Page 63 of One Week Wingman

I feel the word like a knife. My emotions must show, because Sebastian jumps in. “You don’t mind if I steal her away for a moment, do you?” he asks, all British politeness. “Roxy promised me a tour of her old stomping grounds.”

“Oh of course!” Mrs. Lawson says. “Lovely to see my star student again.”

She bustles off, and I exhale, but the damage is done. Of course I can’t go two steps in this building without someone reminding me how I was destined for great things…

… And how I’m letting them all down.

Sebastian holds out a hand to me. “Shall we?” he asks, but suddenly, I need a moment to collect myself.

“Bathroom,” I blurt. “Be right back.”

I hurry inside and find the ladies’ room. I lock myself in a stall, and take a deep breath, fighting the rush of inadequacy and self-doubt.

You like your life, I try to remind myself with a pep talk. I have great friends, and a fun job. Just because I’m not working at some Fortune 500 company the way I planned, it doesn’t make me a failure.

I had plenty of plans back then. Following Lady Gaga on tour around the States. Getting my nose pierced. Hiking Yosemite. But it turns out, hitchhiking makes me nervous, I really hate needles, and I prefer air conditioning to the great outdoors.

Plans change, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

I’m just about pepped up and ready to get back out there, when the door swings open, and I hear other people enter the bathroom.

“… And of course, Daisy’s a doll for helping out.”

“Did you see that her sister’s here?” Courtney’s nasal voice is unmistakable.

“Roxy?”

I freeze at the mention of my name.

“Mmhmm,” Courtney makes a bitchy noise. “You know she dropped out of school? She’s a bartender now.”

“No way!” the other woman cackles in delight. “Oh my god, she used to walk around here thinking like she was better than everyone. I remember her in the back of Physics class, she would always have her hand raised, like she knew everything.”

No, I silently correct them.I just needed a perfect GPA for the scholarship applications.

“No wonder her parents never talk about her,” Courtney says. “It’s always Daisy this, Daisy that. Guess they’ve got nothing to brag about.”

The knife twists again.

“What’s she even doing here?”

“The reunion, I guess.”

“Wow. If I was her, I wouldn’t show my face. I mean, talk about a downgrade.”

I wait until I’m sure they’ve gone, then I rinse my hands, and slowly head back outside again. But their words echo.

‘Talk about a downgrade.’

What would it be like if I hadn’t dropped out? I wonder. If I could walk these familiar hallways holding my head high as some superstar lawyer with all my shit together, living up to their expectations as Most Likely to Succeed?

Well, I’m definitely not in the running for that award now. More like, Most Likely to Show Up with a Fake Boyfriend Lying Through Her Teeth.

Would that even fit on a sash?

“Everything OK?” Seb asks, as soon as I rejoin him. Apparently, I have no poker face.

“Fine,” I lie. “I’m just not really in the mood for this. Sorry,” I add, trying to shake it off. “Give me a hot dog and paper cup of beer, and I’ll conjure up some of that school spirit.”

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