Page 6 of Falling Backwards
Luke isn’t shutting up, though.“Wow, you didn’t leaveanythingin the glass, did you?Good job.You must be freezing now.”
I snap, “And you must’ve been born incapable of learning how to act.Your lack of manners is astounding.”
He shifts his weight and starts turning away.“Ah, no big deal.You’ve learned enough manners for the both of us.”He walks off, finally acknowledging the girls with an indifferent, “Magnolia’s friends.”
At his use of my full name, I hurl a scowl at his retreating form.I used to love it when he called me that, but not anymore, and he knows it, which is why he does it.
I consider also hurling my empty glass at him.
How wouldthatbe for manners?
“Never a pleasure,” Emma calls after him.
She used to be more spirited in standing up for me to him, but I’ve gotten good enough at doing it myself that she likes to sit back and let me have at it.Shewould definitely approve of me throwing my glass at him.
“That dude,” she begins now.
“Is an idiot?”I supply.
“Is cute,” Joy chirps.
“But is also an idiot,” Emma agrees with both of us.
I scoff.Cute.Yeah, right.
I mean, yes, he is.
I mean, to tell the whole truth, he’s always been solidly good-looking to me.‘Cute’is as far as my friends ever went with him—differing tastes and all that—and I guess they haven’t budged on it even though it’s strange to think I, of all people, am the only one who’s noticed how good time has been to him.He filled out over the years in a much more pleasing way than how I did.
But something else Luke has long been is gum stuck to the bottom of my shoe.An itch in the middle of my back.The sun as it sits in just the right place in the sky for the flipped-down visor in my car to be completely useless.
Seriously, what was he even doing at our table?He didn’t do or say anything worthwhile.He just wasted time being a bother.
After I dump a handful of damp napkins on the table, Emma asks, “You get most of it?”
I sigh.“Yeah, but I’m gonna go to the bathroom for a minute.”
“Gotta wash your mojito hands.”
“Yeah.”
Joy says, “Well, at least your sweater is dark and your leggings are black!You don’tlooklike you spilled anything, you know?And now you’re gonna smell extra-good!”
She’s right.Those are things to be glad for.I summon a smile for her as I get to my feet; she beams back cheerfully.
Love her.
Do not love that I step away from the table and have a couple of those nearby people joke about my spilled drink.Also don’t love that my brain seems to pick up on more of Luke’s laughter as I head for the bathroom.
It probably isn’t even real, though.He’d been going back across the people-filled room when he left our booth, towards his own booth, opposite where I’m going.He wouldn’t still be close enough for me to—
Someone appears in front of me, causing me to walkrightsmack into them.I inhale sharply and bumble backwards.
This isn’t my day, is it?
“Hey, hi,” the guy rushes out.After a moment of focusing, I take note of sandy hair and wide, dark eyes that, indeed, do not belong to the guy I’m annoyed with.
I nod politely and give the best matching smile I can, which isn’t great, thanks to my uncomfortably wet clothes.
