Page 43 of Get Even

“That’s okay,” Liv smiled but it seemed… off. In fact, she’d seemed a little weird ever since Thursday morning when she’d woken up to find Ry in the kitchen making coffee. I’d been meaning to check-in with her about it but had seen surprisingly little of her around the apartment.

“Listen, I’m sorry for not checking with you first before Ryan stayed over the other night. We both accidentally fell asleep.”

“It’s alright, you don’t need to ask. Have whoever you want over,” Liv said and she seemed to mean it, so I wasn’t sure what else could be bothering her. Of course, I could have just asked but Liv tended to get a little closed off sometimes when there were things that she didn’t want to talk about. This felt like one of those times.

So I changed the subject, glancing over to Kat as we made our way through the park. It was sunny out and I sighed as the warmth brushed across my skin. It was nice now, but once late June hit the heat would likely become unbearable. “What happened with you and Leo in the end?” I hadn’t had much time to catch-up with her since Wednesday night either and we tended to reserve Fridays for pizza and girly gossip. Though sometimes Ryan and some of the guys joined us too and it felt good. I was finally one of those girls who had a big friendship group.

“I can’t get a read on him,” Kat said, brushing a hand through her thick brown hair. She’d added delicate blonde highlights to it last week and the effect was gorgeous, if very nineties. “One minute he’s super interested and the next he’ll barely say a word to me.”

“Um,” Liv said and we shared a look.

“Kat, I think there’s a chance that Leo’s…”

“What?” Kat said, glancing between the two of us.

“Gay,” Liv said at the same time that I chimed in with, “In love with Kit.”

“Huh,” we said in unison again and then laughed. Kat groaned and we schooled our faces into more appropriate looks of sympathy.

“Why wouldn’t he just tell me he wasn’t interested? He must think I’m such an idiot,” Kat bit her lip and stared fixedly ahead.

“Maybe he’s not out yet,” I said and she nodded slightly. “Or maybe he didn’t realize you were being anything but friendly.”

Liv stifled a laugh, “Nope, that message was coming across loud and clear. You should have seen her undoing extra buttons on her shirt when she went to the toilet and then came back with her boobs half in his face.”

I laughed, “Oh Kat.”

She sighed, “I don’t know how I get myself into these situations.” I shook with barely controlled laughter and avoided looking at Liv, knowing that if I did I’d lose it completely. “Oh hey, who was the hottie you were talking to when you came off the stage by the way?”

I grinned, “You mean Ryan?”

Kat rolled her eyes as she adjusted her bag on her shoulder, “No, before he got there.”

“Oh, that’s Max. You know, the record producer who helped Liv with that guy a little while ago?”

Liv’s eyes lit with recognition and Kat hummed thoughtfully, clearly already considering moving on from Leo. “What did he want?” Liv asked and I cleared my throat lightly.

“He asked me to do a test recording at his studio. He said he liked my voice,” I winced as they both squealed, their reactions not that far off of Ryan’s – though definitely more high pitched. “Relax, okay? I’m not doing it.”

“What?” Liv shrieked and Kat squawked her outrage too. “Why not? It’s a great opportunity. What do you have to lose?”

“Yeah,” Kat linked her arm through mine. “I would kill for an opportunity like that and here you are, throwing it away.”

“You want to sing?” I said, surprised, and she shook her head.

“No, I just mean an opportunity.Anyopportunity.” Kat’s jaw was tight and I sighed. Maybe they were right, just because a music career was risky didn’t mean I couldn’t do the test recording while finishing out my degree. It didn’t even mean the test recording would lead anywhere – the studio could easily pass.

“I’ll think about it,” I conceded as we neared the fork in the path of the trees and Liv smiled.

“We’re going shopping at the mall, do you want to come?” Kat said, snapping a piece of gum enthusiastically.

I winced, “I wish. I have an essay due tomorrow morning about censorship: then and now.” I gestured with my hands as if it were a movie title and Liv snickered. “I won’t be home for dinner tonight either, Ryan and I are trying the whole dating thing.”

“I love that you slept with himbeforeyou’d even consider a date,” Kat snorted. “Try before you buy is an excellent philosophy.”

I rolled my eyes, “It wasn’t intentional.”

Kat grabbed for Liv and pretended to kiss her, “Right, it was just your wild, animal lust–” I slapped her arm, laughing and Kat grinned.

---