Page 11 of Kicking It with the Point Guard

“Unfortunately, I have plans this weekend, but maybe sometime soon!”

“Oh, darn. Well, since you’re here, would you like to have lunch with me?”

I extend the olive branch. If she accepts, it gives me more time to figure out what she wants from me.

“I already ate, but I don’t mind sitting and talking with you while you eat.” Her voice is almost sickly sweet.

“Okay, well, I’ll be right back then.”

I run and grab some stir-fry from the main course line, picking up a couple of extra packets of soy sauce and grabbing a water from the to-go line before heading back to sit down with my new “bestie.”

She scrunches her nose at the tray, not trying to hide her disgust this time. It gets worse as I add my packets of soy sauce.

“That much sodium is bad for you.”

I look up at her as I slowly drizzle the last packet on my rice.

“I’ve got water to drink. It’s called balance.”

She looks like she’d rather be anywhere but here, so I move the conversation along to ease both her misery and mine.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” I say through a mouthful of stir-fry.

“Oh… Well, like I said, I’ve seen you around campus, and when I was leaving the library the other day, I saw you and a tall guy in a study room together. He’s really hot! Do you know him?”

Ahhh… so this is what she wants.

“I just met him the other day. And unfortunately, I don’t know his name, or I’d introduce you. I’m sure you two would hit it off. You’d make a great couple!”

Her face turns as red as the bell peppers on my plate.

“Oh, no. I have a boyfriend.” She pulls her phone out and shows me her screensaver. It’s a picture of her in a cheerleader outfit with a super muscled guy in a Fox University football jersey.

“You two look good together.” I give her a smile before shoving another bite of rice into my mouth. Dang, the cooks were on fire today!

“I just have this friend,” she starts again. “She’s had a crush on that guy for forever, but he’s kind of hard to find. So when I saw him with you, I thought maybe you could introduce him to us.”

“I see.”

What a polite way to say I’m befriending you, only to use you for one very specific reason, and then I’ll never talk to you again.

“Well, unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll be much help. I’ve only just met him myself, you see, and I don’t plan on seeing him anymore. But if I do see him around, I can tell him you’re looking for him.”

“Oh, no.” She waves her hands dismissively. “That’s all right. Thank you for chatting with me and enjoy the rest of your… lunch.”

She gets up just as fast as she sat down and leaves. I watch her cross the cafeteria and sit down with a group of girls who all look like they came out of the same fashion magazine as her.

They must all be cheerleaders.

Lindsay must be telling them what we talked about, because the girl sitting directly in front of her looks over at me. Her glare could melt the Lambert glacier.

That must be her “friend.” She’s definitely gorgeous. But where Lindsay gave off a warm autumn vibe, this girl is pure ice. She’s the dead of winter.

I give a small wave and then get back to my lunch. Today has been strange. Maybe the planets are aligning weird or something.

I don’t give the cheerleader table another look as I finish eating and leave the cafeteria.

The less interacting I do with them, the better off I’ll be. Why am I all of a sudden running into all these people who, on any other day, wouldn’t even glance in my direction?

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