Foolproof

Tomas and Cameron were coming back from bowling when Tomas asked his best friend what he actually thought of the girl.

“I actually like this girl, man,” Cameron said as he ran his hand through his hair.

“You mean, like, like?” Tomas asked carefully.

He shook his head, “No, but as friends. She’s actually cool and turns out we have basic things in common.”

“Like what?”

“We both come from a rich neighborhood, we both applied to Boston University and Harvard, then I applied to Yales and she applied to New York. We both have big family. Am I boring you yet?”

“Yes you are.”

Cameron laughed. “I don’t know why I never talked to her before.”

“Because you’re a jackass and think you should stick to your own kind,” Tomas corrected him.

“I don’t think that!” he said defensively.

Tomas nodded, “Why do you think you took that dare, huh, Cam? You were sticking the ones you’ve always stuck to. You got no one else. We’re your only friends who actually hang out with you. Other than that, everyone else just want to be around you cause you’re cool or something,” he shrugged.

“I’m cool or something?”

“You ain’t fooling me bro,” he laughed. Cameron playfully punched him in the arm.

“Yeah, what about you?”

“What about me?”

“You’re just like me, man, you stick to your own kind.”

“I thought you knew me better than that. Dude, I only hang with them because I’m your best friend I actually have others friends I chill,” Tomas explained.

“Really?” Cameron frowned.

Tomas laughed and pushed him. Cameron pushed him back. They laugh it off and changed the subject as they continued to walk home. The bowling place was a few blocks away from Tomas’s place.

**

There was a knock on her Mallory’s door. “Yeah?” she called. The door opened and entered a girl she had not seen in ages.

“LINDSAY!” she squealed as she jumped out of her desk chair and wrapped her arms around her cousin tightly. Lindsay cracked up and tightly hugged her back. They let go. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m coming to see my baby cousin,” she smiled.

Mallory cleared her throat, “You’re three days older than me, stop calling me that!”

She rolled her eyes, “Whatever. So guess what?”

“What?” Mallory went back to her desk chair.

Lindsay sat on the bed and crossed her leg over the other, “I’m gonna be living here until graduation.”

Mallory looked behind her with confusion, “Why?”

“Cause I got expelled,” she shrugged as though getting expelled from school was no big deal. It was not if it was her third time.

“Again!?” Mallory couldn’t help but laugh. “What did you do this time?”

“Punch the principle’s kid in the mouth,” she said casually. She got up and circled around the room.

“That’s all?” Mallory said as she saved her work on Microsoft Word and closed her laptop.

“The kid was actually a kid. He was 10, I think.”

“Lindsay! You don’t go punching actual kids!” Mallory turned her chair around.

“Whatever,” she shrugged, “He was being a smart ass anyway.”

“Of course,” Mallory nodded then shook her head. Many people would hate Lindsay for doing that, other would be disappointed, but Mallory couldn’t bring herself to be disappointed in her cousin. Lindsay was a babe. Tall, skinny legs, flat stomach, round breast, the (almost) perfect skin, her light brown hair that fell over her shoulder with the cutest side bangs ever. Mallory was jealous of her beauty.

“Where am I sleeping for the next three months?” she asked.

“In the guest room,” Mallory replied as a matter-of-fact.

“Gosh, I miss you,” she chuckled.

“Me too,” Mallory smiled. Finally she did have to go to school alone anymore. Why couldn’t Lindsay have punched the kid in September?

**

A few days later, Lindsay was registered and ready to go to school. Not really. But she did a good job making it look like she cared about her education. Lindsay asked her aunt for a car, but denied her when her mother called her sister to say that Lindsay was grounded and needed discipline. Mallory’s aunt, Lindsay’s mother, was a softy. However, Mallory’s mother was scary sometimes and Lindsay knew that. When her aunt denied, she didn’t push her luck.

“Can I drive?” Lindsay asked Mallory as they stepped outside on a Tuesday morning.

“Uh, no.”

“Why?” she whined.

“Because you’re a terrible driver and this car costs me a lot.”

“Am not!” she said defensively.

“Are to!” Mallory laughed as she got in. “Remember that time when you crashed your father’s truck?”

“Hey, that car came out of nowhere,” she said in her defense.

“No, you came out of nowhere.”

“Okay, but that was one time!”

“You almost got into another car accident with my brother’s car, remember that?” Mallory looked at her before pulling out of the driveway.

Lindsay had nothing else to say. She gave her cousin the finger and pouted. Mallory playfully punched her.

They arrived to school and Mallory saw Cameron waiting for her at the entrance. Ever since that date, he was always waiting for her at the entrance. She thought was the nice of him but it was not necessarily. On the other hand, Mallory felt as though he was trying to prove something. That was one of the reason she still couldn’t fully trust him.

Lindsay saw Cameron smiled and waved at Mallory.

“Oh my gosh, who’s that hottie?” she poked her cousin’s rib.

“A friend, I guess,” she replied uncertain, but was sounded convincing enough.

“Hey, how’s it going?” Cameron said when they reached him. Standing in the parking lot, Harlow was feeling jealous. How could he do this to her? He was supposed to take her on three dates, not hang out with her every day after school or wait for her every morning or walk her to class sometimes. Cameron never did that when they were dating. She had to do something, unfortunately, Olivia told her to back off and let it play because in the end Cameron had to break her heart anyway. Harlow smirked when she reminded herself that Mallory was a pathetic loser falling for a ridiculous trap.

“Nice to meet you,” she held out her hand after Mallory presented her to him.

“Likewise,” he nodded and shook her hand. He turned to Mallory as he opened the door, “So guess what I watched last night?”

Mallory was already laughing, “What?” Lindsay was just confused.

“This ninja turtle show on tv,” he said embarrassed.

“Awe, you finally sat down and watched that show with your brother,” Mallory teased.

“It was torture!”

“You used to love it when you were his age,” she reminded him. Lindsay could tell they had chemistry between them but decided to keep it to herself and watched them play it out.

“I know, but now it’s just not the same,” he shrugged. They have reached Mallory’s locker when Harlow appeared a few seconds later.

“Cam, let’s go,” she ordered.

“What?” he said confused. What was her problem?

“Excuse me?” Lindsay stepped in front of Harlow, “They were talking first. You can wait your turn.”

“Well, they’re done,” she said bitchy.

“What’s done is gonna be your face if you don’t get out of mine,” Lindsay leaned in. Harlow did not show fear however she was shaking on the inside. The power this girl had, Harlow was sure not to make a scene. She immediately backed off and walked away.

Mallory sighed, “Lindsay, try not to get expelled this time.”

Lindsay turned around and smiled, “I’ll try for you.” Mallory rolled her eyes. The bell rang and everyone headed off in different directions to class.