Trust Me. I'm Lying - (SLOWLY EDITING)

Between Over And Through: Chapter 16

"Put your ear to the speaker, and choose love or sympathy, but never both."

—XO, by Fall Out Boy

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CHAPTER SIXTEEN:

Between Over And Through.

"What are you going to do about your Mom?" Chris asked as we made our way along the cafeteria line. Chris picked up random plates of food and sniffed them before putting them down on her tray. I always thought this was a weird habit of hers. It was as if she was waiting for the food to be poisoned or something.

Jess was home with none other but chickenpox. I'd begun to see the red blotches on her skin since Friday night at Christina's house, suggesting it was chickenpox. Last night she called me and told me, rather unwillingly, that she did have it.

All in all, those two days at her house were fun. Without adult supervision, everything has a certain glow to it. Jess had laughed as I told her what had happened. Chris...well, not so much.

"I don't know," I admitted as I paid the decrepit old lady my food (a chicken sandwich with fries and apple juice). I shuddered. "I don't want to think about what she'll say."

"You'll have to tell her sooner or later, you know," she said, sniffing on a green apple and setting it on her tray. The people behind her threw nasty looks at the pair of us.

"This is one of the perks of not having a father and having a brother who lives Far Far Away," I smiled as she paid for her food. "Well, actually, Mom counts as both. It's bound to be scarier."

"I know," Chris rolled her eyes and stopped, looking around for an available table and then finding the one where Aiden and Sebastian were sitting."You should have seen Dad's face when Aiden came. I finally understood the phrase, if looks could kill."

"You're an only daughter," I reminded her, "that's different."

"Yes, but he's your first boyfriend," she contradicted.

I felt my eye twitch in annoyance. During the last three days, I had lost count of how many times I had told her Carson was not my boyfriend and that he will not turn into anything remotely close anytime soon. But as always, she seemed not to hear a word of what I was saying.

"How many times will I have to tell you Carson wasn't, isn't, and will not be my boyfriend?" I demanded in a whisper, now that we were reaching the table.

"As long as it takes 'till it happens," she stated and sat down. "Hey there," she greeted Aiden, who smiled at her and gave her a peck on the lips.

They both smiled goofy and each other. Sebastian and I groaned at the same time.

I found out that the only thing Sebastian and I had in common was our Abnegation dislike for PDA. Or rather, for public affection from the only thing that now linked us together. The lovebirds that were of our best friends respectively.

"Could you guys please do not make out in public?" Sebastian asked in annoyance.

"We're not making out," Aiden told him, throwing an arm around Christina's shoulders. "Get a girlfriend, bro." I snorted while Sebastian rolled his eyes, ignoring the jab and turning back to his pizza, which suddenly seemed interesting to him. Maybe that's why he was glaring at it.

"Hold it," Aiden said. He looked around the crowded lunch area. "We're missing one. Where's Jessica?"

"At home," I replied, trying to fight off my smile as I told the reason. "She has chickenpox."