Page 52 of Under the Influence

I stand up quickly, twisting my face in disgust, “You’re disgusting.”

Mom is shaking her head in the kitchen as she puts the peppers in the oven, “How was school?”

“Fine,” Lainey and I respond, pretty much in unison.

“Just fine?”

“Yeah,” Lainey grins. “Madden’s girlfriend is missing, though, and maybe pregnant.”

Mom nearly drops the jug of tea from her hand, “What?”

“Oh, don’t worry, Jen. It’s not his.”

I roll my eyes, “Don’t listen to her, mom. She’s delusional.”

“Not delusional, just psychic,” Lainey winks.

An hour later, we’ve finished eating and Lainey has filled Mom in on all the Legacy drama for the past two weeks. She used to eat over here often, but her mom has her on a tight leash lately, afraid she’ll end up slumming it with me, I guess.

She opens the top left drawer of my dresser, her drawer, and pulls out some lounge pants of hers. Dropping her jeans in the middle of my room, I struggle to look away from her bare legs. She’s my best friend and I shouldn’t look, but I can’t help it when she puts it in my face. Plus, we walk a fragile line with our relationship, we’re not a couple, but there isn’t a girl in the world I wouldn’t trade for Lainey in the end. I’m not sure what that says about me, about us.

I tear my eyes away, smirking at her black toenails. I bet Drayton loves that. We chill for a while, talking about our plans for the school year. I tell her about my song ideas and play her a few beats I’ve had in my head. I watch her intently as her head bobs along to the songs, the same look in her eyes I see every time she hears something she loves. We share the same passion for music. I like to make it, and she wants to hear it.

She’s using her thumbs like warriors against her phone screen as a smile grazes her lips.

“Pretty boy?” I ask, focusing on her cute black toenails.

“Yeah. I think I’m gonna ask him to the homecoming dance.”

I nearly choke on my own spit, “Homecoming?”

“Yeah, I mean, I like him, Mad.”

“I get it, but homecoming? You’ve known him for like a week.”

She shrugs, looking back down at her phone, her smile instantly returning.

Homecoming is a big deal at Legacy. It’s a total Sadie Hawkins nightmare. The girls ask the guys, and it gets really cutthroat. There is nothing worse than hundreds of teenage girls fighting over the Sharks. Nothing. I’m honestly surprised Lainey even wants to go.

She drops her phone, “How should I ask?”

Oh, I forgot. Asking is supposed to be some grand gesture. It’s worse than the stupid prom-posals.

“I don’t know. Maybe you should start with running him over with your car.”

She stands up, grabbing her stuff, “I’m just gonna go. This is ridiculous, Madden.”

I stand with her, pacing the floor. “What do you want me to say! Huh?” I yell. “That I’m happy for you guys, that I like him? I. Don’t. Like. Him.”

She runs her hands through her hair, frustrated, “You don’t even know him!”

“And you do?”

“I know enough.”

I stand there like a statue as she storms out of my room, and a shadow of darkness takes her place. It’s hard to explain. Like my room is color, and now that she’s gone, it’s all black and white. She’s my best friend. Not any of the guys on the team, and not Grady. It’s her. I would trust her with my life.

I don’t know how long I’ve been standing here, but I break my stance, busting up the stairs into the living room to find mom leaning against the island.