Best-Case Scenario

Chapter Four

I text Kali before I leave school to check in. I hadn't seen her for the rest of the day and I watched Carla go into the same classroom as her after lunch. My phone buzzes with her reply.

Uck. Today was awful. I went to the nurse's office pretending I had a headache. Ms. Stoos didn't call me out. Like she wanted to deal with a teenager mess. I stayed in the nurse's for the rest of the day. She let me go home last period. Sorry T. I know I'm the worse but I think I'm going to cry at home alone. I'll be ok. I promise. Need time.

You are not the worse. I text back and slip the phone into my backpack and make my way through the pressing crowds of the hallway.

"Teagan, my friend."

Imari comes up to me and slides a hand around my waist in the atrium. His long tank top shows off his biceps and I have to walk twice as fast to keep up with his stride, but people move out of the way for us. If the boy wasn't so clumsy, he would be a shoo-in for the basketball team. Imari has been one of Kali's best friends since ninth grade when we joined the GSA. I'm closer with Seth-usually seen at Imari's side- but love Imari almost as much.

We stop at the end of the sidewalk. The floods of people leaving the school start to lighten as the busses pull out of the circles and the parking lot begins to empty. I take a step back so I can see him better. "Hey Imari. How was your summer?"

"Well," he starts and then takes off his black framed glasses and examines them before looking at me again. "Do you think I should get contacts?"

"No," I say. "You look smarter with them on. Now, how was your summer?"

"A lot like yours," he says sliding his glasses back on.

This stops me for a moment and I wonder if he knows more than he should. When I don't respond, he raises an eyebrow. "Helping out a best friend who chose the wrong person..." he prompts.

"Really?" I say. He gives one jerk of his head. "Seth had a boyfriend?"

Seth did not date. It wasn't quite on principle, but he said dating in high school as a gay guy was a good way to get your face punched in. Despite us living in a pretty progressive school where I swear fifty percent of population seemed to somewhere on the LGBT+ spectrum, he cannot be swayed.

"Unfortunately, yes." Imari's amber eyes are pointed at the sidewalk. "Seth fell in love, was dumped, and now doesn't believe in love. Again. As his best friend, I'm supposed to help him but now he wants space. He doesn't think me having him around will help my boyfriend prospects."

I squeeze his arm and Imari pulls me in for a hug. I give him a pat on the back.

"You guys have been friends forever and are somehow totally different people. You're not competition," I say.

He lets me go and throws his hands up in the air. "Can't tell him anything," he says. "Break ups hurt and he hurts but you know Seth. He's not forthcoming. Not even to me. How's Kali doing?"

"Better. Much better," I say. Before Imari can ask more, I say "So, what happened with Seth? I'm still I disbelief."

"The guy dumped him because the boyfriend had a girlfriend," he deadpans.

"Ouch."

"Yep."

We're silent and I'm once again thankful that despite all the identity problems I have, at least this town doesn't force people to stay in the closet. A lot of our neighboring towns are less accepting and it sounds like Seth dated one of those people.