She Can't Read Minds

“You little lying bitch.” Leslie snapped at me, sitting down a cross from me at the lunch table. Nellie, glaring at me too, took a seat beside her. I noticed how she caught lots of attention. Nellie did, not Leslie with all her anger. Jenna and Bridget had left moments earlier to go into the lunch line. “I told you to stay away from my brother, aka her boyfriend,” she jabbed her thumb toward Nellie, “so what did you do?”

“I hang out with him.”

“No, you stole him.” Nellie snapped. I rolled my eyes at her, ripping to sandwich to bits. She narrowed her eyes even more at me. “So why don’t you leave us alone? Get your own fucking life, girl.” I stared at her. Leslie swatted at Nellie with annoyance.

“Shut up, Nellie and go by your brother.” Leslie gave her “friend” a fake smile while the girl frowned and walked off. “Sometimes I swear the chick is dumber than a tomato.” I rolled my eyes at her, gesturing for her to get to her point. Leslie sighed. “I told you to stay away from Markus, Andi, and you didn’t. You took him away from his date. She was crushed because of you. Her own boyfriend left her for some bitch.”

“Gee thanks Les, and since when were they dating?” I asked, shoving a bit of my sandwich into my mouth and eating it slowly. Leslie shrugged, pulling her bag up onto the table before her. She pulled out a water bottle. “Does Markus know they’re dating?”

“Not exactly, but they’ve been on three dates so-”

“Wait, what?”

Leslie held up a finger, taking a sip from her water bottle. Putting the cap back on, she explained to me, “They’ve been on three dates. The first one when it was you, me, Cal, Griffin, and then them. The second they went bowling. It was just them. The third was the one where you rudely took him away. I just assumed they both knew they were dating cause Nellie’s been calling him her boyfriend…” Her face told me was telling the truth; I’ve been her friend for sometime. I can tell whether or not she’s lying from a mile away. She’s lied to a lot of people and her face has never looked so honest. “And Griffin and I are…”

“I don’t care about that part.” I told her, slipping the bits of sandwich into the plastic bag and shoving it onto Leslie’s lunch tray. She didn’t protest having to throw out my garbage. I feel like such an idiot, I thought.

Leslie’s eyes flashed with concern, “Gee thanks Andi, glad to know you care about my life.” I noticed the sudden change; seconds ago she was calling me a bitch and basically our friendship was over but now we looked like friends again. Close friends. But we aren’t; not anymore. “I told you not to think about my brother that way…” I shrugged, stealing her water bottle.

“I’m keeping this.” She laughed.

“Keep it, doll, I’ll buy another.” Leslie glanced above me, catching something in her sight. “I have to go. I’m sorry, love, I’ll find you a different person.” I grumbled something inaudible to her before she was replaced with Jenna and Bridget. No wonder she left so quickly. Jenna raised an eyebrow at me. I felt so stupid. Why didn’t he tell me?

“What’s wrong, hun?” Bridget asked, brushing some of my hair behind my ear. “What’d Leslie say to you? Did she-”

“She didn’t do anything. What she did say only upset me because of something I chose to do. She tried to tell me not to, but I didn’t listen. It’s my fault.” I sighed, taking the cap off of the water bottle and staring down at the clear squishing water. Jenna and Bridget exchanged a look passed me. “I’m stupid. It’s all my fault. He-”

“Hey girls,” Cal smiled, sitting down a cross from me. I haven’t talked to him in days and I didn’t notice how much I missed my best friend. He frowned when he saw me. Damn, I must really look sad or nobody would notice. I feel like an idiot. “What’s wrong…?”

“Can you take me home?” I asked him.

“Of course.”