Page 66 of The Handoff

Chapter 37

Dane

Aftertheeventson campus, Lisa decided to be brave today. Well, she had no choice, there were only so many classes that she could miss. I hated the idea of her having to give up her job, it didn’t seem fair somehow and the whole idea of her not having the one friend she’d had in college, didn’t sit well with me neither. Nor the fact that they’d thrown her off the cheerleading squad. Fiona was back to being captain. It figured that Fiona went to such great lengths to make sure she was back in what she felt was her rightful place, but Lisa had made a difference to the squad and now they were back to where they’d started, which was sad, but then not my problem.

After practice, I decided to pay Tanya a visit. I was sure that after the last two weeks, she must have calmed down. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any new drama on campus so Lisa was still the talk on campus.

In the midst of it all, being on the squad had become the least of Lisa’s problems. She needed a job, ideally back at the library, but we all knew it wasn’t going to happen, so the only thing I could try to do was sort out her friendship with Tanya. I knew it was a long shot, but I was willing to try.

I knocked on the door, and Tanya opened it. I didn’t expect her to have company, well I didn’t think that she and Fiona would become best friends after this, especially because they were from two different worlds.

“What?” Tanya barked as she saw my face.

If I didn’t know any better, the same cute, shy girl that I met with Lisa was no longer in the room and she’d become a carbon copy of Fiona. It didn’t help that they were both wearing the same pants and top as if they were twins. I realized I’d completely misjudged Tanya.

“I just came to talk;” I said.

“Let him in,” Fiona said, and Tanya did as she told her to do, she moved to the side so I could enter the room.

I spun around to face her, the place that Lisa’s bed and belongings once sat was empty, it was as if she’d been erased from the room.

They both stood side-by-side once Tanya closed the door.

“Does she want the rest of her things?” Fiona asked, breaking the silence.

“They’re in that box. Even though she deserves nothing, after all the money used to buy all of them was stolen.”

I ignored her observation as I turned toward Tanya.

“Look, I know that what Lisa’s dad did wasn’t right.”

I did my homework, I saw how Lisa was treated by the media. They had made her out to be in cahoots with her dad, her friends bitched about her every chance they could and then they moved on to the next big story.

“But at the end of the day, Lisa didn’t steal from anyone. She didn’t tell you the truth, because she was worried about how you would react and I would say judging by things, she was right not to tell you. The moment you found out, you treated her like crap.”

Tanya sighed, “She shouldn’t have lied to me…”

“So, if she came in and told you, ‘hey, my dad’s the guy that destroyed most of your family’s life.’ You would have said what to her exactly? ‘No worries, come in. Let’s be the best of friends.’”

I could tell by the way that Tanya’s eyes darted to the other side of the room. The place that Lisa used to sleep, that she was thinking about it.

“It doesn’t matter. We don’t need her type around her,” Fiona pipped in.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I questioned.

Fiona was stuck for words, I could tell that she was thinking of something to say, but then her mind was a complete blank. She’d accused Lisa of being a thief and then I remembered how this whole thing came out of the woodwork, Fiona had taken Lisa’s bag.

“Fiona, you can’t talk. You took Lisa’s bag without her permission. If anyone’s a thief, it’s you.”

Tanya agreed, “I still don’t even get how you got the bag. I was so upset with Lisa I didn’t even think about it properly. How did you get the purse?”

“Maybe Dane’s right. Maybe we should forgive his fat girlfriend and move on. We’ve got work to do, so if you don’t mind.”

With Fiona’s words, I hesitated, waiting for Tanya to say something, but she didn’t as she moved to the bed, and slouched on the side of it. I decided to pick up Lisa’s things, I knew that she couldn’t come back to this room, well not for now and besides she needed more than the bag she brought with her. Mom wasn’t coming back in a hurry, and until she did Lisa could stay as long as she needed, until we figured out a permanent solution.

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