Cupid's Sabotage (COMPLETED)

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Naturally, the mall was packed with young adults on the same mission as us: to find the perfect outfit for the perfect night of our teenage lives. Kiosk vendors selling makeup and scented fragrances are overcrowded with young girls. The same is true for the guys; all huddled around the wristwatch and necktie vendors. I bet fashion companies love this time of year.

We left school right after class had adjourned and are now waiting in the food court for Gwen and Luke to arrive.

Reggie scans the food court with the turn of his head. "Man, I could go for some Charlie's subs right now. Or maybe a Big Mac. Or maybe a vanilla rice dream cone from Chick-Fil-A." He moos like a cow. "Eat. More. Chicken."

"You're hungry again," I say. "No surprise there."

"Hey! It's been over half a decade since we last pulled off Cupid's Sabotage. I'm nervous, okay? And I burn ten times as many calories when I'm nervous. That's why I never exercise. I simply find a reason to get nervous and—presto!—I burn calories faster than a polar bear on the beach."

"You keep telling yourself that."

Marcus and Misha stroll through the food court minutes later, hand-in-hand. It's hard to see Marcus acting this way; all love drunk and giddy. Out of the three of us, I thought for sure I would be the first to enter a relationship. To be honest, I thought for sure I would be the only one to enter a relationship. Marcus and Reggie haven't exactly been legitimate competitors. I look back over at Reggie; he's engaged in a thumb war match with himself. Yeah, he's still not a legitimate competitor.

Marcus looks like he just stepped out of the Matrix wearing a black leather jacket, black shirt, black cargo pants, and black riding boots, not to mention his black skin. The dude could walk down an alleyway and be practically invisible. I guess chicks really do dig the whole bad boy look. And here I've been dressing like I'm going for a job interview my entire life. Maybe that's what my problem is?

I snap my fingers to get Reggie's attention. "Look alive! Love bird's at twelve o'clock."

He looks up, pausing from his thumb war. "What's the plan?"

"Uh . . ."

"Ya know, for being so obsessed with sabotaging other people's relationships, we sure are terrible when it comes to playmaking."

"I know, I know! But it's not easy breaking people up. It's easier to make them fall for one another than it is to break them up."

"I hear that. When I see bacon on my plate, I'm instantly in love." He interlocks his fingers together. "And there's nothing you can do to tear us apart."

"That's not what I meant, Regg. Tell me, if you were in a relationship—" Reggie looks at me with horror in his eyes. "Hypothetically," I quickly add. "What would make you want to end said relationship?"

"Well, one thing that really gets me fired up is when McDonald's takes away the McRib. I'm all like, 'We were just getting to know each other, and you take it away from—'"

"Reggie!" He stops, mouth hung open. "Can we for once in our lives not relate every moment to food?"

"No can do, amigo. Food is love, food is life. Speaking of, it's high time I get some." He marches toward the Chick-Fil-A line.

Meanwhile, Marcus is guiding Misha towards Nordstrom's entrance. She seems hesitant, but he convinces her, pulling her inside the store with both hands. Marcus must make more dough off his tutelage than I first thought. I can't even afford to breathe the air inside that place, let alone purchase something.