Pretend

I was woken up on Sunday morning by the electronic tinkling on my shitty Nokia, alerting me to an incoming call. I checked the cracked screen for the caller ID and sighed.

"Zach, you do realize that it is actually unhealthy to be up this early on a Sunday?"

"Whatever," Zach scoffed. "What are we doing today?"

I pondered the question for a long while, tapping my chin in absent concentration. To be honest, I'd prefer to scrounge around the house like the social pariah I was so to avoid question about my eye -especially as I hadn't updated Zach on the fact that it had happened sometime between him dropping me off at the house and me walking inside. But then the memory of Cora running out on me echoed in my head, and an ugly image of Marcus Lordie kissing my best friend played behind my eyes. I'd always had a funny feeling about him - he leered at sophomores and had some serious temper habits. But I shook off the notion. If Cora was allowed to run off with boys, I was allowed to run off ... with girls.

"We could do a movie thing?" I suggested, then added as an after-thought, "At your place."

"Not bad," Zach complied, and I could hear the cogs going in his head. "In fact, perfect. That way I can invite Kate and Aria-"

"Whoa, I am not going to be part of some self-obtained orgy with you!" I protested, cutting him off. "And anyway, who the hell are Kate and Aria anyway?"

"Hello? They've been in our homeroom since sophomore year," Zach sighed. "Jesus, Seb, what do you do all day? Daydream? Fantasize about the day Cora will come to her senses and realize you are the only one she wants-"

"Alright, don't be a dick, I get you point," I laughed, and then run a hand restlessly through my hair. To be honest, I have little to no experience with girls I don't already know. Cora and Renny I get along with just fine ... others, I just don't understand.

"Good. Look, I've gotta help the 'rents at the restaurant in the morning, so what d'you say about two p.m?"

"Sounds good, dude. What me to bring something?"

Zach makes a sound somewhere between a snort and a chuckle. "The last time you brought something, we couldn't even great it smashing it with the sledgehammer."

"Fine," I laughed. "See you at two."



Zach lived on Evergreen Lane, a rich road with lush lawns, big houses, and double garages. Like Cora's house, Zach's home had a warm, open, lived-in feel to it that my own shack lacked. His mother generally stayed at home writing novels, watering her rhododendrons and harvesting her vegetable garden, and while his father ran the restaurant. But for days with special invents, like today, both of them worked overtime making sure everything went off without a hitch,

Lounging on one of the leather couches in the spacious, finished basement, Zach made a pile of movies which he strategically placed beside the DVD player. There were bowls of popcorn, a jumbo bag of BBQ Lays, and three bags of gummy worms positioned on the coffee table beside a big bottle of Dr. Pepper. Aria Oliver and Kate Maxwell, the girls, were splayed out on cushy red bean bags, chatting animatedly to Zach, who looked flashy in his pressed Levi jeans and corduroy jacket. I smirked at him from my seat and checked the time on my phone. It was 2:39, and Cora still wasn't there.

Aria and Kate were best friends. Almost identical, at first I had trouble telling them apart. Both had tacky hair extensions and bad dye jobs. Both had pierced ears, a grotesque taste in fashion, and horrible, screechy laughter. After a half-hour with them, I was ready to curl up in a corner with pain relief and my sketchpad.

"What should we watch first?" Aria asked, twirling a lock of blonde hair around her index finger. She has a round face and green-blue eyes. That's one of their differences: face shapes and eye color.

Kate leans over a bowl of chocolate and grabs a movie randomly from the pile. "The Breakfast Club?"

"Since when did you own The Breakfast Club?" I chortled, and Zach pulled a face at me.

"I have sisters," he remarked, and turned to Kate. "Want me to put it on?"

I smirked. The last time Shelby, Aunt Sal's daughter and my cousin, and tried to introduce me to this movie, I'd fallen asleep.

Halfway through, Cora still wasn't answering my texts. Where the fuck was she? It wasn't like her to be so ... radio silent. Punctuality was usually one of her strong suits.

Whre u @?? I texted her quickly. Twelve minutes passed without her replying. I sighed deeply and excused myself before sliding through the French doors and onto the deck. Rex was curled up with Zach's border collie, Taffy, and the two were licking each other. The sight made my stomach curl slightly. It seemed like total irony that even my muted dog pal was getting more action then I was.

I quickly dialed Cora's number and waited for her to pick up. She finally pressed accept on my third attempt.

"Hey, Sebbie, what's up?" She sounded light and giggly. My let out a sigh of relief. Knowing that she hadn't been hit by a bus or mugged in the street was a huge weight off my shoulders. But it still left the question of where she was.

"Oh, hey. Where are you - didn't you get my texts?" I kept my voice nonchalant and was proud to hear that it sounded totally unaffected.

"I just did actually, I was just about to reply." I hear a distant whistle in the background and then a deep, masculine laugh. There is giggling, and then Cora says something away from the phone. She is back before I can wonder what's going on. "Er, where am I supposed to be?"

The words hit me like a blow. "Did you forget?"

"Ah, forget what, Sebbie?" Cora's voice was guilty. I inhaled sharply. It wasn't supposed to mean so much, but it felt like a whiplash of betrayal that my supposed best friend would blow me off.

"Uhm, the-the movie thing." I swallowed as my voice cracked slightly, the strain of my feelings making it waver like it did when I hit puberty and my voice inched into its depth. I interrupted Cora as she tried to say something. "Y'know what? It, ah. It doesn't really matter."

"Wait, Seb. I'm-"

"No, Cora.," I took another deep breath and shook my head, pulling my beanie down over my eyes so I didn't have to watch Rex watching me. His big tongue was lolling out and he looked like a complete dork. "It doesn't matter."

"Marcus, shut up!" she said playfully, and I suddenly felt extremely, stupidly angry. "Seb, look-"

"Y'know what, Cora? Have fun with Marcus, I'm sure he's much better company," My voice is deceptively hollow, and I could practically hear her ashamed confusion as she deliberated the seriousness of the situation. Cora started to say something, But I cut her off by hang up without another word. I leaned heavily against the wall and banged my head a couple of times until the tension eased off my shoulders. This irrational anger scared me, and I clenched my shaking hands into fists. No way was I going to let one stupid conversation ruin my day with Zach.

So I switched off my phone in order to ignore my notifications ringtone dinging, and shoved it into my pocket where I forgot about it and made an effort to chat up Kate, who I was at least able to tolerate more her metaphorical twin.