Stuck

Chapter Two

“What about her?”

“Let’s see…” I survey the woman before us. She’s dressed in a very skimpy outfit that, without her long brunette hair and skin-tight, knee-length boots, there would be a bit too much skin exposed. A belly button ring is evident on her navel, drawing even more attention to her flat, toned stomach. This woman knew how to make a first impression; especially when she struts inside a family-friendly coffee shop and slaps a 20 dollar bill on the counter before ordering anything. “I think she’ll order a Chai Latte, adding two pumps of gingerbread syrup instead of one.”

Mason stares at the lady in the most obvious way. “I see where you are coming from.” Ever since we arrived into this coffee shop twenty minutes ago, Mason has been bombarding me with “Name that person’s drink” questions, reminding me of a time long ago when Mason was the Sun in my little, small town universe.

When I was younger, while Lukas, Mason, and I were all neighbors, we would always come up with a game to play when boredom hit. Lukas came up with weird, immature games, like “Does this bug taste like chicken?” and “Can you shoot down a crow with a slingshot?”, while Mason came up with reasonable, thought-provoking games, such as “Name the drink” and “Imagine the future”. Often times I would suggest the future game the most because I could be a fairytale princess with a charming prince to dote on me. And Mason would take the role as my prince while Lukas was the carriage driver. Interesting choice, seeing as I later came to think of Lukas as my prince, but he was closest to being of driving age than Mason or I.

“Hey… do you remember that summer before you left? When we were playing ‘Imagine the future’ and Lukas demanded he be my prince?”

Mason chuckled. “How could I forget? You and I were sitting on our little wagon and he suddenly pushed me on the grass with a sword and said, ‘I claim ownership of this lady. You must be the driver now, peasant!’”

“I remember that! And then I got mad at him for claiming me like I was an item and pushed him off the wagon too.”

“You didn’t talk to him for a week.”

“Hey, when I hold a grudge, I hold a grudge. Especially with Lukas.” I pause, and take a sip of my spiced apple cider, hiding any emotion that my eyes display when I say his name.

Mason grasps my hand and squeezes, giving me a look mixed with pity and empathy. “How has the last few months been? Any easier?”

I cough slightly, alarmed that he knows anything about what happened. “Um… so you’ve heard.”

“Actually, I kinda saw…”

My head snaps up to face him, surprise probably evident on my face. “What did you just say?”

Mason takes a deep breath, not looking me in the eyes with a grim expression on his face. “I was on Ball State’s campus that night. I was invited there to check out some party a fraternity was holding and I had no idea Lukas went there. We ran into each other a few times and I mentioned you, making him seem really protective, like you were his. Then, later on, I saw him making out with this blond near the bedrooms and I… I thought I should try to tell you somehow.”

I stare at him, speechless. I feel my gut twist and turn, thinking back to the text I got and the pain I experienced that night. Mason saw firsthand Lukas’ betrayal… no wonder Nate hadn’t beat Lukas to a pulp.

“Jess… are you okay?” He whispers to me, concern written all over his features.

I gulp, and inhale. “Of course. Thank you for contacting me. I needed to know. Knowing Lukas, he probably would have skipped over the truth and I would be hurt more hearing it so long after. But I’ve moved on. He should start doing the same.” It’s hard to lie so easily to Mason. Sure, I haven’t seen him in years but he was my first crush, and he treated me so well. He was an amazing friend back then and, from this afternoon alone, he seems the same as ever. This is great because I’ll need more support now that Lukas is back.