks my fellow peers of college were giving me as they leisurely strolled by. I didn’t blame them, since I was sitting on the curb of the street and holding two Starbucks cups in my hand and looking very much like a homeless person.

“Hey Gracie!” Dylan stopped by and raised an eyebrow at me. “What are you doing? You’re not asking people for spare change and hiding the money in those cups are you?”

I stared at him. “No! I’m waiting for Ruby!”

“Oh.” He paused and rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. “Well why isn’t she here?”

“College ends early for Ruby today and she went off to the library for a bit. So when I came out, I called her to pick me up,” I explained.

Dylan laughed. “It doesn’t look like she’s coming, G.”

Slightly embarrassed, I turned away from him. “Maybe she’s stuck in traffic?” I offered.

“Alright then. I’ll be going now.” He ruffled my hair, making me yelp. “See ya!”

During the twenty minutes it took for Ruby to arrive at the front gates, I sipped my caramel macchiato. I felt guilty for doing that though, because Ruby’s frappe sitting on the concrete next to me was growing warmer by the second. When her shiny, golden car came to a stop by me, a relieved sigh escaped my throat.

“Ruby! I’m so glad you’re here!” I exclaimed as in slipped into the front seat. “Here’s your drink.” As I placed it in the cup holder, I winced. “Your warm drink, I might add.”

“Oops.” She laughed guiltily without even taking a look at her frappe. “I’m really sorry I took so long.”

“Where have you been anyway?”

A shade of petal pink blossomed on her porcelain face, making my eyes widen slightly. She was blushing? Why was she so embarrassed?

“I told you, I was at the library,” she answered edgily. Something was up with her, and although I didn’t like to stick my nose into other people’s businesses, I decided to fish around and see what reaction I would receive.

Ruby hated lying, so she usually would end up confessing everything. It was just that easy. God, I felt like a villain. “What did you do at the library?”

“Oh, I was asking the librarian which books were good to borrow for a read, and I also was doing research.”

I took a sip from my straw before asking, “That’s it?”

“Why would there be more?” Ruby, rather agitated by my question, took a sharp left turn, making my insides jump. This definitely meant she was uneasy about something.

I decided to just straight out ask her. “Alright, what are you-”

“I met a guy!”

Once she blurted out her temporary secret, I gasped. Ruby never really took interest in the other gender, unless they were cute guys from bands, so for her to actually take an interest in someone was like … a miracle! I was so happy and excited for her!

It had always been me who had been dating others, while Ruby would play the role of a supportive best friend. That was why sometime last year, I had tried to play cupid. It was an epic failure because the both of them did not show up at the destination of the date, and trust me; I know this because I had been sitting at a private booth in the same restaurant waiting.

And no, I hadn’t been meaning to spy on them for long. I had just wanted to see if they would be ok at first.

I clapped happily. “Oh my god, who?!”