The Exchange

Chapter 39

With school back in session after the holiday season, I sat with Blaine, Arti, and Viktor at our lunch table. Eleanor still hadn't returned, not even to say hi to everyone who was not Arti, but I never could find her anywhere in the cafeteria.

That was fine. It wasn't like I actually wanted to talk to her on a friendly level. I mostly just wanted to ask her what the fuck she was up to.

But I promised Blaine and Viktor that I wouldn't let myself get caught up in the bullshit anymore. Whatever was going to happen was just going to have to happen, and if I ended up looking stupid, there were plenty of people I could pick to blame.

Besides, I could already blame Blaine for getting me sick. I couldn't smell anything through my stuffed-up nose, and the pressure in my ears was only getting worse. Out of everyone on the goddamn planet, why the hell was he the one that made me feel good about myself?

"Okay, so you guys will not believe this thing that happened to me yesterday," Blaine began.

Wonderful, another funny but somewhat pointless story. Hopefully it would take my mind off of the way my eyes watered and made me look like a crybaby little bitch.

"Amanda, are you listening? You've been out of it for, like, an hour," Blaine said.

"We just got to lunch," I said.

He acknowledged that with a half-nod. "Well, yeah, but you weren't really paying attention in psychology. I noticed because you look cute today."

"I look cute every day."

"But you look extra cute today. Like a cat who's pissed off at the entire world but still isn't very intimidating because you know she's sweet."

I shook my head. "What do you want?"

"I want you to listen to my story because I like to make you laugh because I fucking care about you."

I smiled. He was far too charming for his own good.

"Wait, wait, wait. Are you guys still calling whatever the fuck you're doing dating?" Arti interrupted.

"Kind of, yeah," Blaine said.

She turned to Viktor. "Don't you think that's weird? They're not really that affectionate or anything."

"For me, it would be, but they seem okay with it," Viktor said.

For someone from Sweden, he sure as hell had a personality like Switzerland.

"Um, fuck you, because we've lasted longer than both of your relationships combined," I said.

Arti pointed at me. "Don't talk about that. You know I'm sensitive about my single situation."

"And whose fault is that?" I asked.

Viktor held up his hand. "Candy Cane, stop. You don't want to hurt her feelings over something silly."

I hesitated. "Sorry. You're probably right."

Considering I had just lectured Arti about doing the same thing to Blaine, Viktor was definitely right.

Viktor smiled, and I resisted the urge to tell him that if he didn't stop, I was going to have to punch him. If he wanted to be one of us, then he had to deal with every part of it.

"Look, what you don't understand is that Amanda has mellowed over the years. I know it's hard to believe, but it's true," Blaine said.

I nodded, even though I wouldn't say that I had mellowed. I had just learned to threaten people less since it would probably land me in legal trouble eventually.