As A Friend

31: West's Night

This is another long chapter. Y'all are gonna want to push me off the cliff I leave y'all at. But don't worry, once you guys reach 400 votes, y'all will get an update. Don't hate me; this chapter was getting too long so I had to cut it off somewhere :) Enjoyyyy

Kat and I are mid conversation when she suddenly ducks her head and shades her face. I look around the library plaza curiously. "Stop looking!" she hisses so I also hide my head and face her in a state of pure confusion. "One of my teammates from volleyball is here; she's looking for a place to sit but she's such a bitch. She thinks we're friends."

"Katherine?" a high pitched voice asks and Kat grimaces at me before putting on a fake smile.

"Hey, Taylor!" she greets the girl, who immediately helps herself to a chair at our table.

"I thought that was you; I couldn't see your face, though," Taylor, I'm assuming, explains. She puts her laptop on the table and opens it with her perfectly manicured fingers. She twirls a strand of her blond hair as it starts up. "Who's your friend?"

"Oh, this is November," Kat introduces me.

"It's nice to meet you," she smiles. "Cute hair."

"Thank you, you too," I respond awkwardly. She doesn't seem too bad, just a little loud.

"Kat, did you hear?" she gasps loudly, gaining even more attention from onlookers. Though this isn't exactly a quiet floor, it's purpose isn't a conversation hub.

"No, what?" Kat replies, tilting her head.

"Maya, from the team- you know, Maya Walsh?" she asks and Kat nods. "She hooked up with Caroline's boyfriend. And get this-." She continues to gossip and I suddenly understand Kat's dislike for her. I'm pulled back to high school by her word vomit so I slowly tune her out. I turn my attention to my phone, which proves to be much more captivating than gossip about people I don't know.

The conversation drifts and I find myself listening to select parts of it. She talks about boys for a long period of time and Kat feigns interest. When she asks about Kat's love life, my friend quickly distinguishes any assumptions. She says she's not dating and I repress the urge to snort. It isn't until I hear her make a noise of delight that Kat decides to drag me back into the conversation. She delivers a sharp kick to my ankle and I let out a muffled whimper.

"Who is he?" Taylor asks, completely oblivious to the assault that took place beneath the table. I look up and see Taylor's eyes trailing a familiar figure. Of all people, it has to be Dominic. Of every single person in this library right now, she has to lay her eyes on Dominic. I look at Kat, expecting her to tell her friend to back off. Instead, she lightly touches my hand and leans in to Taylor.

"I had a few classes with him. He's really nice," she explains as she keeps her gaze on Dominic. She turns her attention back to the blonde beside us, who's eyeing him like he's a steak and she's a hungry wolf. "You should go talk to him."

"I may as well. I'll probably never see him around again," she agrees confidently. I stare at Kat in pure shock.

"What the hell?" I blurt once Taylor stands up and starts across the library. His eyes are locked on his laptop as he bobs his head to the music playing through his earbuds.

"He's going to reject her; I'll bet money on it," Kat retorts dismissively. "Maybe then she'll leave out of embarrassment."

I stare with my arms crossed tightly over my chest and a sour look on my face. Dominic doesn't look up until she's standing at the other side of the table gripping one of the chairs. He takes out one earbud and peers up at her with a curious look on her face. She opens her mouth and talks to him, giggling girlishly. He offers her an apologetic smile as he replies to her in a short sentence. She nods before turning and heading back towards us. I keep my eyes locked on him, watching as he puts the earbud back in and returns to his work as if he was never disrupted in the first place.