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“Not too bad, really. Other than almost taking out a girl this morning, it’s gone off without a hitch.” He chuckles.
“I think maybe the girl almost took you out,” I correct, relaxing a little.
“Well, it turned out for the best. Thanks to her, I was able to find my way around without getting completely lost.”
“That’s Hope for you.” Lulu pulls his attention back to her. “Always the do gooder. You know, that’s how we met. I was a transfer in sixth grade. Hope volunteered to be my acclamation buddy for the week.”
“Acclamation buddy?” he laughs.
“That’s what they called it back then.” She smiles, and even though she’s not trying, I can already see the way she’s pulling him in. He’d have to be blind to not be attracted to Lulu and vice-versa. They’re like Ken and Barbie. Two people you know would fit together.
It's a sobering thought and one that leaves me feeling less like eating and more like running for the bathroom to expunge what little is sitting in my stomach at the moment.
I watch it all unfold over the next twenty minutes. The shared smiles and laughs, the looks, the interest. Having to sit here and witness it is like some kind of sick torture.
And while I know Alec is so far out of my league that it’s laughable, it doesn’t make watching the two of them flirt back and forth any easier to swallow.
By the end of lunch, I’m not sure if I want to go hide in a corner and cry or punch my best friend square in the face. It’s not fair of me to think that way. But damn Lulu and her beautiful looks and undeniable charm. Damn her for swooping in on the one person I’m actually interested in getting to know more.
Not that she knows that’s what she’s doing. How could she? It’s not like I gave her any indication that I liked the guy. And now it’s too late. She already has her claws in him. I can tell by the way he looks at her. By how his gaze barely leaves her as we exit the cafeteria.
Once again, plain, average Hope gets overshadowed by her stunning best friend. Once again, I’m left on the outside looking in. It’s something I’ve gotten used to over the years. And until now it’s not something that’s ever bothered me much.
A part of me hopes that I’m making something out of nothing. That I’m letting myself think the worst because that’s what I’m used to. And I really, really hope that’s the case. But deep down I’m pretty sure it isn’t.
