When Perfect Meets Crazy

26 - Chanel in knockoffs

"What could you possibly have to be sad about?" I rolled my eyes.

Considering the fact that the girl I was talking to was on the verge of tears, my tone was less than conciliatory.

I knew I signed up to play point guard for Mae's crush on Zach when I agreed to go to Finch's party but I honestly hadn't counted on her getting irrevocably emotional-blubbering-mess drunk. If I had known, I would've unapologetically declined. I had enough on my plate as it was and even if I didn't, I just wasn't one for the full range of human emotions. It wasn't my thing. It was like asking a Coco Chanel to wear a knock-off or Einstein to organize a fun day off.

No. Just no.

"He won't even look at me." She sniffled, turning the full effect of her wide teary eyes on me.

I gritted my teeth, an inborn defense mechanism to having my barely-there heartstrings tugged.

"So what? You started liking him, what? Last week?"

She raised her head to meet my gaze, her smile wobbling in a way that made it clear water works would follow if I didn't tread carefully.

"Sorry." I pasted a congenial smile on my face. 

I could be at home, battling virtual characters, reading a new novel or even watching reruns. Anything beat sitting in a corner of Finch's kitchen, consoling a friend over another friend she started liking less than fourteen days ago.

I heaved a sigh, staring longingly out the window.

One of the guys getting high outside popped in, heading straight for the fridge.

He paused briefly, sending a nod our way.

I nodded back, my polite impersonal smile making it clear now was not a good time to approach us.

"You don't understand," Mae wailed, throwing herself into my lap.

I drew in a fortifying breath and reminded myself that roughly pushing her off might make her throw up. And that I normally really did like her.

"I really don't," I replied a beat later.

Boys were just boys. As friends, they could be pretty great but I didn't see what was so amazing about crushes and boyfriends. They came and went. I definitely didn't date with thoughts of marriage or 'forever' in my head. Not many people my age did either so I just couldn't see why they took boyfriends and crushes so seriously. It was just high school. If the feeling wasn't mutual, just move on to the next crush. Easy.

I forced a smile as Ashley, one of Claire's minions walked into the kitchen to refill her cup of soda.

"That's because guys always like you first. You're like catnip for them." Mae sighed, pushing her lips into a pout as she sat up.

I rolled my eyes exasperatedly, taking a sip of my drink to steady myself before replying, "Catnip? Really?"

I could be having fun right now. Seriously. Anything but boy drama and I might've taken it seriously. Boy drama was just something I could never get.

"And you're never invested. I don't know how you do it. Like how did you walk away from Rigo? Rigo!" Her gaze, wide and confused, latched onto my face. "How did you even get him to fall that hard for you? He's practically a serial player."

I rolled my eyes again.

Rigo liking me wasn't exactly fun for me. He had always been one of the cool kids, the coolest really but he was just never on my radar. We barely used to say hi to each other until one night when we got stuck walking Mae home from a party. According to him, they were childhood friends. It turned out to be true but at the time, I did not know that. Mae was stupidly drunk so I was more than a little suspicious of his intentions when he claimed he was going to be a 'gentleman' and walk her home.