The food court echoed with the sound of voices. It was packed with people. The mall wasn't as bad as it would've been before Christmas, but the foot of stubborn, un-melting snow outside didn't leave too much else to do.
As I picked at the french-fries on my plate, I listened halfheartedly to the conversations my friends were having around me. Julie and Beanie were having a conversation about upcoming midterms, and Steve and Jess were talking excitedly about the new arcade the mall was planning on putting in downstairs. Tompy wasn't involved in any conversation, really. He was just staring nervously and longingly at Julie while she spoke.
I, however, was in my own little world. For the past week, I had been trying desperately hard to block out everything that had happened that night at the Hanson's. What was really bothering me, however, was that I couldn't escape the thoughts for long.
First I'd think about Brady Hanson, how much he had tortured me, and how much I loathed the guy. Which, in my opinion, was a perfectly fine thought to have. But then it would alter on me, and I'd find myself thinking about how it had felt when his lips were on mine, and the dull feeling of freezing ice pressing through my jacket onto my back, but my face was still burning nonetheless… And, well, that was the part I was trying to block out.
In the back of my mind, I faintly heard Julie say that she wanted to go return something before we left. I was fully and completely pulled from my thoughts, however, when someone's foot collided with my shin.
"Ow!"
Julie shot a strange look in my direction because of my sudden outburst.
I turned to Jess, who was giving me a sympathetic glance. She mouthed the word, "Sorry." Then she kicked her rightful target from underneath the table, Tompy, who was sitting next to me. The poor guy cringed in pain, but thankfully, Julie was too busy gathering up her shopping bags to notice.
"This is your chance," Jess whispered. "Go!"
"I'll meet up with you guys in a few, okay? You still gonna be here in about ten minutes?"
All of us nodded in unison, each offering Julie a guilty smile. She raised her eyebrow skeptically, but turned to leave nonetheless.
"Go!" Jess repeated, turning her attention back to Tompy. He looked sick to his stomach and his face was going all pale. Jess wound back her leg to kick him again from under the table, but Tompy stumbled to his feet.
"Alright, okay!"
We had finally managed to get it out of Tompy. He had finally admitted that he liked Julie. He had confessed it to all of us three days previous, when the group was hanging out at Steve's without Julie because she had a babysitting job that night.
It took a two-hour three-way-phone-call conversation between Jess, Tompy, and me, but we finally got him to agree that he would spill the beans. Tompy was going to tell Julie how he felt about her.
"Wait!" I exclaimed, grabbing Tompy's arm before he had the chance to hurry after her. "Remember what we told you, okay?"
"Okay," he murmured.
"Give me the acronym," I said.
He rolled his eyes and tried to tug his arm away. "C'mon, Andy! This is ridiculous. She's walking away-"
