Page 53 of Sour Lollipops and Sweet Nightmares
“No.” Rachel immediately cut me off. “Don’t even think about going to get that thing unless you plan on burning it.”
“Why not?”
“No.”
“But…”
“No.” She repeated.
I hung my head and whined, “It keeps my ears warm.”
“Suck it up. Beauty is pain.”
That was the kind of reasoning Mom would’ve given me five years ago. I may need to help Rachel the same way I helped my mother. She did care an awful lot about her appearance.
We were going for a run, and she had makeup on. The only thing she did right was wear running shoes and put her hair in a ponytail. She wanted to help me, but I think she needed my help more. And I would start by pointing out the obvious.
“We’re running. The color of my outfit doesn’t matter.”
“Of course it matters.” She argued.
“No one cares what I run in.”
“You should.” Rachel gave me a pointed look. “Do you want to stand out, because that outfit will make you stand out.”
Disbelief narrowed my eyes. “No, it doesn’t.”
“It’s neon.” Her face dropped. “When’s the last time you saw someone wear neon?”
I crossed my arms. “Last week, when I wore this exact same thing.”
And no one said anything then.
“Uh huh.” She nodded, causing her ponytail to bob. “And how many people stared at you?”
Come to think of it, a lot of people did. I thought it was because I had excellent form when I ran—I had been running for years—but maybe Rachel had a point? At least in this instance, that is. If asshole Issac and sex appointment Kash were an example of the guys that went to Renfrew, then I certainly didn’t want any more attention.
I huffed, “Fine, I’ll go change.” Then headed for my room to dig through my dresser for my black leggings. “But I’m keeping the leg warmers.”
“Whatever,” Rachel called back. “I hear Issac likes green.”
That’s where she had to go? “He’s not interested in me anymore.”
“If you say so.” She sang in a not-so-convincing way.
Despite the fact that I told myself I wasn’t going to listen to her anymore, an image of Issac eyeing my legwarmers the same way he eyed me in the cafeteria flashed through my mind. What if he really did like green? What if he really, really liked green?
Damnit.
I ripped off the legwarmers and tossed them in the hamper.
That was the last time I was going to let something she said get to me. That girl was way too impressionable. I didn’t know what was worse? Her incessant gossip or that she wouldn’t leave me alone. It was obvious, after days with no encounters, that I didn’t need her backup—or Kash’s, which she was still insistent on—yet she wouldn’t leave me alone.
Mom wanted me to get a friend, because she didn’t want me to be alone. Well, I wasn’t alone anymore. And I may never be again.
I changed my pants and grumbled, “I hope you’re happy, Mom.” Before leaving to go for a run with my‘friend’.
Issac
