Project Fat Suit

Thirty-One: Eavesdropping

Chapter Thirty-One:

“I didn’t say anything,” I said, trying to play off what I just said calmly. Let’s hope countless years in the dramatic arts have paid off.

“You just said that you have a crush on my boyfriend,” Holly repeated, her lips starting to turn into a scowl.

“Are you okay, Holly? I didn’t say anything,” I tried again, really hoping she would just brush it off.

“Serena, I’m not stupid. I know what I heard.”

“Why would I have a crush on your boyfriend? He’s a jerk to me. I don’t even know why you would think that I said that,” I said, trying my very best to not run out of the room. I added a scoff. “Like I would ever fall for someone named Uranus.”

Holly didn’t say anything, but she gave me a look that said she still didn’t believe me.

After a few moments of us just staring at each other, with me trying desperately to keep a collected composure with Holly’s gaze boring into my soul, Holly finally spoke up, “Is that why you’ve been avoiding everyone? You feel bad about it?”

“What? No,” I quickly denied. “I didn’t say anything for Pete’s sake!” I told her, starting to get frustrated.

“Rena, I really don’t care that you have some feelings for Trent. I know you didn’t mean to, unless you somehow convinced Cupid to shoot you the butt yourself—anyways, that’s not the point. Okay, maybe it bothers me a little, but we have been together for a year.”

I stared at her for second. Did I hear that right? It didn’t bother her that much? How can it not? I have feelings for her boyfriend. Did she not hear me correctly? A normal person would go ballistic on me, but no, of course, Holly had to be a freaking saint about every single freaking thing.

“Why doesn’t that bother you? Shouldn’t you be telling me to stay away from him? That I am a no good, dirty whore? You didn’t even slap me!” I nearly yelled at her.

I wasn’t even the one who was supposed to get mad. She was. But she isn’t. I don’t even know why I am.

“Like I said, Rena. Having feelings for someone is completely an irrational thing. It’s not like you wanted to like him on purpose. I don’t understand why you want another reaction out of me.”

“Because I have a freaking crush on your boyfriend,” I answered her in exasperation. “Why the hell do you have to be so perfect?”

Holly looked taken aback by my reaction. “Rena—”

“No, don’t answer that,” I quickly cut her off. “You’ll just probably tell me more about your perfect personality, perfect looks, and perfect brains. You’ll tell me how there’s nothing wrong with your perfect life. Or how you have the perfectly alive parents. How you have the perfect friends, who are perfectly alive as well. No! You just go on with your perfect self and leave my flawed one alone. Your life is probably a lot more perfect without me in it.”

Holly gave me a pitying look once again.

There was something about that look that I couldn’t stand. It just made me snap. It was time. It was time for me to get her out of my life. I couldn’t stand being near her anymore. I couldn’t stand her pity, or her niceness. I couldn’t stand her annoying persistence of trying to get me to be best buds with her anymore. I just couldn’t.

“You are the most annoying person I have ever met,” I said evenly. “Why are you trying so hard to be my friend even though I clearly don’t want to be yours? You’re like a bug on my windshield that I can’t get off. The only reason I put up with you is because you knew my secret, but now I don’t even care. It’s not worth having someone so…so bothersome in my life.”