The Way We Talk

"Wow," Deanna says with a laugh, nursing her shaken passion iced tea, "What an ass."

I shrug. Deanna's flight back to Houston is the gate next to mine, so we've agreed to chill until my flight starts boarding. "Meh, he's kind of right."

"Kind of right?" She echos semi-mockingingly, "Get real, Erica. The guy isn't giving you a chance because you're - gasp - possibly complicated. I hang out with you and Christian and like, I can kind of see why people would think that the two of you are a thing. But I know you and I know him and there's no question in my mind that you and Christian are nothing other than best friends.

I shake my head, swirling around my raspberry mocha. "Yeah, but you hang out with us. Pete's in theater and that chick that Maika hooked up with a few times is claiming that I live in Christian's room."

Dee snorts at this, opening her phone and texting someone quickly. "Clara Delcarmith is a gossip, and everyone knows that. Maika was only fooling around with her because she's got a rep for giving good blowjobs."

I wrinkle my nose at that comment; Deeanna's pretty blunt. "You know, I could have lived without that mental picture."

Deenna sticks her tongue out at this. Bitch. "You're welcome. But seriously, no one takes Clara seriously unless they're trying to get some. He's an ass and you know the truth."

The intercom announces pre-boarding for my flight. Dee grins at me, then gives me a hug.

Home, here I come.

--

I lie on Molly's floor, staring at the ceiling.

"Rica, you know you want to tell me the details on this boy," she pokes me in the side at this, grinning mischeviously.

I motion for her to hand me her laptop, and I log onto Facebook. "So, my best friend in college is Christian, the guy who I dumped coffee over one day and ended up being in my Psych class," I begin, grinning as my notifications tell me that the boy in question has written on my wall.

Christian Climer: so i'm thinking that i'm going to hire someone to steal you and bring you to orlando.

"Aw," I hear Molly sigh from over my shoulder, "He's a sweetie. Now, seriously, click on his picture so that I can see what he looks like."

I oblige her, and click on his profile. His picture is currently a shot of him at some party, his arm around Maria. Molly studies the image, a finger on her jaw.

"He's gorgeous," she notes, "That his trailer trash?"

I shrug. "She may seem like your typical selfish, back-stabbing, slut-faced ho-bag. But in reality, she is so much more than that." Molly laughs at my perfect quoting of Mean Girls, and I continue, "She's so horrible, but she has him wrapped around her pinky finger. It's disgusting."

She pretends to gag, but half-smiles instead. "Girlfriend from hell aside, how have you not tapped that ass? I think he'd definitely fix your little problem real nice."

Molly is obsessed with my virginity. Mostly the fact that it still exists. Ever since she lost hers last year, she's been advocating for me to lose mine. After all, she always says, I was with Dave Veillieux for seven months and never gave it up. Obviously, she conveniently forgets that once summer approached and I admitted I was ready for it, I barely saw him. It's not a situation condusive to sex at all.

It isn't as if I'd had many other opportunities to solve my 'little problem', as she refers to it due to desgression, after all.

"Why haven't I fucked my best friend? Because he's my best friend and he's taken."

She shakes her head. "The boy flirts with you constantly and you two have crazy chemistry. His girlfriend is the devil - if you two hooked up in any way, shape, or form, it would be the ultimate way of sticking it to her. She's said horrible things to you, and you've done nothing. Fucking him halfway to Sunday is perfectly justified in this case."

This is why she's the devil on my shoulder. Katy is the angel perched on one shoulder, Molly the devil on the other way, and I'm somewhere between on the spectrum. And right now, I'm seriously considering moving a bit to the devil side.

It isn't as if I've never daydreamed about hooking up with Christian. And it isn't as if, given the opportunity, I wouldn't. It's the whole 'would he go for it?' aspect.

"It would, wouldn't it?"

She grins and pats me on the back. What the hell have I gotten myself into?

--

"Molly wants me to seduce Christian," I say once Katy's bedroom door is closed. I don't particularly want to have this conversation with her ultra-conservative parents too.

Katy chuckles to herself. "That sounds like Molly."

Thank you for your guidance, oh wise one. I come for advice, and you say jackshit. Awesome.

"So, are you going to do it?" she asks, flopping down onto her bed.

I take a seat on the corner of her bed. "No. I couldn't. I can't do that, right?"

"Physically, it's entirely possible. But I know that's not what you mean." I sigh and lean against her wall, kneading my temples with the base of my palm. "The truth is, though this is probably not the answer you are looking for from me, you could. As much as the two of you try to show evidence to the countrary, there is NOTHING normal about your friendship with Christian. Like, me and Jason are best friends. You and Christian are somewhere in the territory of Whatthefucksville. Even if you don't count the questionable bedsharing, the two of you have been emotionally fucking for two months now. You've got a lot more than just a foot in the door, Ric. I'm not telling you to run up to him, tear his clothes off and immediately start riding him, but making out with him wouldn't exactly be the sluttiest thing you've ever done."

I scrunch my face together. "Should I take that as a compliment or an insult?" I inquire, to which my best friend shrugs.

"Take it anyway you want, Erica, but it's just not as big of a step as you think."

You know how I said Katy was the angel to Molly's devil? While either she's converted the dark side (complete with cookies) or the universe has developed a twisted conscience all of a sudden.

My phone buzzes in my pocket.

From The Biggest SLUT I Know: hey. you should get on skype and vidchat with me and foot.

I grin, then turn to Katrina. "Hey, speaking of Christian, do you want to videochat with him. He's at his friend Footy's."

She doesn't even have to answer my question before I start typing my reply.

To The Biggest SLUT I Know: getting out my laptop now. you'll meet katy.

I open up my laptop and sign onto Skype. I click on Christian's screenname and hit call, then video.

Christian and Foot are sitting on loan chairs outside; it's unseasonably warm in Florida, I hear. "My, my Miss Erica Saunders," Footy quips, whistling to himself, "You get more and more beautiful every time we videochat. Who is your pretty friend?"

I giggle. Footy only flirts with anything in a skirt, but he looks like a model and he's just so good at it. "This is my best friend Katy. We're chilling in her room."

"Ah, so you're the infamous Katy Anderson that Ric never shuts up about," Christian pipes up, "I'd give you a hug, but you two are in your stupid cold state."

I shrug. "Meh, it's home. How's Florida?"

"Warm, sunny and wonderful," he boasts, moving his laptop to show me a panoramic view of his backyard, "But it would be better if you were here."

"What he means to say is that he misses you, boo," Footy adds, to which Christian punches him in the arm and tells him to 'shut the fuck up, man'. Foot winces, but continues, "Hey, I think I'd miss you too if I were him. You're partying with us over spring break, right Erica?"

I nod. "Just need the parents to give the green light. But most likely, yeah."

"Hey, Kay should come to Cancun with us too. When's your spring break?"

Katy shakes her head. "No, my parents would never go for it."

Damn her parents. They're always responsible for ruining our fun. It's a surprise that her father's ridiculous overprotectiveness hasn't prevented her from having a life.

"We could always just tell them that we're going to Florida to hang out with some friends. Which is only half a lie because our layover will most likely be in Orlando to meet up with Footy and Leila."

Katy and I grin at each other, then begin plotting her escape with the boys.