Foolproof

“Guess what?” Lindsay sang as she entered Mallory’s room.

“What?” she answered plainly.

“I got a hot date tomorrow night,” she sang again.

“With whom?” she said surprised. Lindsay had only been here for a week and already!

“With this Kevin guy,” she shrugged as she turned on the straightener.

“From school?”

She shook her head, “Met him at Tim Horton when I ran out of money.”

“You didn’t bring money with you,” Mallory corrected.

“Yeah, but he doesn’t know that,” she giggled as she started straightening her hair.

“Oh my gosh, Lin,” Mallory laughed and turned back to her laptop to continue her homework.

“What?” she said innocence, “I went there to get free water, but then I saw him and I knew what I just had to do.”

“Get his attention then fuck him?”

Lindsay cracked up. “Girl, you know me too well.”

“I’m surprise you’re still a virgin,” Mallory pointed out.

“HEY!” she turned to Mallory, “That does not leave this room,” she pointed with her index at her. Mallory chuckled.

“How old is he anyway?”

“19, I think,” she turned back face the mirror to finish her hair.

“Going younger here, I see?”

“Mal, that was one time and a huge mistake. I didn’t know he was 32. He looked 25 to me,” she reminded her cousin.

“I gotta meet this Kevin so I can warn him about you.”

“Ha, ha, very funny,” Lindsay said sarcastically. That night the girls went to a party. It was Mallory’s first time and Lindsay stuck by her the entire night making sure Mallory was comfortable and not drinking too much for her first time.

**

“Sorry, this table is full,” said Harlow as Lindsay was about to take a seat next to Patrick.

“Really?” Lindsay said as she took the seat anyway, “You call the five of you sitting at a table of eight full?”

“She means you’re not part of the group, so run along,” said Olivia, supporting Harlow.

“Who ask you to talk, shut up,” Lindsay snapped at her. Olivia immediately shut up and looked down at her food. Harlow was getting angry. Who did Lindsay think she was? Lindsay pulled Mallory shirt and she plotted down next to her cousin. “Mal and I wanna sit here. If you don’t like it well deal with it or maybe you can… run along,” she added sarcastically.

Patrick snickered. Olivia and Harlow glared at him. “What? She’s strong-minded, I like her.”

“Then fuck her, I don’t care,” Harlow snapped and left the table followed by Olivia who was disgusted. Lindsay watched the two of them leave the cafeteria then turned to the boys at the table.

“Later,” she said and got up.

“What?!” Patrick said, caught off guard.

“Oh, I just came here to annoy the two for a little… payback,” Lindsay shrugged.

“What payback?” Tomas asked confused.

“Don’t think I came to school all naïve,” she smirked, “I know Harlow and Olivia have been torturing my cousin. They think they can get away with it… not while I’m around.” Lindsay put her hands on the table and leaned in, more toward Patrick as she was specifically addressing to him, “If you ever hurt my cousin in any way, I will hunt you down and fucking beat the shit out of you, am I clear?”

Patrick was shock. Did she know about the bet? Impossible. No one knew except the five. Mallory did not know as she was completely naïve. However, Lindsay, she did not know, but something was warning Patrick to call off the bet. He nodded coolly as though he didn’t care what she said and took bit out of his hamburger.

“Bye,” she smiled and dragged Mallory out of the cafeteria.

“W-why do you do that?” Mallory asked once they were out.

“’Cause it’s fun,” she laughed. Mallory thought she did that to embarrass her yet protect her at the same time, but if anyone knew Lindsay more than herself, it was Mallory. Lindsay did in fact do that because for her it was always about the fun.

Mallory shook her head and chuckled. “What am I going to do with you?”

Lindsay put her arm around her cousin, “You are going to do crazy shit with me,” she smiled.

“I’ll bet,” she smiled. They went outside to the smoke pit. Lindsay needed a smoke. Mallory may never had real friends or any at all in her entire life, but with Lindsay by her side, she always felt she did not need any friends to keep her sane.

**

Comes Friday afternoon, Mallory was putting her homework in school bag then grabbed her soccer bag when Harlow appeared. Mallory ignored her presence and closed her locker.

“Do you love him?” she asked, “Like, are you in love with him?”

“I have no interest in him,” she said casually. Mallory was not going to have this conversation with the one person she hated the most.

“Then why do you keep going on dates with him?”

“For my benefit,” she shrugged. Mallory had no idea why theses words were just coming out.

“Well, for your benefit or not, I’d be careful if I were you,” she smirked.

“Like you were when you lost your virginity to Jeffery,” Mallory grinned.

Harlow eyes widened. How did she know that? There was only one person who could have told her and that was Cameron. How could he?! She leaned and spoke lowly, “At least I know something you don’t and it makes me wonder how it will be until you find out.”

Harlow turned and walked away. Mallory formed her hand into a fist. Harlow was really starting to piss her off, ever since Lindsay got here, she had been an even more pain in the ass to Mallory for all the wrong reasons.

Oh, if only Mallory knew why Harlow was so jealous.