Eleanor looks at me like a deer in headlights, and I shake my head to let her know it’s okay, that she didn’t upset me by spilling those specific beans.
“Anyway,” she says, a little too cheerfully. “I’m sure Griffin filled you in about my life.”
David, who has never missed an opportunity to monologue, jumps into a rage-filled rant about how Bennett is “the worst fucking rat on the planet”and “I swear Ellie, it’s not just because I’m trying to suck up, I will drop kick his ass into an alternate timeline if you want.”
It takes my breath away to see her laugh, face lighting up more and more with every outrageous claim, and Jack’s quips about the way David should sit this one out since his nine year old sister trapped him in a headlock last week.
This is fun. I can do this. No problem.
“Ellie, me and Jack are great wingmen,” David declares. “We’ll find you someone way better in no time. There’s a guy out there for you.”
The room goes eerily quiet, and it feels like a vacuum sucked every last air molecule out. Everyone knows thateveryone knowswhat happened between me and Eleanor. There’s no avoiding the implications of David’s words. “There’s a guy out there for you…and it’s not Griffin.”
“I think the whole point of life is that there’s someone out there for all of us,” Jack says, something weirdly philosophical coming from him.
Eleanor smiles at him, but I catch a glimpse of sadness in her eyes when she briefly flicks them in my direction.
“Oh for sure,” David replies quickly. “Hey wait, maybe you can help Griffin get back in the game!” His eyes go round, obviously hearing the double-meaning in his words. “Wait no, I didn’t mean–just that you’re a girl, and maybe you can give him advice on girl stuff.”
We all stare blankly at him, and he keeps digging himself into the hole further.
“Not likegirlstuff, Griffin’s a dude. But like, advice on stuff girls like. Good compliments, first date ideas, how to ask a girl out, yada yada…” He lets his words trail off lamely, but a pang of panic rips through my chest when Eleanor turns her attention sharply to me.
David, please do not do this to me again.
“Oh?” Eleanor says in a tone that has me bracing for impact. “Does Griffin need advice about one girl in particular?”
I can’t tell if she expects me to declare my feelings for her right now, or claim that there’s a different girl. I have no idea which is a better idea to say out loud. Probably neither–I don’t think I’m getting out ofthis one unscathed.
“Um, yeah,” I say slowly, screwing up every fiber of courage I have. “I think I’m going to ask Katie out. We’ve had some classes together, she’s cool.”
Her mouth falls in surprise, her eyes shifting from something accusatory to the absolute worst case scenario–filled with hurt.
“Oh,” she says again, much more quietly this time. “That’s great. She’s great. You’d be great together.”
I try to concentrate on pretending that is totally my idea, not a new development at David’s suggestion. But all I can think about is how we stammer the exact same way when we don’t want to talk about something.
“I hope she knows what she’s in for,” she says, her voice taking on a sharp edge I’m unfamiliar with.
Is she…angry with me?
Suddenly bristling, I fire back, “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
I feel Jack tense beside me, and David muttersoh shitunder his breath.
“I just hope she’s not looking for anything serious,” she says smoothly. “Since you jump from girl to girl so quickly.”
She is angry. For what? She’s the one who brushed it off like it was nothing.
“I wouldn’t have jumped to another girl if someone hadn’t pushed me,” I bark out.
“Pushed you?” Eleanor cries with a shrill laugh. “Please do enlighten me. Was it pushing when I cried about my breakup? Was it pushing when I laid in your bed? Was it pushing when I let you kiss me?”
“Let me?”I growl, no longer fighting to keep my tone in check. “Don’t you dare put this on me, that wasn’t a one sided kiss.” Smacking my hand to my chest, pointing at myself, “I’mnot the one who called it a distraction.”
Her face turns red as she leaps out of her seat. “Because I was scared, Griffin!”
“Scared of what, Eleanor? That this might be something real between us?”
