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Six: Ideal
Xochitl
Reading the headline first thing when she signed onto the browser of her laptop had Xochitl’s stomach plummeting. Not just because she knew Vannah would be beyond upset about it, but it inevitably brought on thoughts of Lex as well. Thoughts she’d tried so hard this past year to vanquish. Shaking off said thoughts, she called Vannah first who she had a feeling wouldn’t answer. The girl stayed as busy as Xochitl, and her mother did. As expected, the call went to voicemail and Xochitl shot her a quick text to say she missed her and that she couldn’t wait to see her soon, or even just hear from her.
Next, she called Cade who she was certain would answer like he always did. The decision to get back together with him was a simple one. At least it’s what she kept telling herself though she knew there was more to it. They’d never done the friends with benefits thing. As far as Xochitl was concerned that never worked out. Either you were all in or not at all. So, when he’d come down to visit a few weeks ago and they ended up in bed together, it just seemed like the right thing to do. But the teeny voice in the back of her head kept reminding her that the spark she’d felt after sleeping with him for the first time inyearshad given her hope. She hated that she’d begun to think Lex had ruined every guy out there for her. But any time she met a new guy, she inevitably ended up comparing what she’d felt for Lex thatonenight and none came even close.
She’d gone as far as sleeping with someone new since the only guy she’deverslept with was Cade. It’s why she’d gone against her usual thinking for once—that she didn’t do one-night stands—and slept with a guy she met at a party a few months ago. Talk about that being a bad idea. She’d convinced herself that after all this time she’d completely built up that night at the wedding. That all she needed was to try something new like sleeping with a guy she’d just met, and it’d be the exciting new thrill that would pull her out of her perpetual funk. Wrong.
Feeling the spark with Cade when she’d slept with him again after all that time, was still giving her hope that maybe one day she’d feel for him what she did thatonenight. Though admittedly she’d yet to feel much more and she now questioned whether it’d been a mistake to gethishopes up about them. She had after all, always been the breaker in any of their breakups and each time they had broken up, he told her he’d always be there for her. But she figured, with him still living up north and they’d be separated for the most part for the next two years as busy as both stayed, it didn’t hurt to at least try to make it work. “Hey,” he answered as cheery as he always did when she called.
“Hey, you,” she smiled trying to genuinely sound as equally happy to hear his voice. “Just thought I’d check in before I turn off my phone. I have some major cramming to do.”
“Yeah, same here,” he said. “But I’m not as disciplined about it as you. I leave my phone on.”
“Disciplined or obsessive?” She chuckled. “Eh, I’m not that disciplined I still leave my browser open in case I get an email. You know my mom makes more time for that, than chatting. She says she can multi-task by writing a paragraph at a time between grading papers and then just hit send when she’s finally done writing it. Matter of fact I’m calling her after I get off the phone with you to give her one last chance to have a live chat with me before I dive into my cramming. Just called Vannah too.” She pouted. “But as usual that busy bee didn’t answer either.”
“How’s she doing?”
“I told you,” Xochitl tapped the touch screen on her laptop. “She didn’t answer.”
“Well not now, but how’s she been with this whole Beast scandal?”
“Ugh,” Xochitl shook her head, refusing to get sucked into the click bait article on said topic. “Last time I talked to her she was pretty upset about it, but she said she’s doing her best to stay away from all the gossip articles. Luckily, like me she stays really busy so I’m sure that helps.”
“Did she say if there’s any truth to the stories?”
Xochitl shook her head. As close as she and Cade had always been and she knew without a doubt she could trust him to take it to the grave, she’d never told him about the story. Maybe if Vannah had been the one to share the story with her. But something about him being someone she’d been intimate for so long and having gotten the story from Lex just made it feelwrong. As little as she knew Lex, she’d picked up on one thing. He’d likely be madder that she shared his secret with her ex, now boyfriend again, than about her sharing it at all. “She didn’t know anything about it until the story got out.” Xochitl explained since he now knew all the same details the rest of the world knew, no thanks to social media and TV gossip shows. “This happened before she was even born.”
“But I’m sure she’s asked her family about it.”
Despite the story covering everything she knew about it, and then some, she refused to admit she’d gotten the inside scoop long before this story broke. It’d only bring up the reminder of what happened with Lex that night, since she had shared about that with Cade. Though she did admit one thing since Vannah was the one to give her this part of it. “She said her mother assures her the rumors about her aunt being unfaithful are absolutely untrue. But strangely she did confirm that the restistrue. The whole con thing andBeasthaving become infatuated with her aunt. Not the other way around.”
They chatted a bit longer before she hung up and called her mom. As usual it went to voicemail. “Okay, mother,” she said as she tapped the end button. “Guess I’ll just have to email you in between cram sessions.” A text from her mom popped up.
Don’t email me. I’ll call you in a few. I’m wrapping things up, but I’ll be able to chat for a little in about three minutes.
“Of course,” Xochitl muttered as she set her phone down and got up to grab a bottle of water. “Just when I was getting ready to hunker down for some serious cramming she can talk, finally.”
As promised her phone rang just as Xochitl sat back down at the table with her water. She answered smiling. “Hi,Madre. What do I owe this miracle to?”
“I just finished putting the taxes together for this quarter. It’s the only thing I hate about the summer camp. Having to file quarterly.” Her mom sighed. “Thank God it’s only one quarter out of the year. I don’t know how people that run a business year-round have the patience to do this every quarter.”
“I believe that’s what bookkeepers are for.”
“Well, it seems a waste for your father and I to both be math teachers and not be able to do our own books. It’s not hard, it’s just a pain.”
As if on cue, Loraine her newestpain-in-the-ass roommate walked out of the bathroom. “You left the toothbrush on the sink again. We’ve been over this.”
Xochitl closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “That’s because it was still wet. I prefer for it to drip dry into the sink and not that holder. Gets all wet, gunky and gross in there. We’ve been overthistoo.”
“Chichi, honey we catch more flies with honey,” her mother said cautiously on the other end of the phone. “Well, be sure you put it away,” Loraine said grabbing her backpack and stalked toward the front door. “I’m outta here.” Before she was even out and still within hearing range, Xochitl spoke into the phone. “And this is why I’m getting a new roommate come this fall.” Her mother gasped. “Can she hear you?”
“No,” Xochitl lied but Loraine had walked out now without comment. “She’s the one that put in for the transfer mother, not me. Good riddance she’s such an ornery little witch.”
“Well, this is the third roommate who has, ever since Vannah moved out,” her mother said in that knowing tone that made Xochitl smirk. “You surethey’rethe ornery ones?”
“That’s the thing. They keep pairing me with girls who are just too similar to me.” She took a deep breath. “Craziest thing is when I first met Vannah I was certain I’d hate her. She was just too damn giddy for me, and you know grumpy people like me don’t have the patience for that. But she grew on me and now I know why. I’m a much better match with someone who’ll balance out the energy in this place. Not one who’ll have us on the evening news for sure.”
