The Good Hair Family Sitcom

S2 E9.3: Andreas's Girl

Jayda's POV

Hazel's in AP grade nine math, which is why she tutors me with my grade ten math, because she's just that smart. Just by our set-ups at the dining room table in my house, you can see who the genius is, because she has two calculators—one in case the other dies—a binder, a stack of papers, highlighters, pencils, and a whole-ass geometry kit. I just have a pencil too dull to write with and the back of a drama club flyer that I stole from the bulletin board at school when I needed paper.

"So," she says, still trying to explain a problem to me, "if all sides of a triangle equal one hundred and eighty degrees, then the answer to the third side in this problem must be..."

She looks at me, awaiting my response, but I didn't even realize she was finished speaking.

"Uh, x squared?"

"No. Jayda—"

She stops when my phone buzzes, and I pick it up to check who it is, but as soon as I see the name, I flip it over face down on the table. Oceana. I can't talk to her. I can't even see her name. I just need to get her out of my head. But damn, she's really good at being in there.

"You're distracted," Hazel states then sighs. "Answer your phone. I'll wait."

"No, I'm fine. Let's keep going."

I pick up my pencil, actually ready to write, but then my phone buzzes again.

"Who is that?" Hazel wonders.

"Nobody," I respond.

She grins. "Oooh, I sense drama. What's going on?"

"Nothing," I insist. "It's—it's nothing."

"But it's not."

"Someone is just trying to talk to me, but I don't want to," I explain. "Or I can't."

"Why couldn't you?"

I can't tell her this. She's close with Andreas too, and if he ever found out about me and Oceana, he'd hate me. He's honestly one of my best friends at this point. I don't think I'd be able to handle if he stopped talking to me. Plus, family gatherings would be hella awkward.

"It's complicated," I say.

"Oh my gosh, Jayda," Hazel groans. "You're going to tell me eventually!"

"I have a crush on a girl!" I scream before I can think twice. I did it to get her to shut up, but now I don't know where to go from here.

"Wait, a girl?" she says in surprise.

"Yeah."

"That's so cute. Who is she? Do I know her?"

"I can't tell you," I say, "and it doesn't even matter, because nothing can happen"

"Is this a forbidden romance trope?" she asks with a grin. "I've always been more fond of the girl next goor cliche instead."

"It's not a romance," I state. "We just...can't be together."

"But it's a girl," she clarifies.

"Yes. Why?"

She shrugs. "No reason. I just...pictured you with someone else."

"Who?"

Before she can answer, there comes a ring of the doorbell, and I get up, leaving Hazel in the dining room. When I open the door, I feel a rush of fear strike me. It was bad enough trying to face him after New Year's, but now that his girlfriend is actually trying to push things further, it's soul-crushing. Seeing Andreas's brown eyes makes me want to melt into a puddle right here from guilt.